BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - IN direct contradiction with what his Financial Secretary recently reported to the nation, Premier of Nevis, the Hon. Joseph Parry said, “Nevis is not broke.”
Parry’s Financial Secretary Laurie Lawrence spoke at the National Consultation on the Economy (NCoE) on September 11, 2012 held at the St. Kitts Marriott and indicated that on short notice he was filling in for the Premier.
He highlighted Nevis’ economic situation and overwhelmingly suggested that the island is in dire straits with declining revenue and a wage bill that sucks up the government-generated revenue for any given month.
He also revealed that Nevis’ economy was in desperate need of an injection of revenue and explained intentions of looking toward to the Sugar Investment Diversification Foundation (SIDF) for a lifeline.
A press release issued yesterday (Sept. 19) by Parry’s Press Secretary indicated that during his 29th Independence Anniversary Ceremony Address, the Premier countered Lawrence’s suggestions declaring that “the island of Nevis is not broke, in spite of what one might hear or what some may wish”.
Parry noted that he did not request anyone to speak on his behalf at the NCoE and that the information which Lawrence verbally disseminated gave rise to misinformation and or distortion of the truth.
“The Premier told the attentive audience that he did not ask any person to talk on his behalf at the recently held Financial Consultation in St. Kitts to which his Financial Secretary, Mr. Laurie Laurence, spoke on the challenging economic times that the island of Nevis has been facing, information that has elicited misinformation from certain persons to the effect that Nevis is ‘bankrupt’.”
The picture painted via the press release was that while things are difficult in and for Nevis, the ship is yet afloat and the government is making steady progress as the island works to regain firm economic footing.
Premier Parry – the press release informs – said public servants are paid on time and strides are being made to grow the economy.
