Ministry puts goods shortage fears to rest

By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-THE Ministry of Consumer Affairs has recently assured the general public that all shortages of basic goods in the Federation have been resolved and consumers should see relief on the shelves as of this week, even with the repeatedly absent Carnation evaporated milk.

“The situation as it pertains to the basic commodities…is that the government feels fairly confident that there is no need for concern at this particular moment,” Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris, Minister with responsibility for Consumer Affairs, said at a press conference on October 2.

He took time at the press conference to dispel rumours about the supply of flour and rice to St. Kitts-Nevis, stating that the Federation’s Supply Office currently has an adequate amount of both items and that additional shipments of these are expected to arrive by mid-October to further bolster the supply. 

Despite the comfortable situation with these goods, Harris said that sugar was a different story and had proved problematic for the ministry in the past few weeks.

“We have experienced some unreliability in supplies from Guyana and as a consequence we have ordered sugar from elsewhere in South America, Brazil in particular, and these are expected to arrive in October.”    ~~Adz:Right~~

It was not made clear if Brazil will now become the main supplier of sugar to St. Kitts-Nevis or is merely serving as a temporary substitute to the normal suppliers.

On the issue of the nation’s milk supply, Harris said that “at this moment in time we have an adequate supply” but noted that the public should put aside its resistance to the recently introduced Cardinal Cream as a substitute to Carnation because they are “of comparable quality”.

“Delivery of Carnation milk was very unreliable and the public was too frequently being put out of milk. [The ministry] took the decision that milk was such a basic commodity that our first duty and obligation was to ensure that there was an adequate supply,” Harris said.

With twenty-three pallets of Carnation allegedly on back order at one time, Harris said Consumer Affairs had no choice but to find an adequate substitute for the item, even if the public has shown resistance to that substitute based upon what he called “personal taste”.

“From the point of view of the ministry, we are indifferent really as to whether or not it is Carnation or Cardinal Cream. We just want to ensure that public has a good quality, affordable brand of milk which is available to them.”

Harris said that the introduction of Cardinal Cream in the Federation seems to have prompted Carnation to once again make timely deliveries and stop neglecting its long term relationship with the twin islands.

“We are saying that we invested forty years in a relationship with Carnation and the country deserves better. If Carnation cannot live up, then we will find alternatives that meet the two critical tests of affordability and reliability in the supply…and we hope the public understands that.”