PRESS RELEASE

People's Action Movement

ALARM WIDENS ABOUT THE STEVIA PROJECT
 
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: May 31, 2005.  The Peoples Action Movement is calling upon the Minister of Agriculture, Hon.Cedric Liburd and the Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Denzil Douglas to report to the electorate on what they discovered when they investigated Mr. Jonathan Chin, CEO of Natural Sweet Corporation and whether the Government is satisfied that the peoples lands ought to be handed over to Jonathan Chin and our natural sweet crop for cultivation.
 
This appeal to the Government has become necessary because of the number of discrepancies found in the statements made by Jonathan Chin to the press, both via press releases from the Prime Ministers Office and via statements made at the Press Conference recently held (May 27th) jointly by Natural Sweet Corporation and SSMC.
 
Up to this point, the Canadian Trade Commission has been unable to find any Natural Sweet Corporation registered in Canada as Mr. Chin claimed his company was. In addition he admitted at the latest Press Conference that he was not associated with any other Stevia enterprise and that this was the first Stevia project with which he was associated. Further, Mr. Chin is now saying that Natural Sweet is registered in St. Kitts.
 
The reasons for the delays on starting the Project given by Mr. Chin were  rain (first and foremost)  illness on his part and the fact that he was all over China looking for the best seeds -  this being reported after it was stated that millions of seeds were already in St. Kitts. Yet the Prime Minister, up to the time of his Press Conference in March, claimed ignorance as to what was
causing the delays.  In addition, Mr. Chin stated that they never left the country hence it was not true to say that he was resurfacing, as was reported in the SUN newspaper.
 
The true status of the Project raised even more alarm when (a) no Government Minister appeared at the Natural Sweet Corporation Press Conference on Friday May 27th and (b) when even after this press conference, Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Cedric Liburd could offer no more information beyond what he had when the MOU was signed last year.
 
It is imperative for the Government to display transparency on this project and account to the electorate, truthfully about what is really happening inside the Stevia Project.  If Government does not, its credibility will be eroded and the STEVIA project will be seen as nothing but a pre-election ploy used to give the electorate false hope in the Labour Administration's ability to successfully take this economy beyond the Sugar Industry closure.
 
The People Action Movement is not against investment or Stevia itself but PAM is calling on the Government to disassociate itself from Jonathon Chin and or Natural Sweet Corp as these individuals and or firms have not been forthright with the citizens of St KittsNevis
                 

31st May, 2005.