Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 14, 2016 (SKNIS): The formal meetings of the Cabinet took place on Friday, April 29 and Wednesday, May 11, 2016. The meetings were chaired by the Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.
1. Cabinet approved the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This Convention recalls the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations which recognizes the inherent dignity and worth and the inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. It also recognizes that the United Nations, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenants on Human Rights, has proclaimed and agreed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind. Additionally, the Convention reaffirms the universality, indivisibility, interdependence and interrelatedness of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and the need for persons with disabilities to be guaranteed their full enjoyment without discrimination.
2. Cabinet approved several concessions to small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in order to generate economic activity in the federation.
3. Cabinet received a report from Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris on his recent trip to North America (Washington D.C.) where he participated in the United States—Caribbean—Central American Energy Summit and also held meetings with the US Department of the Treasury, US Department of State, and the US Department of Justice on correspondent banking and security matters. The prime minister reported that the meetings were quite informative.
4. Cabinet discussed the resignation of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Franklin Brand, and recorded its appreciation for Mr. Brand’s contributions to restore decorum, order, dignity and democracy back to the Parliament. Mr. Brand resigned his post due to health reasons.
5. Cabinet received an update on the CARICOM-OECS Regional Geothermal Forum that was held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort from May 10-12, 2016. Premier of Nevis, the Honourable Vance Amory, provided a full report on geothermal progress in Nevis, while Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Honourable Ian Patches, provided an update about the evolvement of geothermal exploration in St. Kitts.
6. Cabinet discussed a draft housing policy and made recommendations for its review and further development.
7. Cabinet examined a number of proposals before it and gave approval to projects in the medical health and traditional retail and wholesale sectors. In giving support to the projects, Cabinet took note of the beneficial impact this will have in creating jobs and boosting overall economic activity.
8. Cabinet approved a new Pesticide and Toxic Chemicals Control Board to function for two years. The function of such a board is to manage pesticides and toxic chemicals thereby ensuring human health and environment. It allows for the monitoring of chemicals at the ports of entry in order to make informed decisions on products entering our shores and use in agriculture food production to ensure that what reaches the end user is legal and does not pose a severe risk to human health.
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