Last Updated on September 7, 2022, 7:22 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The Cabinet of Ministers met on Monday, September 5, 2022, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew. During this meeting, the Cabinet of Ministers discussed several matters of national importance.
The Cabinet took several important decisions to benefit the citizens and residents of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis. The decisions taken during the meeting are as follows:
- The Cabinet received a presentation from the St Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) management. They immediately approved the purchase of additional generation capacity. This decision will enable SKELEC to alleviate some of the load sheddings that the general population are currently experiencing due to reduced capacity at the Needsmust Power Plant.
- Further, the Cabinet has also agreed to facilitate the purchase of dual-fuel, high power density generating sets (GenSets), to resolve the problem in the long term. Notwithstanding these generator solutions, the Cabinet continues to explore various renewable energy projects.
- The ministers in the meeting have approved gratuitous payments for employees who were unjustly terminated from their workplaces for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine and who have not benefited from severance payment. Further, a comprehensive review of the Protection of Employment Act has been mandated to strengthen workers’ protection.
- To help address the long-standing water shortages in the country, the ministers has approved a project to build two (2) partially solar-powered desalination plants. The project is funded by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is part of a renewable energy project for the Caribbean with similar projects implemented in Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Bahamas.
- They have also approved granting economic costs to all nationals studying at the University of the West Indies, thereby reversing the previous administration’s policy.
- The Cabinet reviewed and discussed several significant investment opportunities which will redound to the benefit of the people of St Kitts and Nevis.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
