Last Updated on January 4, 2025, 1:41 AM AST by Anthony Morris
St. Kitts and Nevis’s Prime Minister Terrance Drew on Wednesday, January 1, extended New Year’s greetings to fellow citizens of the island-nation and wished them prosperity for 2025.
In a video message that he shared on his official Facebook page which began with the country’s National Anthem – O Land of Beauty – the prime minister spoke about St. Kitts and Nevis’s achievements in 2024 and the high goals it has set in the new year.
Dr Drew, whose government is known for its people-centric policies, said 2025 will be a ‘Year of Recovery’ that will be built on collective resilience and the seeds that were sowed in the previous years will fructify.
“Today, as we bid farewell to 2024, I invite you to reflect on how far we have come and to embrace with open hearts the promise of the year ahead, a year we have boldly declared a Year of Recovery. It is a year that will build on our collective resilience, a year when the seeds we have planted will bear fruit, and a year when progress will power us toward a stronger and brighter St. Kitts and Nevis,” the PM said in his address.
Government addressed economic hardships in 2024
He said 2024 was not without challenges such as rising costs and economic uncertainty but the country still progressed through unity, resolve and government’s decisive action to make a difference in the lives of every citizen for the better.
PM Drew said the government invested $320 million to back key subsidies and social programmes.
Explaining the government’s work for people’s welfare, Dr Drew said it subsidized fuel to keep its cost at pumps and homes low and protected prices of electricity to safeguard households and businesses from the overwhelming burdens of energy. It also ensured that families could afford cooking gas and the scope of the LIFT (Livelihood, Improvement, Family, Transformation) programme launched in 2024 was expanded to guarantee every child was fed and no family was left unattended.
The prime minister said his government recognized the value of work and fairness and raised the minimum wage to EC$430 a week, the highest the federation has seen in history.
He said programmes such as Building Materials Reset and VAT (Value Added Tax) Relief Holiday empowered people to set up their own homes and a measure like Budget Boost Wallet gave them bigger financial stability. PM Drew announced these people-friendly measures in his 2025 Budget address delivered in December 2024.
2024 saw start of capital projects
Leader Drew then shifted focus to major capital projects that the government was developing to achieve a new resilient economy. “In 2024, we broke ground for the new Basseterre High School ensuring modern facilities for students to strive. We invested in desalination plants, a visionary EC$50 million project that will provide 2 million gallons of potable water daily, securing water access for generations to come,” he said.
PM Drew added that the government advanced critical road networks, improving connectivity and easing transportation across the island-nation and continued to work on the new JNF General Hospital, which is expected to bring a major transformation in St. Kitts and Nevis’s healthcare landscape.
The prime minister said work was underway to construct more than 100 homes for the people of Ottleys, Sandy Point and St. Peters. Emphasising that housing is a basic requirement to accommodate the country’s growing population, Drew said in his message, “The first wave of our housing revolution has begun and will be delivered.”
He said the projects will not only give shape to the government’s plan but also create employment opportunities for people.
St. Kitts and Nevis aims to diversify economy
Looking forward to 2025, Drew said the government will continue with its efforts towards prosperity and efforts are underway to diversify the economy. He said St. Kitts and Nevis was moving from over-reliance on initiatives such as CBI (Citizenship by Investment) to a transformative economic model built on Sustainability, Empowerment, Education and Development (SEED) which will create new industrial opportunities that will generate growth and secure the economy for the future generations.
“We are investing in renewable energy, agriculture, tourism and the Creative Economy. These initiatives will provide opportunities for entrepreneurs, farmers, artisans, and young people to harness their talents and achieve financial independence,” Drew said.
Government focuses on youth, SISA
Prime Minister Drew said St. Kitts and Nevis is trying to make opportunities for the youth with initiatives such as Aspire and Elevate to learn, save, and earn. He said education, financial literacy, and skills training are the youth’s tools to succeed.
The PM also urged the youth to shun crime and violence and contribute to building a future as leaders, innovators and builders.
He called the civil servants, farmers, teachers, health care workers, and business owners the nation’s backbone and the government will continue to invest in them.
Drew stated that the principles of the country’s Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA) – food security, renewable energy, economic diversification, sustainable industries, creative arts, social protection, and health resilience, are the national blueprint for progress and not just a vision.
The PM said the government cannot bring recovery alone and everyone has to contribute.
Here are some achievements that St. Kitts and Nevis across various sectors in 2024:
Environment and food security
- Introduction of geothermal collaboration between St. Kitts and Nevis
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between St. Kitts and Nevis and the Southern University in Louisiana, United States, to help the federation in higher education and agriculture.
- Waiver of land cost at La Guerite for residents.
Sports
- Renovations to the Kim Collins Athletic Stadium.
- Ground-breaking ceremony at the Conaree Playfield to signal the start of work on the new football stadium in Conaree.
- Official Launch of the Creative Economy.
Education
- Financial aid worth $250 to all primary and secondary school students to help in back-to-school preparations.
- Debt relief to relieve the burden of student loans under a new Youth Rising Higher programme.
- Providing economic costs to all nationals studying at the University of the West Indies in all disciplines.
Healthcare
- Launching and expanding the Seniors Daycare Programme to other communities.
- Settlement of a $2 million debt owed to medical suppliers.
- MRI machine bought for JNF Hospital.
Housing & social protection
- Eight per cent salary hike for civil servants.
- Ten per cent salary increase for staff at National Housing Cooperation.
- Electricity Arrears Reset – Immediate reconnection for all residential SKELEC customers.
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.
