Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Foreign Service Officer – Samuel Berridge

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 20, 2012 (CUOPM)

Senior Foreign Service Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Samuel Berridge, is representing St. Kitts and Nevis at a series of preparatory meetings prior to the Second CARICOM-Mexico Summit in Barbados.

Trade, investment, tourism and cooperation will feature prominently when Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders meet with their Mexican counterpart in Barbados on Monday.

According to an official statement issued by the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat, the second CARICOM-Mexico summit is being preceded by a meeting of the CARICOM-Mexico Joint Commission on Saturday and a meeting of the Foreign Ministers on Sunday.

Mexico was the first country to form a Joint Commission with the Community having signed the agreement in 1974, the statement said, noting that the first summit between the two parties was held in 2010 in Mexico.

It said during the Barbados summit, the regional leaders “will also take the opportunity to impress upon the Mexican President His Excellency Felipe Calderon the importance of Mexico continuing to advocate on the Community’s behalf with respect to reform of the International Financial Institutions (IFI) at a meeting of the G20 which Mexico will be hosting next June”.

Last month, the regional leaders during a brief meeting with President Calderon in Cartagena, Colombia, had expressed concerns that since many CARICOM countries are classified as small highly indebted middle income countries they are prohibited from accessing the concessional facilities and instruments from the IFIs.

CARICOM Chairman His Excellency Desi Bouterse, who is also the President of Suriname, President Calderon and CARICOM Secretary-General His Excellency Irwin LaRocque will address the opening ceremony of the Summit on Monday at 10.30 a.m. (local time).

“Relations between CARICOM and Mexico are based on an agreement signed in Kingston, Jamaica in 1974, whose objective is to identify and promote cooperation initiatives in order to enlarge economic, political and cultural relations.

“This was advanced in 2009 during the Fifth Meeting of the Joint Commission when both sides signed a declaration in which they expressed their commitment to promote cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, air and maritime transport, financial services, security, health, energy and climate change,” the CARICOM Secretariat said.

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The Marina at Port Zante
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 14, 2012 (CUOPM)

The yachting landscape in St. Kitts and Nevis will change dramatically over the next few years.

This was disclosed by Minister of Tourism and International Transportation, Sen. the Hon. Richard Skerritt.

“Yachting is a lucrative economic sector in other neighbouring Caribbean jurisdictions and has been identified as a key component of the strategy for future growth of our tourism development,” Mr. Skerritt told a consultation aimed at establishing a maritime policy and action plan.

He expressed confidence that the establishment of the private jet terminal now under construction at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport, together with the ongoing construction of new world-class marina facilities at Christophe Harbour, and a further expansion of the Port Zante marina, coupled with the modernisation of yacht entry and clearance administration, will help to significantly propel our destination forward in this sector.

“It is our Government’s intention to build a positive environment for growth of the yachting sector, and for the overall development of our maritime and marine sectors. A Maritime Policy and Action Plan will be an important and timely step in the right direction,” Minister Skerritt said.

The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) defines a yachting tourist as a person who stays for more than 24 hours but less than twelve months in a particular country outside his or her usual place of residence and whose place of stay is a vessel for most of their stay.

Yachting establishments are those enterprises that cater uniquely or mostly to yachtsmen, and include charter boat companies, marinas and ancillary marine services, such as sail-making, engine repair, marine electronics and out-haul facilities.

The distinction between direct and indirect recipients can be blurred. Many yachting establishments, such as marinas and ancillary services, provide goods and services directly to yachtsmen, as well as to other yachting establishments such as charter boat companies and, further confounding the problem, to non-yachting residents and other tourists as well.

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Nevis Premier Speaks At Fisheries Signing Ceremony

Charlestown, Nevis
April 28, 2012

Premier, the Hon Joseph Parry, has said that as Nevis seeks to move out of a recession back into growth, the Japanese-funded EC$30 million Charlestown Community Fisheries Complex earmarked for Gallows Bay, will be part of a growth program that will lead to sustainability over the years.

“Speaking as the Leader of Government, it is not just a matter of fisheries,” said Hon Parry on Friday afternoon (April 27) at a grant signing ceremony between the Government of Japan and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis at Gallows Bay. “What we are looking at is a cog in a whole wheel, and efforts to have a whole development policy for the island of Nevis.”

Premier Parry thanked the Japanese Government for honoring its pledge in spite of the devastating earthquake that hit Japan recently. The Premier also thanked the Federation’s Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas for personally ensuring that Nevis received the US$11 million (EC$30m) grant.

Forming part of the Japanese delegation at the ceremony were the Trinidad-based Japanese Ambassador-designate to St. Kitts and Nevis, His Excellency Yoshimasa Tezuka, and his wife Mrs Chiruzu Tezuka, Chief Representative of JICA Caribbean Regional Office Mr. Shoji Ozawa, and the Second Secretary, Japan Embassy in Trinidad, Mr Tsuyoshi Koga.

“If I may address you directly, your Excellency, I must say that Japan has been a nation of its word,” remarked Premier Parry. “After that catastrophic disaster in your country, I was worried that you would say that Nevis would  have to wait three years or five years, and that would have been reasonable.

“I was told, and I thought, that we are talking about a sum of eight million US dollars, which approximates 24 million EC dollars. Today I am learning that the sum is US$11 million, approximating EC$30 million. I can’t say Ambassador which other nation has given so much money at one go. We are here to thank you for it and to congratulate you for keeping your word in spite of your experiences in your country.”

Premier Parry drew the attention of fishers on Nevis to the days when it was stated that St. Kitts used to get all the money while Nevis got nothing. He told them what Nevis was getting was not a loan but a grant in aid, which was supported by the Federation’s Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas.

“I must say on his (Prime Minister) behalf today that at one time it seemed that we could have lost the project, and he singularly and directly intervened to ensure that Nevis got this grant of EC$30 million,” pointed out the Premier. “I am saying today, that we should be grateful that the demonstration of concern and statesmanship was demonstrated by Dr Douglas.”

Accompanying the Premier at the signing ceremony were Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Hon. Robelto Hector, Junior Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon. Dwight Cozier, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Kelvin Daly and other Senior government officials. During his remarks, Premier Parry singled out for mention, Nevis’ first Minister of Agriculture Mr Arthur Evelyn, who also witnessed the colorful ceremony.

“I want to say that all of us Nevisians should embrace this project,” appealed Premier Parry. “Understand what it means as it stands by itself, but understand what it means when you put it together with all the other efforts that you are making.

“I want to assure the people of Charlestown, that as beautiful as Gallows Bay is today, I am quite sure that it will continue to be as beautiful and that its beauty will be enhanced by what we are doing. We are quite aware on the island of Nevis, that regardless of what we do, tourism is the number one priority. I want us to understand that tourism is the great mover and shaker of the economy, and that whether it is forwards or backwards, whatever linkages we make, tourism is the main engine of growth on the island.”

In ending his address he stated that his administration believes in excellence, as do all Nevisians. The NRP-led Nevis Island Administration has demonstrated at every step of the way that the only word that it entertains is excellence, he observed, adding that that excellence must have been felt from the top to the bottom.

He said that the team of Hon Hensley Daniel, Hon. Robelto Hector, Hon. Carlisle Powell, Hon Dwight Cozier, and himself are servants of the people. He noted that even though they might not behave like servants, and even if the people might not think that they are servants of the people, he asked them to simply look at the results.

“When you examine the results of this Administration you understand that we are serving the ordinary people of this country at all times,” said Hon Parry. “The Nevis Reformation Party is saying to you, we love you, we care for you, but look at our results, look at our actions and you decide if we are serious.”

Related posts:

1. Nevis To Build Fisheries Complex With Help From Japan
2. Gallows Bay Best Site For Fisheries Complex
3. Nevis Minister Praised For Fisheries Complex
4. Nevis Minister Encourages Growth In Agriculture And Fisheries
5. Nevis Premier Outlines A Vision For Growth