Charlestown, Nevis – July 27, 2007
For Immediate Public Release
It was a historical moment in Nevis on Friday July 27, 2007, when the cabinets of the Federal Government and the Nevis Island Administration held their first joint Cabinet meeting in Nevis, under the Chairmanship of Premier of Nevis the Hon. Joseph Parry at the Mount Nevis Hotel Conference Room in Newcastle.
The meeting, which was held behind close doors, was held in keeping with a commitment by both Cabinets to meet on a regular basis. It was the second of its kind since the Nevis Reformation Party took up office one year ago. The first meeting was held in October 2006 in Basseterre.
In opening remarks, Premier the Hon. Joseph Parry welcomed the Federal Ministers to Nevis and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest with the Federal Cabinet and said that much progress had been made since the first joint meeting.In a communiqué issued by the Cabinet Secretariat of the NIA at the conclusion of the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mr. Ashley Farrell described the meeting as frank, cordial and one which sought to advance good working relations between the Federal Government and the NIA and by extension the people on both islands.
In a brief synopsis of the joint meeting, the communiqué noted that the Cabinets received reports from the Committees responsible for Devolution, national security and Ministries of Finance.
According to the communiqué, the Devolution Committee reported that they were awaiting input from the Bar Association with regards to Section 106 of the Constitution which would give the NIA, greater legislative authority over matters which the Administration has exclusive responsibility.
The Ministries of Finance reaffirmed their commitment to working closely together to harmonise their economic policies with particular regard to fiscal stabilisation and debt management issues.
With regard to National security, Premier the Hon. Joseph Parry and Minister of National Security the Prime Minister the Hon. Denzil Douglas shared in depth details on the crime situation in the Federation. The joint Cabinet was updated on a number of ongoing strategic programmes on Nevis and St. Kitts and the meeting expressed its full support for the security forces. They urged the public to pledge their support as they sought to make the federation a safe place to live and conduct business.
The matter of electoral reform was also discussed and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee and Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. Sam Condor informed the meeting that the political parties represented in the National Assembly had been invited to make submissions on the National Advisory Electoral Reform and Boundaries Report. The move was in order to complete the consultative process to inform the new electoral law. That committee is slated to meet on August 08, 2007.
The communiqué also noted that a number of administrative matters were discussed including Customs issues and the new Pension Scheme and Economic Citizenship.