SKN PM Drew and Nevis Premier Hanley
Premier of Nevis, Hon. Mark Brantley, and St. Kitts and Nevis’ new PM, Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, had their first official meeting on Friday, August 19, 2022.
The two leaders met at the Prime Minister’s office at Government Headquarters on Church Street, Basseterre.
Premier Brantley described the meeting as an excellent engagement.
“The meeting was excellent. We discussed a range of issues as to how we can create a mechanism for dialogue and greater engagement between our two islands. We both committed to working closely together to advance the development of the citizenry of St. Kitts and Nevis and those who call our country home.”
Premier Brantley, who heads the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), had extended congratulations to PM Dr. Drew following the victory of his St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party in the August 5, 2022 general elections. He subsequently wrote to the Prime Minister outlining “some of the issues we thought were critical to Nevis and which we thought could be addressed with priority”.
A critical issue which needs urgent redress, the Premier highlighted, is the matter of Nevis receiving an equitable share of the revenue derived from the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship By Investment program.
Dr. Drew had indicated in a recent interview with SKN Newsline that he intended to engage with the Premier with the aim of resolving the issue of ‘fair share’ for Nevis.
“I’m taking that very seriously and I will sit with the Premier of Nevis and we have to find a way to hammer out the tough issues- the tough issues of CBI revenues, the tough issues that deal with aspects of the Constitution that really need to be dealt with, so that we can have a better relationship so that these matters don’t raise their head again…
“Anything we do has to be done in a legislative framework that would have the strength to survive…but I’m committed to resolving these issues. We have to deal with it fairly so that St. Kitts feels satisfied and Nevis feels satisfied,” he said on August 10.
Having had the opportunity to speak with the new PM, Hon. Dr. Drew, Premier Brantley says he is looking forward to working closely together “to deliver sustainable development for our beloved country”.