Nevis Island News and Notes

Nevis Youth Are Islands Future Leaders

Minister Hector Speaking To Students Charlestown, Nevis July 17, 2008 Area Representative for the Parish of St. Pauls Hon. Robelto Hector, encouraged primary school students to prepare themselves for the role of future leaders. This came at the opening ceremony …

Ottley’s Village Development – St. Kitts
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
July 17, 2008 (CUOPM)

With over 2,500 homes built in the past 13 years under the government’s National Housing Programme, a new 500-home project has been launched to continue the policy of increasing home ownership in St. Kitts – Nevis.

“Since taking office in July 1995, we have transformed the housing situation in St. Kitts. There is no doubt that the construction industry has also experienced a significant boost over the past thirteen (13) years, and future projections suggest an upward spiral as the demand for home-ownership continues to rise,” said Minister of Housing, Hon. Cedric Liburd.

Speaking at a ceremony to launch an EC$50 million new housing programme that will see 500 homes built on St. Kitts, Minister Liburd said that the 2,500 homes previously built have been under several projects including the NEMA Starter Housing Project, the Imbert Construction Housing Project, the Bayview Housing Project, the CARIFESTA Housing Project and the Civil Service Housing Scheme.

He said the policy is to provide access to a safe and healthy shelter and to improve the quality of life for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.

“Homelessness is a scourge that this country cannot afford. In our bid to meet the basic need and right to be sheltered, some of the most vulnerable in society have been granted free residential lots and pay according to their means towards ownership of the homes. Some of our most needy senior citizens have been granted lifetime access to good shelter.

The Flag Of The CARICOM Organization

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
July 16, 2008 (SKNIS)

Fourteen CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) returned to their respective territories on Tuesday, armed with the skills and information to better promote the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) to their peers and to encourage active participation.

On Monday, the youth advocates representing 13 countries, convened at the Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua to explore how persons can make a living and move capital within the CSME. They also reviewed the art of public speaking and gained insight into the critical role the media plays in helping to keep the populace informed. Most Ambassadors considered the creation of youth friendly messages and the drafting of a regional youth advocacy network as the highlight of the one-day session.

Dean of the CYA corps Donna Greene stated that the meeting was “extremely useful” as it addressed the current state of the CSME and the way forward. She called for more intra-regional trade among member states noting that this will improve self sufficiency and limit the impact of external factors, such as rising food prices on Caribbean economies.

Mandarin Oriental – St. Kitts – Nevis – An Artist’s Conception
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
July 16, 2008 (CUOPM)

The St. Kitts Mandarin is among the 21 hotels and 18 properties in the pipeline, as the Mandarin Oriental group is embarking on an unprecedented level of growth in the next three years, especially in the Americas.

Mandarin Oriental, who just opened its first Mexico property this year, will also look to expand their portfolio in that region with Costa Rica, Grand Cayman, and St. Kitts.

Last year, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel announced in New York and St. Kitts its intention to establish a luxury hotel resort in St. Kitts and Nevis which it expects will become its flagship resort in the Caribbean.

Firesky Ventures, Auberge Resorts and Kiawah Development Partners unveiled a comprehensive tourism development programme for the Southeast Peninsula, that would launch the Federation to the forefront of the high-end, luxury sector of the Caribbean tourism market.

The St. Kitts – Nevis Delegation For The 2008 PetroCaribe Summit
Photo By Erasmus Williams

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
July 16, 2008 (CUOPM)

St. Kitts and Nevis is among 17 Caribbean and Central America nations that will make down payments of only 40 percent on Venezuelan oil, while cooperating to expand their food supply, and calling on the North to take measures to curb speculation on futures markets, which is resulting in surging crude prices.

“Petrocaribe must become an anti-crisis shield to protect us from hunger,” Venezuelan President His Excellency, Hugo ChÃ¡vez who hosted the Fifth Summit of this South-South alliance is quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Douglas led the St. Kitts and Nevis delegation which included Minister of Public Utilities, Dr. the Hon. Earl Asim Martin; Chief Secretary, Mr. Joseph Edmeade; Representative of the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Levi Bradshaw and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Utilities, Mr. Oaklyn Peets.

Not only Energy ministers will attend Petrocaribe meetings in future. At the summit, held in the city of Maracaibo, 600 kilometres west of Caracas, a Council of Agriculture Ministers was created, which is to meet for the first time on July 30 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Petrocaribe was created in 2005 as a Venezuelan initiative to supply fuels, as well as extend payment facilities and logistical and technical help, to neighbouring countries that are net oil importers.

Under the Petrocaribe agreement, Venezuela has been sending 92,000 barrels per day (bpd) to Cuba and has made available up to 135,000 bpd for the other countries, although the effective demand has been 86,000 bpd, according to Venezuelan Energy Minister His Excellency Rafael RamÃrez.

Nevis Youth Are Islands Future Leaders

SKN Housing Program To Increase Home Ownership

CARICOM Ambassadors Tout Benefits Of CSME

Mandarin Oriental Turns Its Focus To The Americas

St. Kitts – Nevis Represented at PetroCaribe Summit