Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
December 13, 2007 (CUOPM)

One of the major manufacturing companies at the C.A. Paul Southwell Industrial Estate is to move one of its production lines from Brazil in South America to St. Kitts next year.

This has been disclosed by St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas during Tuesday’s Budget Address.

Prime Minister Douglas in reviewing the outcome of the manufacturing sector in the twin-island Federation said that a number of existing enterprises also expanded their operations in response to continued economic expansion in the United States of America, which is a major market for the output of this sector.

He said Kajola Kristada Ltd, home to the cable traps, filters and connectors since May 1999, introduced two new product lines and employed an additional 25 workers in 2007.

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Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
December 13, 2007 (CUOPM)

The St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCAPA) said Wednesday that from the start of the 2007 ““ 2008 Cruise Ship Season, essential tug services have been provided to vessels and will continue to be for the duration of the Season.

“Earlier this year, SCASPA began negotiations with SOMARA, a Tug Boat Company in Martinique, to undertake repairs to Tug ITCO as part of a concessionary arrangement.  This arrangement was not fully followed through, however, an agreement was reached that SOMARA would provide tug services on a stand-by basis.  This plan came into effect at the start of the Cruise Ship Season on October 22,” SCASPA said in a news release.

It noted that since the cost of this service was higher than SCASPA’s subsidized rates, the Authority was forced to propose new charges, but this proposal was rejected by stakeholders in the cruise tourism industry, some of whom indicated that no tug was preferable to paying increased charges.

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Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
December 11. 2007 (CUOPM)

Despite the closure of the centuries old sugar industry in 2005, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis registered a four percent economic growth in 2006.

Prime Minster and Minister of Finance, Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas in his three hour and fifteen minutes Budget Address in the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly on Tuesday also disclosed that although the Current Account deficit widened, an overall Balance of Payments surplus of EC$46 million was recorded.

“Although, my Government had achieved considerable progress in diversifying our economy and reducing our reliance on sugar production, we still looked to 2006 with some anxiety and trepidation,” said Prime Minister Douglas, who noted that when his St. Kitts – Nevis Labour Government assumed office in 1995, it was determined to protect the livelihood of the sugar workers for as long as possible, by forestalling any attempt to close the sugar industry prematurely.

“However, we also knew that we could have been overtaken by events and circumstances beyond our control. We were aware that, notwithstanding our most valiant efforts, the global phenomenon of trade liberalisation could have pushed us out of sugar production,” said Dr. Douglas.

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