Nevis Island

Nevis Disaster Management Office Holds Meeting

Charlestown Nevis
April 9, 2008

A workshop designed to equip participants with the tools necessary to complete a Business Continuity Plan and improve the resilience of the economy to the impact of disasters took place last Thursday April 3rd, 2008 at the Nevis Disaster Management office at Long Point, Nevis.
 
The workshop was hosted by the Nevis Disaster Management office and sponsored by the Caribbean Open Trade Support (COTS) Program funded by United States Agency for International development (USAID) Barbados based office. The one day training programme was facilitated by Mr. Frank Michael who said that the workshop came under the risk component of the COTS program.
 
“Over the last four years COTS have been working with governments, the private sector, non-government and community based organizations to do four things.  First to enhance private sector growth, second to improve the business and investment climate, third to increase resilience to disasters and four to protect the biodiversity of the sub-region.
 
“The round of workshops has taken place throughout the OECS [Organization of Eastern Caribbean States] with the exception of Dominica.  Nevis will be the last of the round of workshops, and I can assure you that you will perhaps be in a better position because everything that could have gone wrong before, we would have looked at and hoped to improve by the time we got to the last workshop, so in looking at what we are hope to achieve,” he said.

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Carlisle Powell Clears Air On OAS Issue

Junior Minister Carlisle Powell

Junior Minister Carlisle Powell

Charlestown, Nevis
April 7, 2008

Junior Minister responsible for Works, Public Utilities, Natural Resources and the Environment Hon. Carlisle Powell cleared suspicions that the Nevis Reformation Party led Nevis Island Administration (NIA) had abandoned the services of the Organization of American States (OAS). Minister Powell made the announcement during a Press Conference held to update the media of the NIA’s move to embark upon putting proper legislations in place to govern Nevis’ Geothermal Energy resources.
 
“I know there were attempts made to mislead the general public to suggest that the NIA through the NRP in office had dismissed the services of the OAS, which had been used for Nevis, for some time. On the outset, I just want to clear the air and say the OAS continues to work with us and has assisted us in every turn to ensure that we were able to move the project forward properly. It was for this reason why we have the very able assistance of these two tireless workers,” Mr. Powell said.
 
Minister Powell said the OAS services secured by the NIA [over the past week] of Mr. Kevin De Cuba and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Mr. John Armstrong, were efficiently used during their one week working period on the island. He also added they made certain all of the legislations were in place for Purchase Agreements for the geothermal project to continue being useful to the people of Nevis, to help reduce the cost of living on the island.

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21st Century Telecoms To Open Office In Nevis

Nevis Premier Parry With Alec Saini

Nevis Premier Parry With Alec Saini

Charlestown Nevis
April 4, 2008

The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) and 21st Century Telecoms announced on Friday April 4th 2008 the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the establishment of the telecommunications company’s headquarters to be located on the island of Nevis. Signatories to the MOU were Premier, the Hon. Joseph Parry and Mr. Alec Saini founder and CEO of 21st Century Telecoms.
 
The Premier said pursuant to the MOU the company will start its operations in temporary headquarters on the island.
 
“We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with 21st Century Telecommunications, the purpose of which is to have their Headquarters here on the island of Nevis.  The company will be setting up across the Caribbean and hopes to start operations here within the next two to three months.
 
“We have reached a stage where Mr. Saini will start in temporary headquarters. He will purchase a bit of land and establish his headquarters with a conference center, and accommodation for his people,” the Premier said. 

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Caribbean Leaders To Combat Rising Regional Crime

Basseterre, Saint Kitts – Nevis
April 08,2008 (CUOPM)

Caribbean leaders have agreed on a number of measures to combat rising crime in the region.

St. Kits and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and other Caribbean leaders during the 13th Special Meeting in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on 4-5 April 2008 ventilated the crime and security issues facing the Region and to agreed on a Strategy and Plan of Action to stem the rising tide of violent criminality.

Heads of Government received proposals from the Extra-ordinary Joint Meeting of the Standing Committees of Commissioners of Police and of Military Chiefs; the Security Policy and Advisory Committee (SEPAC); and the Council of Ministers with Responsibility for National Security and Laws Enforcement (CONSLE).

It was agreed that, building on the legacy of the success of the Security Co-operation arrangements put in place for the Cricket World Cup 2007, some of the elements would be upgraded and expanded on a permanent basis.

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Nevis Statistics Symposium Was Productive

Charlestown, Nevis
April 04, 2008

Director of statistics in the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Ms. Laurel Bain in her presentation at a Statistics Symposium organized by the Department of Statistics and Economic Planning on Nevis, hailed the Symposium a long but productive process. Ms. Bain made the comment on April 1, 2008, while she gave a comprehensive analysis to establish progress made about the importance of statistics across the region.
 
She said over a long period, efforts were made to improve statistics in the region, with numerous reports made and recommendations put forward but implementations were lagged. Notwithstanding, renewed efforts were made to strengthened statistics as the monetary council of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) deliberated in 2007, for renewed efforts to be made to strengthen statistics, in light of the challenges.
 
“The Monetary Council agreed that a strategic approach to policy making was a prerequisite for sustainable growth and development in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) member countries. [Therefore] The monetary council recommended a number of measures to enhance the policy making process in the ECCU, which included the strengthening of the statistics offices and enhanced the statistical systems for data gathering, processing and dissemination.” Ms. Bain said.

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