BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis Prme Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas informed the nation on Friday morning of the re-assignment of portfolios following the official resignation of Minister of National Security, immigration and Labour, Hon. G. A. Dwyer Astaphan.
“Consequent upon the resignation of the Hon. Dwyer Astaphan, it has become necessary for me to reassign and restructure a number of ministerial portfolios to ensure the continued implementation of our comprehensive agenda of social change and economic transformation,” said Dr. Douglas.
He said that in the new configuration of ministerial portfolios, he has sought to give heavy focus on the issues of highest national priority including Law and Order and the Public Finances.
“In particular, I am of the view that the issue of crime is an urgent priority that requires continuous attention at the highest policy level. Moreover, we must be relentless in the fight against crime, and we simply do not have the time that would be required for any new Minister of National Security to move along the learning curve,” Dr. Douglas said.
He added that in view of his considerable experience as Minister of National Security up until 2004 and his ability to ensure that the Law and Order continues to occupy the attention of policy-makers at the highest levels of Government, he will take responsibility for the portfolio of National Security.
“I share the view of the Hon. Dwyer Astaphan that crime is a cross cutting issue that requires policy interventions spanning numerous Governmental activities including social, community and youth development, growth and employment, education, and law enforcement. Hence, I will continue to foster dialogue among the key stakeholders and the society as a whole, with a view to developing a comprehensive and holistic long-term solution the problem of crime in our Federation. Indeed, as part of the process of dialogue and consultation I will meet with the Security Forces shortly to get a first hand view of the problems and challenges they face with a view to arriving at mutual understanding on the way forward,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
He said that he was proposing to pursue a number of law enforcement initiatives aimed at yielding early results in respect to crime reduction.
“In particular, we will seek international assistance to boost the efforts of our local law enforcement officers in the fight against crime. In this regard, we will, over the next few weeks, benefit from the services of a team of law enforcement officers from overseas, with special expertise in gang-related criminal activities, who will work with local law enforcement officers to assess the crime situation in our Federation, with a view to enhancing and refining our crime reduction strategies,” Dr. Douglas said.
He announced that government will also boost the capability of the Criminal Investigation Department by procuring the services of a Law Enforcement Professional with experience in Crime Scene Management and Criminal Investigation to provide continuing support, advice, training and assistance to local detectives.
Prime Minister Douglas disclosed that this week Monday, while in Mexcico to attened the International AIDS Conference, he met with His Excellency President Calderon of Mexico and discussed with him further technical assistance in support of the Federation’s strategic fight against crime.
Phase II of the construction of the Dieppe Bay Police Station financed by the Government of Mexico is being pursued vigorously and assurance was given in those discussions that the Tabernacle Police Station Construction Project will commence shortly thereafter.
Prime Minister Douglas disclosed that at the policy level, a National Security Adviser with experience in Law Enforcement and gang-related crimes, will be engaged to provide policy support to the Security Forces and to advise him as the Minister of National Security, on an ongoing basis, on policy formulation and implementation in relation to National Security generally and crime reduction specifically.
“It is our aim that these initiatives will not only bring early results in respect of crime reduction but will also result in the transfer of expertise and skills to local Law Enforcement Officers, and thereby enhance the technical capability of our Security Forces over time,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
He said he expects that the National Security portfolio would require a considerable portion of his time and attention and certainly would not permit him to effectively carry out his duties in relation to one of the most critical Ministries in Government – the Ministry of Finance.
“Fortunately, I believe that we have, in my Cabinet, a Minister who by training, competence, and capability is very well equipped to assume the portfolio of Finance. I therefore propose to give Minister Timothy Harris responsibility for the Ministry of Finance and to assume responsibility for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
He said he was of the view that Minister Harris would effectively continue the implementation of the fiscal stabilization strategy of the Government which during 2007 has reversed the trend of increasing Debt to GDP ratio and has moved the public finances from a primary deficit of 88.1 Million in to a primary surplus of over 100 million in 2007; and which is expected to combine with our growth enhancement, asset disposition and privatization strategies to continue and accelerate the reduction in debt as percentage of GDP over time.
The Hon. Dwyer Astaphan was also charged with the responsibility for the portfolio of Labour which is a critical component of the strategy of the Government.
“We are particularly concerned that in the current environment where enterprises must find ways of cutting cost and enhancing productivity to compete globally, the Government must be even more vigilant in protecting the interest of the workers and ensuring they get a fair wage and that their increased productivity is duly rewarded. Moreover, we are particularly concerned about the plight of our lower income workers, including those on the industrial estate, and the impact of the international escalation in the price of food and other basic consumables, on the welfare of these workers,” said Prime Minister Douglas, informing the Federation that the Ministry of Labour will be assigned to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Sam Condor, whose seniority in his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government, as an Economist, and commitment to the working class of this country “would undoubtedly equip him to ensure that adequate policy focus is given to labour issues and that the Government continues to meticulously pursue its mandate for the protection of the working class.”
Deputy Prime Minister Condor will also be assigned responsibility for Information and Technology that was previously one of one of Dr. Douglas’ portfolios.
However, the very able and competent Minister of State, Hon. Nigel Carty, will continue to play a lead role in these matters and will assist Deputy Prime Minister Condor in discharging his functions in relation to Information and Technology.
Moreover, to enable Deputy Prime Minister Condor to perform his enhanced duties, the Ministry of Social and Community Development will be assigned to the Hon. Rupert Herbert who, up to 2004, demonstrated his considerable expertise and competence in this vital area.
As a result the reconfiguration of ministerial portfolios Dr. Douglas is Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minster of National Security, Immigration, Sustainable Development, Tourism Sports and Culture.
The other new portfolios are as follows:-
Hon. Sam Terrence Condor – Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Youth Affairs, Labour, Social Security, Information and Technology.
Dr. The Honourable Timothy Harris – Minister of Finance, International Trade, Industry Commerce and Consumer Affairs.
The Hon. Rupert Emanuel Herbert – Minister of Health, Social and Community Development and Gender Affairs.
The Hon. Nigel Carty – Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs, Labour, Social Security, Information and Technology.
The other ministerial portfolios are unchanged.
Prime Minister Douglas said that he has reconfigured the portfolios to ensure that the St. Kitts-nevis Labour Government continues to give adequate focus to the key policy areas of the Government including National Security, Public Finance, Labour, Social Development and Information and Technology; and at the same time, distribute the workload among Ministers in a manner that would ensure that their effectiveness would not be compromised.
“My Government is determined that the change process initiated by my Government when we assumed office in 1995 must continue and must be accelerated. That change process has already placed our Federation on the top echelons of the United Nations Development Index, has revolutionized our social and economic infrastructure, has exposed thousands of your people to top quality primary, secondary and university education, had modernized and upgraded our health care system, and has created thousands of employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for our people in the dynamic sectors of our economy,” he said.
Dr. Douglas said that that change process has delivered massive benefits to lower income families and pulled many of them from the grip of poverty and deprivation by providing some 2000 low income houses, by progressively raising the minimum wages, and by increase the non-contributory assistance pensions paid to the poor. That change process that brought the impressive Marriott Hotel to these shores will bring the Mandarin Hotel and other five star hotels to the Federation and will completely transform the economy into a full fledged dynamic service-based economy capable of delivering progressive and continuous enhancements in the quality of life of the Kittitian and Nevisian people.
“Fellow Citizens, we made rapid strides over the period that my Government has been in office, but there is much more for to achieve. We are confident that experience leadership with the capacity to change itself over time is critical to our continued progress as a nation. Let us work together to continue the real change – change that you can believe in,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
