PM Harris Invites Nationals in the Diaspora to Contribute to the Development of St. Kitts and Nevis

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – On Sunday, September 27, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris told nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis who reside in the diaspora that regardless of where they live now, they too can still play an important role in the development of their homeland.

Prime Minister Harris was at the time speaking during a historic St. Kitts and Nevis Diaspora Virtual Forum, which also featured participation from Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable Shawn Richards and Premier of Nevis, the Honourable Mark Brantley.

The forum was organized by the St. Kitts and Nevis Tri-State Association, in collaboration with the Diaspora Unit.

Prime Minister Harris indicated that in recent times, many Kittitians and Nevisians would have benefited from remittances from nationals in the diaspora. He added, “As we look to build that springboard for the next chapter of our development and advancement, we call on you, and invite you to remit your expertise, talents, knowledge and networks to assist our continuing efforts to improve St. Kitts and Nevis on every development indicator.”

The prime minister also lauded persons in the diaspora who have achieved and excelled in many different sectors, including artistry, international business, technology, medicine, scholastic and scientific research, politics and diplomacy.

“We have citizens holding senior and important positions and posts in multinational corporations, foreign governments, international bodies, universities, and even the entertainment capital of the world – Hollywood. We will count on your support and advice as we develop our country. It is exactly these expertise, talents and world experiences that we would wish to harness. In so doing, we hope to solidify our position as one of the best places to live, the best run, and best managed small island state anywhere in the world,” said Dr. Harris.

Outstanding St. Kitts Nationals in the Diaspora

Prime Minister Harris singled out several outstanding nationals in the Diaspora who continue to contribute their ideas and talents to nation-building.  These include:

• His Excellency Dr. Everson W. Hull, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), who is helping to develop policies and programmes for pay for performance in St. Kitts and Nevis;
• Dr. Frank Laws who has been helping with the development of an App to be used in the fight against COVID-19 and enhance our contact tracing capability. He is also assisting in the build out of a state-of-the-art Cardiac Unit at the JNF Hospital;
• Dr. Wycliffe Baird in Canada for work on policies relating to the establishment of a Cannabis Industry; and prayer warriors like Nurse Sylvia Garnette.

“The truth is, no country can ever reach its full potential without the participation of each and every person in our society and economy. We invite our citizens abroad to make their continuing contributions to the onerous task of nation building of our beloved country – St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Prime Minister Harris.