Photo: St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas delivering the traditional New Year message to the Nation on Tuesday morning (photo by Erasmus Williams)
Federation is confident of new phase of accelerated economic growth in 2013
St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas says the economy of the twin-island Federation is well placed to move confidently into a new phase of accelerated economic growth in 2013.
Delivering his annual New Year’s Message on Tuesday, the St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas says his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Administration will, during the course of this year "devote considerable effort to boosting the growth rate and providing more jobs for our people."
"We will seek to boost youth employment directly through the introduction of the new youth development project that I announced last year at the National Consultations on the Economy. Specifically, this project, the People Employment Programme (PEP) which was launched last month, is being implemented by the National Skills Training Programme to benefit some 1,000 unemployed persons by providing them training, job attachments and assistance in establishing businesses. It is our aim that the private sector play an important role in the implementation of this project, especially through the provision of job attachment opportunities for these young people," said Prime Minister Douglas.
He told the Nation that is government has awarded contracts for rehabilitating and rebuilding the Dr. Kennedy Simmonds Highway (Southeast Peninsula road) starting at the roundabout at the Zenway Boulevard in Frigate Bay.
"We are awaiting final tender documents for the reconstructions of the roads starting at Port Zante along the Bay Road into the Pond Road via Sand Down Road and constructing a roundabout at the intersection of the Kim Collins Highway, the Frigate Bay Road, and Bird Rock Road," said Prime Minister Douglas.
He said that government will also carry out a comprehensive survey of the state of roads in St. Kitts and implement a multi-year programme of road repairs and improvement.
"We will accelerate the pace at which we provide infrastructure to the lands allocated by Government as part of the Special Land Initiative, and to land allocated for commercial development in Conaree, St. Peters, Cayon, St. Paul’s, Fig Tree / Sandy Point and Lime Kiln," said Prime Minister Douglas.
He stated that several private sector developments are planned for 2013.
"These include the expansion of the Ross University Veterinary School, the Park Hyatt Hotel at Banana Bay, the expansion and upgrading of the rooms at the Marriott Hotel with the construction of new facilities for the Marriott Residences and new Marriott Towers. There is also the construction of the Koi Resort and the Beach and Golf Residences at Half Moon Bay," said Prime Minister Douglas, who pointed out that the successful completion of these projects would generate economic activity by providing over 1,000 additional high quality hotel rooms, and by enabling us to cater to more university students from overseas.