Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

The St. Kitts – Nevis Flag

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
April 19, 2010 (CUOPM)

The role of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in assisting Member States in establishing and improving the sources of information in order to develop and enhance the Labour Market Information Systems has been acknowledged by the Caribbean Community Council for Human and Social Development (COSHOD).

During COHSHOD’s 19th meeting in conjunction with the ILO Seventh Meeting of Caribbean Labour Ministers in Guyana, Ministers, their representatives and senior Labour officials noted the importance of annual labour force surveys. St. Kitts and Nevis was represented by Head of Delegation, Ms. Eudora Nisbett.

The Meeting agreed that there was a need to enhance the quality of labour force surveys as distinct from the national accounts and censuses done by statistical institutes. The Meeting pointed to the likely benefits from computerising departments of labour and standardising relevant administrative records.

As a long term measure, the COHSOD recognised the need to prioritise the development and sustainability of credible data sources and to build capacity for labour market trend analyses, and in this regard encouraged Ministries of Labour to integrate information on labour market trends in key policy documents such as budget debates and annual reports of trade unions and employers’ organisations.

The Meeting further underscored the need to develop inter-agency collaboration including technical assistance, as well as financial and political support.

It was emphasised that in the context of regional integration, it was important that there was coherence among the legislation of countries in the region particularly as it related to the social floor of rights to enable the Single Market and Economy to function effectively and to deepen the regional integration process.

Taking into account the existence of Model laws in the areas of freedom of association and collective bargaining, non-discrimination, termination of employment and occupational safety and health, COSHOD agreed that it would be useful to pursue harmonization of legislation in the areas of labour migration and social security.

It was also agreed that countries which had not yet ratified all of the eight ILO fundamental Conventions should do so. The COHSOD agreed that those Conventions were important aspects of trade and investment policies as was indicative in the recently signed Economic Partnership Agreement between CARIFORUM and the European Union.

In this context therefore the COHSOD urged Member States of CARICOM to make every effort to fulfill their reporting obligations in respect of ILO ratified Conventions and to implement the comments of the ILO supervisory bodies. The latter could contribute to reduce the need for additional harmonization of legislation. Attention was also drawn to the importance of ensuring the full participation of the national social partners as this would strengthen the implementation of regional integration.

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3. Regional Security Council Of Ministers’ Meeting
4. National Security Ministers Briefed On Regional Issues
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CARICOM Officials - Bowen and Raggie (r)
Charlestown, Nevis
January 25, 2010

Project Officer in the Guyana based CARICOM Secretariat Ms. Mignon Bowen said the Secretariat had received a lot of exposure from the many observer missions it has mounted, with regard to the management and observation of the electoral process in member states.

She made the observation on Friday during a visit to Nevis to meet with Premier of Nevis Hon. Joseph Parry and other stakeholders, ahead of Monday’s General Elections.

“One of the things about doing these observer missions …is it actually builds capacity annd so where we have strength in one system and a weakness in one, we are monitoring [and] we try, in terms of our recommendations, to see how best the strengths in that system could be applicable to this one.

“That is why we have persons like Mr. Raggie who is the Supervisor of Elections in St. Lucia and we also have the Deputy Chief Supervisor of Elections from Trinidad Ms. Charles Wright.  So those persons would use their knowledge to strengthen another member state’s system if there needs be,” she said.

Ms. Bowen said the observer team was pleased to be in the Federation and she was pleased to be a part of the observer mission.

“It is very honourable for you to be part of an Electoral Observer Mission and we are pleased to be of service to the people of the region and especially the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Meantime, Mr. Carson Raggie who accompanied Ms. Bowen on the Nevis visit said he was hopeful any recommendations that were submitted, would be taken into consideration.

He also registered his satisfaction with the introduction of the Voters ID card which he said was one recommendation made by the CARICOM Observer Mission after the last general election five years ago.

Related posts:

1. Nevis Premier Welcomes Caricom Electoral Observer Team
2. Heads of CARICOM and OAS Observer Missions To Call on PM Douglas
3. OAS To Observe St. Kitts – Nevis Elections
4. Ballot Confidentiality A Priority For Elections Officials
5. St. Kitts – Nevis Elections Set For January 25

January 25, 2010 – Election Day

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
People’s Action Movement
January 23, 2010

When Dr. Kennedy Simmonds refused to accept defeat in the bi-election of 25th January, 1979, it proved to be the start of what was to become a very important rescue mission for St. Kitts and Nevis. The declaration by the High Court on 13th March, 1979 that Dr. Kennedy Simmonds had in fact won the bi-election of 25th January, turned this country around.

The Labour Administration was thrown into a panic. They could not bring themselves to accept the decision of the Court. They refused to call a meeting of the House of Assembly to swear in Dr. Simmonds. But look at what that did. By not calling the House of Assembly, the Labour Administration did not meet to pass any legislation for over 12 months. Shortly after that bi-election of the 25th of January, on 6th February, 1979, Labour hurriedly called a meeting of the House of Assembly to swear in Mr. Ribeiro. At that time the Election Petition of Dr. Kennedy Simmonds had already been filed and served on Mr. Ribeiro.

Just to keep the rightful winner of the bi-election, Dr. Kennedy Simmonds, from taking his rightful seat in Parliament, no other meeting of the House of Assembly was called for the rest of the year 1979.

History is repeating itself. Just like this year, 2010, the year 1980 dawned with St. Kitts and Nevis WITHOUT A BUDGET. The general elections of February 18th, 1980 were held without this country having a budget. This disgrace was the last straw for the People of St. Kitts and Nevis. Overburdened with Labour’s taxation and with Labour’s corruption in Government, the Electorate refused to give the Labour misleaders another chance.

It was the best thing that ever happened to St. Kitts and Nevis. The PAM-NRP Coalition Government in 1980 abolished personal income tax. This bold move allowed people to keep more money in their pockets and fuelled a tremendous growth in local investment. The new PAM-NRP Coalition Government rescued the economy of St. Kitts. It rescued the island of Nevis from secession and ushered in a genuine partnership between our Sister Islands. The PAM-NRP Coalition Government rescued the country from the disastrous take-over of the sugar lands by Labour. Labour refused to pay the owners of the lands for the 22,000 acres.

What short-sighted Labour, what vindictive Labour could not understand was that without payment of the lands, the Government could not get Title and could not give Title.

But people must have Title to go to the bank to borrow money. The People’s Action Movement recognized this and paid for the 2,000 acres that Labour had taken away without compensation. That rescue operation by PAM has been indispensable for home ownership in St. Kitts. Regardless of how many homes Labour has built, not one of those homes could have been OWNED if PAM did not pay for the land the homes are built on.

Once again St. Kitts and Nevis need a rescue mission. They need clean hands in Government. They need relief from excessive taxation. They need a Government which will give incentives to locals in preference to foreigners who can give the Government money under the table.

It is time for PAM’s 2nd rescue mission to become a reality.

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2. Elections Will Be On January 18, 2010 Says Grant
3. Historic Joint Cabinet Meeting Held In Nevis
4. Notice of Nominations In Place For January 15, 2010
5. No Dual Citizenship Allowed For Elected Officials