Civil Servants on Nevis can look forward to a three percent wage increase in the New Year, in addition to usual increments.
The announcement came Tuesday from Premier Vance Amory during his presentation of the 2016 Budget.
The Premier says there are no new taxes and his Administration will instead implement stronger tax collection practices to reduce arrears and raise tax collection rates, while streamlining concessions.
The Premier indicted that over the next fiscal year, the Nevis Island Administration’s policies would focus primarily on consolidation and growth.
During the 2 hour and 45 minute presentation, Premier of Nevis and Minister of Finance Hon. Vance Amory says the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) will seek debt forgiveness from the Federal Government in an effort to reduce the burden of repayment on the tax payers of Nevis.
Mr. Amory made the disclosure when he delivered the 2016 Budget Address at a sitting of the Nevis Island Assembly at Hamilton House on December 08, 2015.
The theme for the budget is “Framing the New Economy: Inspiring Economic Resilience and Human Progress.”
“My Administration will request that the mount of approximately $18.6 million of indebtedness of the NIA to the Federal Government for various loans and credit facilities granted under the former NIA to be written off thus reducing the burden of repayment on the taxpayers of Nevis,” he said.
The Finance minister explained that the debt includes loans from the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) and loan repayments to external creditors that were made on behalf of the people of Nevis.
Mr. Amory also noted that the NIA would request the Federal Parliament to pass a loan guarantee to cover the outstanding restructured debt payments due to the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank Limited, now that the administration has agreed on the settlement of the debt owed to the national bank.
Following the presentation, the Premier spoke to the plans to stimulate employment and said that he was pleased with being able to present a balanced budget.
Meanwhile The Nevis Opposition Senator is slamming the 2016 budget presented by Premier Vance Amory on Tuesday.
Opposition Senator Carlisle Powell speaking to Freedom Fm on Thursday said the budget was just a recycling of budgets past.
Senator Powell said in the areas of health,sport,and tourism nothing new was done.