BASSETERRE, ST KITTS – Former Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Earl Asim Martin says the St Kitts and Nevis economy continues to deteriorate.
He told listeners on the “Issues” programme Wednesday that when the Timothy Harris-led administration took office in February last year the St Kitts and Nevis economy had a growth rate of 7 percent in 2014.
Dr Martin also said every sector of the economy is heading south with just 10 cruise ship calls in October this year compared to previous years.
“The question being asked today, what is the growth rate? In 2016, eighteen months after this new government took office the projection is for a growth rate of 3 percent. That is what the IMF is saying. But all indicators on the ground is that it will be much lower than that,” said Dr. Martin.
He pointed out that almost all the projects that started under the then St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration of the Right Hon., Dr. Denzil L. Douglas have come to a halt.
He said while there is no work being done at Kittitian Hill, Embassy Suites and Heldens, very little is taking place at T-Loft.
“The only project where some activity continues to take place is at the Park Hyatt St. Kitts, that started under the Labour Administration. Basically nothing is happening under this Team Unity Government,” said Dr. Martin, who noted the cry from contractors, truckers, small traders, restaurant owners and others is ‘boss things hard, boss things tight’,” Dr. Martin told listeners.
He said the Harris-led government while in oppositions did not understand what was driving the St Kitts and Nevis economy.
“It is the CBI – Citizenship by Investment programme which while in opposition, the Team Unity group led by Timothy Harris, began destroying the programme, because they felt that by destroying the programme, they were destroying Denzil Douglas. The Timothy Harris-led government has destroyed a whole nation. The Timothy Harris government has destroyed peoples’ lives,” said Dr. Martin.
He lashed out at Prime Minister Harris, who was a minister in the Labour Government for 18 of the near 20 years.
“He is prime minister now and cannot deliver one single project. All he does is travel the world day and night at taxpayers’ expense. Every week he is out of the country. For the last 18 months he has been out of the country. The annual vote for travelling was depleted in 6 months and every sector of the economy – be it tourism, the CBI – healthcare, manufacturing – has deteriorated,” said Dr. Martin.
He said the cruise ship sector is the worst this year in several years with just 10 ship calls this October compared to previous years. Through the hard work of then Minister of Tourism, Sen. Ricky Skerritt, some 51,000 cruise ship passengers visited Port Zante from 17 ships in 2015.
“Who are affected by the low numbers? Taxi and tour operators and other stakeholders, craft vendors, shop owners, restaurateurs, the people on the beach who gives massages, rent chairs,” said Dr Martin, who proffered that it was evident that current Minister of Tourism, Hon. Lindsay Grant “does not know the tourism industry.”
“Under the Labour Government, we gave a commitment to the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), that we would build a second pier within 18 months. This Team Unity Government came into power and stopped that project. Up to now that project cannot start, basically as a result of infighting between two ministers in the present Unity Government and a former minister of government, about who should be the contractor,” Dr. Martin explained.
“They could not be fighting for it to be built. It has to be something that they are fighting over. And if you know Timothy Harris, one knows what he likes to fight over,” said Dr. Martin.
He said that cruise ships booked two to three years ago based on the availability of the second pier are now pulling out having had the commitment and assurance from the then Labour government that the pier would have been completed.
According to the IMF, the St Kitts and Nevis economy will decline from 7 percent in 2014 to 3.5 percent in 2015 and predicted a further decline to 3 percent in 2016.