By Lesroy W. Williams Observer Reporter
(Basseterre, St. Kitts)”The St. Kitts and Nevis Government stands to benefit from an agreement with the 10th European Development Fund designed to provide a framework for European Commission assistance for the period 2008 to 2013. The signing ceremony took place on Dec. 11 at the Ocean Terrace Inn between the Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, and Barbados-based European Commission Head of Delegation, His Excellency Ambassador Valeriano Diaz. Other officials at the signing ceremony included Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Mrs. Astona Browne, Chief Financial Officer, Mrs. Janet Harris, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Hilary Hazel, other government officials and the High Command of the Police Force. The signing clears the way for St. Kitts and Nevis to receive 4.5 million Euros as part of an indicative program of EC aid. Another EUR 4.5 million has been set aside to be utilized in the case of emergencies. The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and the European Commission have proposed to allocate 85 percent or EUR 3.825 million of the EUR 4.5 million to the implementation of a safety and security improvement program. The program will cover such areas as the upgrading of the curriculum of the police training school and facilitate training in such areas as criminology, forensic science and legal studies. The physical development of the Police Force will also benefit from the program. The European Union has also approved the disbursement of the fixed disbursements to St. Kitts and Nevis of EUR 5.457 million under the 2007 Annual Action Plan for Accompanying Measures for Sugar Protocol Countries. This money is to aid in the fallout from a sugar-based economy to the transition of a service-based economy. “We believe very strongly that we did the right thing back in 2005 after national consultation, after agreement with all the stakeholders in the country, political parties included”we were able to take the very bold decision to close the sugar industry after 400 years and we believed that although there was much pain as many of our workers were dislocated and many of the families normal life was disrupted, we believed it was the right decision to put St. Kitts and Nevis on a new path for development.”” “And we are fully now on that path and we are very pleased that the European Union as one of our partners in development stood close to us, close by us, as we made this journey of transformation and change, which we believe is change for the good for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis,” Dr. Douglas said.
