“It is an open Government,” says PM Harris as he writes letter to DPM, Premier

St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris has given a reply to the demands of Deputy Prime Minister Shawn Richards and Premier of Nevis Mark Brantley.

PM Harris has penned down the responses to the concerns of the Richards and Brantley in a letter and delivered it them on April 20, 2022, informed the PLP leader.

“Demand by DPM Hon. Shawn Richards and Premier Mark Brantley and Response by Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris as documented in Letter penned to Richards and Brantley on April 20th, 2022,”he stated.

While elaborating the demands of the leader of CCM and PAM, he said, “DEMAND: The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Sustainable Development should be immediately re-assigned to avoid the continued misuse and inequitable distribution of government resources.”

The reply in the letter was as follow:

“RESPONSE: My Government and I have decided to reject the notion stated by the DPM of St Kitts and Nevis and Premier of Nevis. The distribution of government resources was fair and equal; there has been no misuse or inequitable. Both the leaders have failed to provide evidence to prove the practice.”

He further elaborated that the Budgetary Process, the process which allocates the use of resources of Government, begin in the first half of every year. The process is conducted in the presence of Permanent Secretaries, the Accounting Officers of each Ministry, the Budget Analysts of the Finance Ministry, with the PSIP Team managed by the Sustainable Development Ministry.

He added that in a team, the technical people of the Ministries put forward their points. Following this the Team comes to answer the Cabinets, when they will meet in the Estimates Committee. All of us are fully aware of the matters discussed.

He asked that how is this a “misuse” of an open Government process that each of you has been a part of for the past seven (7) years?

He concluded the letter, “Our Country will continue on the path of excellent fiscal management, growth and socio-economic development which has won us international acclaim.”