Nevis: Premier Mark Brantley criticizes NRP on social media

St Kitts and Nevis: Premier of Nevis Mark Brantley slammed the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) on social media on August 21, 2022 (Sunday).

The post by Premier Brantley highlighted:

The NRP just ran a campaign attacking me… as usual. One of the BIG issues that they put on billboards all over Nevis was that somehow $400 million received over seven years is unaccounted for. Obviously, the people rejected the NRP and their propaganda and gave the CCM ALL the seats in Nevis.

But I believe there is value in repetition, so I am reposting a long post I made since early June and asking Nevisians once again to have a read. I have modified the post in some areas and taken out references to Timothy Harris as he’s now history!

The Long Read: What has Nevis done with $400 million? (First posted June 12, 2022)

Mark Brantley became Premier of Nevis in December in 2017, some 4 years and 8 months ago.

Premier of Nevis outlined, “My government is transparent and open, so let us start from the fact that the much talked about $400 million was received not at one time but over the course of 7 years. Nevis received roughly $57 million every year.”

He further shared a small sample of projects and expenditure overall in Nevis:

1. Salaries and pensions for public servants in Nevis average $8.5 million per month or $102 million per year. During the two years of COVID, we applied all of CBI receipts to salaries and pensions but still had to find another $45 million to do so. Put differently, the $57 million per year could not even cover our civil servants and pensioners.

2. Between 2015 and 2021, double salaries were paid to public servants as well as workers at statutory corporations. Those amounts totalling around $61,200,000 were paid from the same $400 million.

3. We expanded our road network with major projects at Hanley’s Road, Braziers, Brown Hill, Butlers, Shaws Road, Farms, and Island Main Road, to name a few.

4. We built the IAAF-certified Mondo track, which has helped our athletes develop into champions in the Federation, and we also refurbished the drag race track.

5. We built the new landmark Treasury Building in Charlestown.

6. We built the water taxi pier at Oualie, which has revolutionized travel between St Kitts and Nevis.

7. We are engaged in the ongoing expansion at the Alexandra Hospital, an expansion 2.5 times the size of the existing hospital and built a brand new kitchen there as well.

8. We purchased new ambulances, ventilators, generators and other critical equipment for our health sector.

9. We deployed CCTV islandwide and constructed a state-of-the-art CCTV Command Center.

10. We built a brand new police and fire station at Newcastle.

11. We built the cultural venue, David Freeman Center of Excellence, at Market Shop, where we hosted Culturama last year.

12. We purchased several generating sets at Nevlec to ensure that we all now enjoy better electricity.

13. We have provided emergency medical assistance totalling $3.56 million to our people since 2015

14. We established a $5 million fund to provide seed money to assist youth and women

15. We purchased various vehicles for the police and army in Nevis and provided food and accommodation to the army regiment stationed in Nevis.

16. During the Covid pandemic, we granted relief on water and electricity. We offered stimulus to the businessmen and farmers. We also increased our social safety nets to ensure that those who couldn’t afford it could eat. Our schools were upgraded to make them Covid proof. We serviced our debt. We provided support to our statutory corporations.

17. We expanded our affordable housing programme, and for the first time in history, we have housing projects at Maddens, Hamilton, Craddock Road, Garners, Prospect and Rices happening at the same time.

18. We offered tax breaks on construction materials leading to a boom in the local home and commercial construction sector.

19. We provided financial assistance to Nevisian students studying abroad and online.

20. We built the Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park in partnership with Taiwan.

21. We built the TVET centre in Gingerland

22. We built a kitchen at the Joycelyn Liburd Primary School

23. We rebuilt the Tender Pier in Charlestown

24. We secured critical equipment for the Long Point Port.

25. We resurfaced the runway at the Vance Amory airport and upgraded the equipment at the Tower.

26. We funded the exploratory phase of the geothermal project with the drilling of test wells at Hamilton

27. We built the Artisan Village and improved the VOJN playing field, including adding stands. We expanded the abattoir and the Vet clinic.

28. We built a brand new Cultural Village which can accommodate up to 4,000 patrons and also dramatically improved the Cultural Complex

29. We improved roads, sidewalks and drainage all across Charlestown.

30. We undertook the most ambitious water enhancement project in the history of Nevis, incorporating new water mains, new storage tanks and a treatment plant at Hamilton.

31. We undertook roof and home repairs after the Hurricanes of 2017 for those affected and uninsured.

32. We initiated free water and electricity for our seniors.

33. We improved nearly all sporting facilities in Nevis, including basketball courts, cricket fields and the Netball and tennis complex in Charlestown, and we are lighting ALL sporting grounds in Nevis.

34. We invested heavily in new equipment for Public Works, including a new paver and milling machine to facilitate our road works.

35. We have purchased two brand new garbage trucks and various heavy equipment for the Solid Waste Management Authority.

36. We fixed sewage problems for over 58% of the homes in Cherry Gardens.

37. We created a 35-acre fruit orchard at Indian Castle, where we planted over 4,500 coconut palms, mangoes, bananas, guava and other crops.

38. We built the Larrinson Parry agricultural storage depot at Prospect.

Premier of Nevis Brantley mentioned, “My list of 38 items is NOT exhaustive but a mere snapshot of some of the development that has happened on Nevis in the past few years. You will agree with me that $400 million from CBI could not even cover salaries and wages, which in 7 years plus double salaries amounted to over $775 MILLION!!! And yet we did so much more. Even during Covid, little Nevis continued to progress. This is why Nevisians are adamant that they have kept and will continue to keep Nevis blue in 2022!!”