Dr. Drew's administration marks four years in office, highlights development milestones

St. Kitts & Nevis: The administration of Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew completed four years in office on Tuesday, August 5. The administration has implemented several projects and reforms across water security,energy, healthcare, education, infrastructure and public services since taking office in 2022.

One of the main areas on which the government focused has been improving the country’s water supply. According to the official figures, only about 24% of the population had reliable 24-hour water service when the administration took office. However, over the last four years, investments have been made in wells, pipelines, storage facilities and a desalination plant in order to improve the system.

The desalination plant alone represents an investment of about EC$60 million, while between EC$70 million and EC$100 million has been invested to strengthen the water network. Approximately 70% of St. Kitts now has access to 24-hour water service.

In Cayon, drilling operations led to the discovery of a high quality under-ground water source. The community now has more than 90% 24-hour water coverage, while a new 500,000-gallon storage tank has also been completed.

The administration has also invested in improving the electricity generation. Concessionary financing for two new dual-fuel generating units has been secured. They can operate on LPG and LNG and each has a capacity of nine megawatts which increases the generating capacity by a combined 18 megawatts.

Renewable energy has also remained a priority. Work has continued on the 50-megawatt solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage project, which is expected to supply around 40% to 50% of the country’s electricity demand. As a part of its long-term renewable energy plans, the government has also made efforts in order to advance geothermal energy development in Nevis.

The education sector has also seen several developments over the last four years. Construction of the new Basseterre High School is now underway after years of delays. College tuition has been made free, while interest rates on Development Bank student loans have been reduced. Scholarship opportunities have also been expanded.

In healthcare, the administration has introduced the Children’s Medical Fund to assist the children who require overseas medical treatment based on medical recommendations. Assistance has also been extended to families dealing with high-risk pregnancies and newborns requiring special medical care.

Several reforms have been introduced for public servants and Government Auxiliary Employees (GAE). The gratuity calculation formula for GAE workers has been restored and government pensions have also been introduced for civil servants after retirement, a contributory pension fund has been established. Public servants also received an 8% increase in salary during the first term of the administration.

The government has expanded a number of social programmes. Under the ASPIRE programme, children between the ages of five and 18 receive EC$1,000 accounts, with EC$500 allocated to savings and EC$500 to investments.

The administration has also introduced reforms to the Citizenship by Investment Programme which includes enhanced due diligence measures and the rollout of biometric verification. Digital transformation has also continued across several government services.

Infrastructure development has continued in other sectors as well. Projects which have been undertaken during the past four years include the reconstruction of the St. Peter’s Main Road, upgrades to sporting facilities in Conaree and rehabilitation work at the Kim Collins Athletic Stadium.

As the administration begins its fifth year in office, several major projects are going on including the expansion of 24-hour water access, increasing the electricity generation, advancing renewable energy projects, completing the new Basseterre High School and other infrastructure development across the Federation.