A new nine-member St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) Cabinet of Prime Minister Denzil Douglas was sworn in on Sunday, two weeks after the party won general elections. The selection features a mix of familiar and fresh faces and crosses party lines.
Prime Minister Douglas says that his team of nine ministers will have a part to play in debt reduction during this fourth term in office to help divert a larger proportion of the islands’ limited resources “from debt servicing to people-oriented development initiatives.” Douglas said the government would also be more vigilant in collecting outstanding revenues, controlling expenditure and securing fiscal surpluses on an ongoing basis. He is planning to reform the entire tax system with a view to ensuring that the tax burden is shared in a much more equitable manner, while offering greater protection to lower-income groups.
The appointments stand as follows: Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Sustainable Development and Human Resource Development; Sam Condor, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Foreign Affairs, Labour, Immigration and Social Security; Dr. Timothy Harris, Minister of International Trade, Industry, Commerce, Agriculture, Marine Resources, Consumer Affairs and Constituency Empowerment; Dr. Earl Asim Martin, Minister of Energy, Public Works and Utilities; Patrice Nisbett, Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs; Marcella Liburd, Minister of Health, Social Services, Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs; Glen Phillip, Minister of Sports, Youth Empowerment, Information Technology, and Telecommunications; Senator Nigel Carty, Minister of Education and Information; and Senator Richard Skerritt, Minister of Tourism and International Transport.
For full articles, see http://www.caribbean360.com/News/Caribbean/Stories/2010/02/08/NEWS0000010305.html and http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-21365–35-35–.html
