CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS, December 23, 2021 (MMS-SKN) — Deputy Premier in the Nevis Island Administration, the Hon Eric Evelyn, while quoting from an old adage has said that the partnership between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis in the area of recycling is an investment in the health of the nation.
“It shows that we are investing in Nevis Solid Waste Management,” said the Hon Evelyn on Wednesday December 21 at a ceremony held in Long Point to launch the Nevis Recycling Facility. “We are investing in health and of course it is often said the wealth of a nation depends on the health of the nation, and we are always pleased when the Administration in partnership, now with the Taiwanese Government, can invest in a recycling facility here on the island of Nevis,”
The Deputy Premier, who is also the Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Natural Resources, Fisheries, Cooperatives, Culture, and Housing, in the Nevis Island Administration, said that he was delivering remarks at the ceremony, not as the Minister of Health or even Environment, but for the reason that when the US$1m St. Kitts and Nevis Solid Waste Management and Recycling Project was officially launched in early March this year, he was the Federal Minister of Environment.
Saying that he is still passionate about the environment, Minister Evelyn noted that the project is extremely timely coming at a time when the country needs to get rid of the many plastic bottles and micro plastics on the country’s landscape that are carcinogenic, and which end up in the ocean endangering marine life that people end up consuming.
“I am delighted that the Embassy of the Republic of China on Taiwan has seen it fit to partner with us in St. Kitts and Nevis, to ensure that we have a recycling facility,” said the Deputy Premier. “I believe this is only the first step for many more to come and so I want to commend and thank Ambassador Lin, and your team, I want you to convey our thanks and appreciation to your government and I would like to encourage the people of Nevis to take advantage of this recycling facility.”
The ceremony was held at the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority’s yard in Long Point, and in attendance were the Premier of Nevis the Hon Dr Mark Brantley, Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), His Excellency Michael Lin, Federal Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change, Constituency Empowerment, the Hon Dr Joyelle Clarke; and Junior Minister of Health, Gender Affairs, Community Affairs, and Social Services, in the Nevis Island Administration, the Hon Jahnel Nisbett.
While delivering remarks at the same ceremony, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Environment and Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment, Ms Sharon Rattan, saluted Ambassador His Excellency Michael Lin as ‘a friend that treasures St. Kitts and Nevis a 39-year-old (in reference to the period the two countries have had bilateral ties) friend and we hope for many more years of friendship’.
“I am pleased to report that when we started this project, we observed that Nevis was ten steps ahead of St. Kitts in terms of your behaviour, your concern, your commitment to this project,” said Ms Rattan. “It is happening in St. Kitts, just not just as fast as we see it in Nevis, and I think that is commendable. Nevis was always ready and I think that is very commendable and you see, you were so ready you have opened – we are here today to do your recycling before St. Kitts, but we are getting there.”
Explaining that the Federal Minister of Climate Action, the Hon Dr Joyelle Clarke, is an environmentalist, the Permanent Secretary assured the ambassador that “we are going to complete this project in a timely manner, not only complete it, but we have to make sure that it continues with our own recurring revenue – so that is not just a note for St. Kitts, but it is a note for Nevis. We have to make sure that within a year, the budget for the continuation of this project is of our own.”
Manager of the St. Kitts and Nevis Solid Waste Management and Recycling Project, Ms Joyce Chang, who was accompanied by Project Technician, Mr Geofhani Gumbs, said that in the one and half years she been working with the project, she would witnessed good cooperation between the project employees and those at the Solid Waste Management Authority organisations both on St. Kitts and on Nevis.
She pointed out that through that collaboration, the project had established collection points for recyclable material, three on St. Kitts and four on Nevis. She reminded them that the ones on Nevis are at the Xpetrol in the St. James Parish, Big Six in Gingerland, the Old Artisan Village in Charlestown, and at the Delta Petroleum next to Ole House Café in Stone Grove.
First phase of bin placement on the island of Nevis, according to Ms Chang, has been successful and she thanked the business organisations that partnered with the Project. She mentioned the Four Seasons Resort, Golden Rock Hotel, Sunshine Beach Bar and Grill, Lime Beach Bar, Montpelier Beach Bar, Montpelier Plantation Inn, Oualie Beach Resort, and the Nevis International Secondary School, as places where they would have placed the bins.
Also present at the ceremony were Third Secretary at the Embassy of Taiwan in St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr Damien I-Ching Liu; Taiwan Technical Mission to St. Kitts and Nevis Mission Leader, Mr Roy Yuan Hung Lo; General Manager of the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority, Mr Andrew Hendrickson; and a Director of the Nevis Solid Waste Management Authority, Mr Oscar ‘Astro’ Browne.
Others present were acting General Manager of the St. Kitts Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC), Ms Judith Isles; SWMC Landfill Manager Mr Lexington Bedford; and Nevisian stakeholders from the hotels, restaurants and general merchants among others.