Post Cabinet Briefing for Monday, December 05, 2016

Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 08, 2016 (SKNIS)—On Monday, December 05, the formal meeting of the Cabinet took place. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.

1. In the meeting of Cabinet on December 05, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris reported on his meetings in Qatar with business leaders and expounded on the business opportunities that he anticipates would be coming to the federation.
2. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Mark Brantley, explained to the Cabinet the signing of an air service agreement between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and outlined the benefits to be derived from such.
3. Cabinet was advised that a candidate from the United Arab Emirates was seeking the support of St. Kitts and Nevis for a seat on the UNESCO Commission. Various areas of cooperation were highlighted between the Federation and the UAE.
4. The Honourable Vincent Byron, Minister of Justice, Legal Affairs and Communications, reported on his trip to Botswana where he participated in the 14^thWorld Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Symposium (WTIS) which took place at the Grand Palm Hotel, Gaborone International Convention Centre in Gaborone, Botswana, from November 21-23. During the symposium, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) launched its flagship “Measuring the Information Society Report 2016”, which features the latest ICT Development Index (IDI), a benchmarking tool that monitors information society developments worldwide. Attorney General Byron received two awards given to St. Kitts and Nevis for having made most progress on the IDI (ICT Development Index) rank and the IDI value between 2015 and 2016, and therefore featuring among the most dynamic countries highlighted in the report.
5. Cabinet approved the Appropriation Bill 2017 for tabling in Parliament on December 07. The Financial Secretary, Mrs. Hilary Hazel, explained to the Cabinet the surpluses on all the accounts. Cabinet was advised that because of continued administrative reforms and efficiencies the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis will again have a tax free Budget.