The Chamber of Industry and Commerce strongly endorses the Government policy of achieving vaccination of 70% of citizens and residents in our Federation in order to re-open the economy on October 1, 2021.
The Chamber supports all members who are pursuing that objective by encouraging employees to be vaccinated and by organizing sensitization programs on-site to facilitate employees and to accommodate a smoother vaccination process. The safety of employees and customers is paramount to each business. Maximum vaccination provides the best way of providing such protection.
The private sector employs over 15,000 persons in St. Kitts-Nevis accounting for approximately 45% of the persons required to be vaccinated to reach the 70% threshold as advised by the Health Officials to reopen our country to visitors without quarantine regulations. We must be ever mindful of the reality that our health services do not have the capacity to manage a significant community outbreak of Covid-19. We have avoided that up to the present and must continue to do so. Let us not drop our guard at this critical time when there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Calling for the boycott and slandering of businesses that provide employment, pay taxes and support community initiatives and events is unfortunate and ill-advised. We must co-exist in this pandemic. The Chamber advises employees to take their concerns to their immediate supervisors for discussion and resolution and not feed off social media. Similarly, we advise employers to not share employee’s information via such means. While we may not always agree on how we communicate within our organizations it is important we bear in mind we are all unsure of our future, including businesses who shoulder a huge responsibility in the reopening of the economy.
Let us do better by working together for the greater good of our Federation, families, and the health of our economy.” Together we can “Rollup to Reduce Risk and Open Responsibly.”
THE ST. KITTS – NEVIS CHAMBER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE:
Our Mission is to improve the standard and quality of life of all people of St Kitts & Nevis