PRIME MINISTER HARRIS EARMARKS DIGITALIZATION AND THE BLUE ECONOMY AS NEW FRONTIERS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE FEDERATION

Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 30, 2022 (SKNIS): The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has one of the best performing economies in the Caribbean region due to prudent fiscal management policies put in place by the Team Unity administration under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. the Hon Timothy Harris.
 
During the People’s Labour Party (PLP) Convention 2022 on March 26, 2022, Prime Minister Harris announced further plans to diversify the local economy in an effort to create better-paying jobs across the Federation.
 
“We will continue the build-out of the digital economy of St. Kitts and Nevis, incentivizing Wi-Fi support in every home at the most affordable rate.  We do this to allow our people to work from home.  With internet connectivity being the most popular communication model worldwide, the Government is aware of the advantages of our Cable Company with its huge fiber-optic network. This properly utilized will bring benefits to us.  Beyond that, we will target high-tech industries for St. Kitts and Nevis and build out a state-of-the-art data center here in St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Prime Minister Harris.
 
Prime Minister Harris also announced a new frontier of development and investment referred to as ‘The Blue Economy’, which will be primarily focused on maximizing the abundance of natural aquatic resources available to the Federation.
 
“The blue economy is a new frontier for the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Traditionally, our nation is familiar with fisheries, tourism, and maritime transport activities.  These have contributed significantly to the income and wealth of the country. However, the continued development of these areas and the other untapped areas of the blue economy is critical to our economic growth as we operate in an environment of global uncertainty. We encourage our citizens and residents to seek training and create businesses linked to the blue economy. The Government will assist interested persons where feasible and generate policies to attract investments in the ocean. Our blue economy will provide reliable and sustainable livelihoods for our people leading to the stronger and safer future that we all desire and deserve,” said Prime Minister Harris.
 
In January 2022, Prime Minister Harris held discussions with billionaire American entrepreneur and former actor Mr. Brock Pierce to discuss several areas for collaboration and investment including the digital economy.