Author: SKNISEditor

6 May 2022, Basseterre, Saint Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis – Students from three of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) member countries demonstrated their talents and creativity by capturing the top positions in the 2022 ECCB/RSS-ARU Creative Youth Competition. This year’s competition, focused on Poetry and participants were required to submit a video presentation of the piece. In the 13-16 age category, two students from the Commonwealth of Dominica, Carlisa George and Safiyah Ettienne, captured first and second places respectively. Carlisa represented the Portsmouth Secondary School, while Safiyah, the Convent High School. Both students impressed the judges with their…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 6, 2022 (SKNIS): Acting Chief Fire Officer Garfield Hodge during his address to the nation on International Firefighters’ Day on May 4, said that he is pleased with the general level of output and productivity of all officers at the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services (SKNFRS) including the STEP officers. He added that sick reporting is on the decline as well as delinquencies and charges. “Some officers will be promoted and the organization will be in a better position to deliver optimum public service,” said the Chief Fire Officer. Mr. Hodge also took the time to personally…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 06, 2022 (SKNIS): Dorothy Warner, Secretary-General of St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO, said that the organization strongly supports youth development in the Federation as the institution prides itself on giving young people greater access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship opportunities. “UNESCO is very supportive of youth. We partner with the Directors of Youth on both St. Kitts and Nevis, we work with them very closely and we are able to disseminate information to them from UNESCO, get young people to be a part of different forums to be able to gain capacity,” said Ms.…

Vegetable oil and maize prices slightly decrease after recent surge, while rice, meat, dairy and sugar prices slightly increase and global trade prospects dim. May 05, 2022 – Rome, Italy – World food commodity prices decreased in April after a large jump theprevious month, led by modest declines in the prices of vegetable oils and cereals, the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported today.The FAO Food Price Index averaged 158.5 points in April 2022, down 0.8 percent from the all-time highreached in March. The Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket ofcommonly-traded food commodities, remained…

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, May 06, 2022 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – At a time when external forces such as supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine are driving up the cost of living, the Government’s ten percent increase on the salaries and wages of civil servants, pensioners and workers of the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP) is unanimously welcomed—the increase comes into effect from the Government’s next pay cycle on May 25, 2022. The ten percent increase, announced by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris on Labour Day (May 02), is…

Friday, May 6, 2022 — Trade Facilitation, Trade Engagement and Competitiveness are at the forefront of the regional integration plans of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). In April, the Commission launched the development of an Integrated Regional OECS Private Sector Trade Facilitation and Engagement Strategy. This strategy aims to broaden and deepen the holistic encouragement of the private sector in advancing strategic solutions that lower transaction costs and improve the capacity of the OECS Private Sector. Dr. Claudius Preville of Preville & Associates has been contracted to develop this critical strategy. Dr. Preville is a well-established consultant with…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 5, 2022 (SKNIS): Fires in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis are on the decline, said Acting Chief Fire Officer Garfield Hodge during his address to the nation on International Firefighters’ Day on May 4.During his presentation, Mr. Hodge said “as it relates to fire extinguishment, my department over the past year, 2021, responded to and extinguished 603 fires. This reflects an 11.5 % reduction when compared to 2020 which had a total of 682 fires reported and responded to.”He also said that the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services (SKNFRS) fights fire…

GENEVA (ILO News) – Collective bargaining can advance equality and foster inclusion says a new ILO report, the first of a series of flagship reports on Social Dialogue.The higher the coverage of employees by collective agreements, the lower the wage differences are, says the report entitled Social Dialogue Report 2022: Collective bargaining for an inclusive, sustainable and resilient recovery, which is based on a review of collective agreements and practices in 80 countries at different levels of economic development and the legal and regulatory frameworks in 125 countries. Collective bargaining – the process of voluntary negotiation between one or more employers…

5 May 2022, Basseterre, Saint Christopher (St Kitts)and Nevis – Governor of the ECCB, Timothy N.J. Antoine commenced his 2022 round of Country Outreach Missions in Anguilla on Wednesday, 4 May. Governor Antoine commenced his engagements with a courtesy call on the Governor of Anguilla, Her Excellency Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam and discussions with Leader of the Opposition, Cora Richardson-Hodge. Governor Antoine also met with the Principal, staff and students of the Valley Primary School, the ECCB’s Mentorship School. He took the opportunity to visit school’s computer lab which is nearing completion. In March 2021,the ECCB made a donation of EC$100,000 toward the rebuilding of the lab which was destroyed by Hurricane Irma. On Thursday, 5 May, Governor Antoine is scheduled to meet with…

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 04, 2022 (SKNIS): On Wednesday, May 04, 2022, members of the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services (SKNFRS) staged a Fun Run through the streets of Basseterre and also held an Open Day at Independence Square as they observe a week of activities to commemorate International Firefighters’ Day.The Fun Run saw the officers, escorted by a fire appliance with siren and flashing lights, leave the Basseterre Fire Station and turn left down Sand Down Road. The contingent turned right onto the Bay Road, turned right up Fort Street, left onto Cayon Street, down Church…