It is with a heavy heart that I learned of the extremely sad news of the assassination of the President of the Republic of Haiti, Mr. Jovenel Moïse. I also understand that the First Lady was also seriously injured in the attack and is now receiving medical treatment at a hospital.

On my own behalf and that of the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis, I extend sincere condolences to the family and the people of Haiti and hope that they may find solace and comfort even during this traumatic and challenging time.

We condemn this heinous and cowardly act and hope that those responsible will soon be apprehended and brought to justice.

We pray for calm and that good reason will prevail. Let us continue to keep the people of our sister CARICOM Member State in our thoughts and prayers, and as a show of solidarity reach out to the Haitian population who have come to call St. Kitts and Nevis their home.

The post Statement by Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris on the Killing of Haiti’s President appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

By SKN Athletics

Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 7th 2021―Four athletes from St. Kitts and Nevis will compete in the North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under 18 and Under 23 Championship in San Jose, Costa Rica from 9th – 11th July. These athletes are Amaya Clarke, Jahnaza Francis, Ian Liburd and Leroy Chapman. Eric Francis will serve as the head coach.

Amaya Clarke, a junior at University of Akron and member of the team for the Tokyo 2020 olympic games, will compete in the Under 23 Women’s 100 meter dash. Jahnaza Francis, freshman at Lincoln University, will compete in the Under 23 400 meter hurdles event. Ian Liburd,  will compete in the Under 23 100 meter dash and the Under 200 meter event. Leroy Chapman will compete in the 400 meter event.

SKN Athletics President Delwayne Delaney said that despite the abrupt end to the 2020-2021 track and field season in St. Kitts Nevis, his executive is proud to support these athletes in this athletic championship. “We had to curtail and outright cancel many events for the track season 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 season, including big events like the inter-primary and inter-high school events,” Delaney said. “However despite these cancellations, we encouraged our athletes to continue training to remain in top form. I am delighted that we were able to support these athletes as they compete in their respective events. I expect all of them to give their best performances and to be ambassadors for the federation.”

Liburd and Chapman will leave St. Kitts on Wednesday July 7th and will join their other teammates and head coach in Miami where they will all depart for Costa Rica on Thursday July 8th 2021.

The Executive of SKN Athletics on behalf of the entire track and field community wishes to congratulate the athletes for being selected and wishes them the best in their events. The association also wishes to thank the National Olympic Committee for its assistance and support.

The post Skn Athletes To Participate in NACAC Championship in Costa Rica appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 06, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, under the leadership of the Team Unity administration, has been commended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for its strong management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IMF, in its Staff Concluding Statement of the 2021 Article IV Mission published today, Tuesday, July 06, stated that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on St. Kitts and Nevis’ tourism-dependent economy has been severe, “despite timely government actions that kept domestic infections in 2020 the lowest in the Western Hemisphere.”

The report further stated, “At the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the government swiftly restricted inbound travel, introduced safety protocols including a month-long national lockdown, and procured protective and medical equipment. The subsequent reopening of borders from end-October 2020 has been accompanied by strict safety protocols. The response measures effectively mitigated the pandemic’s human cost with St. Kitts and Nevis having had the lowest per capita case count in the Western Hemisphere and no mortalities in 2020.”

The IMF team noted however that the pandemic’s impact on the Federation’s economy has been severe with the complete halt in cruise ship arrivals and very few stayover tourists since the first quarter of 2020, compounded by the pandemic’s disruptions on domestic activity.

The Concluding Statement of the 2021 Article IV Mission added, “In response, the government introduced tax waivers, deferrals and incentives, and the Social Security Board provided unemployment benefits to affected insured workers. In parallel, the regional and national financial supervisors swiftly introduced temporary response measures, including loan moratoria, that supported liquidity and effectively mitigated the pandemic’s financial system impact.”

The Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit or mission.

The virtual 2021 Article IV mission for St. Kitts and Nevis was concluded on June 22, 2021.

The post St. Kitts And Nevis Receives High Praise From The International Monetary Fund On Its Handling Of The Covid-19 Pandemic appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.