BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — International students contribute over $21 billion annually to Canada’s economy and support vitality in its communities. As has been the case in many other places, COVID-19 has presented a myriad of challenges for its international students. Most notably, for many holders of a post-graduation work permit (PGWP), the pandemic’s disruption and uncertainty have jeopardized their chances of obtaining the work experience they need to apply for permanent residence.

As part of the Government of Canada’s efforts to support international students through this challenging time, the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship of Canada has announced that former international students who hold or held a PGWP will have the opportunity to apply for an open work permit.

Foreign nationals in Canada affected by the pandemic with an expired or expiring PGWP will have a unique chance to apply for another open work permit. These will be valid for 18 months and will allow former international students to remain in Canada, continue to seek employment, and build their future there.

The Canadian government has made significant efforts to encourage international students to settle permanently in Canada, as they help create jobs and fill labour shortages. More than 58,000 graduates successfully applied to immigrate permanently in 2019, and their decisions to stay in Canada will help to address its stark demographic challenges.

As Canada confronts the pandemic’s second wave and charts a course for recovery, attracting skilled immigrants is a central part of its plan. This new policy will help more graduates fill pressing needs in areas like health care, technology and more.

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable

Timothy Harris said that the improper placement of vending facilities in Basseterre must now be controlled.

“The matter of vending has been a source of concern for quite some time,” said Dr. Harris during his Monthly Press Conference on January 14 at the National Emergency Management Agency. “Vending facilities overcrowd the streets of Basseterre and expose the differently-abled and elderly to risks and hazards by their nature of being improperly placed.”
Continue reading Committee formed to control Basseterre vending facilities →

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts –- The control and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were discussed on January 14 during a meeting of the Ministry of Health Capacity Building Project for the Prevention and Control of Metabolic Diseases.

“The ministry’s mandate to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates are associated with NCDs,” said the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health.” “Focus is on strengthening all areas of data collection and controls to decrease NCDs.

“The outputs expected include to 1) Assist in planning effective integrated care strategies and practices on prevention and control of metabolic chronic diseases; 2) strengthen the care capacity for metabolic chronic diseases at medical institutions and; 3) enhance the self-management ability of community residents for metabolic syndrome,” said Mrs. Byron-Nisbett.
Continue reading Health Capacity Building Project’s goal to prevent, control NCDs, metabolic diseases →

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — A special emergency CARICOM Heads-of-Government Meeting was held on January 12 to discuss how the region can move forward in the COVID-19 climate especially in relation to the availability of and access to vaccines.

“The CARICOM Heads reiterated our concern for equitable access to an efficacious vaccine and of course we denounced efforts at vaccine nationalism,” said Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris at his monthly press conference.

“By that, we see developing the tendency where specifically the larger and richer countries are being the first to have access to the vaccine and having regard to the requirements and the quantum available, we are attempting to ensure that consideration is given to all countries, all regions of the world.”

He said that there must be a regime that allows for equitable access.

“Indeed in the fight against COVID, so long as one country has it, all of us have it,” he said. “It is a transboundary issue, which we have to confront together.”

Dr. Harris said at present there are 11 ongoing phase three trials and three vaccine candidates have received emergency use authorization. The three include the Pfizer- BioNTech, Moderna, and the Oxford AstraZeneca Vaccines.

“The COVAX facility is a global mechanism for pooling the purchasing and fair distribution of vaccines,” he said. “It is one of the four pillars as we undertake to defeat COVID-19. Vaccines of course loom large. It is one of the four pillars which we have to address if we are going to win the fight,

“We have internationally what is being described as the Facilitation Council. St. Kitts and Nevis is a member of that authority by virtue of my quasi Cabinet position among CARICOM Heads as the lead Prime Minister on matters to do with health among other issues.”

The COVAX facility hopes to allocate about 2 billion doses this year 2021. St. Kitts and Nevis submitted its payment and confirmed its participation in the COVAX Facility on October 9, 2020.

On January 5, the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) committed to a special fund of US$ 600,000 for the purchase of additional vaccines. Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws, is leading the national efforts regarding COVID-19 vaccines and is the technical advisor to the Facilitation Council.

Prime Minister Harris said that the end of the pandemic is dependent on rapid vaccination as well as the continued application of non-pharmaceutical measures.

He said the country aims to vaccinate at least 70 percent of the population to prevent clusters of COVID-19 cases and local transmission.

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed the public that the 2021 round for Organization of American States (OAS) Scholarships to pursue studies at master’s or doctoral levels in Brazil is now open.

Programmes will be available for study for a period of two years for those pursuing master’s degrees and four years for those pursuing doctorate degrees.

Detailed information regarding the OAS Scholarship Programme is available on the OAS website at http://www.oas.org/en/scholarships.

For specific information/inquiries/guidance regarding the 2021 scholarship round, interested persons can contact the office at gc***************@***il.com.

The deadline for applications is Friday, 22nd January 2021.

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — The citizenship by investment (CBI) programme as being successful in attracting businesses to the Federation has been acclaimed by the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris.

“When we look in our local domain we see a number of businesses coming on stream by Chinese, the principals behind them are all citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis, and they have come through that particular route,” said Dr. Harris during his January 14 Monthly Press Conference at the National Emergency Management Agency’s conference room.

Prime Minister Harris noted that an example of this success is the principal of the Galaxy Hotel gaining his citizenship through the CBI programme.

“Just last week we had the grand opening of the Lans Kitchen Restaurant in Frigate Bay, a new upscale cuisine being added to the menu of services offerings here in St. Kitts and Nevis and the lady behind that again is a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis.

“We have a wide range of interest in our CBI programme, that is why it has become the platinum brand because persons from everywhere have come and have participated with respect to the CBI programme,” said Dr. Harris. “The persons who come to the programme are from all walks of life. They hail from a variety of different countries including the United States, Canada, Russia, China, and almost every area of the globe, the programme has found attraction.”

Dr. Harris said the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis does not discriminate from countries making applications to the programme except for three countries.

“For example, Iran is one such country, North Korea is one such country, these internationally have been described as or prescribed as countries that have an international black mark,” said Dr. Harris.

“Because we do not wish to incur any reputational damage, we have taken the decision as a new Government to not entertain applicants from persons resident in North Korea and Iran,” he said.

“Iran for a long time has been described as a state sponsor of terrorism and we would not want our CBI programme to get involved or be intermingled in any such accusations which regard to the applicants,” concluded Prime Minister Harris.

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Administration has announced a scholarship for a study opportunity in the Republic of Serbia in 2021. These scholarships are available to two Saint Kitts and Nevis nationals wishing to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies.

Kindly note that applicants must be under the age of:
· Twenty-one for Bachelor’s degree level;
· Twenty-five for the Master’s degree level; and
· Thirty-five for the Doctoral degree level.

The benefits of the scholarship include, but are not limited to:
· Serbian language preparatory courses;
· Accommodation and food in student centres;
· Resident visa;
· Monthly scholarship monetary award; and
· Health Insurance.

Applicants must specify their preferred faculty and an alternative faculty, on the application form.

The deadline for applications to be submitted to the Ministry of Human Resources is Friday, January 22, 2021.

The deadline on the scholarship guidelines is January 31; this date is for applications to be received by the Embassy, not Human Resources. Therefore, all applications received after January 22 will be refused.

For further details on the terms and conditions of the scholarship award, the participating faculties, to access the application form and more, please contact the following persons:
Mrs. Shanola Murrey-Gill
Ms. Ronice Williams
Ministry of Human Resources
Nevis Island Administration
Email: sh****************@****ov.com / ro*************@****ov.com
Tel. No.: 469-5521 Ext. 5163/4

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The Department of Agriculture on Nevis will resume its Fresh Vegetable Market on January 15 at the Marketing Unit in Charlestown.

“The initiative, which started in November 2020, has been well received by members of the public,” said Randy Elliott, Director of Agriculture in the Department of Agriculture in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) The initiative, which started in November 2020, has been well received by members of the public. “Since November we have been organizing the event practically every Friday, but we took a two-week break over the Christmas period and people have been asking when we would start again.
Continue reading Department of Agriculture resumes weekly Fresh Vegetable Market →

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts –- The need for the development of a National Gender Policy for the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis was emphasised on January 13 by Sharon Warner, Executive Officer at the Department of Gender Affairs.

Mrs. Warner said the National Gender Policy is an institutional framework that will assist the government in facilitating gender equality and empowerment and improve compliance with repertory requirements on the various human rights instruments.

“It’s a key document that provides a clear mandate to enhance a gender-sensitive approach in processes and operations that will promote the rights and equality of men, women, boys, and girls,” she said. The purpose of the gender policy is to mainstream gender in all sectors.

“In society, there are existing patterns of inequality and differences between the roles of men and women, which require different approaches,” said Mrs. Warner. “A gender policy will promote greater gender sensitivity and understanding of the impact of gender on society at all levels.

“We actually need a gender policy to accelerate the achievement of gender equality and human rights and to ensure developmental benefits for everyone,” she said. “The policy will promote gender equality so that men and women can enjoy the same opportunities rights and obligations in all areas of life.

“This means sharing equally in the resources of the country including access to services, for example, health, education, social, political, economic and cultural,” said Mrs. Warner.

Director of the Department of Gender Affairs, Celia Christopher, commented that having access to the resources of the country is one of the most important aspects of the entire policy document.

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CHARLESTOWN, Nevis — The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) has announced a study opportunity in Turkey.

The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Administration is pleased to share information regarding the 2021 Turkey Scholarship. This scholarship programme is available to individuals interested in pursuing studies at the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral levels.

Kindly note that applicants must be under the age of:
· Twenty-one for bachelor’s degree level
· Thirty for the master’s degree level, and
· Thirty-five for the doctoral degree level.

The scholarship covers:
· Turkish language course for one year
· University and programme placement
· Accommodation
· Tuition fee
· Monthly stipend
· One-way flight ticket, and
· Health insurance

The application period is from January to February 20, 2021.

For more information on this scholarship offer, application procedures, evaluation and selection process, and more, please visit https://turkiyeburslari.gov.tr/en/duyuru/turkiye-scholarships-2021-applications.

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