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News / St Kitts and Nevis spends over $18M to combat pandemic, 75% of target population vaccinated with first dose
St Kitts and Nevis has spent over EC$18 million implementing measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic
St Kitts and Nevis has spent over EC$18 million implementing measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Prime Minister Timothy Harris during a news conference. He added that the funds were being used to access vehicles, wards, quarantine facilities and testing aid. The news comes as the Prime Minister announced the first-dose vaccination of over 75 percent of the Federation's target population last week.
According to Prime Minister Harris, an additional five million dollars on this health initiative will be spent by the end of the year. This will bring the total cost of COVID-19 related expenditure to more than EC$23 million.
During his virtual address at the UN General Assembly, he expressed the need to continue investing in a resilient health system. "We believe strongly that no one is safe until everyone is safe. That requires equitable access to vaccines and other medical products," the Prime Minister said. "We took action providing social protection programmes for those in need. Indeed, we implemented a EC$120 million COVID-19 stimulus package. We reduced corporate income tax for employers to retain 75% of the workforce and introduced VAT and import duty waivers for pandemic related products."
The Prime Minister also thanked St Kitts and Nevis's bilateral partners for their generosity in providing vaccines. The nation's Foreign Affairs Minister Mark Brantley, who was in New York for the UNGA, thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for facilitating the timely distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, which he said enabled him to attend the event.
As a remote dual-island in the Caribbean region, St Kitts and Nevis has made strides over the years to build a self-sustaining economy. Much of the country's revenue depends on tourism. After lockdowns and the halt of the tourism industry, the funds to implement the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) – a scheme aiming to provide low-income households with a monthly stipend of $500 – were generated via the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme.
Through CBI, reputable foreign investors who pass due diligence are welcomed to obtain St Kitts and Nevis' valuable citizenship in exchange for an economic contribution. The fund option provides the most efficient route to second citizenship, as marked by the CBI Index, published by FT's PWM magazine.
Investors are attracted to St Kitts and Nevis because it is a safe, modern democracy. It is both family- and investor-friendly, where citizens can easily gain additional global mobility, diversify their wealth and have a Plan B.
