No new taxes planned during this government, says PM

The Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of St Kitts and Nevis has announced that there are no plans to introduce new taxes in the country.

Speaking on the radio, Timothy Harris said: “No new taxes are contemplated during the life of this Team Unity administration.

“We believe that through appropriate management, through the consistent growth of the economy and through the necessary administrative efficiencies in tax collection, we believe in reordering our incentive programme, the government will be able to collect adequate revenues to finance the programmes which are required by the people.”

The opposition St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, led by former prime minister Denzil Douglas, are yet to comment.

The prime minister said that it is important to initiate programmes to assist the people of St Kitts and Nevis, and he added that the government stands ready to help whenever necessary.

“I would say that by and large the programmes in which we are engaged are not frivolous programmes.

“The fact that people are poor and need help is a matter to which we must respond and we must respond appropriately.

“It is a commitment of this government to do all that we can to alleviate poverty in the country because no one ought to be living demeaning lives and at the same time the government through the variety of social and other interventions would want to ensure that people can move from poverty into prosperity.”

Alleviating poverty and economically empowering residents form part of the government’s good governance and prosperity agenda, Harris added.