St Kitts and Nevis PM wants new rules for disaster financing

Last updated: 23 November 2017, 9:57 am

Prime Minister Timothy Harris has called for changes to how financial assistance to St Kitts-Nevis and other Caribbean islands is calculated in times of disaster.

The federation is classified as a high-income country, which can limit access to funds.

Speaking at the Caribbean Community-United Nations High-Level Pledging Conference in New York City, Harris said: “St Kitts and Nevis, like Antigua and Barbuda, having been classified as a high income country is not eligible for concessional funding.

“Therefore, we have been relying on the use of our own resources to bring the country to a level of satisfactory recovery.

“However, there is much more to be done, and as a Small Island Developing State the demands on our limited resources are substantial and create fiscal pressures as we strive to continue the implementation of our development agenda.”

The UN and CARICOM event is an attempt for West Indies’ states to garner assistance to rebuild following the passage of two category five hurricanes in September – Irma and Maria.

Harris stated that the recent effects of the hurricanes underscore the need to revamp the gross domestic product (GDP) criteria that currently decides funding access as “it does not fully take into consideration their vulnerability.”

“I advocate support from the donor community in the use of a Vulnerability Index that will capture the unique features of our Small Island Developing States,” the prime minister added.

Cumbersome procedures that lead to delays in receiving pledged finance was also highlighted by Harris, who suggested a fast-track mechanism following natural disasters.