Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister, peace award recipient, believer in democracy
Dr. Denzil Llewellyn Douglas is only the second Prime Minister of the twin island federation of St Kitts and Nevis. He has served since July 1995, and entered his third term in 2004. Dr Douglas is an active participant in many regional and international forums and is consistently recognized for his desire to integrate St Kitts and Nevis in the global economy.
Dr. Douglas is the first Caribbean Leader to receive the Ghandi-King-Ikeda Peace Award and is the recipient of a Legacy Award from the American Foundation of the University of the West Indies in New York. The Republic of China (Taiwan) decorated Prime Minister Douglas with the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon.
Dr. Douglas has maintained close ties with the United States, especially as he leads the fight against HIV/AIDS. He is the Prime Ministerial spokesman on HIV/AIDS and other health related matters in the CARICOM quasi Cabinet. He was recognized by Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his many contributions in this field. Both Presidents George Bush and William Clinton praised Prime Minister Douglas for his leadership role in this fight. In November 2005, Prime Minister Douglas was presented with a plaque by United States Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) for a distinguished and unblemished record of service to humanity and for his leadership and tireless, progressive contributions to his country and to the entire Caribbean Community. The United States Congressional Black Caucus also presented a plaque to Dr. Douglas.
The twin island federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is currently undergoing a major reform of the electoral system. Adults were granted the right to vote back in 1954, but the system wasn’t reformed until 1983, when the United Kingdom granted St Kitts and Nevis their political independence.
Prime Minister Douglas believes that, "Twenty years after independence, it’s time to revisit the issue of electoral reform and to ensure that the democratic process continues to be given prominence as we enhance the government structure for the people."
Electoral reform is also a necessity, given the many demographic changes that have taken place. The government’s social development programs, which include providing citizens with housing, have created inconsistencies in the sizing of constituencies. The reform will include the creation of new constituencies more equal in size.
"As we prepare to become a modern state, we believe that our strong adherence to the principles of democracy are vital," Douglas stated when asked whether overseas citizens should have the right to vote. He believes that the notion of ancestral vote must continue to be given prominence in the new electoral system.
Prime Minister Douglas considers tourism to be the economic engine for the growth and development of St Kitts and Nevis. The federation is small and extremely sensitive to the potential environmental impact of tourism development, so they have identified high-end tourism as the means for the socio-economic development of its citizens.
"We are extremely concerned about the environment and thus we have identified high end tourism as the main vehicle for economic advancement," explained the Prime Minister. "We want to promote not only four and five star international hotel brands, but also cruise tourism."
The government has created a strategic plan that focuses on creating tourism opportunities outside of the main urban centers of St. Kitts and Nevis in order to ensure that hotels are spread across the whole landscape of the country, in both urban and rural areas. The closing of the sugar industry means that beautiful vistas, which were normally hidden behind sugar plantations, are now open. The plan includes the identification of former sugar cane plantations as lands for hotel development.
In order to maximize the economic yield for these lands, some former cane fields will be reserved for the development of golf courses. St. Kitts currently has one 18 hole course in South Frigate Bay. The government has invested in the construction of another, La Valle, while Kittitian Heights, which will be built in the rainforest north of Rawlins Plantations and Kate Spencer’s studio, has one in the works. More are being planned. On Nevis, the Four Seasons has another well known course.
Agricultural tourism is also being developed and will encourage the synergistic and symbiotic relationship that Kittitians have with their fertile lands. Tourism development is expected to support and motivate non-sugar agriculture, such as fruits, fisheries, green vegetables, and animal husbandry.
"As more and more tourists visit, we will feed them with local products," Douglas opines. "The important aspect is to create a supportive relationship between tourism and agriculture. This is best achieved in the green and fertile land in the rural parts of St Kitts and Nevis."
The federation’s rich heritage and its history of plantation economy will facilitate the development of "Heritage Tourism." The Nevis Historical Conservation Society already promotes the natural and colorful history of the smaller sister island. Tourists travel the Historical Trail to visit Caribbean houses, stone chimneys and ancient sugar mills that dot the landscape.
Other new tourism projects are also being developed. The Caribbean’s only Scenic Railway takes travelers on an evocative tour on narrow gauge tracks originally built to transport sugar. Kate Spencer’s paintings and giclee prints of the people and panorama of St. Kitts are collected internationally.
Boat building, boat repair and the supplementary market is one of the newest and most exciting developments on the horizon. The second largest boat lift in the Caribbean has recently been installed in St. Kitts by St. Kitts Marine Works. A pier will be built so that captains, who come here to escape the hurricane season, can dock here, lift their boats out of the water, and have them repaired while the owners enjoy the five star amenities on the islands. The new marinas in La Valle and on the South East Peninsula will also benefit greatly from the boat lift and the industry that will be created around it.
"This activity is definitely part of the greater tourism development plan for the islands," enthused Douglas. "We welcome investors into this new and important arena. This is part of the niche market that we are trying to create within the wider tourism landscape."
All of these tourism and business opportunities will be showcased when St. Kitts hosts World Cup Cricket in March. Investors and tourists alike will be able to experience this new destination that is just waiting to be discovered.
Prime Minister Douglas next went on to discuss the reasons that St. Kitts and Nevis are legitimate and bona fide places in which to invest. He first noted that the citizens of the federation are part of an educated and loyal workforce. By law, every child must have a secondary education and the government places a strong emphasis on tertiary education. Computer literacy starts at the age of six and scholarships are offered by the Development Bank to every secondary student. This education has allowed the federation to overcome a rocky past and it is now considerably crime free. This means that there are fewer homicides as well as fewer petty white collar crimes.
On the legal side, the government has adhered to the requests of the international community and has created a strict supervisory and regulatory framework for the financial industry. These new laws ensure that the sector is up to international standards.
The government is also in the process of modernizing the island’s entire infrastructure. The road network accords with international standards, as do electricity and water. The telecommunications and fiber optics industry has made the most progress. A liberalized telecommunications sector means that three major players, Cable and Wireless, Digital and The Cable, give citizens and investors easy and inexpensive access to modern conveniences, such as wireless Internet, cell phones, land lines and integrated business solutions.
The development of the port and airport is one of the most visible projects. A second cruise pier, which will facilitate the expansion of the cruise industry, is being completed and the airport is being refurbished. The Port Authority has just completed provisions for holding six wide-bodied jets on the tarmac, rather than the two spaces that were available in the past. As construction begins on the development of properties by Auberge, Newfoundland, Kittitian Heights and many others, corporate jet facilities are being upgraded. Parking facilities for 60 corporate jets and a fixed based operation for VIP treatment are already in the works.
In closing, the Prime Minister wanted to ensure he focused on the financial incentives for investing in the federation.
"When you look at what has been identified as being the main attraction for investors, I could not end without highlighting the very attractive tax incentives packages we have created for investors," he explained. "Tax holidays, no personal income tax, the ability to easily repatriate profits, and duty free shopping at Port Zante and for those moving into certain new villa developments are only some of the benefits we offer."
"We are very friendly, open and engaging and all of our citizens want investors and visitors to feel very much at home and to know that we are open for business," declared Douglas whose pro-business government plans to continue to ensure a solid partnership between the public and private sectors so that the country can continue its socio-economic development.
The Prime Minister concluded his discussion by spotlighting the federation’s readiness to transition successfully from its 350 year old sugar industry to a modern economy that is based on services.
"We can move successfully from being a third world developing country to a small developed country within the first world and we can do it in record time," Denzil confirmed. "I believe that the government, with the very strong support of our citizens, will successfully create many opportunities for our socio-economic development and we will even be able to influence the rest of the Caribbean community as we move closer towards a single market economy. Our people have the fortitude to succeed and we will eventually succeed."
