Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis: During his recent interview with Freedom FM’s Issues Programme, the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, pointed out a number of pressing issues regarding the cost of living and rising food prices. The interview was held on 26th July, Wednesday, 2023 and aimed at finding the solutions to the discussed concerns.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Terrance Drew, the government of St Kitt and Nevis has been thriving for a better tomorrow while actively addressing the major issues and challenges in the country.
During his address, PM Drew updated the general public on the national matters related to rising food prices and the initiative under consideration by the government to deal with the issues.
In his remarks, he assured his fellow residents that a variety of relief initiatives had been introduced so far by the government of St Kitts and Nevis to monitor and tackle the overall situation. He mentioned that the government had formed a Cost-of-Living Taskforce with the aim of taking necessary measures in this regard.
Furthermore, he recalled his meeting with the Director of RAMS, O.D. Brisbane, the recognized trader in this industry, has briefly discussed the topic and cost of the food. He said the traders relayed that the issues are not just with the food but also the brands, which cost more.
He added that there is a significant difference between branded and non-banded stuff as per the list shared by the RAMS Director, which also provides a choice to the people.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Terrance Drew has noted that several factors are responsible for food supply and price crises, such as the Pandemic, Supply Chains, High Transportation Costs, etc.
Such factors have affected all the countries around the globe in a significant manner, said Prime Minister Terrance Drew. In this context, he emphasized the essential steps taken by the government to reduce and take charge of the rising food prices in St Kitts and Nevis as much as possible.
The freight of the transportation has been caped to keep the cost at the lowest, and if the situation demands, the cap can also be increased.
The measure has been adopted to reduce the transportation cost to facilitate easy commutes between the two destinations without an excessively high price of gasoline. Pre-COVID rates have been implemented by introducing freight charges for 20-foot and 40-foot dry food and cold storage containers.
The excise tax reduction has also been put in motion from $2.25 per gallon to $0.95 per gallon, extended until 31st December 2023.
As per the reports, the Prime Minister of the Twin Island Federation has been encouraging citizens to look for other brands and options which can hold a dollar to go further.
He also told his fellow nationals that they could grow their food in their yards, which could also help them save money.
PM Drew concluded that the government would continue to take necessary steps while actively engaging with the relevant stakeholders through the task force as part of the holistic approach to address the concerns.
