Premier Brantley: Sustainability Zones will bring newfound prosperity to Nevis
In late August, Premier Mark Brantley addressed the people of Nevis. He announced that his Nevis Island Administration has been approached by an investor seeking to establish a Special Sustainability Zone (SSZ) on Nevis, a game-changer for the small Caribbean island’s economy.
The socio-economic and environmental potential of such a zone is huge. St. Kitts and Nevis’ Special Sustainability Zones Authorization Act (SSZA), passed last month, mandates that development must be in harmony with nature. SSZs must also prioritize renewable energy, water security, environmental restoration, and high-quality, long-term job creation for Nevisians.
In his statement, Premier Brantley described SSZs as such, noting their potential to bring into being new and innovative ideas to drive development. Brantley explained, crucially, that SSZs are subject to local oversight and control. The NIA retains the ability to ensure that the development of these zones is fully in keeping with the interests of Nevisians.
This policy, therefore, is a foundation for long-term prosperity and security in an increasingly unstable world.
A brighter future awaits. The zone under discussion has billions of dollars of investment potential, offering a major source of employment – thousands of jobs – to local communities. The simultaneous surge in government revenues would be a boon to Nevis’ public services, including hospitals, schools, and roads.
Despite its small size, SSZs offer Nevis the once-in-a-generation chance to become a global leader in sustainability. This is a unique moment.
As with any meaningful development, voices critical of the NIA have reacted with scepticism and in many cases mistruth. Their attacks, however, are hollow. Under the law, no Nevisian can or will be forced to sell their land. Public property will remain accessible to all. Real estate deals are voluntary agreements made between individuals – and this won’t change. The leader of the opposition has herself sold land in the prospective zone, wholly undermining her critique.
Premier Brantley addressed this double standard specifically in his statement, calling on the opposition to end its hypocrisy, stop misleading the people, and ultimately join the NIA’s efforts to develop Nevis sustainably. He committed to keeping the Nevisian people fully abreast of developments in negotiations.
With the NIA decisively moving Nevis forward, opposition voices will soon fade into the background as Nevis becomes a source of envy for other Caribbean states. Too much of the region is dependent on single sectors for economic security. In Nevis, with the SSZA as a legal foundation, the economy will develop a new frontier, complementing existing strengths in luxury tourism and financial and legal services.
This is the opportunity that Nevisians must now grasp.
