St Kitts–Nevis Social Security no longer secured.

DEAR SIR

There is some extremely disturbing news concerning the Social Security Board of St Kitts and Nevis.

We understand that a huge amount of money was passed to SCASPA (St Christopher Air & Sea Ports Authority) very late last December, a Christmas present that was neither earned nor deserved. The reason for this Christmas gift is not clear.

We have heard it could be close to $100 million but another source says it is more than $75 million. We, the people of St Kitts and Nevis, deserve to know how much money was spent, for what purpose and what was achieved or accomplished with the almost $100 million Christmas present? Those who heard about it through the grapevine keep wondering, “Where the money gone?” Worse, is where the money continues to go. Additionally, Social Security approved another big loan to SCASPA, which we understand must be disbursed to them before May 22.

That present from Santa Social Security to SCASPA is not the only one. A Nevisian lady is now making big money in a posh executive job but nobody knows how she got there, not even the human resources director (HR) who is supposed to be the one to hire people. Did someone over-rule the HR director or is that someone over-riding the lady from Nevis?

In the meantime, we have some globe-trotters in the Social Security Office who are not paying back money provided for travel even though they got letters demanding they settle their debts. This is part of a “Free-For-All” in the government board. Monthly stipends shoot up, committee stipends sky-rocket, people are even now buying laptops and tablets costing thousands of dollars more than they are allowed in the stipulated five-year period. Even worse, is that the board dished out to themselves $20,000 each as “gratuities” and have been assured that if the government changes they will get two years of free money and stipends.

This indecent haste to grab, seize, smash and screw the people of St Kitts and Nevis must be stopped now. We have tried to ask Dr Timothy Harris what kind of feeding frenzy is going on with the country’s Social Security Funds and why he is bankrupting the poorest people in the country, the ones most in need of support. These are citizens who have contributed significantly to the development of our country and deserve the support they are supposed to receive. A lot of them are wondering where their money gone.

My efforts to contact prime minister Dr Harris has failed. However a Kittitian nearing retirement said: “One hopes that it won’t be too late before the masses of St Kitts and Nevis realize that their cheese factory is being guarded by rats.  Social Security money is the people’s money and it is being abused by the traitors and imposters who hold the levers of power”.