Honourable Mark A. G. Brantley

Premier of Nevis and Leader of the Opposition in St. Kitts and Nevis

 New Year’s Address 2026

Fellow citizens and residents, the winds of time have once again opened the door to another year. I trust that you have had a joyous Christmas and I pray that the new year finds you in good spirits; renewed, refreshed and with a heart filled with hope.  May the new year bring you new opportunities, triumph over all challenges, as well as new experiences which fortify your faith.   

The new year is always a time for reflection and contemplation.  It is a time when we engage in the useful convention of looking backwards at the journey that we have taken and looking forward to the path that lies ahead. As we engage in this exercise, my prayer is that we find the determination to make 2026 a better year than the one before, and that we muster the strength to face all adversities with courage and fortitude.  May we begin this new year with high spirits, clarity of mind, singleness of purpose and alive to new perspectives.  2025 was a year filled with triumphs and failures, successes and challenges.   

Where we have been successful, I hope that we continue to enjoy the fruits and benefits of our actions and resolve to build upon such successes. Where our actions and efforts have not borne fruits equal to our output and expectations, let us not despair but devote ourselves to greater effort and commitment. Our measure as a people will always be whether we picked ourselves up and kept trying.   

Permit me to extend my sincere gratitude to all who have made 2025 a successful and memorable year.  Your contribution is a powerful investment in the future of our nation.  It is a true testament to your selflessness and love of country.  Through your diverse skills, resilience and hard work, you have inspired us to pursue our goals, strive for excellence and believe in what is possible.  Through your efforts, you embody the spirit of nation-building, demonstrating that dedicated individuals working together can create a stronger, more prosperous St. Kitts and Nevis for all.  I here refer to the public and private sectors, security forces and civilians, essential and non-essential workers – our Nation is indebted to you for your invaluable contribution throughout the year.  We are grateful for your participation, your engagement, your views and opinions, your criticisms and your recommendations. It has been your continued collective patriotic spirit that has truly transformed and built our nation brick by brick, one step at a time, one contribution at a time.  Your continued commitment to duty and service is critical as we work towards our broader national goal of improving the overall well-being and quality of life for our people.   

In recent times, we have witnessed a deep erosion of our social discourse and dialogue. We have become less tolerant and less respectful of the views and opinions of others.  This is quite evident in our daily face-to-face and social media interactions. Such intolerance and lack of respect have had negative repercussions on our interpersonal relationships and our country’s social cohesion.  In the year ahead, let us improve upon how we relate to each other, especially those with differing views.  Let us suppress our worst instincts of anger, intolerance and bitterness.  Let us embrace the enlightening qualities of love, understanding and respect for all. Let us build a nation of mature citizens with participation, accountability, inclusion and responsibility being the cornerstones of our social interaction. We must seek to eradicate the coarseness that has crept into our public discourse and return our country to a Nation of civility where we respect each other and our diversity of opinions. At this juncture in our Nation’s history we, more than ever, need the will and energies of all our people.  We must commit ourselves to respect and honour all political, religious, racial and ethnic differences. We should never allow our differences to divide us but focus on finding common ground that can unite us. In this competitive and harsh global environment, uniting our talents and energies is critical for our personal and national survival. A community or country that is divided against itself cannot and will not stand.  If we are to build the best St. Kitts and Nevis, we must stand together, stand united, stand shoulder to shoulder in the common cause of national development.  We must embrace diversity and welcome positive change as we proceed on the pathway of development. My brothers and sisters, I am confident that we are equal to the task.    

Today, I summon all nation builders in every family, political party community and civil society, to commit unreservedly to the project of making our nation a preferred place of choice to live, work and raise our children.  I am persuaded that we possess the skill, the ability and the mindset to achieve this goal.   

Together we can.  

Together we will.  

Together we must.  

Let this moment mark the start of a New Year that is filled with opportunities, progress and the deepening of our shared bonds of community and country.   

In the year ahead, we will undoubtedly be confronted with challenges. Indeed there is no life that is without challenges. However, as we chart a course to a brighter tomorrow, we must see challenges as opportunities for us to rekindle our Nevisian oneness and our spirit of courage and resilience. We must not despair or retreat. We must always demonstrate our capacity to move forward and to move ahead despite overwhelming odds.  As we face challenges in the future, let us do so with the understanding that they often require a collective and consensus response. Let us confront them knowing that there is no situation or circumstance that is insurmountable or unbeatable, once we unite as one people, one nation in pursuit of happiness, peace and prosperity with God at the center of our lives.   

On the economic front, the year 2025 was an inspiring and productive year for our island. We registered significant growth in the economy. We enhanced our social safety nets for our most vulnerable citizens; we increased our assistance for our students at all levels including providing our primary and secondary students with access to technology at their fingertips through our free distribution of lap tops and devices and enlarging scholarship opportunities for our students to study abroad; we improved our healthcare and our food security; we facilitated youth and gender empowerment; we expanded housing opportunities for our people; and we continued enhancing our road, water and electricity infrastructure.   

• In 2025, we saw a 3% increase in our jobs and employment numbers. 
• We saw an increase of 30% in new registrations in the Financial Services Industry.   
• In the area of water production, we continued with our successful water drilling and water mapping project across the island in an effort to augment our water supply and sustainability. We also witnessed the operationalization of the Desalination Solar Plant in Butlers .
• We saw the construction of roads at Morgan Estate and the rehabilitation and resurfacing of roads, culverts and drainage systems across the length and breadth of Nevis.  
• We made significant strides in healthcare.  During the period under review, 25 patients were treated by a Colon Specialist.  633 men were screened for prostate illnesses; 1,576 patients were treated at our Eye Care Program. Cataract surgery, glaucoma treatment, diabetic eye treatment along with historic corneal transplants were all conducted at our Alexandra Hospital. 
• The Nevis Housing and Land Corporation constructed 25 homes to the tune of 9 million dollars.  It is also instructive to note that since our return to government in 2013, the Nevis Housing and Land Corporation has constructed 346 homes at a total cost of 76.1 million dollars. Truly a housing revolution.  
• 2025 proved to be the year when we saw the consolidated and tangible positive effects of our decision during the COVID-19 pandemic to create a film industry in Nevis. During the course of the year, six (6) movies were filmed on our  In addition to the filming of these movies, the Southern Tide Fashion Brand also did their second fashion shoot in Nevis. The film industry continues to give countless Nevisians the opportunity to display their talents, while at the same time, providing economic benefits for our island. 
• In 2025, we took a giant step in upgrading and improving our national security apparatus. We witnessed the operationalization of a modern 911 Dispatch Unit, the acquisition of three (3) dogs for the K9 Unit and the installation of the first phase of the Radar System with high resolution cameras.  

Yes, we are moving forward on many levels, but the work is by no means complete. There are still many rivers to cross and many mountains to climb.   

The impressive performance of our economy in 2025 is truly a cause for celebration.  As we celebrate, however, we must do so without being distracted from the critical task of preserving and building upon the progress that we have made.  Indeed, 2026 will be the year in which we consolidate our gains while creating a strong foundation for future growth. It is projected that our economic growth will continue in the year ahead as most of our economic indicators are trending upwards.  My Administration will continue to adhere to sound macroeconomic policies while at the same time taking all necessary steps to foster increased investment in the economy.  In 2026, we can expect to see:  

• The signing of the Geothermal Drilling Contract in the first quarter of the year and production well drilling to commence 
• The continuation of drilling for water across the island  
• The construction of another 34 affordable homes to satisfy the needs of our people 
• The selling of 134 lots at Garner’s Estate for citizens at home and abroad who are interested in owning a piece of the ‘rock’ 
• An accelerated continuation of the chicken broiler project at Prospect 
• The construction of the Bureau of Standards Building, which will be located opposite the Social Security Building 
• The commencement of the Airport Project during the first quarter of the year 
• The recommencement of the Alexandra Hospital Wing Project and the introduction of critical new services at the hospital 
• The production of a movie starring famed actor Taye Diggs, known for his roles in the movies, “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “The Best Man” 
• The rehabilitation and reconstruction of primary and secondary roads across the island  
• The completion of the second phase of the Radar System on Saddle Hill 
• In 2026, our cruise arrivals will experience an increase of a whopping 7% and WINAIR will be making daily flights between St Maarten and Nevis 

In the year ahead, we will continue to lay a solid platform for growth and development in our island.  We recognize that we are now at a critical crossroad in our island’s development and we are therefore forced to grow our economy at an increased pace and scale, in order to deliver a better life for our people. Our youth need good jobs, our graduates need opportunities, our elderly need the best care and our families in the diaspora need an economically vibrant island to which they can return. It is therefore incumbent upon us to introduce new and bold ideas for growth and development to continue our economic acceleration. The proposed south coast development called Destiny is one such new, innovative initiative aimed at diversifying the island’s economy.  

Fellow citizens, we cannot pretend that business as usual will work for us.  If we fail to adapt and adjust, we will be condemned to a condition of economic dependency and irrelevance. The economic decisions that we take may not have unanimous public support at this time but are necessary to move Nevis forward. As Premier of Nevis, I do not seek to diminish or ignore genuine fears and concerns about the development of the island, but we must also recognize that fear can also lead to paralysis and inertia. If our island is to progress and develop sustainably, we cannot be overtaken by fear and find ourselves stuck in a frozen economic posture.  I am here reminded of the adage which states that we can never fathom the wonders of the ocean if we are afraid to leave the comfort of the shore.  Having listened and discussed and negotiated over many months, we are confident that the south coast development will be transformative for our island.  It will create a Nevis where local businesses can thrive, where our graduates can find jobs and where our people can return home knowing that opportunities to invest and work await them. 

At this juncture in our history, I urge us all to step boldly into our new collective future where  our development path is infused with hope rather than fear.  Leadership is not always easy, it often demands and dictates that those who are elected to lead, do so. As such, my government will not flinch in making the tough but necessary decisions that will ensure that we are prepared and capable of surviving in this globally challenging economic environment.   

As we conclude 2025 and unveil 2026, let us do so with resilience, faith and love of our fellow men. Let us be determined to overcome all challenges and multiply our blessings. Let us embrace the new year, the new beginning with a sense of pride and purpose.  Let us dare to dream big and act boldly, and  let us summon the finest qualities of citizenship and shoulder the responsibilities that come along with it.  

May this year, 2026, bring you and your loved ones happiness, good health, and immense success. May it be filled with love, laughter cherished moments.  May it bring our land of beauty, sustained stability, enduring peace, inclusive progress and shared prosperity.   

Happy New Year to you all. May God continue to bless our beloved country.