St Kitts & Nevis: Opposition disappointed banking Act was not debated in parliament
The new banking act, harmonized legislation for the OECS being pushed by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank got its first reading in the parliament in Basseterre Tuesday. However the parliamentary opposition is crying foul because the debate which was expected to kick off on the act was put off by an amendment from the government side of the House, reports Winn FM.
The banking act has evoked some controversy in some OECS states, notably in Antigua and Barbuda, where bank workers went on strike because they were unhappy with some of the stipulations and regulations contained in the act.
Opposition Leader Denzil Douglas told Winn FM that the matter is an important one which needs to be fully ventilated, and expressed disappointed that the planned debate was put off by the Harris administration.
During Tuesday’s parliamentary session Foreign Affairs Minister Mark Brantley indicated that further consultation was necessary. A similar point was made by opposition MP Marcella Liburd, but that came in the form of criticism aimed at the new administration. In an interview with Winn FM, Attorney General Vincent Byron conceded that the government realized that there is need for further consultation on the proposed new banking arrangements for the sub-region.
