Sir/Madam,
I write to ask: why is Dr. Tim Harris now so vigorously criticising the Special Sustainability Zone (SSZ) project, when during his own time in office he failed to deliver on the very promises he made to the people of St Kitts and Nevis? The most striking example of this failure is the now-infamous “new prison project” under the former Team Unity Administration — a project that became the ultimate symbol of grand promises and zero results.
For seven years, the Team Unity government marketed the so-called “new prison” as its flagship development. It was the one project they pointed to again and again whenever questioned about their record in office. Every rally, every budget debate, every election campaign — the nation was assured that the prison was “coming soon.”
Yet today, there is not a single block laid. No foundation. No groundbreaking. No construction site. Not even an approved plan.
Most troubling is that the government reportedly transferred 22,000 passports, linked to a value of some US $962 million, while the estimated construction cost was no more than US $50 million. This staggering mismatch raises serious questions about accountability, transparency, and how such vast resources could vanish without a single tangible outcome.
The truth is simple: the prison project never moved beyond a political talking point. It was used as a slogan, not a development initiative. After seven years in power, with full control of the state machinery, Team Unity failed to deliver even the first stage of the project they promoted most aggressively.
It now stands as what many regard as one of the biggest scandals in the history of St Kitts and Nevis — a phantom project used to deceive the public and disguise a record of failed governance.
If leadership is measured by delivery, then Team Unity’s legacy speaks for itself. The “prison project” was not delayed — it was a complete fabrication. It remains a stark reminder that their time in office was built on promises without performance.