DRIVE: EV import duties slashed from 45% to 10%
Effective May 1, 2026, the Government slashed import duties on fully electric vehicles less than four years old from 45 percent to 10 percent — a 35-percentage-point cut announced by Energy Minister Konris Maynard at the launch of the Decarbonised Roadway Initiative for Vehicle Electrification (DRIVE).
“This government is about accelerating the transition to electric mobility,” Maynard told the launch ceremony at the CUNA Conference Room. The DRIVE program promises lower upfront EV costs, lower operating costs (recharging vs gasoline), and lower maintenance costs (fewer moving parts).
For diaspora considering shipping vehicles home, the change is significant: a fully electric used vehicle under four years old now faces dramatically lower entry costs than a comparable internal-combustion vehicle.
SOLARISE: solar systems zero-rated through 2026
Alongside DRIVE, the Government launched SOLARISE — Solar Integration for Sustainable Energy — and removed all taxes on solar systems through December 31, 2026. “Your solar system is not just reducing your bill by SKELEC’s current Tariff for the energy you self-use, it is working for you. It is generating value. It is turning your rooftop into an asset,” Maynard said.
The combined SOLARISE-DRIVE package positions St Kitts and Nevis as a regional leader in the energy transition policy space, building on the country’s earlier Sustainable Island State Agenda commitments.
First-ever National Disability Policy tabled
Senator Isalean Phillip, Minister of State responsible for Ageing, Disabilities and related portfolios, tabled the country’s first-ever National Disability Policy in Federal Parliament on Thursday, April 30. The 2026-2030 policy outlines ten priorities including environmental access, education and lifelong learning, public participation, legal capacity and protection, accessible emergency shelters and sports facilities, structured disability data collection, and accountability through a National Disability Council.
The policy aligns with the National Development Planning Framework, a pillar of the Sustainable Island State Agenda. Phillip said the policy “reflects the government’s commitment to building a fully inclusive society that values every citizen and resident, regardless of ability.”
Drew on cost-of-living and social security
Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew has urged political leaders to “put country first in social security reform effort.” Earlier in April, Drew announced major economic relief measures — targeted tax cuts, fee reductions, and VAT holidays — and called on businesses to pass savings to consumers. Fuel prices have been trending downward as government delivers targeted cost-of-living relief.
CBI: physical residency framework
St Kitts and Nevis announced in June that it would require residency for all future CBI applicants under a “genuine link” framework, anticipating the wider regional shift. The country retains ten-year multiple-entry U.S. visa terms — one of three Eastern Caribbean states to do so alongside Saint Lucia and Grenada.
In other news
Afreximbank and the Government signed a Hosting Agreement for the fifth ACTIF in Cairo last month. Senator Phillip was named to the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Young Global Leaders. iShowSpeed’s Caribbean livestream tour featured a stop in St Kitts. Vaughn Anslyn of Nevis gained international recognition for his iShowSpeed portrait. The OECS will hand over an arboretum to the Federation. The Ministry of Education advised the public to disregard a false viral image claiming the Cell Phone Policy in Schools had been cancelled.
Sport
Beach volleyball: St Kitts fielded a senior team at the May 1-3 ECVA Senior Beach Volleyball Championship in Saint Lucia.
Tradewinds Brief covers twelve Caribbean countries every publishing day. For the diaspora — what’s happening back home and what it means for you.