Savings and Investment
The treasury has the role of being the steward for maintaining the integrity of the Government of St. Kitts-Nevis bank and external accounts. It ensures that the government’s financing needs and payments obligations are met at the lowest cost over the medium- to- long- term, consistent with a prudent degree of risk. Our commitment to the citizens of St. Kitts-Nevis is to create economic opportunities for all by raising the rates of sustainable growth through our four (4) instruments for National Savings and Investments.
Instruments include:
- National Savings Scheme (NSS)
- Government Saving Bank
- Treasury Saving Certificate
- Treasury Bills
For any additional information that you may consider necessary, you may contact us at our office at telephone # 465-2521 ext 1049. We count on “You Investing in You” to promote the overall economic growth and stability of our beloved country.
Expenditure Management
The Accountant General is responsible for overseeing the disbursement of public money and maintaining a system for the examination of payments to reasonably ensure that they are made in accordance with the Finance Administration Act, 2007. A proper system of accounts should be established in every ministry, department and service to ensure that all public money paid by the Government is brought promptly and properly to account.
Government expenditure, both capital and recurrent, is limited to the amounts set out in the Appropriation Bill [annual estimates that have been approved by the National Assembly]. Provisions of internal control are made, both manually and within the Financial Management Information System that is controlled and operated by the Accountant General, to ensure that these limits are adhered too.
Payroll and Pension Computations
The Government’s payroll for civil servants entails all financial records for its employee’s salaries, wages and pension. The main undertaking of the payroll unit is to make certain that all employees are paid precisely with the right allowances or deductions, making sure that they are forwarded as timely as possible. The Human Resource Management Department (HRMD) has responsibility for the computation of employees’ salaries and wages while calculations for pension falling under the authority of the Accountant General Department.
The pension computations are shown below and it is important to note that an employee’s retirement benefits are computed based on his/her basic salary as opposed to the gross pay. An employee’s basic salary is the amount of salary paid before any additional benefits are added. It is fixed every month and does not include overtime, allowances or any bonuses. From an employee’s gross pay, one or more deductions are subtracted to arrive at the net pay. The gross pay includes the basic pay, allowances, overtime and any other amounts before deductions are made.
The wages and salaries of all employees are subject to contributions payable to Social Security (Contact HRMD for details). As an employer, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is obligated to deduct the employee’s share of the contributions before distributing the wages or salaries to the employee. Hence, gross pay, minus social security contributions, minus any other voluntary deductions is equal to net pay.
Any inquiries with respect to employees’ salaries or wages should be directed to the salaries unit of the HRMD at 1 (869) 467-1260.
The Accountant General Department has the sole responsibility of computing the retirement benefits of appointed civil servants, as guided by section __ of the Civil Servants Pension Act of___.
a. Any person who has served in excess of ten (10) but not more than fifteen (15) years is entitled to a Gratuity payment (under the full benefits computation).
b. Any person who has served in excess of fifteen (15) years but not more than twenty-five (25) years, and at the date of retirement, has not yet attained the age of fifty (50) years old, shall be entitled to an immediate Gratuity as well as a Pension, payable upon their fiftieth (50th) birthday.
c. Any person who has attained the age of fifty (50) or who has served in excess of twenty-five (25) years, regardless of their age, shall be entitled to a Gratuity and Reduced Pension, payable immediately upon retirement.
Retirement benefit computations vary for members of the St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and members of the Defense Force as they are governed by their respective pieces of legislature namely:
- The Defense Force Pension Act of
- The Police Pension Act of
Public Accounts
Public Accounts refers to the statements and/or reports prepared giving account for all public money and showing fully the financial position of Saint Christopher and Nevis at the end of the financial year. The Accountant General Department is given six (6) months after the end of the financial year to prepare theses documents and submit them to the Director of Audit.
In accordance with section 57(4) of the Finance Administration Act of 2007, the Public Accounts shall include:
- Summary statement of revenue and expenditure by standard object code and economic classification
- Comparative statement of actual and estimated revenue by detailed object code
- Statement of assets and liabilities
- Statement of each Special Fund
- Statement of the balance in each Deposit Fund
- Statement of investments showing the funds on behalf of which the investments were made
- Statement of public debt and accumulated sinking funds
- Statement of balance in any fund, other than a sinking fund, for which provision is made by or under an Act
- Statement of contingent liabilities
- Statement of balances on advance accounts
- Statement of arrears of revenue by detailed object code
- Summary statements of write offs by certificate of all or part of a debt due to the Government
- Summary statement of all settlements of claims made on behalf of the Government
- Summary statement of remissions, write offs and settlements made under the authority of any other law
- Any other statements that the National Assembly may require
Revenue Management
The Accountant General is responsible for exercising supervision over the receipt of revenue and securing its punctual collection by ensuring that a proper system of accounts is established in every ministry and department so that all money received by or on behalf of the Government is brought properly and promptly to account and deposited in a bank account on a daily basis.