St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew joined Minister of Tourism Marsha T Henderson for the official launch of the 4th Generation Border Management System at the Robert L. Bradshaw (RLB) International Airport. It was a brief ceremony that was held on Monday, March 25, 2024 and introduced newly five automated passport control kiosks.
At the ceremony, the prime minister signed the agreement for the kiosks in 2022 and was pleased to see their implementation.
PM Drew mentioned that it is step towards modernising and enhancing the services at the Airport. It has been launched to keep with the goals of the Sustainable Island State Agenda.
Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis shared his experience and said, “I used the system myself today and I am impressed by how user friendly and efficient it is.”
He is confident about the new system that it will definitely add to the experience of all visitors and nationals that arrived on the shores.
As per the sources, the new system integrates the online entry application (KNA travel form), facilities E-Visa processing payment and featured the Advanced Passenger Information (API) Dashboard among other systems.
Emphasising upon the improved experience for the visitors through the implementation of the new system, the tourism minister stated, “the implementation of the system aligns with one of the key goals of the Ministry of Tourism which will improve the overall experience for the visitors.”
Minister of Tourism Henderson mentioned that the launch serves as a clear testimony of the ministry’s active efforts. She assured, “We continue our efforts in tourism to make sure that we deliver a sterling product and this time partnering with national security and immigration, we are definitely on the right track.”
Enlightening about the automated passport control kiosks, with use of it the arriving passengers now don’t have to stand long in the queues and lengthy manual passport checks by an immigration officer.
The built-in components such as cameras and pre-approved checks in the system will maintain the integrity of the secure entry protocols into the federation.
However, the system will initially cater to return nationals and persons by bearing passports from member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
The passport holders from the member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States will be considered in the end of the month of March.
