Opposition Leader, Harold Lovell, in his independence speech to the public questioned the state of the economy as the nation celebrates independence for 38 years.
In his speech, Lovell reflects on the feeling of embarking on a noble mission back in 1981 and compares it to what he describes as a “sharp division in economic empowerment”.
“We hear of a boom in the economy, but it is unfelt and unseen by both workers and employers, especially in the private sector. Meanwhile, in the construction industry, sharpened tools and optimism have been dulled by unfulfilled promises,” said Lovell.
He also challenged the public to reflect on other issues.
“As a Nation, we are afflicted with problems that include the upsurge of crime and violence; the breakdown of family life and the weakening of kinship bonds; widespread indiscipline and the absence of civility in ordinary relations; joblessness and thealienation of too many youth,” he added.
According to Lovell, in the 10 years of the UPP administration, “inclusiveness” was its watchword, with themes that all began: “Antigua and Barbuda: One Family… .”
However, he added that, ” it is an indictment on this twin island nation that two years after Hurricane Irma our Barbudan sisters and brothers are still living in tents and made to beg for their subsistence. Is this “the just society” to which we pledged 38 years ago?”
“But the current notion of a “red nation” is keeping us frozen in fragmentation, where only supporters enjoy the fruits of this land, which is supposed to be enough for all to share.” he said.
“I remind us all that the benefits of nationhood are not the preserve of a few, and that each citizen and resident living on the right side of the law should be able to endeavor and achieve in an Antigua & Barbuda that is fair.” Lovell said.
“As faithful nationals, we must move beyond the rhetoric of where navel strings are buried and how long ago we arrived – to that place where there is love for neighbour and pride for country.” Lovell concluded
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Sweetest joke for the day: Lovell ASSuming he is still relevant.
Lol lol lol lol
Educate us as to exactly what in the above speech is humorous and NOT relevant to the current state of affairs in Antigua and Barbuda.
They are not humorous,they simply do not exist.
He’s more relevant than you will ever be.
In 2008,Antigua recorded the highest Murder Rate ever recorded in history,18 or 19.. That was just Murder.Sometime between 2004-2009 was when the new law was implemented,where the magistrate could not grant bail,filling the prison with young Men who committed even the slightest of offenses,the same young young people you are now harping about Alienating..Unemployment for your entire tenure in Government were in double figures,it was no more than a month ago,reports out of the Social Security indicated a sharp drop in unemployment,we are back down in single digits.. Your big blue tent was broken down in a very short time,the only space under that tent was reserved for the so called elitist and the UPP hierarchy friends/family,is that the inclusiveness in society that you miss ?Your babbling about brake down of family life and braking of kinship bonds just added a bit of humor to your hypocritical diatribe,pure nonsense.. The Sunshine government has faded away,you need to go ride off in it’s sunset..
After reading this comment, my belief system was right crime high when ALP in opposition, but very low in government…….hmmm. Early in this administration a message was sent out to all the Jamaicans who hotting up the place to go home by the top dawg…….hmmm. Is this the reason crime is down? The mafia at work. The criminal syndicate at work. By all means necessary to gain power…….hmmm.
What are you trying to say? Cheap Shot,you can do better than this.You could not deny the startling statistics so you come up with this piece of nonsense.. Your Armour is not shining too bright ,i think it may not some polishing..
Great questions posited by Mr Lovell. I will await Gaston Browne’s response.
GB will take a page out of Joanne Massiah”s book. He “will not legitimize” the process by responding. It will give Lovell the mistaken impression that he matters to the body politic. Next time please tell Melford’s Banging Post to stay in his lane
Here is my question. During lovel’s term in government, how many independence pass?
If the opposition was so good to the country, Why did they continue to lose seats after their first term in office?
They didn’t lose seats. They gained a Car Park, a brand-NEW spanking Power Plant, Romantic Rhythms and countless other benefits. Antigua ppl just ungrateful to the SUNSHINE GOV’T. Remember natta fart do in 28 years. It took the opposition just 10-short years to take the country from sugar-cane and cotton to tourism. This we owe to the shrewd business acumen of the sunshine gov’t currently being led by the best finance minister.
First of all Lovell is not the leader of the opposition party. He is the leader of the UPP. There are two parties in opposition The BPM and the UPP. and their leader is Mr. Pringle. Lovell continues to put a side Mr. Pringle. You do not see Lovell in any official government activity, whether is meeting the GG or other dignitary that visit our Island. Lovell wasn’t part of the Independent Parade either. He should therefore not be given any address as leader of the Opposition. He just cannot deal with the reality that he is an un-elected leader of a party. And our reporters keep referring to him as leader of the opposition. I hope they stop that. It is false reporting.
I hear you loud and clear and point taken, but can Jamal Pringle truly patch words together to form a proper sentence? Have you not seen and heard the shameful, cringeworthy “presentations” given by Jamal Pringle in our nation’s Legislature? The party has many people with public speaking skills who can help Jamal Pringle, but it seems they don’t give a rats ass about that. Perhaps it is a setup so that Lovell can run in that constituency next election. After all, they say that constituency is a UPP “sure seat” right?
And now on the subject matter. When it comes to economics and finance,Lovell who presided for five years over our economy and brought us to the brink of being a fail state. Who took us in the arms of the IMF. Lovell who is the worst Finance Minister this country has ever seen. Who by all measures has the track record of being the worst finance minister in the world. Under his leadership the economy contracted year after year after year. And don’t give me that crap of world crisis. Because none in the region’s economies were that bad off. Lovell has no authority to question the state of our economy today. All he needs to do is to read the reports of the various institutions like the IMF, The CDB , the ECCB and ECLAC. And what he should do is send a thank you letter to the honorable Gaston Browne for having turned around the ship of state from the destructive course Lovell had placed it on. Were it only for having saved the citizens from losing all their hard earned monies in he ABIB fiasco. That fact alone should have humbled Lovell and kept him quiet for many years to come. In fact for the good of the party he should have never aspire to be their leader. But ego has it that he hope to once sit in the seat of being our country’s Prime Minister. Well I think he has come close enough he was acting from time to time. But than again so was Daniel and Jaque
Instead of spewing your dislike for Lovell why don’t you inform us as to the contents of the LATEST IMF report on the fiscal state of Antigua and Barbuda…It is mysteriously not being released and while you are at it tell us what investments brought here by Gaston Browne are ongoing and benefitting the economy and not his personal pocket. Also tell us what the CURRENT income figure is for the CIP including the exclusive selling of passports in China by YIDA and also give us the banking (the routing) info on those same monies. We need to be assured that the monies being spent on the YIDA land prefabs and dredging are not coming from Antigua’s “passport coffers”…That scenario really would be making a total mockery of the present governance if it were to turn out that we, the people are paying for the development along with the security and roads etc. for a protected Chinese colony which according to the license will never financially benefit this island with even a dollar in any way imaginable. While you are explaining where exactly the ship of state went to, enquiring minds would like to know if in fact ABIB really had to go down and how much benevolence was actually part and parcel to the action of doing same??
We read the reports from the IMF and it says Antigua economy is contracting, and those pie in the sky growth figures you touted have been downgraded. They said the same thing that I did, that only cabinet members and their cronies are making money and there is a lack of economic opportunity for the rest of us including the youth. Too many no bid contracts and side dealing.
Why didn’t you wait to get your talking points like the tin man before you endorsed the IMF? I’m sure you will be called in and reprimanded for this post.
None of the other regions lost their number one private sector employer or 300 million in British American and Clico collapse. Barbados and Jamaica is growing at almost negative rates today under labour governments in the booming global economy.
Antigua’s economy is fueled by Harold Lovell’s CIP program that was handed to you guys with visa waiver to Canada intact. Now you have bucked up the Canadian visa free status and St. Kitts and Dominica are out performing us on passport sales. A wha coulda case this
Tell us about that and the new IMF report that you obviously had not read before coming on today.
You seem not to care about context. You are so eager to tarnish Lovell that truth is thrown out in favour of spin. No economic crisis you say? Well I am sure you would have heard of the bailing out of banks in the US. From a personal perspective, I have had family members in the US ask for help because things were so bad; they have done so since. Now, there is where the majority of our tourists come from so how could we not be affected? But that is the past. The US economy is now good but the present government cannot make heads or tails of it. Even with more than 1 billion fron the CIP, which you all criticize, salaries are mostly paid late, we still cant pay pensioners, the school meals is downgraded, none of the essential services can get overtime etc. Of course NYAMCO which started with nothing now has 100millon.
The present corruption is blatant and should concern you more than Lovell.
Boss you need to stop spreading false information. CIP has not provided government 1 billion in revenue, nope its 1 billion in economic activity. In terms of revenue the figure is no more than 600K EC. The data is available on the CIP website, if you wish to peruse. The other lie is your suggestion that government workers are always being paid late. At most its been 3 or 4 times since the current admin was elected in 2014. Now in terms of CIP moneys. The 600K was used to:
pay back IMF 275 million (you may recall under the UPP this debt was never paid)
Pay back WIOC for the debt incurred under UPP some 96 million
Pay Semcorp for the debt under UPP where they threatened to cut supplies 20 million
Diagnostic equipment for MSJ 30 million
Social Security 180 million for the past 5 years (around 3 million every month)
Now all of this was done but government still paid back pay, increased public servants pay package, built a new secondary school, expanded quite a few secondary schools, Raised some 300 million to help ABI depositors. All of this has been done, while lowering the debt to GDP from 98 percent in 2014 to by 2020 64%
600 million ec not k
Correcion: have not done so since
I believe that the independence speech should be delivered by Mr. Pringle and NOT Harold Lovell. Harold Lovell is NOT elected. Mr Pringle is the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. Harold is looking for relevancy anywhere he can get it.
That is his modus operandi. He is NOT the Leader of the Opposition, but he inserts himself where he doesn’t belong under the mistaken belief that he has any sort of relevance to the current political landscape. The man is truly DELUSIONAL.
Train Mr. Pringle to become a competent and confident communicator instead
They say the latest IMF report is lies, I can’t understand how Harold Lovell infiltrate this global institution and plant fictitious financial reports about Antigua.
Hurst says that we must use ECLAC reports which just rubber stamps whatever cooked up info that ALP send to them and regurgitate it as economic outlooks. Why is the IMF telling lies on our poor and downgraded economic performance is beyond me.
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