{"id":151057,"date":"2022-05-05T18:50:32","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T22:50:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=151057"},"modified":"2022-05-05T18:50:56","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T22:50:56","slug":"cabinet-notes-of-wednesday-may-4-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/cabinet-notes-of-wednesday-may-4-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"CABINET NOTES of Wednesday, May 4, 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Cabinet commenced its sitting at about 10:30 am and ended at 3:00 pm. Members of Cabinet were invited to the Ordination of Bishop Flemming of the Anglican Church, scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm on this day at the St. John\u2019s Anglican Cathedral.<\/p>

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The Prime Minister is unable to attend since he leaves for the UK and then onto Europe today.\u00a0CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

1.i. The Cabinet is very pleased with the response of those demonstrating an interest in acquiring the starter homes that are to be sold for about $120,000.00. Both National Housing and CHAPA have agreed to build the houses on plots of lands that are theirs and lands held privately. These are to be two bedroom homes with bathroom, kitchen, living and dining rooms; the houses will be resilient and built to withstand category 5 hurricanes. \u00a0The Antigua and Barbuda Development Bank will provide the mortgages and the Government will deposit $40,000,000.00 in the ABDB to finance the construction of these highly desirable homes. It is estimated that the start date is likely to be on the 1st of June, 2022.<\/p>

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1.ii. The Cabinet was also informed of the heightened interest in the $25,000.00EC home improvement loan. All the necessary plans for distribution of the resources are virtually in place and the start date will soon be announced.<\/p>

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2. A new buyer has stepped forward to purchase the Jolly Beach Hotel and is willing to do so by purchasing form the substantive owner\u2014The Government of Antigua and Barbuda. A new wrinkle, however, has been introduced by the former owners of the Jolly Beach Property and AOB Bank. It appears that a charge of $15,000,000.00 was placed on the Jolly Beach property unbeknownst to the other creditors owed by the Jolly Beach Property. It has made the sale of the hotel unlikely until such time as a court has determined on the invalidity of the claim now being made against the property.<\/p>\n

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3. The Prime Minister will receive from a donor a sum of \u00a34,000,000.00 sterling to rebuild and enlarge the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education (ABICE). The object of enlarging and professionalizing ABICE is to ensure that it can meet and provide the qualifications required of all tradesmen within the OECS since they now constitute a single market; all of CARICOM is moving towards a single standard for Technical and Vocational Educational Training (TVET). The upgrade of the ABICE is a promise by the Government to prepare Antigua and Barbuda technical workers to be prepared to work in any place within the countries of the CARICOM.<\/p>

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4. The Cabinet examined the challenge posed by the shortage of potable water and remarked that the reverse osmosis plants that are operational are to be upgraded with new membranes. A new plant at Fort James is under construction and the vessel bearing containers of parts of the new plant will arrive in Antigua in a few weeks. \u00a0By the end of May 2022, APUA will be able to increase its output by more than 1 million gallons; the APUA is producing more than 6.5 million gallons daily. The object is to increase the supply of potable water to 12 million gallons daily so that all homes, businesses, and institutions can be provided water 24 hours each day.<\/p>\n