{"id":201786,"date":"2024-05-10T03:54:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T07:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=201786"},"modified":"2024-05-13T07:56:50","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T11:56:50","slug":"clarifying-pm-brownes-statement-on-uwi-fics-expansion-into-antigua-barbuda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/clarifying-pm-brownes-statement-on-uwi-fics-expansion-into-antigua-barbuda\/","title":{"rendered":"Clarifying PM Browne’s statement on UWI FIC’s Expansion Into Antigua & Barbuda"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Editor’s Note: We have added the recording of the complete statement for its full context. As well as a statement below from Prime Minister Browne. We accept that the quotations used in our early report may not have conveyed clearly and accurately what the PM said. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>

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The quote should have read; “Andrew called me up, quite skeptical, concerned about financial viability. He said, ‘Gaston, I hope you can pay your bills because Jamaicans are NOT<\/strong> paying your bills.’ We apologise for the misquotation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is the statement from PM Browne. Also listen to the attached video recording below:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

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“Andrew having initially expressed concerns about our capacity to fund the campus, eventually concurred after I provided him with the details of the funding infrastructure that we had established.<\/p>

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I would have indicated that his was reasonable and was prompted by the chronic and ballooning arrears of Antigua & Barbuda to UWI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually a decision was made by the University Council that all of the arrears had to be cleared, as a condition precedent, in order to get the approval for the fourth landed campus. We not only cleared the $20M, but paid an additional $15M for the first year of operations.<\/p>

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The initial statement was not made with any acrimony or any intention to impugn. I fact, reiterated the strong collegial relationship with Andrew. It was merely a recount of the challenges we had in establishing the campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I reiterate that the above is a true and factual account of what transpired and stand by my statement.<\/p>

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Kindly note that, At no point did I say in the video that Jamaica was funding Antigua.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>

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I even asked you to review the video to satisfy yourself that no such comment was ever made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I trust that the same courtesy will be extended in publishing my response and that the original article would be amended to reflect precisely what was said.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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