{"id":23454,"date":"2019-01-17T20:29:26","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T00:29:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=23454"},"modified":"2019-01-17T21:50:13","modified_gmt":"2019-01-18T01:50:13","slug":"pm-says-complaints-about-cost-of-living-are-lies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-says-complaints-about-cost-of-living-are-lies\/","title":{"rendered":"PM Says Complaints About High Cost of Living Are Lies"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Prime\nMinister Gaston Browne today dismissed as \u201clies and deceptions,\u201d concerns over\nthe cost of living in Antigua and Barbuda.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pointing to International Monetary Fund data, the prime minister told his budget speech that, the inflation rate in the ECCU increased only marginally from 1.8 per cent in 2017, to 2 per cent in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nsame IMF report lists Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s inflation rate in 2018 at 1.4\npercent, according to Browne.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn\nother words, we enjoy one of the lowest rates of inflation in the entire\nhemisphere,\u201d he said.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Turning\nhis attention to the price for gasoline, Browne quoted Central Bank figures\nindicating that the average price for a barrel of crude oil in 2015 and 2016\nwas less than US$50.00; in 2017 it was just under US$51.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\n2018, the average price per barrel of crude oil was 28 percent higher, at just\nover US$65.00.  <\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite\nhigher international oil prices, the prices of gasoline, diesel and LPG in our\ncountry have not increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith\nregard to gasoline, the average price per gallon in the region is $13.95; the\nprice in our country is $12.50,\u201d Browne added.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\nprime minister said gasoline prices is cheaper here than every other country in\nthe ECCU and Barbados, with no exception.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\ncan be no doubt that, even though the prices for commodities are set\nexternally, our Government has kept a tight lid on inflation for the benefit of\nthe nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evidence\nof how our government intervened in the interest of the people, is the fact\nthat revenue to the Treasury from Consumption Tax reduced by 16 per cent from\n$62.5 million in 2017 to $52.5 million in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government\nabsorbed that $10 million loss of revenue, resulting from higher international\noil prices in 2018,\u201d he told today\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nsaid the higher price was not passed-on to the people; government sacrificed\nthe revenue, leaving it in the people\u2019s pockets.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prime Minister Gaston Browne today dismissed as \u201clies and deceptions,\u201d concerns over the cost of living in Antigua and Barbuda. Pointing to International Monetary Fund data, the prime minister told his budget speech that, the inflation rate in the ECCU increased only marginally from 1.8 per cent in 2017, to 2 per cent in 2018. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":23457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nPM Says Complaints About High Cost of Living Are Lies - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pm-says-complaints-about-cost-of-living-are-lies\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"PM Says Complaints About High Cost of Living Are Lies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Prime Minister Gaston Browne today dismissed as \u201clies and deceptions,\u201d concerns over the cost of living in Antigua and Barbuda. Pointing to International Monetary Fund data, the prime minister told his budget speech that, the inflation rate in the ECCU increased only marginally from 1.8 per cent in 2017, to 2 per cent in 2018. 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