HURST REPORTS ON CABINET of Wednesday 16 October 2024.
The Cabinet began its meeting with a prayer from the Minister of religion who sermonized about transparency in Government.
1. The Cabinet held a discussion about enhancing domestic ownership in the Tourism sector. While foreign direct investment (FDI) is highly-prized and sought-after, the Cabinet is of the view that citizens of Antigua and Barbuda should not be left out of the lucrative hotel sector, while they merely keep their savings in the bank collecting 2% interest. The returns on investment from the tourism/hospitality sector are usually very profitable. More and more nationals of Antigua and Barbuda, the Cabinet agreed, are to be encouraged to invest in the construction of luxury homes and condominiums that earn a high return annually. Investments in Pensioners’ Beach, Willoughby Bay, Callalloo Quay and Halcyon Heights are being set aside for investment by the nationals of Antigua and Barbuda who are prepared to invest their capital.
2. The Cabinet held a discussion about infrastructure development taking place in Barbuda. A renewable energy plant is shortly to be added to the grid to produce 2 additional megawatts of power, and batteries to store the energy to be used by new homes and hotels demanding more energy. The expansion of a plant nursery is being undertaken in order to grow plants that increase the absorption of greenhouse gas emissions. The construction of a new primary school as a gift, by the Dominican Republic, is planned to commence early in the New Year. The Louis Hill housing project is about to begin after the survey of the land is completed. A new deep water port will begin after an environmental impact assessment has been undertaken. Fifty ($50) million are to be spent on road development, including paving the connecting road from the new airport to River Road.
3. A groundbreaking ceremony, marking the start of the construction of 400 million USD Nikki Beach hotel, is planned for Wednesday 16th October evening. It is to be constructed on lands near the Jolly Beach Hotel. It will consist of 876 beds and generate 20 million USD annually in profits. Calvin Ayre is the investor and he has invested before in numerous projects that have all deemed to be successful.
4. The Minister of Health invited to Cabinet two experts who have worked on transforming existing properties into healthcare facilities that serve unwell patients. Having purchased the Kingdom Hall building in Sea View Farm, transforming it into a wellness center requires the expertise of architects with special design capabilities. The experts showed that they have done work around the world, drawing on the best practices applied from many places. The Cabinet is prepared to budget as much as 5 million EC dollars in the 2025 budget to repurpose the building for the benefit of mental health patients and others.
5. Two Investors representing a firm that exports chicken parts will establish a chicken meat plant in Antigua. The export of chicken feet is a lucrative business; export to China is contemplated. The investors will construct a factory building in which hundreds of thousands of broilers will be reared and butchered for local consumption; and, chicken feet, which are not consumed locally in large quantities, will be exported. The investors already have a market for the chicken feet, and Antigua and Barbuda is a great market for chicken meat since millions of dollars’ worth of chicken meat are imported every year. The plant will require freezers and chillers that will occupy more than 3,000 square feet of space. The building is expected to start in 3 months, then another 3 months will be required for the purchase of all the equipment. The chicks will require several months’ feeding and nurturing before the start of production.
6.i. Eleven officials from the Ministry of Finance, Customs and Excise Division, the Inland Revenue Department and the Budget Office came to Cabinet to discuss Budget 2025. The Budget Office has already requested the business plans from all ministries and the final budget will be completed by the 14th November then to be sent to the printers. By the 28th of November the Estimates will be circulated and the Throne Speech is to be delivered on that same day. On 5th December, the Budget presentation will take place in Parliament, and on 10th December the budget debate will commence.
ii. The Cabinet decided that the language in the law governing exemptions of ABST will be changed from “zero–rated” to “exempt”. This change in nomenclature is to be interpreted by the Ministry of Finance to mean no refunds on ABST paid into the Treasury will take place.
iii. The Boys’ Training School is to be further upgraded. In the 2025 Budget, a sum has been set aside to improve the conditions under which the boys will live.
iv. The building at the old Pan Am Base is to be used as a detention center for boys who have been found guilty of disobeying the law and have been sentenced to incarceration.
7. The Prime Minister and the representative of John Paul DeJoria signed an agreement for an 800 thousand dollar Ocean Innovation Lab to be financed by the billionaire; it will address the challenges posed by dying reefs in seas surrounding Antigua and Barbuda. The Government of Antigua and Barbuda and OceanShot/John Paul DeJoria share a joint vision for coral reef and ocean sustainability.
8. The Attorney General/Minister of Public Safety reported that on Tuesday night, 15 October 2024, the Police conducted raids in Liberta that resulted in nine unlawful firearms and nearly 100 rounds of ammunition being confiscated.
Construction of the Cobbs Cross Clinic is completed, the Cabinet was informed by the representative of St. Paul. Additional resources are being sought to furnish and equip the healthcare facility.
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BRIXTONIAN’S ALTERNATIVE CABINET MEETING:
Gaston Browne 🥸: “My plan to destabilise and destroy the UPP is going accordingly to plan fellow Cabinet members”
Special guest Anthony Smith: “May I personally thank you Prime Minister for your intervention. BTW, can I keep the money?
Chet Greene: “MONEY???”
Daryl Matthew’s: “Chet … you never know? How else could the Prime Minister have persuaded Smith to join us so easily?”
GB 🥸: “Daryl watch ya mout’ …”
Maria Browne 👩🏾⚕️: “Mr Matthew’s leave my dawling ‘sweet biscuit’ alone nah”
Steadroy Benjamin: “Prime Minister, aren’t you now concerned that the up and coming court case involving the All Saints West ‘3’ could scupper our long term goal of a one-party state?
GB 🥸: “Questions, questions, questions … y’all wid your damn silly questions; just trust me”
Max Fernández: “We trust you boss, but the public now have a distrust for you now, especially after the Nigerian Airlines and Alpha Nero fiascos – that’s why me and Colin James went into hiding for so so long”
GB 🥸: “You all get on mi damn nerves! I soon replace you all with Shugy, Serpent and my next UPP target Richard Lewis – GET OUT MEETING DONE!!!”
Boys Training School again? What is really happening. Why not upgrade it to a state of the art rehab centre with all the amenities. Upgrade navy basecwhen you can use the same money forvthe BTS. Well well well. Wasting money.
Not one word about LIAT 2020 and its relationship with Air Peace, whose founder and CEO has been indicted in the US for money laundering.
This is an example why Gaston takes advantage and get away with it, for he and his administration are not held accountable.
Civil Society is virtually nonexistent in Antigua; and where it exists, it is weak and dysfunctional.
🙌👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼More jobs, more money coming into the country, less taxes or no more increases for the people of the nation, maybe we can go back to 15% to ease the burden, more new & fixing of roads, less electricity outages, stable and more water treatment plants, more and more infrastructure improvements and beautification of the cities for when UN, OAS, NATO AND other organizations world events eill and can tske plsce right here, more showing of power to keep food prices down and under controlled. Most important; good opportunities to assist the less fortunate sizable sector of Antigua and Barbuda. Less crimes and stronger foundation to fight-of destabilization and concerns ….. more similar international investments and hotels are welcome to generate needed revenue to cover all of the above and then some more! Bring them on PM. 🙌
Ah, the sweet smell of capitalism – this time, in the form of a chicken meat plant! Who knew our humble island paradise could make a killing by exporting chicken feet to China? With millions of dollars’ worth of chicken meat imported every year, it’s high time we got in on the action.
But let’s not forget the gritty details, shall we? While the investors are busy counting their chicks before they hatch (pun intended), we’re talking about a factory filled with hundreds of thousands of broilers – not exactly a picturesque addition to our landscape.
Meanwhile, Budget 2025 is on the horizon, and our government officials are huddled together, plotting the financial course for the coming year. Let’s hope they don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees, and remember that a budget isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet – it’s about the livelihoods and well-being of the people they serve.
So, as we gear up for a clucking good time with the new chicken plant and brace ourselves for the budget reveal, let’s keep a watchful eye on our leaders and ensure that progress doesn’t come at the expense of our island’s soul.
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