The Cabinet began its meeting with a prayer delivered by a Major of the Salvation Army.
She prayed for the Government and asked for God’s continued blessings upon each member of Parliament and key stakeholders involved in the governance of the land.
The Prime Minister reported on his meeting with the new Ambassador of the United States. They addressed the issue of an ‘Open Skies’ Agreement, but no definitive agreement was reached. They also discussed the issue of a new US Embassy being placed on Antigua and Barbuda’s soil; but, until such time as the US State Department has published its decision, there is no certainty that Antigua and Barbuda will be one of two island-nation territories that will each house a new US Embassy.
The Prime Minister also informed the Cabinet that it his intention to seek to have private jets, owned and operated by homeowners in Barbuda, registered as Antigua and Barbuda flagged aircraft. There is value from aircraft registration.
The Cabinet invited the Director of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) to discuss the repair of the building which they occupied up until a few months ago, and to provide ECCA with sufficient resources to hire several experts. It was agreed that ECCA would continue to seek to advance the Eastern Caribbean countries back to Category 1 status. Antigua and Barbuda has passed the necessary legislation and made the necessary changes to enable the VC Bird International Airport to return to a Category 1 status.
The Cabinet invited an investor to present his plans for the purchase of Government’s shares in the Caribbean Union Bank (CUB). The investor is of the view that he can attract more capital to CUB to modernize its operation while transforming the bank into a high-performing Caribbean bank. The Investor believes that it will become primarily a technology bank with several correspondent banks in the capitals of several developed countries. The transfer of ownership will require the approval of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.
The Cabinet members attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new Minister, the Hon. Rawdon Turner, as a show of complete support for his appointment as Minister of Social and Urban Transformation. The Cabinet then returned to its conference room at the Prime Minister’s Office where there was further discussion of the expectations of the incoming Minister. Primary among his responsibilities are: The clean-up and tidying of commercial St. John’s; the regulation of vending on the city’s streets and on public spaces; and, to bring new energy to the management of the St. John’s Development Cooperation.
The Cabinet commenced discussions on the formation of the Boundaries Commission which can be established two years following the last general elections. Cabinet has identified three officials of the government who will form a part of the Boundaries Commission. The Cabinet Secretary has been instructed to write to the Leader of the Opposition so that his representative to the Commission can be named.
The Cabinet held a discussion around the visit of three Harvard University officials to the Prime Minister, the day before. Harvard University, especially its law school, was provided with a very large endowment by an Antiguan slave-master named Isaac Royall, of Royall’s Estate. Harvard University will provide significant resources to the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus to embark on significant research to identify the descendants of the Antiguans who were moved to Massachusetts between 1670 and 1810. The enslaved Antiguans came from the five plantations on Antigua owned by the Royall Family over generations. The Harvard contribution to Antigua and Barbuda is considered a form of reparation that must be proportionate to the harm. To trace the lineage of the exported families, church records as well as slave registers will be examined by the research team that will visit Antigua in the coming months. Harvard University is also a healthcare provider and, as such, its assistance in tackling the Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) that plague Antigua and Barbuda, will also be sought.
The Cabinet reviewed the One Nation Concert which took on Saturday and Sunday night passed. The Cabinet thanked the public for its overwhelming support that filled the Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) on both nights. An accounting of the gate receipts, the bar, and ticket sales is not yet completed. The $100.00 charge certainly did not deter the attendees. It is contemplated that the One Nation Concert may become a three-night event that will likely have Soca and Calypso on one night, Dancehall and Reggae on another, and Gospel music on the third night.
The Cabinet decided that nurses at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center who were not compensated under the agreement governing their increases, would in fact receive the necessary one month backpay, as had been announced. The amounts to be paid by each nurse will be subject to verification.
The Minister of Agriculture shared with his Cabinet colleagues that the average age of farmers in Antigua and Barbuda was near 55 years. To attract more young farmers to that sector, the Ministry has resurrected the Antigua and Barbuda Agriculture Forum for Youth (ABAFY). This programme is geared towards emphasizing the importance of youth involvement in agriculture, while underscoring the importance of their creativity and energy to progress the agricultural sector.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Five Islands Primary School will take place on Thursday 16th January 2025, at 9:30am at the Five Islands site. The resources for the school’s construction will come from the package of the Saudi Fund of $80 million loaned to Antigua and Barbuda.
The Cabinet expressed condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of former Commissioner of Police Mr. Alvin Goodwin, whose funeral service will take place on Thursday 16th January 2025, at the St. John’s Cathedral at 10:00 am.
iii. A serious discussion will commence among several stakeholders in altering the national dress, moving from Madras cloth to Kentae cloth. The latter is woven by Ghanaians in a reproduction of African patterns.
A request has been entered to rename Mount Obama to Boggy Peak; since its 2008 renaming, all continue to refer to the 1,019-foot mountain as “Boggy Peak”.
The Cabinet expressed thanks to the outgoing US President for removing Cuba from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. Antigua and Barbuda has championed this objective since it was imposed, and join with Cuba to celebrate this diplomatic success.
The National Investment Conference planned for March 2025 will seek to bring together nationals with financial resources that may attract 2% interest in savings accounts; and, instead encourage local investment in the hospitality sector that produces much higher returns. The Entrepreneurial Development Programme (EDP) will have lead responsibility for the planning and execution of this March Conference.
vii. The Cabinet agreed that another category of National Awards ought to be implemented, in order to applaud small-business owners throughout the communities for excellence in commerce. The Chairman of Cabinet persuaded his colleagues to assist in identifying leaders in local businesses that have generated sustainable employment, sound enterprises and reasonable profits over the years.
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No wonder we have so many international flights going to and from Barbuda. These aircrafts are owned by some of the new property owners on the island who also have homes abroad…