CABINET NOTES of Wednesday, July 26, 2023

HURST REPORTS ON CABINET of Wednesday, July 26, 2023

As is the weekly custom, a priest (of the Pentecostal Church) delivered the prayers before the Cabinet meeting commenced. The Cabinet inquired of the Minister of the Creative Industries about the management of the Carnival festivities. Except for the Teenage Pageant, the pre-Carnival shows have gone off well. There were some challenges with stage management and audio devices at the Teenage Pageant; that was NOT replicated on the night of the Queen of Carnival Show which went off without a glitch. Everything is in place for the other shows that are planned for Carnival City. Payments to winners and other participants have been calculated. Every effort is being made to complete those payments on the night of the events. Other invoices from other providers are being worked on, in order to avoid late payments that have plagued previous Carnivals.

1. The Cabinet discussed the long wait which many patients experience when ordered to have a MRI undertaken at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center (SLBMC). A decision was taken to purchase an additional MRI machine in order to reduce the wait and to increase the speed with which MRI diagnosis can take place at the nation’s public hospital. MRIs are also very costly, and many patients do not possess the resources to pay for the procedure. Cabinet is acting to ensure that those who lack the resources will not be deprived of the diagnostic tool.
2. The Cabinet had a discussion on the sale of the Alfa Nero and the lawsuits that are delaying the final transfer from the Government–the current owner–to Mr. Schmidt, who won an auction to purchase the vessel. Several lawsuits are before the High Court and the Court of Appeals for adjudication, which may take several weeks to resolve. Payment is therefore further delayed until such time as the courts are no longer involved.
3. i. The Prime Minister provided a report on his recent official travel to Brussels, Oxford University, and France. In Brussels, the discussion revolved around Visa-free entry into Europe, bearing in mind that Dominica has lost Visa-free travel into the UK; although Antigua and Barbuda has demonstrated a very high-level of due diligence under its CIP programme, there was displayed a certain hostility to the countries in the Caribbean that all have CIP programmes.
4. At Oxford University, the Prime Minister addressed more than 350 post-graduate students on subjects such as trade, bank de-risking, climate change, the multidimensional vulnerability index, and the role of multilateral institutions in bringing relief to Small Island Developing State (SIDS) racked by natural disasters.

iii. In France, the Prime Minister met with the Secretary General of UNESCO (United Nations Education Science and Cultural Organization). Several places in Antigua have been declared World Heritage sites and resources are expected to flow to Antigua to help preserve these important, historical places. The Prime Minister also met with the Former Prime Minister of France who spoke to the failure on the part of many Caribbean countries to promote the Culinary Arts. There was a discussion in the Cabinet led by the Minister of Tourism, who indicated that Restaurant Week is another step in ensuring that Antiguan and Barbudan food is marketed to nationals and visitors alike, and are also promoted at several hotels to improve the visitor experience.

4. Cabinet held discussions with the principals of Signature Flight Support Operation at the V.C Bird International Airport, near Runway 10. The Cabinet noted the on-going airport security breaches caused by the operation of a hangar at Runway 10. The Cabinet also determined that all lands within the boundaries of the airport ought to be held by the government or its agency–The Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority–for a public purpose. Accordingly, Cabinet intends to secure all of the lands within the airport boundaries for expansion and security purposes. The owners will be justly compensated.
5. i. Cabinet adopted two decisions relating to the sugary, sweetened beverages and the transition from the internal combustion engine to Electric Vehicles for government fleets. Legislation will soon follow.
6. The Cabinet welcomed the decision by the PAHO and WHO to fully implement a pilot project to defeat cervical cancer in Antigua and Barbuda. When a survey was recently undertaken, 20% of the samples proved positive for the cancer. The disease can be prevented by an HPV vaccine (Human Papilloma Virus) administered to teenagers who are sexually active or who may consider engaging in sexual relations. The Minister of Health is to make a further public statement later this week.
7. i. The Cabinet applauded the three Antiguan and Barbudan female sailors who completed 41 days of rowing across the Pacific from California to Hawaii, safely arriving and, therefore, celebrating a second row across another ocean. The Cabinet intends to submit their names to the Honours Committee for National Honours on Independence Day 2023.
8. An Antiguan mother and her daughter will be flying into space on the Richard Branson’s Space Programme on August 10^th 2023. They are currently in California undergoing training but may likely return to Antigua before the August 10^th date. A great deal of courage and boldness are being displayed by the women of Antigua and Barbuda who demonstrate the willingness to take risks for the benefit of their country and self.
9. Cabinet has agreed to promote Senator Caleb Gardiner to a diplomat in the Washington Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda. Consultations with the youngest senator ever to be appointed, took place today. The Senator welcomed the opportunity to serve abroad in one the most challenging postings of any diplomat. Upon his departure from the Senate, another appointee will be selected to fill the political vacancy.

8.        The Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda will convene tomorrow Thursday, 27^th July 2023, at 9:30am, to adopt legislation on two matters: i. The Land Registry which will now include Barbuda; ii. The appointment of a Supervisor of Elections to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Dame Lorna Simon. A by-election will shortly be held in Antigua in the

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