CABINET NOTES: Wednesday 19th November 2025

REPORT FROM THE CABINET OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
MEETING OF WEDNESDAY 19^th NOVEMBER 2025

The prayers before Cabinet were led by a Pastor from the Evangelical Association who focused his meditation and prayer on Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd;
I have everything I need.

He lets me rest in peaceful places
and leads me beside calm waters.

He renews my strength
and guides me on the right path
because that is who He is.

Even when I walk through the darkest valley,
through situations that feel like death itself,
I will not be afraid,
because You are with me.
Your guidance and protection comfort me.

You bless me even in the presence of those who oppose me.
You honor me and fill my life until it overflows.

Surely Your goodness and Your faithful love
will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will live in Your presence forever.

• poetic language –
  
  The Pastor prayed that the members will do their best to honour God – the Good Sheppard and that they will be the salt and light in the execution of their duties in their communities and the nation.  He prayed for God’s Blessings on them and their families.

1.     Wednesday’s Cabinet Meeting was chaired by Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne who commenced the meeting by reflecting on his recent trip to Jamaica along with Minister Maria Browne as part of a CARICOM delegation to show support to the Government and people of Jamaica following the passage of Hurricane Melissa which ravaged the country.

Both Prime Minister Browne and Minister Browne who visited communities impacted by the recent devastating weather event, praised the resilience and spirit of the Jamaican people.     

Prime Minister and Minister Browne along with the CARICOM colleagues  toured affected communities to assess the scale of damage and recovery needs, described the experience as “moving and sobering,” noting the widespread destruction to homes and infrastructure.

The devastation was real, the Cabinet was told.  Extensive damage was visible in both traditional wooden homes and concrete structures. Despite the material losses community morale remained strong.

“The people were still in good spirits, and that speaks to who we are as Caribbean people — strong, united, and determined to rise above disaster.”

Prime Minister Browne expressed confidence that Jamaica would recover swiftly and emphasized the importance of regional support and solidarity in times of crisis.

 

 

 

 

 

2.     The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday convened a historic high-level meeting with fourteen local building contractors, the Director of Works, and senior management of the Ministry of Works to address long-standing challenges in the construction sector and chart new strategies for strengthening local contractor performance and competitiveness.

The session, described by the attendees as the first of its kind, provided an open forum for candid engagement between Government and the contracting community. Contractors expressed appreciation to Cabinet for initiating direct dialogue and noted that such collaboration is essential for building a stronger local industry.

Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne opened discussions by reaffirming the Government’s commitment to ensuring that Antiguan and Barbudan contractors are fully empowered to benefit from national development projects.

While acknowledging the important role contractors play in nation-building, the Prime Minister noted that the sector has faced persistent challenges over several decades, including:

• Chronic delays in project completion
• Cost overruns
• Cash-flow limitations
• Weak business and project management frameworks
• Reputational issues impacting competitiveness
  
  The Prime Minister emphasized that Government remains committed to local participation in public-sector works but stressed that the industry must modernize in order to compete effectively and meet national timelines and budgetary requirements.
  
  Prime Minister told the contractors that government wants to see local contractors rise to the highest level of professional capability and financial success, But this requires stronger internal systems, improved costing and management practices, and a shift toward viewing contracting as full-scale entrepreneurship.
  
  Contractors offered feedback on challenges faced over the years but praised the Ministry of Works for recent improvements in communication, organization, and consistency in payments since Minister Maria Browne assumed responsibility for the portfolio.
  
  They also called for a more level playing field in the payment process and stronger technical support to help them compete for major public tenders.
  
  In response, Cabinet outlined several key policy decisions aimed at strengthening local capacity and sustaining the inclusion of Antiguan and Barbudan firms in public infrastructure projects.

1. Creation of a Contractor Support Unit

A new unit will be established within the Ministry of Works to provide:

• Bid preparation and costing assistance
• Technical and administrative support
• Business development training
• Skill upgrades aligned with international contracting standards
  
  This initiative is designed to prepare local firms for participation in major upcoming tenders, including the significant Caribbean Development Bank-funded works in Barbuda scheduled to open for bidding.

2. Continued Improvements to Payment Scheduling

Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to more timely payment cycles, recognizing that predictable cash flow is critical for contractors’ operational performance and project delivery.

3. Joint Contracting for Capacity Transfer

Government is considering a framework to enable joint contracts between local contractors and well-established firms. This will ensure:

• Knowledge transfer
• Stronger project management exposure
• Shared responsibility
• Enhanced access to working capitalBoth Government and contractors agreed that the session marked a significant step toward building a more competitive, modern, and resilient construction sector.The Prime Minister closed the meeting by affirming that the Government’s objective is not merely to award contracts but to build sustainable local enterprises capable of delivering high-quality projects consistently and profitably.“We want our contractors to grow strong, build wealth, and become leaders in the sector,” Prime Minister Browne said. “This discussion is the beginning of a new and more collaborative relationship focused on results, efficiency, and national development.”The Cabinet will continue to meet with other contractors in the coming weeks.  A similar dialogue will be held next Cabinet meeting with Farmers.

3.     The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda on Wednesday approved a landmark proposal establishing a strategic partnership between The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus and the UWI Mona Campus Faculty of Law for the delivery of the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in Antigua and Barbuda. This initiative represents a major expansion of regional legal education and a transformative step in strengthening legal capacity across the OECS.

Under the approved arrangement, the LLB offered at Five Islands will be the Mona Campus LLB, delivered through a collaborative framework in which Mona provides curriculum oversight, quality assurance, and academic governance, while Five Islands manages programme delivery, faculty recruitment, and student support services.

Cabinet noted the overwhelming benefits for students from Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Eastern Caribbean. Local delivery of the LLB programme will save students and their families an estimated:

•           USD $105,000 (67%) when compared with pursuing the same degree at Mona or Cave Hill

            •           USD $202,500 (80%) compared to UK or North American degree options

Students will no longer need to bear the high cost of relocation or face the social disruption associated with studying abroad. The programme will also offer part-time, evening, weekend, and hybrid delivery, opening the door for working adults, caregivers, and other non-traditional learners.

The Cabinet highlighted that the new arrangement sharply increases the value of government scholarships. With the current annual allocation of $520,000, the Government will now be able to support 30 students each year, compared to 10 students when students pursued legal studies abroad.

This efficiency, combined with higher local retention, means Antigua and Barbuda is projected to produce 255–270 new lawyers over the next 10 years, compared to just 30–40 under the overseas model. The programme also ensures that $6–12 million in economic resources remains within the local economy over each three-year cycle.

The Cabinet emphasized that the Eastern Caribbean—home to over 650,000 citizens—has long lacked proximate access to university-level legal education. The introduction of the LLB at Five Islands directly advances regional priorities, including:

            •           Increasing the pool of trained legal professionals

            •           Supporting the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

            •           Expanding government legal services

            •           Strengthening regulatory systems in finance, justice, and governance

The programme will also incorporate OECS-specific legal content, including jurisprudence of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, regional integration law, and regulatory frameworks unique to the sub-region.

Cabinet welcomed the rigorous governance framework, which includes:

            •           A joint programme committee with equal representation

            •           Mona-appointed external examiners reviewing assessments annually

            •           Faculty development exchanges between Five Islands and Mona

            •           Degree conferral by UWI Mona, maintaining a unified UWI brand and standard

The Cabinet approved the implementation schedule, which includes:

            •           Establishment of partnership and governance structures within the next 6 months

            •           Construction of a moot court and enhancement of law library resources

            •           Faculty recruitment and programme marketing in 2026

            •           First cohort enrolment targeted for September 2026

The Cabinet expressed strong confidence that the partnership between UWI Five Islands and UWI Mona will significantly expand access to high-quality legal education, strengthen national and regional development, and advance UWI’s strategic vision of equitable, relevant, and agile tertiary education for Caribbean citizens.

This decision reaffirms the Government’s commitment to investing in human capital, expanding opportunities for young people and working professionals, and positioning Antigua and Barbuda as a leader in regional higher education.  It also paves the way for Antigua and Barbuda establishing its own law school within the next three to six years.

4.     The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda has announced a series of decisive steps to strengthen national food security, asserting that the time has come for a significant increase in domestic agricultural output in light of rising geopolitical uncertainty within the wider region.

With escalating tensions in Caribbean waters between Venezuela and the United States posing potential risks to regional supply chains, the Cabinet emphasized that Antigua and Barbuda must be fully prepared to safeguard its access to affordable, reliable food supplies. The Cabinet stated that while Antigua and Barbuda has made continuous strides in agricultural development over the past decade—including the expansion of farm road infrastructure, construction of dams, drip-irrigation systems, and support incentives for farmers—current threats demand an intensified national effort.

As part of its strengthened policy posture, the Cabinet has decided that lands leased for farming but left unproductive will now be subject to reassignment. Farmers who are not actively using their acreage will be given 30 days to put their land into production, failing which government will reallocate the acreage to farmers and cooperatives ready to cultivate.

Cabinet underscored that this measure is not punitive but is necessary to ensure the nation’s agricultural assets are fully contributing to food security, employment, and sustainable economic resilience.

In support of this new thrust, the Ministry of Agriculture has been mandated to immediately accelerate a broad strengthening of state assistance to the farming community. Increased activity will begin at once in the following priority areas:

• Fencing of farms to reduce praedial larceny and protect livestock
• Expansion of nursery production and wider provision of seedlings to promote rapid crop generation
• Construction of new wells, dams, and ponds to secure irrigation water and drought resilience
• Lighting of farms to increase security and productivity
• Cutting, surfacing, and paving of farm access roads
• Fuel subsidy support for fishermen, recognizing their essential role in domestic food supply
  
  These actions build upon previous Government investments that, in recent years, have improved water storage, provided duty-free concessions for equipment and materials, and intensified local livestock and poultry development.
  
  To modernize large-scale production and support agro-enterprise development, the Cabinet also approved the establishment of:
• An Agro-Industrial Park at Diamonds, and
• An Eco Park at Christian Valley
  
  Both installations will serve as hubs for agricultural innovation and production, with a dedicated focus on small ruminants, agro-processing, and locally formulated animal feeds. The new parks are intended to strengthen value chains, reduce reliance on imported feed stock, and create new opportunities for agri-business development, exports, and employment.
  
   
  
  In discussions with the Forestry Division, Cabinet also reviewed the national reforestation programme. Based on ecological, logistical, and industry feedback, the target for planting one million trees in a year has been revised to 300,000 trees, a figure deemed challenging yet realistic and fully achievable within national capacity. The tree-planting programme contributes to climate resilience, watershed restoration, biodiversity reinforcement, and the long-term sustainability of agricultural lands.
  
  Over the last decade, Antigua and Barbuda has:
• Expanded domestic egg, poultry, and livestock production
• Implemented duty-free concessions for farm equipment
• Constructed new water storage facilities
• Improved agricultural access roads
• Invested in drought-resilient technologies
• Enhanced technical extension services
• Supported backyard farming initiatives
  
  With global shifts increasing the risks associated with food import dependence, the Cabinet emphasized that Antigua and Barbuda must now move fully into “production mode.”
  
  “We cannot wait for disruption before we respond,” Cabinet noted. “Food security is national security, and these measures ensure that our country is better protected, more self-reliant, and more capable of feeding itself in uncertain global times.”
  
  The Government reaffirmed its commitment to working hand-in-hand with farmers, fishermen, the private sector, backyard growers, agricultural cooperatives, and schools to ensure that Antigua and Barbuda becomes one of the most food-secure small states in the Western Hemisphere.

5.     Hon. Maria Browne, Minister with responsibility for Housing and Works, at Wednesday’s Cabinet Meeting, unveiled her Ministry’s 2026 plans to significantly expand national infrastructure, modernize public facilities, and make home ownership more accessible for citizens.

The Minister told the Cabinet that her ministry is working on two major priorities:

1. Expanding Home Ownership

Minister Browne confirmed that the Government is introducing affordable modular homes targeted at approximately EC$130,000 for the structure, making home ownership more attainable for first-time and lower-income buyers.

She said that the aim is to ensure that citizens are given the opportunity to own a piece of the rock,” however, recognizing that owning land is not enough — many people struggle to build afterward.The goal is to deliver house and land together, making the process realistic and accessible.

The Central Housing and Planning Authority and National Housing are preparing to roll out this model in early 2026.

2. National Infrastructure Upgrades

Minister Browne highlighted several major works slated for 2026, including:

• Reconstruction of All Saints Road, one of the country’s most heavily used corridors, with final contracting details expected within a week.
• A renewed national focus on drainage, recognizing that heavy rainfall — although quickly absorbed — continues to affect families in vulnerable communities.
• Upgrades to community sporting facilities, including resurfaced basketball and volleyball courts, new equipment, and enhanced public spaces for youth engagement.
• Renovations and maintenance of government buildings, including accommodations for civil servants and upgrades to major state facilities.
  
  2026 will be a big year for her Ministry she told Cabinet, with the focus not only being on roads — it will be about community infrastructure, livable spaces, and building an Antigua and Barbuda fit for the future.”

6.     The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) has reported to the Cabinet significant progress in its national water production capacity and infrastructure modernization efforts. As of this week, APUA has successfully achieved 9.2 million gallons of water production per day, marking a substantial improvement in supply reliability for consumers across Antigua and Barbuda. The Authority further anticipates reaching 10.6 million gallons per day by next week, continuing its aggressive push to stabilize and expand national water output.

As part of its commitment to reducing system losses and improving overall efficiency, APUA will introduce a Faults Management System designed to monitor and detect leaks throughout the distribution network in real time. This new system will strengthen APUA’s ability to respond rapidly to disruptions, minimize water loss, and enhance service delivery to households and businesses.

In addition, APUA will begin the installation of 1,000 smart meters across the country. These advanced devices will help curtail meter tampering, ensure accurate consumption readings, and support the Authority’s broader modernization and digitalization initiatives.

Regarding the ongoing dredging of the Crabbs Harbour, APUA confirmed to the Cabinet that approximately 80,000 cubic meters of dredging material remain. This final phase is expected to be completed within three to four months, paving the way for the efficient operation of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant at Crabbs. The LNG facility represents a key component of the nation’s long-term energy strategy.

APUA says that it remains committed to improving utility services, investing in critical infrastructure, and ensuring that the people of Antigua and Barbuda benefit from reliable, modern, and sustainable public utilities.

7.     The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has introduced a new incentive programme aimed at accelerating the removal of derelict and police-marked vehicles across the country. Under this initiative, private individuals will be eligible to receive $150 per vehicle for transporting marked cars, as identified by the Police, to the Cook’s Landfill.

This policy will be administered by the Ministry of Urban Development, working in close collaboration with the Solid Waste Management Authority and the Development Control Authority (DCA). Their joint efforts will ensure the safe, orderly, and efficient disposal of abandoned and derelict vehicles, contributing to cleaner communities and a more aesthetically pleasing national environment.

The Ministry of Social and Urban Transformation will announce designated locations, dates, and times for the removal of derelict vehicles through public media channels. These regular announcements will provide clear guidance to vehicle owners, contractors, and the general public on when and where disposal activities will take place.

The Government encourages all citizens to take advantage of this programme as part of the national effort to maintain clean surroundings, reduce public health risks, and improve the visual landscape of Antigua and Barbuda.

8.     Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced to the Cabinet that he has written to U.S. President Donald J. Trump expressing Antigua and Barbuda’s concern over the growing military build-up in international waters shared by Caribbean States. 

He has called for renewed diplomatic engagement between the U.S and Venezuela to prevent escalation in the Caribbean region.

In his letter, Prime Minister Browne reaffirmed the Caribbean’s longstanding commitment to being a Zone of Peace, noting that the region has earned its reputation as one of the few places in the world where calm and stability still offer respite in an increasingly turbulent international environment.

He emphasized that the economies of Caribbean small states — particularly tourism-dependent nations — are highly vulnerable to geopolitical tensions. “A hint of armed confrontation in our waters reverberates instantly through hotel bookings, airlines, foreign investment, and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of families,” the Prime Minister wrote. Military action near Caribbean shores, he warned, could cast “a long shadow” over an industry central to regional development and economic security.

Prime Minister Browne urged President Trump to “follow your instincts which, as far as I have seen, are rooted in dialogue and negotiation,” highlighting that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has signaled willingness to engage in direct discussions. He emphasised that diplomacy, though sometimes slow and imperfect, “delivers fewer sorrows than the alternatives.”

Antigua and Barbuda, the Prime Minister said, stands ready to support any international initiative that reduces tensions and opens channels for constructive negotiation. The letter underscores that the nation’s only objective is to safeguard regional peace and ensure that the Caribbean — “your near-shore neighbour and long-standing friend” — remains an area of stability.

Prime Minister Browne concluded by reaffirming Antigua and Barbuda’s respect for the United States and the enduring friendship between the two nations. “We value the United States as a friend and as a force for good,” he wrote, calling for diplomacy to prevail.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda will continue to engage regional and international partners to uphold the peace, security, and prosperity of the Caribbean.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet has congratulated Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), Sir Ronald Sanders on the University of Guyana announcing that it will confer on him the degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris Causa) during its convocation on 22^ndNovember.

The award will be formally presented at the Faculty of Social Sciences graduation ceremony on Saturday, 22 November 2025, at the Turkeyen Campus in Georgetown.  The Cabinet says that Sir Ron is most deserving of this latest honour.

In announcing the honour, the University’s Special Conferral Committee described Sir Ronald as “a transformative figure in diplomacy, business, and academia,” whose career reflects a sustained commitment to diplomacy, good governance, and Caribbean advancement.

This latest recognition accompanies Sir Ronald’s earlier award of an Honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) from the University of the West Indies, underlining his regional standing as one of the Caribbean’s most accomplished diplomats and public intellectuals. 

Over a five-decade career, he has served as Ambassador to the United States and the OAS, former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador to the World Trade Organization, elected member of the Executive Board of UNESCO, and a leading advocate for the rights of small states in global affairs.

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