HURST REPORTS ON CABINET of Wednesday 22 November 2023
Cabinet began its sitting with the usual prayer by a priest who pointed the Cabinet to the book of Kings to justify his assertion that Ministers of Religion ought not to become candidates for election or immersed in partisan politics. The Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda prohibits Ministers of religion from becoming elected parliamentarians. The Cabinet held a discussion about the economic prospects for the immediate and long term future and concluded that the number of new projects coming on stream in Antigua, in Barbuda, including the PLH Project, the redevelopment of the K Club site, the doubling in size of the Nobu Restaurant, are all signs that the economy will perform very well for the foreseeable future.
1. The Cabinet invited fifteen officials to its meeting to address the issue of revenue, deficit spending and debt management, in preparation for the 2024 Budget. Eight officials were from the Ministry of Finance, three from the Inland Revenue Department, one from the Medical Benefits Scheme, three from the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Maritime Services (ADOMS), and the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance. The primary object of the discussion was to consider options for the 2024 Budget, taking into account that tax revenue to GDP ratio stands at fifteen percent and the target of the budget officials is to raise revenue to twenty percent of GDP. The discussion revolved around items that can be zero-rated, and those imported items where the waiver of taxes is not warranted.
ii. The Ministry of Finance Officials presented the debt obligations owed by the Government to former employees in the form of gratuities, to contractors, landlords, statutory corporations, China ExIm Bank, the Regional Government Security Market (RGSM), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) discussed the issue of property taxes owed to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda by property owners. The subsidy paid by the Government for petroleum products was also discussed, and a plan to discontinue that subsidy was also examined. Tax on fuel, it was agreed falls below the regional average and it is one contributing factor that can be easily remedied, it was agreed.
The Governments’ purchase of gasoline for its fleet of vehicles was also examined and ways to reduce that expense were also discussed. The object of these discussions is to assist the Finance Minister to prepare his Budget Statement and budgetary figures that will be shared with the public on Friday December 15th at 9:30 am in the Parliament.
iii. The experts from the ADOMS were questioned by the Finance Minister about the European Union (EU) sanctions imposed because of a finding of “non-compliance”. The experts explained that Antigua and Barbuda’s Ship Registry consists largely of vessels owned by German firms; those firms can have sanctions imposed if they are found to do business within states that have been sanctioned. An assessment of Antigua and Barbuda’s earnings from offshore businesses was cursorily made and noted by the Finance Minister.
2.i. The Minister of Health gave a report on the flooding of the theater at the Sir Lester Bird/Mount St. John’s Medical Center (SLB/MSJMC). The floor is to be repaired this week since the contracts have been signed with the firm doing the repair. The overhead piping is already fixed and elective surgeries are likely to recommence in a short time.
ii. The Minister of Health also indicated that many cancers are appearing in youthful citizens. A young boy about seven years old developed a growth in his cheek that threatens his life. He will be sent abroad for medical treatment in an attempt to save his life.
3. The Cabinet decided that the Christmas Lighting Competition will be held again this year 2023. The Department of the Creative Industries will be the organizing force and resources commensurate with prize monies will be allocated for its execution.
4. A date for the commission of the New Cemetery may soon be announced. Complete fencing of the acreage must first take place, roads constructed, burial plots are to be demarcated, and buildings are to be erected.
5. The Cabinet conveyed its congratulations to Mr. Alzari Joseph who has been promoted to Vice Captain of the West Indies Cricket Team. He is an outstanding fast bowler and high scoring batsman. Reports are that his father has played a significant role in his success. They both were invited to Cabinet when he was first selected.
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I guess the back pay, the double pay for Christmas and the 14% raise for public servants will be left for the budget speech? Just asking for my friend.
None Political Rebuttal to CABINET NOTES
The economic prospects listed are developments listed as separate developments. Not true. The so-called Peace Love and Happiness (PLH) project has been rebranded as Barbuda Ocean Club (BOC).
The BOC project is one project not two developments as has been asserted. One site is Palmetto and the other at the Old Cococ Point site.
The redevelopment of the K-Club was supposed to be The Paradise Found Resort promised (5) years ago by Mr. Di Nero. Since then there is a part time Nobu restaurant which has been expanded but will remain a P/T operation. Open in late November and closed in late May.
BTW: Gaston’s favorite eating place.
The long awaited resort at the old K Club site is slowly getting off the ground now that Mr. Di Nero has found a development partner. From my research, they will not be as destructive of the environment as Discovery Land Company the PLH developers.
The Cabinet invited fifteen officials…Classic: What difference does it make if it’s 3, 10, or 15 who were invited?
Included in the discussions……… The discussion revolved around items that can be zero-rated, and those imported items where the waiver of taxes is not warranted.
Gaston was surprised at the blow back in his attempt to raise the ABST, so now this propaganda type statement is being issued about the above statement of zero-rated and waiver of taxes.
It does not matter what divisions of the Government attended the meeting Keep in mind folks: raising revenue by 20% means most of it is coming out out poor peoples hide and soaking the working class with higher taxes
The Ministry of Finance Officials presented the debt obligations owed by the Government to former employees…
While this paragraph begins with debt obligations to former employees and contractors it end with more ways to extract taxes and revenues out of the poor and vunerable
There is so much more in this paragraph. But I’ll leave it to the media the columnist and journalists, the talking heads on the radios as well as the meat heads on Facebook
The Minister of Health gave a report on the flooding of the theater at the Sir Lester Bird/Mount St. John’s Medical Center (SLB/MSJMC)….
I always wondered about the sudden death of Tanny Rose
The Minister of Health also indicated that many cancers are appearing in youthful citizens…
Mr. Helth Minister and all the paper PHDs running around with your degrees on your foreheads. What do you expect when there is so much cancer causing activity on the islands? Whats the status of the cancer center?
There is a cost to unregulated developments like the Barbudans are fighting.
Here are just a few that the Minister of Health has no clue about.
There remains hundreds of old roofs made out of asbestos from the 60’s. Coco Point had asbestos roofs. The owners made their money when they sold their Lease to PLH and they are gone.
Old Man Bird use to say: they can’t take the land with them. An interesting observation and political philosophy. They can’t take the land; but they can sell their leases make wagon full of money and move on.
Those corrugated shaped asbestos roofs are all over St Johns and outlying areas. Friable asbestos is cancerous.
Heavy metal and inorganic materials are part of our way of life in Antigua and Barbuda, as most of the population tries to keep up with the Jones with their” look at me” consumption habits. Gaston and Molwyn can now claim that incresing cancer its the result of becoming an Economic Power House
Mack Pound is uphill from the island’s biggest collection and storage of water, Potts Works Dam. All of the land from Mack Pond to Potts Works Dam should be a watershed area. I would suspect cabinet has no clue the significance of a watershed area, while they travel overseas to make a case on the Impact of Global Warming
“Maul”, the beautiful Maul which we spread on our roads; as well as the dust from cutting concrete: They result in SILCA which is a causing health hazard. Maul in the air as well as the cutting of concrete materials when airborne and unprotected is cancerous.
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