HURST REPORTS ON CABINET OF Wednesday 2 April 2025
The Cabinet meeting commenced with prayers from a Methodist minister who addressed the issue of “honour”, and sought God’s blessings on the meeting and the members.
1. The Cabinet invited the 10-person team from the Ministry of Finance—to include the Financial Secretary, the Accountant General, the Minister of State in the Ministry, the Deputy Head of the Inland Revenue Department, the Budget Director and others—to provide a picture of the country’s finances during the month just ended and for the first quarter of 2025. The state of Government’s finances is improving and clearly shows that the economy continues to expand, despite the threats emanating from many quarters including the United States. The uncertain policy decisions, regarding tariffs, have proven to be harmful to the stock markets within the Western Hemisphere. Other pronouncements have caused uncertainty about the future
ii. The Budget Director pointed out that overtime payments owed to Government workers is now classified as ‘salaries’, as ordered by the Cabinet, causing overtime to be paid simultaneously with salaries. In the month just ended, overtime payments exceeded $500,000 dollars. Payments of gratuities is also high on the agenda of the Treasury, almost $10 million dollars of gratuities have been paid, in the month of January; $20 million dollars are still outstanding. Corporation Tax, ABST, Education Levy, Customs Duty, and other revenue sources have been expanding. The Tourism Guest Levy is still being under-reported by hotels with 100% occupancy. The Inland Revenue Department is set to prepare a guestimate of amounts that have not been collected, and to pursue those taxpayers who have failed to reach the estimated amounts.
2. The Cabinet took a decision to have the Prime Minister, at the next sitting of Parliament, to place all documents relating to the sale of the Alfa Nero Yacht in that public domain. Although the documents have been published in the newspaper as of Wednesday 2nd April 2025, and on the Government website, there are still political operatives who continue to pedal the fictitious and false claim of a Russian citizen, seeking to harm Government officials in Antigua; they have cruelly propagated lies, by filings in a US Federal Court.
3. The Cabinet today decided that in furtherance of building strong families, it will cause “Paternity Leave” to become a feature of all labour agreements for male Government employees.
ii. The Cabinet has also been informed by the Ministry of Legal Affairs that old equipment, in the Cancer Center, is to be removed by the permission of the Court. The order granting permission to remove will now allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to participate lawfully in the dismantling of the radioactive equipment, which was utilized to destroy cancer cells in the human body. Once the removal takes place, the new owners will be free to complete the purchase of more modern equipment to be installed in the Center. A new roof, improved engineering designs to channel water away from the building, newly-painted walls, and other improvements, have already been undertaken at the Cancer Center.
4. The Cabinet invited the principals of Blue Ocean to address the scale of the dredging that is taking place at Crabbes and in the St. John’s Harbour. Blue Ocean’s principals reported that the firm hired to supplement their dredging efforts at Crabbes, has not been able to remove the rocky material that has proven to be a challenge to deepening the channel. Larger cement-carrying vessels and liquid natural gas (LNG) vessels require a deeper draught than now exists. The ability to remove the rock requires some bigger equipment, Blue Ocean reported, to crack and rip the rock from its foundation. Blue Ocean also reported that its equipment can remove three times as much material as the other company’s ocean excavator. It requires payments that will allow it to purchase spare parts, repair damaged equipment, purchase fuel, and to pay its employees.
5. The draft legislation that will allow for the imposition of a user fee for vehicles being registered in Antigua and Barbuda, has been presented to the Cabinet. The draft is likely to be presented to the Parliament at its next sitting in late April 2025.
A National Bureau of Statistics Board is to be instituted by law at the next sitting of Parliament. Following its creation under law, the Board will approach the Caribbean Development Bank to help to build capacity of both staff and Bureau, and to assist with experts to establish appropriate guiding principles and procedures in accord with the law.
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Cabinet notes sound so dead and boring, why can’t government use an attractive young lady to present. Just damn tired of looking at Christopher Lee (Max Hurst) isn’t he a pensioner? How much more does he want
ABS cut the signal to their station when Nicki (journalists) asked Hurst a question today durin the briefing he didn’t like. The conversation was about to get contentious, so what did ABS, the government voice piece do? Cut the signal. Wonder what the government is so afraid of?
Nikki is NOT a journalist!!!!!!!
She is a GUYANESE.
I don’t think that the government needs to expend all this money on overtime. There is no improvement in productivity anywhere. No emergency to have people working all this overtime. In fact APUA is a statutory body and pays its on salaries and overtime. Government workers fiddle their thumbs during regular hours and then get busy at minutes to 4pm. Not even treasury workers Pm should be getting over time. That over time money can be used to do so many things to include paying suppliers.
Next thing is if the government consistently keeps on paying all this overtime, it will be far more useful to employ a few more people or even hire a contractor. Even if it’s outsourcing. Again we need to move to automated time clocks that, accumulate all the data / time sheets and sent straight to the computer or payroll. Hey all the signing in with log books should be a thing of the past. All this overtime should also be eliminated. We already have a bloated public sector. Do a human resource audit please and let them work. Too much square pegs in round holes.
Who are the share holders of Ocean Blue ?
When the opposition MPs and the UPP were united despite their inexperience they were a formidable . For democracy to thrive we need a strong opposition to hold the government accountable. They were a force to reckon with, unity is power. This nation should remember their stance on keeping our hands off the Alfa Nero. Fast forward to the recent sale, although broken, they never stopped begging the government to keep their hands off the woman boat. The government should not have touched the woman boat. When the sale was done they begged the government to come clean. Since it was acquired and was now so called public asset. They did everything secretly. The name of the buyer was a big secret. The account general also played his part during these sales. If it’s true sir that the funds never entered into the treasury account, you are a big joker like Edmede Jarvis and is following swiftly in his tracks. Anyone that has to face legal battles concerning this boat should pay out their pocket. Tax payers should not have to pay any of these legal challenges. Especially those that are coming out of the USA.
Fast forward- since this woman, who is the rightful owner of the boat filed this case in the USA , the government finds it necessary to release the sales documents. Even if it’s on the government website. Too late , too late shall be the cry. If you were upholding our democracy- freedom of information you would not be running like a headless chicken now. We need the information on all government spending. We need our government not just to talk transparency but walk transparency to the letter. We want a democracy that is true , just and honest. What is so hard about that?
PM I honestly believe that you have a good business head and probably would have made it outside of government. However, it is very clear that you and your ministers are using your offices to gain wealth unscrupulously.
Antigua and Barbuda is a small developing country and only if our leaders were honest, we would be at a far better place. Look guys we have citizens that have toiled their entire lives just to survive. You have men and women working their entire lives, teachers, nurses, business men and women and are catching hell. No Jr. should get such an easy pass while we and are we pickney toil so hard and cannot get anywhere. Then whenever you do something right people act like you grant them a favor. Like the pensioners getting paid on time, or the government paying a supplier at the treasury. Do you know the amount of businesses you bankrupt. Many of these road cutters , side walk contractors you bankrupt. Many of them 10000000000 more intelligent and talented than Baba black had …. has failed because the government knock them about.
So what is the way forward. We are set to hit rock bottom unless the UPP find a way to become a united opposition and yes mend your fences. There is a strong tower in your midst- a woman. That are allowing ABLP party to tactically destroy. She is your director, your coach, the brains behind the scenes. That is good politics. To have such an outstanding chairwoman. Look guys nothing is wrong have a strong, educated, beautiful, woman steering the ship. If I were you I would be at her door steps. Serpents your past relationship with is part of the reason why you are in parliament. You almost cannot regain your seat right now. You are one of the weakest parliamentarians in recent times. Your only chance will be a united and strong UPP with D.Gisele at the head . Suggy she could have made you into a leader.. Your head is in the wrong place. She be spending time in her library, Getting coaching from her instead of negotiating ministerial position. That was disgraceful, you disrespected the entire UPZp organization and voters talking about you were just making a joke. What disrespect you all who have not even debated two proper bills in parliament talking about. Guys you need to get real and msn up , get to work of shif out. Tax payers money should not be coming to you all so easily.
Richard- Gaston was so correct, you have been so respectful. You try to jump upfront on every issue. You try to grasp center stage instead of approaching things from a party standpoint. That is what is disrespectful. If you guys don’t swallow false pride . Your political careers are over.