Hurst Reports On Cabinet Of Wednesday 3 May 2023

Hurst Reports On Cabinet Of Wednesday 3 May 2023

HURST REPORTS ON CABINET of Wednesday 3 May 2023

The Cabinet meeting received a Catholic Priest who read a passage from the Psalms of David, and prayed God’s blessings upon the leaders in Government. The Cabinet held discussions on Labour Day Celebrations, and expressed its thankfulness for the peaceful gatherings and the absence of tragedy.

 

1. The Cabinet agreed to appoint Angela Basset and Dawnn Lewis as Tourism Ambassadors responsible for promoting the destination. Miss Basset has shown her love for Antigua by visiting frequently, and using her star power that has been earned by participation in scores of movies. Miss Lewis, who starred in Grey’s Anatomy, A Different World, and many movies and sitcoms also loves Antigua.  The appointment is voluntary, does not involve any remuneration and they have agreed to make appearances on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda. The movie stars are both currently in Antigua to participate in Sailing Week and in the entertainment events that form part of the week long activities.

 

 

3. The Cabinet was informed by the Minister of Health that one of the women who arrived from the Cameroon, West Africa, in December 2022, is about to deliver an infant—in less than a week. The Cameroonians, by-and-large, have been settling-in; there is no evidence of further attempts on their part to depart Antigua unlawfully to other Caribbean countries. Meanwhile, the groups that have found themselves in St. Kitts and Guadeloupe continue to remain there.

 

4. The Cabinet was informed that negotiations are continuing on the sale and purchase of The Cancer Centre. The owner has put a sale price of $15 Million USD which is deemed excessive. In the meantime, alternate arrangements are being made to treat the cancer patients who find it necessary to go elsewhere for treatment.

 

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6. The Cabinet was informed by the Minister of Tourism that Global Ports Holding (GPH) has submitted plans for the upgrade of Heritage Quay, at a cost of $2 million USD. Plans for building-out the lower Newgate Street property have also been submittedbut not yet approved. Several million dollars will be spent on the new structures and the infrastructure that will be required to make the new shopping center work.

 

7. The Cabinet was informed by the Minister of Public Utilities that plans have been put in place to move potable water production from 7 million gallons daily, to 9 million gallons each day, in a few weeks.The object is to ensure that as demand grows in and around Carnival 2023, the APUA will be able to satisfy many households’ daily needs. Drought continues to keep surface water and underground aquifers without a supply of stored, potable water; the alternative is reverse osmosis which is very expensive. More than $100 million have been spent on purchasing and installing R/O plants since the Gaston Browne administration became the Government in 2014.

Rough seas have also caused many plants to reduce output when sand, shells, vegetation and small pebbles are sucked-in through the intake pipes, imperiling the R/O plants’ functionality. The digging of near-shore wells, and the purchase of a super-filter have both helped to keep production at maximum level during rough seas.

 

8. 8. The Johnston’s Playing Field is to be rehabilitated in order to make it acceptable for FIFA Women’s Competition.The Minister who represents the Rural East Constituency in which the Government asset is found, noted the importance of furthering the objectives of sports in Antigua. The Cabinet recalls the inevitable role of sports to the development of youth and to the economy of the nation. The resources for the rehabilitation of both the grounds and the buildings are likely to come from the FIFA.

 

9. The Cabinet again examined the subject of youth violence, springing most often from troubled youth. The Cabinet awaits the paper to be submitted by the former Lieutenant Colonel of the ABDF, noting that several institutions will be required to play leading roles. That will include sporting institutions, the Police and the Military, the Church communities, the schools, several Ministries, the social workers and professionals who will all have a role to play in tackling this challenge.

 

10. The Prime Minister and spouse, a team from the Police and the ABDF, a contingent of NGOs and Civil Servants, have left for the coronation of the new King.

 

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