Browne Says Farming Inputs Already Tax-Free After Pringle Promises Duty-Free Support for Farmers
Gaston Browne has pushed back against a proposal by opposition leader Jamale Pringle to make farming inputs tax-free, stating that such concessions are already in place.
In a social media post on Sunday, Browne said a wide range of agricultural items — including fertilizer, drip irrigation systems, seeds, farming equipment, tractors, and distribution vehicles — are “already free of all duties and taxes.”
“All farming inputs… are already free of all duties and taxes,” Browne wrote, listing additional items such as chillers, fencing, freezers and packaging materials among those benefiting from the exemptions, before adding: “UPP too damn lie.”
The response follows remarks by Pringle at the United Progressive Party’s campaign launch, where he pledged that a UPP administration would provide farmers with full support by ensuring agricultural inputs and equipment are tax-free.
“We are giving our farmers full support… totally tax-free in Antigua and Barbuda,” Pringle said, adding, “We will never tax the tools of the people who grow our food.”
Pringle framed the proposal as part of a broader effort to reduce the cost of living and strengthen domestic food production, arguing that farmers should have easier access to essential tools and supplies.
The exchange underscores a direct dispute between the two parties over existing tax policy, with Browne maintaining that the relief outlined by the opposition is already being provided, while Pringle has presented it as a key campaign commitment.
The issue of affordability, food security and support for local farmers is expected to feature prominently in the campaign ahead of the April 30 general election.
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This is all Gaston brown and ALP does every election or parliamentary debates, he engages in parasitical reaction to the UPP pledges that they bring to the people, if upp decide on something he comes along and suddenly decide on the same thing even though the ALP so call manifesto does not speak to such issue, that’s why I say their manifesto is just a performative political exercise, remember when Lovell had promised to lower vehicle license fee that Gaston jump up and say he will do the same with a dad face with teary eyes, and what we got instead is a 40% raise of license fee on the struggling drivers with bad roads ruinous to our vehicles.
Gaston is a parasite on the people he eats off the treasury and lands and everything in site and leave nothing for the people.
And now he want to have a renaissance or rebirth to come back and continue his enrichment of family and minister and sell more passport even though he already cause Antiguans to get a USA visa ban, the people better wake up because the onliest way out is to change the government so that new people are in place to negotiate visa access with the Ida and also Canada so we can travel freely once more.
Gaston parasitical debates is just sweet mouthing the people to get power, a what sweet Gaston so if he say he is a millionaire? He can’t leave office and enjoy he money? But power is like ice in the sun ☀️ and will eventually leave you.