Prime Minister Gaston Browne is putting residents on notice that roads, which were damaged during this week’s torrential rains, won’t be fixed right now.
The Prime Minister Minister said the disaster could not have come at a worse time, as the economy was already in a downturn because of COVID.
Public Works has estimated the public infrastructure damage at about $168 million, which the Prime Minister described as “a daunting sum.”
“Insofar as the infrastructure recovery is concerned, we’re seeking to raise probably about 10 per cent of the value of the damage, so between $17 and $20 million so that we can commence some remedial work,” he said.
“However, we don’t have the type of money to fix those roads at this time so our people will have to endure with those bad roads for the time being.
“This is just part of the pain that one has to endure after a crisis or disaster, but I’m sure it will help us to develop character and building resilience,” he added.
Notwithstanding the damages, the Prime Minister said he remains grateful because there were no fatalities or any significant property damage.
“Truth be told, the damages could have been far worse,” he said, noting that there was up to 17 inches of rain in some areas.
“There has been a significant amount of damage to infrastructure. We have also seen a significant amount of soil erosion and beach erosion, and I’m told too that a number of farmers would have lost their crops,” he said.
“Those who suffered loss, including persons with disabilities … we’ll be providing them with some financial relief.
“The government is making between $1.6 million to $2 million available for relief purposes,” the Prime Minister added.
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This is the 1st time Gaston isn’t lying to the people.
COVID times has shown us he is anything but Economic Power House.
Vote out cancerous Gaston Browne
Captain your ship is sinking. Captain the seas are rough. The engine room taking on water and the oil pressure reading low. Shall we abandon ship or continue to sail on in. We don’t know. We don’t know. Captain please tell us what to do.
Your failed economic policy was just summed up in those words. A portion of recurrent revenues were never set aside when they were flowing in. The treasury operated from month to month. Prime Minister do you run your household finances in such a manner? Your government has no access to credit. Successive governments have failed to pay back what they have been loaned in good faith. The country is bankrupt. Liabilities are more than assets on hand. 39 years since independence and Antigua and a reluctant Barbuda are not free from economic slavery.
Wish I could praise your government but there is nothing to praise. I’ve searched hard, high and low and I can’t come up with nothing.
Some nice buildings does not make a country a powerhouse. Economic and fiscal stability do. Just like your own finances.
Endure with those bad roads for now.Really? We are broke.No money to even buy bread until next Election.
Perhaps our friends from China will give us some assistance. This is a serious need.
@CErmle…when, oh when will the only #Solution, is running and begging, due to PPP – Piss Poor Planning, on the part of #Governing? And, this has nada, zilch, to do with political party!
Neargah, dat lub fu beg, heng dem hat, wey dem cyant retch Um!
Translation:
People, that hand their hats, where they cannot reach them, for the most part, are #Fake, and can’t be trusted.
@Cermle: You say,perhaps our friends from China could give us some assistance.I never realized the Chinese were our friends.Friends,that is pushing the envelope.What would we give them in return.More of our Lands.I remembered when Hurricane Irma hit Barbuda.The donors cash that came in to help Barbuda.A man in Antigua.He did say Antigua got damage also.Because he did not want Barbuda to get all of the money.I went around with a microscope and could not find the damages in Antigua from the Hurricane.Now it is Antigua’s turn.No money dey. Karma,the sum of a person’s actions.
Prime minister thanks for being so realistic and straight forward i do hope that the citizens of this country really understand the situation our country faces at this time, we are all in this together sink or float but as low as we are and the storm is on us we shall ride it out together. As realistic as this may be some would be ignorant to the o
facts but its all about prioritizing with the little resources we have .
Covid has put us i a very vulnerable situation but are a resilient people and we shall overcome this soon. Antiguans and Barbudans lets pledge our allegiance to our country gird our line and join the battle and build this country back stronger than it has ever been its our country only we can do it. God bless us all.
Agreed!
@Troy thomas:Would you be saying the same things.If the UPP were in Governance of the Country.I would think absolutely not.Whose fault is it.Why the country does not have the resources at hand.It is Gaston Browne’s fault.It has nothing to do with Covid-19.He had a bag full of money.He went on spending spree.Giving away the people money for free admissions concerts.Spending like a drunken on shore sailor.Prior,Preparations,Prevents,Piss,Poor,Performances. Know your damn,5 P’s.I have empathy for the poor people of Antigua and Barbuda.Not one ounce for Gaston Browne.
The only sensible response I’ve read to this article.
If our CIP program was more attractive, we would have more money! Our CIP program is unattractive because we charge $70,000 USD extra if a man or woman wants to get married after becoming a CIP citizen. We also impose crazy fees if CIP citizens want to have kids….something like $25,000 extra per kid. We are losing CIP revenue to places like St. Kitts and Dominica.
When is the PM going to make the Antigua CIP program more attractive to global investors?
I guess St. Kitts CIP so attractive that they are now allowing siblings also to be added free to a family group….. I guess its so attractive that they are making it cheaper.. smh
Yep, that is right! St. Kitts is stealing all of our CIP business because their program is cheaper and has better benefits.
Tell the PM that he hab plenty gall. If we have to endure, well at least do two things: permanently tek duty & abst off of parts/tire and tek abst off of service!!!
Excellent point. I hope this is approved by cabinet this week and the duty/tax on any car parts /service not reinstated until roads are fully fixed.
We don’t have funds to buy new vehicles so our old cars gotta keep going.
Don’t worry Mr Prime Minister, we are very much used to horrible roads in Antigua. You were fixing 2 major highways that’s it! But 99.5% of the roads in Antigua have always been HORRIBLE.
They destroy cars, people have lost shocks, pot holes for days. EVERY ROAD you turn down in town or in ANY village. Is HORRIBLE.
People go to the banks put themselves in hundreds of thousands of dollars to build homes for their families and the roads their cars have to drive on are horrible. Bump Bump Bump all day everyday. Motorist fighting for one piece of good road.
But don’t worry Mr Prime Minister as long as your road to your house is good, and as long as you and your family and sons are well provided for, the rest of Antigua is Happy!
Take your time putting our best interest in mind.
We will wait. And we will still vote for you because I’m sure you will hand out a free laptop and will have fancy fireworks at your election rally.
We Antiguans love freebs and Likkle excitement.
Sorry James but the PM would never get my vote. . Gaston Brownie needs to humble himself. He may be a cool dude but I have done the analysis and he suffers from a complex (maybe no fault of his considering his childhood), he may be a great technician, loving dad, a great kipman even, but he should not be PM.
Professional opinion are you some kind of psychiatrist like Sigmund Freud. Seems to me as if you are doing a psychoanalysis of our dear Prime Minister. Very interesting observation.
The road to his house is very bad 😂
Very good indeed! It’s the best road in the neighbourhood. And it didn’t take 3 years to build
This is a wise saying by the PM to make it workable he should balance the equation by removing all taxes from tires and suspension parts.
And I think the people will accept his position, all things considered.
And let it be retroactive as well!!!
Enough is Enough.
Maybe I should clarify what the prime minister had said. It simply means that the government will not spend the money now on repairing the road infrastructure, but rather it would be more politically expedient to do the repairs when its closer to an election date.
That is exactly what it is. If the repairs are done now and are carried out properly, then there would be no need to do repairs again near elections time. It is just political common sense turned upside down. Corruption and misleadership at their highest level.
Wisen up, Antiguans: your misleaders look at you as retards and fools while they amass the riches and loot.
We are in a WORLD “CRYSIS”: THE POOR MAN CRY NOW…. .THE RICH AND CORRUPT WILL WAIL AND MOAN WHEN JUDGEMENT COMES.
WORLD “CRYSIS”: END SOON COME !
This country is a waste.
So are we going to get discounts on car parts lower abst or no abst on vehicular items and mechanics why do we have to endure bad roads but no help with cheaper parts?
Sick sense of humour. We will have to make do with the bad roads. 98% of the roads were already bad.
Why not invest the „road tax“ charged for each vehicle in the infrastructure? Isn’t that where it should be invested ?
The PM has spoken factually about the state of finances. The reality is that the alternative before us as political parties sucks. UPP is such a waste. Their command center in Piggotts is now a shawarma shop. Their command centre in Factory is now a church. Speak about a waste of time political party!!!!
@ Just Saying
What does UPP have to do with the current government not fixing and maintaining the roads? The Labour government has never cared about infrastructure. When UPP was in governments they had started repairing the roads. When you blind labour supporters don’t want to admit to the problems with this government, you default to UPP.
@ Observation…Why are you responding to my post? Are you a cyber bully? Can’t you be independent in your thoughts and stop being a cyber troll!!!
@ Just saying
I am far more I independent in my thoughts than you can ever be. For you, every argument is what UPP did not do when you are confronted with the Labour Party ineptitudes. UPP was in power for only five years while labour has been in power for over fifty years. Labour is fully responsible for the poor infrastructure in Antigua. The Labour government should spend less time on schemes to rip off the country and more on doing what is required from an honest government.
Antigua deserves better. Better roads, better leadership, better political thinking.
Maybe it’s time we consider doing things differently.
People have been conditioned to believe that LABOR is the only answer… maybe it isn’t.
What has voting into office these successive administrations of labor governments gotten you… A turkey or ham?
Does anyone have the guts to run with this ball?
By 2023 all the roads will be fixed including the future roads and foot paths. So hold strain people.
BHM took two years and counting and we are still driving so hold strain 2023 will see all the roads fixed.
They will patch up all the roads and after the election the rains will wash them out.
Folks as bad as we had it last Monday, let’s all give thanks that it wasn’t worse. That depression that flooded us out is now a major cat 4 hurricane about to hit Central America, just 2 weeks after Eta. We all need to give God thanks because lots of people are about to have it worse than us.
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