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For the first time since the establishment of the UWI Five Islands Campus in Antigua & Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has named one of the Caribbean nations Prime Minister’s that expressed concern about the financial viability of the the campus in its formative stages.
Speaking on Pointe FM on the future of higher education in the Caribbean, Prime Minister Gaston Browne weighed in on Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness’s apparent concerns on how Antigua and Barbuda would be able to fund a new University of the West Indies (UWI) campus in Antigua.
The Antigua leader said Holness accepted his assurances about the measures put in place to ensure the financial sustainablity of the campus.
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During his radio interview, PM Browne relayed a complex series of interactions that highlighted the challenges and regional dynamics involved in expanding UWI’s presence.
The Antiguan leader revealed that Grenada had already advanced in similar educational initiatives, having passed legislation to facilitate the establishment of a campus on 80 acres of land.
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However, Browne praised the spirit of cooperation that ultimately prevailed, allowing for constructive dialogue on how to best serve the educational needs of the Caribbean populace.
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UWI FIC was established in 2019 despite local and regional skepticism. It has a student base about 700 and recently acquired an US$80 million loan to expand the campus.
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‘Gaston, I hope you can pay your bills because Jamaicans are paying your bills.’
Damn forward😡
It’s a legitimate concern as to where the money is is coming from to undergo such a huge task. You yourself had to dip into your pocket to put money in the university to help get it started. Plus to get qualified lectures would have been a challenge as not many individuals here locally all have PHDs for all the different subject to teach. So I beg you… please keep my good up good up Prime Minister name out your noise and nonsense as it was a concern raised by many individuals.
And whose legitimate concern was it, may I ask, Holness? What gave him such legitimacy ro come and tell our Bless up, Bless up Prime Minister that Jamaicans paying our bills? We are Antiguans, we can do anything, including not owing IMF.
They don’t owe the IMF but they owe China. SMH. You all dunce NF. Antigua hasn’t paid a red cent to any of the regional bodies that are used to offset cost such as the ones incured by UWI. Jamacia, Trinidad, St.Kitts, etc all pay their fair share, therefore, the Jamaican PM has a legitimate concern. Gaston turn a lot of you into fools. SMFH!
As far as I can recall, there was no local objection to establishing a UWI Campus in Antigua. There was however some concerns about the location chosen, and an alternative site was suggested. I am still of the opinion that the alternative site is a better location however one could argue that the existing school campus offered a faster and more economical pathway to establishing the university.
I’m bewildered as to why the PM speaks and acts as if no one should question or have any concerns once he makes his point. Last time I checked, this is still a democracy!
Antigua and Barbuda is no more a Democracy than Russia.
All now Gaston don’t address the legitimate question from PM Holness. That is can you pay your bills. It is clear that his intent was to have other Caricom State subsidies his experiment. Gaston, tell you what, manage you economy so you afford your election promises. Don’t be a feisty panhandler
Damn forward😡
The Jamaican PM is correct. There are many regional organizations: CARPHA, CMO, CIMH, UWI etc that depend on contributions from the govts of the region to stay afloat. We have not paid a cent to many of them for YEARS! As a matter of fact, the last time some of them received a full year of remittance was during UPPs time. Also the fact that the organizations are still there means that: Jamaica, Trinidad& Tobago, St Kitts & Nevis, Barbados and so on, have to pay up steadily and promptly to keep them going. So they are in fact PAYING for us because we continue to get the benefits of these organizations.
Gaston is fully aware of what the PM
is talking about but is trying to score points with people who simply refuse to ask WHY would a PM tell him something like that to his face?
By the way, Antigua & Barbuda is still not paying it’s fair share
All of these Caribbean politicians are thin-skinned..believe they are omnipotent..thing is, before they were elected they exhibited no special or superior skills..beyond the rest of us..in fact, some lacked any kind of skill..
Where is the proof that Gaston put his own “hard working money” into UWI? The Jamaican PM knows what he is talking about. The Gaston administration has not paid a dime into any of the regional funds use to offset cost for bodies such as UWI for almost the entire time they have been in office. Hence, the Jamaican PM is correct. These other UWI territories have been doing this for years and know that it takes a lot more than what any local government contributes to run a viable campus. Dumb set of cool aid drinkers you all be.
Gaston Browne is one big pappy show. How he let that Jamaican lowlife speak to him so when we have thousands of hungry belly Jamaicans in the country begging? Sir Geoge would have deported all ah dem long time.
[…] PM says he had to assure regional colleagues that UWI FIC Was Financially Sustainable […]
ANR should have reprinted its original story with the original headline. …poor journalism caused this confusion.
Antigua was not paying its contribution to uwi and owed them a lot of money. Gaston thought of giving them 5 islands school to offset the debt. He didn’t realize Antigua would have to fund the campus.
Uwi has entry requirements 80% of Antiguan school leavers cannot make.we would have been better off spending the money improving teachers salaries and developing secondary schools.
A real university would have been zoned, since it is bound to scientific experiment, which could be hazardous and noisy, considering it’s proximity to the village and an infant school, so I guess they will have to go to one of there facility elsewhere for certain classes. And the infrastructure in five islands will only come close to a develop country high school facility because it was ceased by political power and not planning, let’s hope for the best , peace and love as my father always say.
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