Prime Minister Gaston Browne has addressed concerns about the state of the road network in Antigua and Barbuda, urging the public to remain patient as his administration works to resolve long-standing infrastructure issues.
In a radio interview today Browne provided context for the delays and outlined the government’s efforts to improve the roads.
“First of all, let me ask for continued patience by our people, and let me also place this issue into context,” Browne said. “Yes, we have been in government for 10 years, but we inherited a plethora of problems, with a state that was on the brink of bankruptcy.”
Browne highlighted the economic challenges his administration faced upon taking office in 2014, which necessitated prioritizing financial stability over immediate infrastructure improvements.
“The first issue we had to deal with was stabilizing an economy that was on the brink of collapse. This meant paying off $300 million for an IMF loan and assuming another $300 million in liabilities to save depositors’ savings at the then ABI Bank,” he explained.
The Prime Minister emphasized that these financial obligations, along with other delinquent debts, significantly constrained the government’s resources. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the situation, delaying road repairs even more.
“We’re now in a situation where we have stabilized the country’s economy post-COVID, and we’re focusing on the roads,” Browne said.
“Within the last two years, we have fixed practically all but one of the major arteries. All Saints Road is the only one that remains, and we will now be focusing on the community roads.”
Browne acknowledged that the current state of the roads is the result of decades of neglect and decay, which cannot be resolved quickly.
“We can’t resolve decades of neglect and decay in one year or two years. It’s going to take us a few years to make a significant impact on the community roads,” he stated.
To manage public expectations, Browne reiterated the resource constraints and the extensive time required to complete the repairs.
“I just want to address the flaw of expectation that we can fix all of the roads at the same time. First of all, there are resource constraints, and secondly, the time to get it done because there are so many bad roads.”
Despite these challenges, the Prime Minister assured the public that his administration is committed to accelerating roadworks.
“We have accelerated the work that we’re doing on these community roads so that there will be significant improvements in a number of communities,” he said.
Browne also praised Minister Maria Browne for her relentless efforts in securing additional resources to expedite road repairs.
“Minister Browne, in particular, comes to Cabinet on a weekly basis requesting additional resources as she seeks to expedite the repairs and expansion of a number of roads throughout the island,” he added.
Prime Minister Browne reiterating his call for patience and understanding from the public as the government continues its efforts to improve the nation’s road infrastructure.
“We are committed to fixing these roads, but it is going to take some time,” he affirmed.
Listen to his radio interview below with Aziza Lake:
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When ever the government embarks on a particular road rehabilitation, it doesn’t make sense to start the road and then leave it unfinished to go start another road. There are some roads in Antigua that have been started almost ten years ago and remain unfinished up to now. And government needs to hire knowledgeable people to carry out the road rehabilitation. I’ve seen poor design, inadequate or non-existent drainage, and lots of shabby work. And it’s high time we stop building gutters or drains across the roads, thus causing havoc to vehicles trying to navigate. Build box drains or install culverts below the road surface. And please build roads to last longer than five years. It’s too costly to build to last such a short time. We need to get it right.
only now are tou want to fix the frigging roads a wa are you mean fu do, the big ditches and holes on Fig Tree Drive, All Saints Road, in St John’s had been in need of repairs so long
only now you want to fix the frigging roads a wa are you mean fu do, the big ditches and holes on Fig Tree Drive, All Saints Road, in St John’s had been in need of repairs so long
10 years is a damm long time, as a government you don’t make excuses, excuses in my opinion are lies. You as a government don’t care. The people who support you are as ignorant as you are and can’t see the forest for the trees. All you care about is is how much money you can pocket and has no shame. In what civilized world do you hear of a PM is the treasure. That indicates something is fishy.
@ PM Gaston Brown
The country of Antigua and Barbuda never existed prior to March 2004, it only started from then. Antiguans were just living in a vacuum. I could remember that the years leading up to 2004 Lester Bird could hardly pay salaries. The country was grinding to a halt. Antigua was stuck and going through the motion.
There’s no other country with the patience of Antiguans, especially after 40-odd years of Birdism and Browneism – and now Gassssston asking we to wait longer?
IS HE MAD??? OH WAIT!
How much has he benefited from each project? All these are construction and that’s why I asked.
If you are still using these tired excuses after a decade in office, respectfully you don’t deserve your offices. We have had enough excuses…our roads are in a deplorable condition. Do better!
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