(Pointe Xpress)
The State of Emergency (SoE) that has been in place in Antigua and Barbuda since the end of March this year has been extended until March 31, 2021.
This followed the adoption of a motion by the House of Representatives to extend the provisions of the State of Emergency to at least the end of the first quarter of 2021.
The measure is being implemented by the government as part of its ongoing effort to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus which is now responsible for five deaths in the country; three local and two imported.
The country has recorded 148 confirmed cases and there are five active cases. In tabling the motion, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said extending the SoE was necessary as the government must continue measures to contain the spread of the virus.
“Whereas the government of Antigua and Barbuda is satisfied that the continued effectiveness of the various protocols and measures to control the dangerous effective disease requires that the state of emergency be continued for a further period of three months or until the 31st March, 2021,” the motion stated.
Browne said it is important that the government keep the measures in place even though several vaccines will become available next year.
He underscored the importance of keeping the country’s active cases low in light of the fact that a sense of normality will return to the world by the end of the first quarter of 2021.
Browne said the United States and other countries will likely urge their citizens to avoid travel to countries with high rates of infection in favour of destinations which have managed to contain the spread of the disease.
Both members of the parliamentary opposition – Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle and the member for Barbuda, Trevor Walker – vociferously opposed the extension of the State of Emergency.
Pringle said it represents an infringement of the personal freedoms of citizens and residents. Walker, on the other hand, contended that health protocols can be enforced without extending the State of Emergency.
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Poor Mr. Pringle. Everytime he goes to Parliament he is making a fool of himself.
Yesterday he claimed It was better to borrow money from the IMF then from the local bank. Eventhough the bill said consolidation of loans. He still thought government was getting a new loan. And even if it were so it was better to give the business to a local institution than to the IMF, which by the way comes with harsh conditions.
Today he says the state of emergency is to only to keep the UPP from having public rallies. How dumber can he get. What a shame. That is what the UPP calls representation. Well what can I say the people of Allsaints and St. Luke must have seen something good in him.
It is a new loan to consolidate(payoff) other Loans.The new loan has an 11% interest rate.Gaston Browne did say.He would borrow Antigua and Barbuda out of debt.Do you remember that Sidelines.
FROM THE SIDELINE I always thought that you were a so-called financial wizard like your mentor Gaston Browne. Pringle is right. The consolidation of government debt at ACB is like a new loan that is why Gaston Browne is complaining about the new interst rate of 11%. Please stop criticizing if you don’t know what you are talking about. Also, Trevor Walker is right. You do not need a state of emergency to implement the covid protocols since they can be implemented under the Public Heslth Act. However, you need a state of emergency to lawfully restrict a citizen’s fundamental rights under the Constitution and that is exactly what the government is doing.
@Charles Tabor…then of such is the case, that the Government is using the “state of emergency to restrict a citizen’s fundamental rights under the constitution,” why don’t you as a citizen along with other citizens who are legal beagles get together, and challenge this state of EMERGENCY in the courts?
It wouldn’t cost you a ‘#FARThing,’ maybe some time, and yes time is money but there should be plenty of that, time on hand due to this #Pan? #Plan? #Epi? DEMIC.
You and Pringle need to go back to school and I will not waste time to educate you all. Tabor, I said it before when I was at school I had very little tolerance for dummies that held up the class from moving on. Slow learners should go after school to the teacher to get additional classes. You and Tabor belong to the same group of slow learner. Does the bank have to give out monies again. HELL NO. It is an administrative action. I have three loan at different interest rates. I consolidate these in one with new loan with new terms, much more favarable to my CASHFLOW. It may have the same effect in the end because the bank is not going to short change themself. I just need to have my monthly commitments lowered. So were I had perhaps five more years to go at lets say 10% I now have 10 more years to go at 5%. A longer period for the bank but they are getting the same or more money. And it makes it easier for me to pay. So as per your legal terms the old loans are paid off the new loan is given. No money is passing hands. new terms new interest rates everyone happy. Except You and Pringle. Sorry but I cannot make it simpler than that. You know if I were to advise the government, I would not have negotiated with the same bank. I would have gone to another institution nd look for a lower rate and then come back to ACB and ask them to make a better offer. That way you would have put banks to compete with each other.
Remember I said the only term of the ABIB agreement I did not like was that ECAB was socalled refinancing your existing loan. And the way loan annuities work is that in the first years the majority of the interest is paid. So ABIB has collected most of the interest already. Now comes ECAB and they start from scratch refinancing your loan starting again with taking in the first years the bulk of the interest. Meanwhile your Principal is not hardly moving. And many people find themselves still owning large sums on mortgages. So if you had lets say in 2000 plan to retire a mortgage in 25 years you may find yourself in lots of problems cause it just been exended to 30 years instead. Because ECAB took the balance of the Principal and did their annuity in such as way that your monthly payments remained the same but your periods became longer. (My blood pressure is rising cause this is pure theft nd trickery) from the bank. I argue this point with Hazel the then manager.
The State of emergency is a joke, it is a way of control of the people of Antigua, we are being enslaved by our government! There is no good reason for it! It is a way for our ministers to get rich by making Syrians to bring in bracelets to further enslave us. Gaston have to go or we going to die slaves again
Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
There is going to come a time words is not going to be enough for changes. There is less minister of government than the population of Antigua and Barbuda until we learn and empower ourselves and move in unity and fight against the wicked people in high places and put politics aside,their will be no freedom. We cannot allow history to repeat itself with these nefarious leaders.
Some changes come about by action its radical times it call for radical changes to remove the stronghold and strongman
People are allowed to travel from high risk countries and we are held hostage with this fake care, it is all phycology .
Time for people to arise out of there slumber!
THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM’S MASTER PLAN: THE GREAT REST
It appears that the WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM are incapable of respecting Honesty, Integrity & Justice & just wish to extend their fraudulent grip on The World Economy to a higher level of Fascist control.
Their own psychopathic greed combined with obsessive compulsive disorder and their obliteration of God is driving their perverted desire to enslave the people of the world. Their World Carbon Tax based on fake Climate Change Data & their Fake Coronavirus Lockdown shows no attempt to reconcile any damage they have inflicted in the past on the planet with their use of World War & Fraud for International resource theft & societal change.
Their inability to understand any basic human values or Planetary Laws makes them a group of the most dangerous criminals in the World.
Cannot go to IMF for money because when it cannot be paid back LAND cannot be given in lieu of cash to IMF but LAND can be given to ACB in lieu of cash.
State of Emergency is to prevent opposition marches or motor cades. I just remember one can only get COVID between 11 p.m and 5 a.m when there are less activities on the roads. Dam Dunces.
STOP BEING AFRAID – THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW – FIGHT THE EVIL
Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
FROM THE SIDELINE the financial wizard like Gaston Browne, the consolidation of several loans into one is a new loan with new terms etc such as new interest rate and maturity period. You have the answered the matter but still remains confused.
Where ignorance is bliss it is folly to be wise, so I will remain a dummy and one of the slow students of the class.
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