The United Progressive Party (UPP) announced tonight, a series of measures aimed at reducing the cost of living.
A recent CADRES poll put the cost of living as the biggest concern for residents going into the March 21st general election.
UPP Leader Harold Lovell told the launch of his party’s 2018 election campaign, that if returned to office, his party will “reduce by 50 percent the annual vehicle license fee” and radio fee “in an attempt to ease the squeeze.”
His party plans to remove the Antigua Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) on all sim cards, prescription readings glasses and funeral expenses.
“We are giving help where help is needed,” he said.
Lovell says a new UPP government will reduce water rates by 50 percent for all CMC certified farmers “along with reduced electricity and internet costs.”
A former finance minister, Lovell says his party will increase the number of goods that fall under price control.
He said within two weeks of returning to office, “we are going to reduce all energy prices.”
“Week after next, gasoline is going to be reduced to $10 and gasoline $9.90 a gallon,” the UPP leader said, adding there will be a 25 percent reduction in the APUA fuel variation charge.
“That will reduce the cost of electricity and we will peg fuel to the international price of oil on the international market.”
He said ABST will be removed from cell phones tablets, desktops and laptops computers for private use.
Lovell has given a timeline of “within 90 days” to conclude salary increase negotiations for public servants and said long overdue back pay will be cleared by the end of 2018.
Pensions will increase in tandem with inflation, public housing will be on a rent to own basis, better internet, and corporate taxes will be reduced to 12 percent are also among promises by the main opposition party.
“This is how we going to help people, this is the party that cares, this is the party with a social conscience,” he told supporters.
Barbuda, English Harbour, Jolly Habour and Redcliffe Quay have all been identified by the UPP as possible Duty-Free Zones.
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Sunlight. We welcome the sunlight. Thank you UPP. Oh What a night. Thank you Jesus.
what sunlight?? The people remember all too well “GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE” and what that “Sunshine Government” did to emaciate Antigua & Barbuda. It is for this reason that the UPP will lose come March 21
Barbara types this crap everyday and laughs… She knows the UPP will never get the chance to destroy this country again so pay her no mind jus laugh LOL
Look ah now this comedy show really sweet
When you remove all the taxes lower the price of petrol, do away with CIP, WHERE WILL THE REVENUE COME FROM TO RUN THE COUNTRY? WILL YOU INTRODUCE NEW TAXES WITH A NEW NAME LIKE HOPE? lol iF SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL LEAVE US WITH THE OTHER TAXES BECAUSE WE DONE USE TO DEM. CHUPS
No he will run to his friends at the IMF they ready and waiting for us
Wow again the same kang Fu and song. UPPITES take us as fool’s… thinking we suffer from amnesia….but we’re much smarter and educated… Goosh we remember 2004-2014 the same old songs… we aren’t dancing to that…come outta dat… coming in ya dis…. Oops I remember….. wheel and come again…. You aren’t convincing…. U HEAR LIES DAT IS LIES……
hahahaha i like that.. UPP taking ppl for fools..
The same tax that they put on they now want to take off and he talking about own to rent why when we gave them 10 years none of that come in play? i have not even heard any thing about any investors, where upp getting funds from? oh yes add more tax. Antiguans don’t be fooled.
Nothing new same tone from 2004 them.think we forget. Who Lovell and his Merry men really trying to fool oh yeah these good folk who constantly on this site singing their prasies.
Well i see alot of people blind and also cant hear cause i remember gaston promise so many things and you guys still dancing to the same song lol
Same could be said about the UPP in 2004 and 2009 that is the job of a politician just fool fool people.
Well well promises promises. I guess its silly season again. Now lets look at reasonableness of things. They did not cut the license for vehicles and they couldn’t manage Transport Board. They actually run it into the ground. So how now they will run it with have less the monies. And I didn’t know people have a problem in paying their license fees approx. $600 for an entire year for an SUV. Before 2004 they said we have enough taxes on the books and they would have cut that wicket fuel variation charge. Well we know what happened there. They never mentioned Personal Income Tax yet they brought it on us first as a stabilization fund, then craftily making it permanent. Telling us how everyone else in the world paying income tax so why not we. The they raise the price of cooking gas 20 lbs cylinder from $21 to $32 dollars. I mean this was when I know they did not care about poor people. Because this was something that affected everyone but poor people the most. And the price of oil kept raising and raising even though we saw drop in world prices. Only when losing office they suddenly started caring about these things. Lovell just is a Fraud and you can look at his face and see that. He lies with a straight face. Has never taken any blame for anything under his stewardship as the minister of finance. Not even to tell us what happened to the millions of dollars for Romantic Rhythm. At least Spencer was bold enough the other day to offer himself as the sacrificial lamb of the parties 2014 failure. But Spencer should realize it is a bit too late to have done that. Lovell was Minister of Finance and Lovell should take the majority of the blame of how the economy was run and not Baldwin. He Baldwin should take he blame of being a bad leader. Because if you have a minister with a bad track record year after year and you fail to replace him that means you cannot lead. Because the box stops with you. And you need to make the changes necessary. Brown didn’t hesitated to take out Asot when the time came. Very decisive. So will we be fooled with Pie in the SKY Promises? HELL NO, NOT THIS TIME LOVELL. Wheel and come again
I agree 100% with want you say. Lovell never accepts responsibly for anything. Like his favrote excuse “World Economic Crisis”
Now that’s the Governance needed! Unlike some unrealistic promises like 500 houses in 500 days unrealistic
….and where does he plan to get the money from to do all of this if he is planning to remove abst and reduce business taxes. Please Mr. Lovell just apologize to Miss Masaiah and let her take over jack you are just an embarssment to the UPP
OK I have just read this article and all I can say is I thought GB was crazy but HL tek de cake. Sine he feel so generous with removing taxes and lowering fuel pruces hope he put back cooking gas from $32.00 to $21.00. (BTW he was the one to rise it). Hope he remove to 10% compounding RRC tax. Hope you nar give Butch Stewart and company 60% of the ABST collected or give him Long Bay. Just sign us permanently to the IMF let us be like Jamaica who can’t get out ( no matter how much weed or boxite they export to the USA). Smh I’m sooooo dissapointed in you HL this is why I was rooting for Joanne to be leader but you badplay her then throw her out. That sealed your faith. Not u HL you nar be PM. I reather stick to GB at lease he have to guts to tell people as it is. Not be a wishy washy puppet leader like the former PM.
All of you who saying Lovell making outlandish promises, and where the money coming from, I hope you all heard your worlbass on ABS saying some of these things will be implemented immediately by his government. So it took Lovell to bring these things up and now he running way with dem.
I know I’m going to be cyberbullied after this because the UPP supporters think that the party is God and they did no wrong. The UPP lost their way. Under the leader Harold Lovell I only see a bunch of aggront men who miss the wealth and power. I mean look at how Joanne Massiah was treated and she gain the largest victory on behalf of the UPP in 2014. I keep reading who the supports of that party refer to Gaston Browne as a dictator but they need to clean there own house before they start pointing fingers. Under the stewardship of the leader of the UPP Antigua went through the biggest finical crisis worst that when Hurricanes Luis and George level the island and the fearless leader kept singing one song Title The World Economic Crisis. He could not even pay workers on time. He borrow money from all over and then did not pay it back. Look at the Half Moon Bay drama less we forget he Mr. Lovell was that wicked woman lawyer and when he get power he nah pay she. I could go on and on the show the failure of the UPP but that is just wasting time because in the eyes of their supporters they did no wrong on Gaston Brown wrong cause he did not complete the 500 house. Me can bet some of them were the first to sign up so maybe that why them a cuss so. Anyway I’m not supporting a selffish person like Harold Lovell and the resin is simple for his treatment of Joanne Massiah. You calling Gaston a dictator you better watch Lovell.
I’m sick of all You Foolish Antiguans…Red or Blue. .. maybe it’s time to give someone else a change cause they both have done the same value of wrong. None of them should be given a chance to run Antigua or it will always end up in problems. Just give it a rest and stop replying trying to cover for a party…crap u people make me sick. ..some people just love hardship and some just live off of knowing that ABLP or UPP in power…nothing more. Give it a rest..chupes
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