Browne Says Antigua’s ‘Empowerment Capitalism’ Model Keeps Wealth at Home
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has defended his administration’s policy of government shareholding in key sectors, arguing it is a deliberate strategy to strengthen national ownership and reduce dependence on foreign capital.
Speaking on Pointe FM, Browne said his government’s approach—coined “empowerment capitalism”—ensures profits are reinvested locally to drive faster development. “We’re not selling our asset. We want to build the national asset base. We want to have pride of ownership,” he said, stressing that both individual and collective ownership were vital to Antigua and Barbuda’s future growth.
The prime minister highlighted state stakes in banks, including an almost 80% shareholding in Caribbean Union Bank, and in hotels such as Halcyon and Heritage, as examples of the policy in action. He argued that small island states with limited private sector capacity must rely on government participation in order to secure major investments.
Browne warned that over-reliance on foreign capital creates an “extractive model” in which profits flow out of the country, leaving less money for local development. While insisting that foreign investment remains important, he said national ownership was the only way to retain wealth.
He also drew parallels with the United States, pointing to former President Donald Trump’s announcement of government investment in technology giant Intel. Browne said this vindicated Antigua and Barbuda’s approach, which critics in the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) had previously dismissed as misguided.
Originally described as “entrepreneurial socialism,” the model was rebranded to avoid political stigma. Browne insists it is homegrown and central to his government’s long-term vision.
He claimed the strategy is already bearing fruit, noting that local banks ECAB and ACB generated more than EC$110 million in profits in a single year, funds that remain within the national economy. According to Browne, Antigua and Barbuda’s per capita income has now surpassed EC$60,000, placing the country on a trajectory towards developed status within the next two decades if the policy continues.
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Oh yeah! You stop it Gaston, because while your model of empowerment is for white people, trump model is for white people too, so you are helping trump, you see how trump call out the national guard army against the civilian, so too you Gaston call out the defense force and police riot squad against Antiguans refusing vaccine and the Barbuda people to secure PLH red necks on pristine beach front lands, and just like how trump free up all his racist pals and cut tax on them so their wealth can increase, so you go to parliament for PLH buffer zone and tax break on land transfer fee and YEDA concessions and your political gang self enrichment.
Trump is totally different than you Gaston he loves america, he is deporting people that are undesirables, but in Antigua we are calling for Mexicans and Caribbean nationals just for votes, and mine you I understand the veracity of the votes, you don’t want to go to prison so it is cover your @$$ .
Trump love america!
Gaston hate Antigua!
Especially Barbuda!
Gaston suffer the police of boding utility housing that they have to be house by people of the acronym or abbreviation “PLH” whom the police know nothing about.
Could be drug pushers and mafia behind the company and police are affiliated with them, protecting their buffer zone, as soon as a black skin appear near the PLH beach as Gaston has bequeath upon them, the police have to assiduously move out their with machine guns against council members elderlies or child of Barbuda to appease white people and Gaston. The police even do private jobs at PLH.
One time they had someone who purchase this glass that makes you look invisible when you stand behind it to scare the locals away.
Trump for america, not even visa we can get to america, but white mafia and other Caribbean people can just come here after a life of criminality, I understand that it’s the deported Mexicans from out of the USA Gaston is paid to accept here smartly, so he fool us and say they are trade men.
Shhhhhhhh so why are they selling land which is the most lucrative asset on the planet?
One jackass following the other jackass. Trump is empowering whites so are you
😂..I don’t need to add anything, GB has said enough.. 🤣
Bro… Please saying socialism doesn’t make your policies good. Socialism is about serving the needs of the working class the majority in the country. As much I really enjoyed the news when I first heard W.I oil was owned by Antigua gov. It doesn’t even feel like we do because, what is happening with the money from it? No clue. But you’re doing the “capitalism” part right having the your rich circle benefit and profit by selling out the land and people of your country but the “empowerment” is just lip service.
If you really cared about empowerment you wouldn’t be trying to empower Barbuda out of their land, all the empowering you have done is empower mole to close down Social Security building then complain when you have them in rent saying you want to turn the car park into offices to they have offices when their are more than enough building closed.
You empowered to car park to be rotting there while refuse to finish it.
Empowered bills to continue to rise while fun of Past efforts of making a public power plant. I wonder why you never tried continuing it?
Empowering clinics to close and much more don’t try to give lip service only person you’re fooling is yourself because you’re so out of touch you never know what people actually go through