HURST REPORTS ON CABINET of Friday 25 April 2025

The Cabinet held discussions with the General Manager of the Antigua Port Authority regarding brisker trade with one of the dynamic economies of the Caribbean—the Dominican Republic. A trade agreement was signed several years ago; however, the trade between the Dominican Republic and Antigua and Barbuda is fueled in large part by the presence of a significant population of Dominicanos residing in Antigua.

The Port’s General Manager explained that two shipping lines serve Antigua from the Spanish-speaking country each week and that their exports to the Eastern Caribbean could be vastly improved, especially if trade with the US is retarded because of tariff increases.

The shipping lines land 40 containers in Antigua each week, and 20 other containers proceed to other islands in the Caribbean. Many products from Central and South America are brought by these ships directly from Santo Domingo; if US-imposed tariffs cause goods transiting the USA to become significantly more expensive, then the General Manager proposes that many more items can be purchased directly from suppliers in Central or South America.

The Minister of Trade is charged with the responsibility, by the Cabinet, to begin exploring the possibility of utilizing the vessels docking in Antigua from the Dominican Republic to bring additional items of trade directly to Antigua. In order to achieve this end, an expert team has been appointed to study the greater likelihood of success of a trade link with the Dominican Republic, with the possibility of a bilateral agreement with the Port of St. John’s and the Port of Santo Domingo.

The Cabinet invited Global Capital Caribbean to address the members on the possible construction of a US$1.2 billion resort that would include an agricultural component. The firm and its parent company have engaged in investments in several countries in North America, Europe, and Africa, and are currently constructing a hotel in St. Lucia. There, the resort is eco-friendly and on the seashore but has large agricultural lands where more than 100 medicinal plants are being nurtured. Utilizing the wisdom of the St. Lucian Traditional Medicine Men and trained Medical Doctors, the hotel will offer spas, rehabilitative treatment, and traditional medicines.

The Cabinet invited Wyclef Jean and his manager to greet them while here in Antigua. He was scheduled to perform at the closing ceremony of the CIS Investment Summit held here in Antigua from Wednesday 23 – Friday 25 April 2025. The Cabinet congratulated Prime Minister Gaston Browne, the CIP Unit and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a magnificent conference which brought three Prime Ministers, an Attorney General from St. Kitts and Nevis, and scores of diverse agents from all over the world to Antigua for the three-day event. It has been highly rated by all participants who value the CIP programmes emanating from the OECS countries.

The Cabinet listened intently to a proposal put forward by a very successful agent of Antigua and Barbuda’s CIP programme. The agent proposed a much higher cost to be imposed on investors who would seek Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by differentiating them from other CIP citizens. The Cabinet asked the Ministry of Legal Affairs to examine the proposal in order to ensure it conforms to the letter and spirit of Antigua and Barbuda law. The high regard for Antigua and Barbuda citizenship is evident by the increasing demand which the CIU has reported, as required by law; and, therefore, no uncertain outcomes with the CIP are contemplated.

The issue of utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all manner of human endeavor remains uppermost in the minds of Cabinet members. The UWI Five Islands Campus is specializing in the understanding and promotion of AI in a variety of fields. In partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cabinet has agreed to set up a committee of experts on AI who will examine cross-cutting technologies and systems that could further the development of Antigua and Barbuda, and place the University at the forefront of this new technology in our Caribbean.

The Minister Responsible for Urban Development and St. John’s Development Corporation (SJDC) has been successful at winning the cooperation of vendors to move into the Public Market and other places, away from sidewalks in and around the St. John’s Fruit and Vegetable Market. Both pedestrians and vehicular traffic are able to move in and around the crowded space free of clutter on the sidewalks. A further plan is afoot to remove the fence around the Fisheries Market in order to enable easier contact with foot traffic on Lower Valley Road west of the VC Bird bust. 45 minute parking permits are going to be instituted to allow for shopping within the market complex. On Saturdays only, the Lower All Saints Road traffic, east of the VC Bird bust all the way up to Vivian Richards Street, will be closed off to foot traffic only until 12:00 noon. Vendors will be permitted to sell their wares and produce on the sidewalks on Saturdays.

The Cabinet has fulsome praise for the athletes from Antigua and Barbuda who participated in the CARIFTA Games held in Trinidad. The team received 2 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze medal in their various competitions.

 The Antigua Sailing Week commences this coming weekend and concludes on Saturday the 3rd of May 2025. Monday 5th May is Labour Day. It will mark the 74th Labour Day celebrated in Antigua and Barbuda since the first in 1951.