2009 Throne Speech

Madam President and Members of the Senate;

Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

It is again my distinct pleasure to present the Speech from the Throne to the combined houses of our Parliament; and to the nation.

As we draw close to the constitutionally mandated dissolution of this Parliament, with the contingent issuance of writs for elections in the country’s seventeen electoral constituencies, today’s State Opening of the Sixth Session of Parliament of my Government’s First term is of particular significance.

The focus of my preceding presentations at the State Opening of the Parliamentary Session might have been on my Government’s agenda for the year ahead.

It is, at this time, the obligation of my Government to also give account for its stewardship in its first term.

These matters affect all in our society and are therefore of interest to the entire nation, as well as to those foreign governments, institutions and individual investors with which Antigua and Barbuda is engaged in trade, development, business; and other international affairs.

I speak with you today in a national and global environment unlike anything that has preceded our present time and circumstances.

Emerging economies are struggling against the lingering impact of the steep and sustained increases in oil prices the world has endured; together with high food prices and other inflationary pressures.

The most powerful nations of the world are confronted by these crises; as well as by financial chaos of an unprecedented level, and by consequential contracting economies.

In our region, the strongest economy in the Caribbean is facing increasing inflation; critical job loss; contraction of the economy; and curtailment of
major social programmes; and suspension of public sector capital investment projects.

The forecast for tourism, which is the lifeline of our own economy, is decidedly less than encouraging.

Antigua and Barbuda, like so many of our sister Caribbean nations, is victim to the globalization, and the regionalisation, of crime.

Criminal deportees from North America and from the United Kingdom are a significant factor in the surge in crime in the region.

Antigua and Barbuda is by no means insulated from this specific problem. There is, however, comfort in the fact that from its inauguration, and throughout its tenure, to date, my Government has proven uniquely proficient in managing the economic crisis it inherited.

This means that my Government is well equipped to navigate the challenging economic vortex that is threatening to engulf so many countries; many of them bigger, wealthier and stronger than ours. At all times, and in all circumstances, and particularly at this time, it is eminently desirable that citizens and government should bond in lasting and productive partnership in order to best serve the common good, the nation’s purpose.

In our adversarial political system, however, such an alliance is often little more than an elusive ideal.

In our current pre-election season, the inevitable polarisation along political
lines truly tests the proposition of the government/citizen partnership. Notwithstanding this, the brotherly love we extended to one another during
the passage of Hurricane Omar last month is manifestly inherent in the character of our people.

The generous character and the spirit of community of our people came sharply into focus in the aftermath of the destructive deluge associated with Hurricane Omar.

My Government salutes those volunteers, community leaders and the ordinary men and women on the streets who came out and demonstrated
brotherly love.

This brings the first verse of National Anthem, which truly defines the spirit
and the character of the Antiguan and Barbudan people, to mind:

We thy sons and daughters stand,
Strong and firm in peace or danger
To safe guard our native land.
We commit ourselves to building
A true nation brave and free.
Ever striving ever seeking,
Dwell in love and unity.

On the strength of these words, my Government has successfully built a solid foundation for Antigua and Barbuda with an agenda to always keep people first as the guiding principle.

My government has maintained a solid agenda for the people and throughout the next parliamentary year firmly pledges to stay on track – and moving the country forward, in the right direction.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;

Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

As a key imperative, my Government has sought over the past four and a half years to restore the Antigua and Barbuda economy to fiscal health and stability.

The focus has been on innovative fiscal and institutional reforms; while implementing policies and programmes that encouraged direct private investment and overall private sector development.

This is in keeping with my Government’s stated policy of competitive, market driven growth and development.

As is well established, my Government’s strategies to correct serious fiscal imbalances and to bring about economic stabilisation have been notably successful.

The successes were driven by my Government’s tax reform strategy in creating a simplified and more efficient tax system.

This involved the introduction of modern tax measures and the removal and reduction of a multiple taxes; including the consumption tax, hotel taxes, and the telecommunication tax.

To support the tax reform programme, my Government strengthened the revenue collecting agencies through legislative reforms.

This was parallel with institutional strengthening programmes that produced highly improved technical and human resource capacities. My Government’s fiscal reform programme also comprises a public sector reform component which focuses on enhancing public sector efficiency and improving expenditure management.

In the coming year, my Government will continue to focus on ensuring enhanced efficiencies in revenue administration.

Programmes to bring about greater reforms, effectiveness and efficiencies in the operation of the public sector will be augmented in the coming year.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

The success of the fiscal reform programme was made possible by the support and technical and financial assistance from various international and regional donor and development agencies.

Their support of and confidence in my Government’s policies have been
invaluable and the Government is very grateful for their participation in this
programme.

This underlines the fact that very early in its tenure, my Government succeeded, beyond expectation, placing our country in good standing in the international community.

Along with the successful fiscal reform programme, my Government created an enabling macroeconomic environment to encourage investment and private sector development.

This involved reducing the corporate income tax, small business development legislation, and establishing the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority – a one-stop-shop for investment.

These various interventions helped to expand the level of foreign direct
investment flows into Antigua and Barbuda and helped to promote strong
economic performance in recent years.

In the coming year, the Government will continue to develop and implement policies and programmes to position the private sector as the engine of growth in Antigua and Barbuda.

Implementation of the Small Business Development Act and providing support to the manufacturing sector will be important areas of focus for the Government in 2009.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;

Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

My Government has had to address a number of challenges, particularly
during the earlier part of this year.

Like many other countries, Antigua and Barbuda has had to deal with the devastating impact of significant increases in the prices of oil and staple foods such as wheat, rice, barley, and corn.

My Government was, however, able to quickly respond to these price shocks and to limit the impact on the public by increasing the basket of essential goods that are exempt from the ABST; and removing or reducing duties and other taxes in order to cushion the public against these international price shocks.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

In 2008, the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety, in collaboration with the
Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications, launched a comprehensive programme that activated the deployment of a modern, digital two-way radio system for several key Government agencies.

Under the Public Safety Communications Network, hundreds of radios have been deployed across key public safety and national security agencies including the Police, Fire Brigade, Defense Force, Coast Guard, the Emergency Medical Services and the Office of National Drug Control and Money Laundering Policy.
Police vehicles and police stations have also been equipped with this latest
technology.

A state of the art emergency 911 Center, which will augment the use of the radio system is nearing completion. The first group of 911 operators has already completed training, and in the coming weeks, our country will be serviced by a highly competent emergency 911 response centre.

In 2009, my Government will continue to equip policemen and women and the police stations with the latest in computerized and telecommunications equipment.

Other key agencies will also benefit from the Public Safety Communications Network.

This will include the National Office of Disaster Service and Her Majesty’s Prison; where new technologies will be deployed to augment the security at these institutions.

My Government will spare no effort in providing key public sector agencies with the latest in crime fighting technology.

In 2009, my Government will commence the deployment of a Closed Circuit TV System at key locations around the country.

Using advances in wireless technology which are already available in Antigua and Barbuda, my Government will boost the existing Public

Safety Communications Network with the installation of cameras in the city and in the sub-urban areas; as well as in locations where they will have the highest crime deterrence value as well as the highest crime solving value.

My Government acknowledges that in order to restore full public trust and
confidence in the police, a number of measures must be undertaken by both government and the Police Force.

Early in the New Year, Government will move to increase the visibility of the police in communities and in particular, in crime “hotspots.”

This will be an ongoing exercise as it will involve an increase in the number
of police officers of the force. This will be done through year round recruitment and training.

The Longfords Police Training School will operate year round, providing continuous training for new recruits and refresher courses to enlisted officers.
The training of the fire brigade will also be separated from the training of the police to allow for better targeting and in-depth treatment of relevant issues. Emphasis will be placed on social policing, including incentive schemes, where the police engage in meaningful social interaction with the people in the communities whom they serve.

This will help to address the current confrontational nature of the interaction with the public and contribute to restoring public trust. My Government will continue to implement measures for human resource management proposed in the Breau Report.

This will include job descriptions for all categories of the force; strengthening the recruitment process; and introducing a performance and promotion system in order to ensure transparent incentive policies and improve career paths and opportunities.

My Government will also continue the institutionalization of police units that are tasked with receiving victims of gender-based violence, violence against children, homicide and crime scene investigations.

These units will receive specific training in how to relate to such victims and crimes. Immediately in the New Year, efforts will be concentrated on female police officers as they relate to children and to gender based crimes.

In order to fully tackle incidence of crime, the upgrading of the forensic capacity and the resource base of criminal investigations in general will be addressed.

This will ensure the production of evidence that can hold up at trial. From within the police force, measures will be introduced to ensure firm handling of disciplinary cases within the ranks; with public visibility of such action, in order to restore public trust.

The administration of justice is closely related to curbing crime.

My Government will thus move to improve access to justice by changing the regulations of the Public Legal Aid System so that it may also provide legal aid in criminal justice proceedings.

Further efforts will also be made to formulate a programme to tackle root causes that drive young people to criminal activity.

There is a crying need for creative and innovative approaches to crime prevention and for integrating offenders who have paid their dues into the society.

The introduction of mechanisms and systems for collecting and using hard data to inform and facilitate evidence-based policy making will be a priority in the coming year.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

My Government will introduce measures to strengthen the Probation Unit engaged in prison rehabilitation.

In addition, my Government will deal with the issue of young offenders,
with the objective of preventing their incarceration with harden criminals in
the prison system.

My Government will also take further steps to improve the quality of the police prosecution services and will ultimately assess whether police prosecution should be replaced with an independent prosecution service.

In the interim, training of the police prosecution team will continue; with
assistance from the United Kingdom government.

My Government believes that in order to fully address the issue of crime and its prevention, there is a need to establish an inter-institutional coordination and consultation mechanism concerned with urgent and strategic interrelated criminal justice reform and policy issues.

This will include ministries and governmental bodies outside the justice sector, with mandates and capacities to respond to the broader social and political issues that can to preventing criminal behaviour.

The Ministries of Health, Education and Social Transformation, the Church and the media will be included in these exercises.

In this regard, my Government has secured the services of the United Nations, and in particular UNDP and UNODC to provide technical assistance in capacity development, detailed assessment of the legal framework to create a consolidated and harmonized legislative reform, institutional development and coordination among the police, justice institutions, institutions engaged in social development, transformation, health and education.

My Government will also place emphasis on youth leadership and development, with a focus on values and attitude education to build a culture of peace; stimulating volunteerism and mentorship through a Peace Ambassadors Programme; providing employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through skills development, micro-enterprise development and school-to-work transition; and strengthening youth leadership through opportunities for meaningful youth public participation and active citizenship.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

My Government’s legislative emphasis during the last Parliamentary Session was on fiscal incentives which sought to stimulate the expansion of home construction, alleviate the tax squeeze by exempting a basket of essential goods, provide financial concessionary packages for local business entrepreneurs, widen financial incentives for investors with sound business plans, and broaden our corporate jurisdictional appeal to overseas financial entities.

Reform of Family Law is underway, with a new and comprehensive approach to maintenance of the nation’s children and the visitation rights ofun-wed fathers.
This gives flesh to my Government’s belief that it takes a family to bring up
a child.

My Government has toughened the sentences related to the importation, trafficking, and sale of prohibited drugs; which have long been associated with serious criminal activity.

My Government has also eliminated inadequacies that existed in our money laundering and prevention of terrorism laws.

My Government’s reform of Family law will continue apace in the New Year with the introduction of the Adoption of Children Act to replace the current 1944 statute.

The 1944 statute has long outlived its usefulness, and the long-promised Juvenile Justice Act, with its emphasis on supervised community service, in place of prison sentences will be enacted.

In this process my Government is part of a CARICOM study and legal drafting initiative which is being spearheaded by UNI-FEM, to whom weare most grateful.

It is my Government’s intention to continue with its reform agenda in the delivery of Justice with the introduction of a new Jury Act.

The new Jury Act will allow for greater participation by, along with secure protection for, persons selected for jury duty; and who play a key but unsung role in the administration of justice.

Additionally, the draft of the new Evidence Act is now complete and, with its passage into law, will introduce major changes in the admission of evidence and the recognition of technology as evidential proof during criminal trials. Last year, my Government promised legislation addressing the issue of deportees entering the State and the mandatory deportation of noncitizens who are convicted of serious crimes.

This is scheduled for early implementation as my Government tightens the country’s security and safety mechanisms; particularly in light of the recently discovered cases of identity and passport fraud, which haveseriously compromised national security.

My Government renews its pledge to repeal and replace the fragmented Immigration and Passport Act to expand the categories of persons who can obtain Temporary Residence status, and to create a border control regime that is easier to manage and administer by our dedicated team of Immigration Officers.

Given the volume and significance of immigrant flows into Antigua and
Barbuda, my Government attaches urgent priority to the establishment of a
Naturalization and Facilitation Unit.

The Naturalization and Facilitation Unit will assist in the timely and compassionate processing of applications for work permits and residency for bona fide applicants.

The Naturalization and Facilitation Unit will also assist in integrating new residents and work permit holders into the country’s education and social services network.

The Naturalization and Facilitation Unit derived directly from my Government’s fundamental commitment to put people first; the core belief that there should be no second class citizens; and the resolve that no one should be left behind.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

My Government recognizes the universal truth that independence of the Judiciary is paramount in any democracy.

To this end, the Ministries of Justice and Legal Affairs will be working closely with the OECS Supreme Court Authority with the aim of integrating the Magistracy within the higher Judiciary to provide security of tenure, proper management of judicial time, and some measure of accountability to the Chief Justice as head of the Judiciary.

Once finalized as an OECS effort, the required legislation will be introduced in Parliament to ensure full administrative separation between the Executive and the Magistracy much as it exists in the higher Judiciary.

The creation of a Judicial Trust Fund to wholly finance our OECS Judiciary is a measure which my Government will urge among its OECS Council members as an urgent and necessary replacement to the current budgetary allocations; which are inadequate to meet the spiraling cost of the administration of our court system.

With the influx of medically trained citizens from Cuba due to the generosity of the Cuban Government and the genuine co-operation which exists between our two governments and people, my Government recognizes that the time has come for the repeal of the 1938 Medical Act, and the introduction of a Medical Practitioners Act which will address the issue of qualification and registration, and the ethical standards expected of those who practice medicine.

Additionally, my Government will be giving legislative authority to the already-signed CARICOM Agreement, which addresses the general qualifications of medical and other health professionals by standardizing qualification criteria and giving regional accreditation to these professionals in keeping with our CSME obligations.

The new Mount St. John’s Medical Centre Act will set the framework for the efficient administration, management structure, and professional organization of our new hospital; which is scheduled for opening in the New Year, to provide modern medical facilities and healthcare for the population.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

As we seek to improve our tourism product in this competitive world environment, my Government will be introducing a Small Craft Control Act and amending the current Vendors Act.

This is to provide a measure of safety, security, and control of these activities and reduce the incidents of visitor harassment, offensive behaviour, drug trafficking, and water- sport risks at our beaches and hotel facilities.

If tourism is to remain everyone’s business, and our 365 beaches are advertised as “just the beginning” of the visitor’s experience in Antigua and Barbuda, then we must all play our part in ensuring that our tourism plant and product remain a clean, safe and enjoyable experience worthy of repeating.

In the area of agriculture, my Government will introduce the Plant Protection Act to effectively monitor health quarantine requirements to regional and international standards.

An International Movement of Animals Act will control and protect us from
trans-boundary diseases.

The Food Safety Act will establish minimum standards in the preparation, storage, and vending of foods at hotels, restaurants, and sidewalk kiosks.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

My Government recognizes the challenges and difficulties faced by various non-denominational churches and charitable organizations in registering under The Companies Act, 1995 as non-profit businesses. The existing Companies Act provides our religious community exemption from a share capital base, distribution of dividends, and payment of corporation tax.

This community is, nonetheless, required to submit Annual tax returns; and various other provisions of the Act governing ordinary businesses also apply.

My Government will therefore introduce a Charities Act to provide for the incorporation of organizations with charitable objects as their sole purpose.

The Charities Act will include:

(i) the advancement of religion and the encouragement of, belief in, and reverence for a divine power, and the practice of worship of that power;
(ii) the establishment of homes, workshops, or other centres for the disabled; the mentally or physically challenged; or any other disadvantaged or needy
persons;
(iii) the cultivation of public taste in and appreciation of aesthetic matters including art, music, literature and fine craftsmanship;
(iv) the promotion and encouragement of community development projects;
(v) the promotion of social welfare of the family and social welfare services for those in need; and
(vi) the welfare of animals.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

The tourism industry is confronting a number of challenges. For the most part, the challenges are triggered by external factors related to deteriorating global conditions.

To surmount these challenges, my Government has set out to creating a
diversified and sustainable tourism product.

In addition to the traditional brand of sun, sea and sand, we intend to capitalise on our country’s rich, rare, and diverse environment.

Opportunities abound in eco-adventure, sport tourism, activity based tourism, education, health, history and cultural tourism; and we intend to maximize the benefits from these new and emerging niche markets.

In 2008, over 900,000 visitors came to our shores and my Government expects to surpass this number in 2009.

Over the next financial year, 2009, my Government will execute strategies
to achieve the following objectives:

• Increase stopover arrivals by 7% per annum
• Increase gross foreign exchange earnings by 8% per annum;
and
• Create approximately 1000 new employment opportunities.
In addition, my Government will work with agencies in the public and
private sectors to:
• Reduce the level of visitor harassment.
• Increase the level of visitor satisfaction.
• Improve visitor safety and security
• Increase the contribution of tourism to the national
economy.

My Government also intends to enhance the institutional and environmental atmosphere of the sector.

The Ministry of Tourism will be working with the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority to attract world class hotel properties and management groups to Antigua and Barbuda; as well as to upgrade existing room stock to internationally competitive standards.

Government will also devise strategies to expand our room capacity. Currently, there are some 4154 rooms in Antigua and Barbuda. This includes 3591 hotels rooms; 164 villas; 91 condos; 97 Guesthouses; and 211 apartments. Related to all of this, the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority has approved some 13 tourism projects in 2008, providing approximately 942 rooms, and 1449 potential new permanent jobs.

This translates to one billion, two hundred and sixty-one million and three hundred and fifty thousand dollars (EC$1,261,350,000) in new investment opportunities.

It accounts for approximately one hundred and seventy-eight million, seven hundred and sixty-eight thousand, two hundred dollars (EC$178,768,200) in concessions and incentives.

In 2009, my Government will continue to work with several major airlines to
maintain and increase the availability of affordable airfares to Antigua and Barbuda.

On November 2, 2008, American Airlines launched non-stop services from
Miami to Antigua and Barbuda; using Boeing 757 aircraft, with 132 economy seats and 16 business seats.

This new service facilitates smoother connections from many major US and Canadian gateway cities.

In June of this year Delta Airlines introduced another non-stop route to
Antigua from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The service is operating twice weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays. Delta services from Atlanta will also be increased and will be operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Continental Airlines has also increased services from Newark Airport and will be operating on a daily basis from December 18th.

Livingston Space will start operation from the 20 December on Saturdays from the UK; via Milan, Italy.

There can be no doubt that Antigua and Barbuda’s reputation as a highly desirable tourist destination is due in part to its extensive network of beautiful and safe beaches.

In this context, the Ministry of Tourism Beach Enhancement Project will see the construction of beach parks, equipped with picnicking, recreational, and entertainment facilities; as well as emergency medical services on nine beaches.
These will include Ffryes Beach, Jabberwock, Morris Bay, Long Bay, Half
Moon Bay and Pigeon Point. Manned lifeguard towers will be constructed on selected beaches, starting with Ffryes and Fort James.

The Ministry of Tourism will work with Private Sector Partners in the development and construction of the Beach Enhancement Facilities programme.

The Project is expected to be completed in three years. My Government also intends to undertake the following projects to enhance the tourism product, next year:

• The Botanical Gardens Revitalization Project. The aim of this project is to develop the Gardens as a national tourism site, with a museum of plant collections; an area of entertainment for adults and children; and as an area offering opportunities in horticulture and plant science
• A Cactus garden at Devils Bridge: a Green Tourism Initiative aimed at assisting Antigua and Barbuda in attaining International recognition and increased visitor interest in the destination
• Establishment of Tourism Standards: In this respect, in 2009 the Ministry will be introducing regulations to govern licensing and certification. In collaboration with the Bureau of Standards and other industry partners, the Ministry is tackling standards for the accommodation, ground transportation, and beach and water sporting sectors.

The Ministry is also actively pursuing a number of other projects which will continue into 2009 - Small Hotels Enhancement & Empowerment Programme, Reef Marking Project, Directional Road Signs and a Tourism Skills Enhancement Study with the assistance of the Caribbean Development Bank.

In order to maintain our global position as a favoured tourist destination, my Government has created the National Festival Office to coordinate all festival activities and to develop new options to successfully position Antigua and Barbuda as the Events capital of the Eastern Caribbean.

The Festival Office will also expand training opportunities for all stakeholders involved in the tourism industry and will involve these stakeholders in the planning, development and marketing of our tourism product.

My Government has completed a draft Tourism Master Plan to provide a comprehensive planning framework for the development of an industry that has the potential to become the vehicle for uplifting the people of Antigua and Barbuda socially and economically.

The Tourism Master Plan defines a vision of the future direction, shape
and composition of the industry.

This will serve to guide the actions of the huge number of stakeholders in the industry to a common goal and purpose and to detail the timing and sequencing of the major programmes.

My Government has also established the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority.

The mandate of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority is to market the destination and to create greater access via increased airlift, to help position the country as the top brand in Caribbean tourism; and enable the industry to achieve sustainable growth and development.

The development of our tourism industry will be based on the rich talent and friendliness of our people, our white and pink sand beaches and the unique cultural heritage of our twin island destination.

It will be people-centered and private sector-driven and facilitated by Government’s policy for the sector.

It will also depend on the contributions of our craftsmen, vendors, taxi drivers, lifeguards, and hotel workers.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

Over the past year, my Government undertook and extensive road construction and rehabilitation programme that will transform the city of St. John’s and communities across the country.

Many communities have received paved roads for the first time. To address the depressed state of the roads in a systematic fashion, the Ministry of Public Works zoned Antigua.

New roads were completed in concrete in areas that required extensive work.

These included Christian Hill, Bolans, Golden Grove Extension, Pattersons, Briggins and Cassada Gardens, on a budget of over $38 million.

In the West Zone, which consists of Grays Farm, Bendals, Valley Road, Old Road, Jennings, Golden Grove, Cashew Hill and surrounding communities, the Public Works Department expended over $32 million in the construction of Asphalt roads, drainages and in maintenance work.

Work was also completed in Paynters, Johnson’s Village, Radio Range, Gunthropes, Piggotts, Piccedilly, Bethesda, Yorks, Potters, Freetown, Parham, McKinnons, Willikies, All Saints, English Harbour, John Hughes.

In total Government has expended over $148 million on road construction
so far this year.

In this Parliamentary Year, government estimates spending over $150
million dollars to continue the road construction programme.

Emphasis will be placed on roads in Firches Creek, Paynters, Five Islands, Hatton, Collins, Grays Farm, Belmont, Sea View Farm, All Saints, Potters, Briggins, Brownes Avenue and Bolans. This programme will include the construction of new roads and drainage.

The Government once again expresses its gratitude to the Government and People of the Republic of Cuba for their assistance in the country’s road development programme.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

The healthcare delivery system of Antigua and Barbuda will be significantly boosted with the opening of the Mount St. John Medical Centre.

The Mount St. John Medical Centre will be equipped to provide health care to every Antiguan and Barbudan; and also to patients from elsewhere in the region.

My Government will ensure that the transition from Holberton Hospital to Mount St. John will be a seamless exercise; with minimum loss of service and jobs.

Throughout the coming year, my Government will continue to place emphasis on inspection of restaurants and street food vending; cleaning of vacant plots to control mosquito and rodent infestation; inspection of premises for Aedes Aegypti Mosquito; and the distribution of rodent bait across our two islands.

The management of solid waste in Antigua and Barbuda will be given new priority in this parliamentary year.

During this parliamentary year, the National Solid Waste Management Authority will continue its programmes and implement others, some of which include:

- Developing a business plan to lead the Authority’s operationfrom 2009 to 2014
- Continue and expand the Public Education Programmes
- Pilot waste separation at household levels
- Review and enhance the household waste collection programme; and
- Cap the old dumpsite at Cooks Estate

In this Parliamentary Year, my Government will continue to establish community health centres around the island.

The Grays Farm Poly-Clinic will be commissioned shortly and renovation work on clinics in St. Pauls and in St. John’s will be stepped up.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

The Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Marine Resources & Agro Industry continues to provide critical support and related services to its many stakeholders.

Prior to tremendous setbacks resulting from the Hurricane Omar last month, the Ministry had experienced notable successes in 2008.

However, with the diligence and enthusiasm of our technicians and with the critical assistance of regional and international stakeholder agencies and institutions, the continued growth and expansion of the sector is indeed encouraging.

To date, 15 government schools participate in the National School Meals Programme; with an additional nine schools planned for this Parliamentary Year.

The National School Meals Programme continues to benefit numerous farmers in Antigua and Barbuda who, through the Central Marketing Corporation, provide a range of produce, livestock and poultry to the programme.

The Programme also continues to bring tremendous financial savings to families, while providing the assurance that children will receive hot, nutritious, well-balanced meals.

There is early indication of a causal link between the nutritious meals served in our schools and academic.

My Government has mounted an ambitious mission to increase production; thereby guaranteeing food supply and nutrition security for consumers, as well as income security for our farmers.

In this regard some of the outputs of the mission will be:

• 8.2 million pounds of selected food crops produced annually by
2010;
• The development and implementation of value added systems, including agro processing, convenience foods, drying and preserving;
• An increase of 3 million pounds of food produced locally;
• Pilot export of half a million pounds of onions and carrots to Guyana, Trinidad and Dominica in 2009;
• Annual export of 1.5 million pounds of food crops by 2010 This volume is expected to increase annually, with trading partners extending possibly to PETROCARIBE partners;
• A Home-Based Production Programme which will involve some 5000 households; and
• The supply of increased volumes of locally grown food to our National School Meals Programme, which will be extended to all Government schools. The sustained success of this National Plan requires a radical overhaul,
restructuring and retooling of the Agriculture sector to make it modern and competitive.

The activities envisaged will:

• Restore the country’s Research and Development system to deliver appropriate technologies in support of our producers, nationally and regionally;
• Strengthen the post-harvest handling and marketing facilities and services to cater for the increased volumes;
• Ensure that our food safety, farmer certification and traceability systems are implemented and constantly monitored;
• Expand and modernise the Central Marketing Corporation;
• Strengthen the operations and facilities at the Agricultural Development Corporation to facilitate commercial exports;
• Establish a functional national capacity to ensure safe and healthy food; and
• Retool the Field Services Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture. My Government intends to strengthen the Fisheries Division to better meet the needs of our stakeholders.

While enforcement of regulatory controls is envisioned, fishers can expect to see a corresponding increase in services delivered by the Ministry.

In 2009, Barbudans will see the long anticipated start of construction of a Fisheries Artisanal Complex, built to modern standards.

This will signal significant change in trade and export practices for our renewable and abundant marine resources.

At the end of construction, the livelihoods of a significant number of Barbudans will be positively transformed.

This gift from the People and Government of Japan is a strong indicator of the solid friendship and mutual respect existing between our two nations.

During this Parliamentary Year, my Government will also begin the process of equitable distribution of land for residential purposes.

Farmers can expect to have security of tenure through the process of ongoing issuance of leases in respect of lands which are under active and productive cultivation.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

During 2008, my Government continued its drive to raise the standard of sports in Antigua and Barbuda.

Consequently, the Ministry intensified focus on the development of sports facilities, nationwide.

Work has been completed on Golden Grove Sports Complex; the fencing of New Field Playing Field; Perth Football Field; Potters Football Field;

Radio Range Play Field; the Sea View Farm Grounds; Black Burn Park in Villa; and Willikies Play Field.

To accommodate sports in the evening in a secure and safe environment, the Ministry has installed flood lights at several key venues throughout the nation.

This initiative will continue.

The Ministry is projecting the completion of the Sports Complex and Community Centre in Barbuda in early 2009.

This is in delivery of a commitment to the youth of Barbuda that they will benefit equally from my Government’s Youth and Sport programmes.

The Johnson Village Recreational Ground, which is on schedule to be completed shortly, will become one of the top community sporting venues in the country.

Work will continue on Mc Pond Playfield in All Saints; Nut Grove Sports Complex; Liberta Play Field; Falmouth Sports Complex; John Hughes Play Field, English Harbour Sports Complex; New Winthropes Play Field; and Clare Hall Playground.

My Government will also continue its upgrade of sporting facilities in Buckley’s; Five Islands; Grays Farm; Glanvilles; Pares; Parham; Powells; Jennings; Old Road; Swetes; Urlings; and at Antigua Sugar Factory Cricket Ground.

My government’s comprehensive approach to secure and install infrastructure at the sporting facilities throughout this island, is an indication of our commitment to the total development of sport nationally and in our communities.

Apart from the development of infrastructure, the Ministry has also focused on policy development and administrative capacity building to support our focus on taking a more professional outlook in sport.

In this regard, the Ministry has now completed its national sports policy and will start its implementation in 2009.

The completion of the national sports policy signals the dawn of a new era in sports.

This policy speaks to Total Participation in Sport for every citizen including the adults and the physically challenged.

It also speaks to our commitment to High Performance Sport for elite athletes, as we move closer and closer to attaining higher levels of performance in the international arena.

With a new policy framework on the horizon, the Ministry is eager to move to the next level and implement its new system of operation, designed to meet the needs and demands of modern day sporting administration.

During 2008, my Government made a commitment to institutional strengthening and capacity building, as a means of providing a more efficient and effective administrative outlay for sports.

My Government convened an historic National Sports Summit, which brought together stakeholders from the region, as well as from Antigua and Barbuda, to focus on the way forward for sport.

The fiscal year 2009 promises much.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

Antigua and Barbuda ranks high in the development of ICTs in the Caribbean, and in our digital quest, the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications is looking beyond leadership in the sub-region, to being at the leading edge in the global context.

Antigua and Barbuda has already made extraordinary strides in the Information Communication Technology sector.

Under my Government’s watch, mobile phone penetration rates are now in excess of 125%, while the Internet connectivity rates have climbed to in excess of 50%.

My Government has been methodically building an information-enabled, globally-connected, knowledge-based society.

Key areas of Government’s operations, including the Immigration Management Control System, are now fully electronic.

In 2009, all of my Government’s central ICT and ICT related staff and services will be converged into a new and modern ICT Headquarters.

Leveraging on existing infrastructure, this new ICT Headquarters will serve as the home for a cutting edge Tier Three Data Centre that will significantly propel the state’s e-government, e-education and e-business thrust to the next competitive level.

Under the Connect Antigua and Barbuda Initiative, ten public primary schools and eight empowerment centers have already been equipped as modern Community Computer Access Centers.

Next year, my Government will equip twelve additional public primary schools with state of the art computer labs.

My Government will also refurbish and modernize the computer labs in all public secondary schools.

Five modern Toyota buses have been outfitted as mobile IT classrooms. These mobile IT classrooms are serving public and private primary schools, non-Governmental organizations and faith-based organizations. Information Technology classes in each mobile IT classroom and in each Community Computer Access Center are conducted by trained Community Technology Officers.

The IT policies of the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications have been carefully designed to upgrade the intellectual capital of the Nation and to promote the concept of “lifelong learning”.
In this context, my Government has already begun promoting multilingualism as a goal for the entire nation.

Under the Ministry’s Connect Antigua and Barbuda Initiative, a Multilingual Studies Programme at the Community Computer Access Centers provides instructions in Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Using the latest in software technology, my Government will expand the programme to provide training to hotel workers, policemen and women, teachers, taxi drivers, airport staff and staff at other ports of entry.

My Government’s comprehensive blueprint for the deployment of computerized technology also calls for a special impetus for the physically, visually and otherwise challenged.

Under the Connect Antigua and Barbuda Initiative, the Adele School, the School for the Visually Challenged, and the Rehabilitation Center, have already benefited from this programme.

My Government will expand this programme to include the School for the Hearing Impaired and the Industrial School for the Blind.

My Government has already equipped visually challenged students with computers and high speed Internet at their homes in 2009.

In 2009, my Government will provide every certified visually challenged citizen with life-enhancing technology, including the provision of appropriate software and appropriate training.

The Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications is firmly committed to the fullest and most optimal utilization of computerized technology as a tool for personal development and national empowerment.

In this regard, the Ministry has already articulated a vision that Antigua and Barbuda will be made true Internet “hot islands” in 2009.

The Ministry has also already articulated a policy that would result in the deployment of a personal computer and broadband Internet in every home in Antigua and Barbuda by the year 2012.

Under the Technology for Institutes of Higher Learning model, the Antigua State College and the National Technical Training Center have alreadybeen developed as Internet “hot spots”.

Students and teachers are already benefiting from a laptop rental programme at these institutions, where high speed Internet access is available at no cost to the students and teachers.

In 2009, my Government will make high-speed laptops available on loan to every student and to every teacher at:

• The Antigua State College,
• The National Technical Training Center,
• The Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute, and
• The Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Continuing Education.

In collaboration with technology providers, and by leveraging on the substantial Private-Public-People’s Partnership that has already been established, the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Telecommunications has been actively encouraging the deployment of third generation (3G) services in Antigua, further positioning Antigua and Barbuda at the cutting edge of technology and dramatically enhancing our country’s business and tourism competitiveness.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

In 2008, my Government secured a concessionary loan from the Government of the People’s Republic of China to finance a new 30 Mega Watt Power Plant at Crabbs.

The construction of the plant will take place in 2009 with a schedule coming on-line in September of 2010.

In the interim, the authority plans to supply the electricity generation demand by way of the existing installed generators supplemented by temporary power gen-sets.

Its transformation to a public company will be a major thrust forward for APUA in the New Year.

It is my Government’s belief that the successes enjoyed by the Antigua Commercial Bank and other public companies can be duplicated at the Antigua Public Utilities Authority.

APUA must truly become a Public asset owned by the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

An APUA with a new 30 megawatt Power Plant will mean that the ordinary man and woman will be able to “Earn while they burn.”

The increase in capability of APUA employees, who themselves will have a stake in the institution, will result in increased productivity and other dividends.

The Electricity Division plans to upgrade and expand the transmission and distribution network, which is relatively fragile at this time. The entire island will be addressed, starting with the North followed by the South and then the remainder of the island.

APUA plans to upgrade the existing outdated System Control and Data Acquisition facility to a contemporary infrastructure.

My Government is mindful of the need to introduce renewable energy into the Nation’s electricity energy supply mix.

In this regard, efforts are underway to start a pilot study in 2009 using wind turbine generators in Barbuda.

This pilot project will serve as a spring-board to the nation’s general utilization of renewable energy to fuel the economy.

In 2009, Barbuda’s Distribution Network will be upgraded and converted to the voltage level in Antigua.

Subsequently, the Power Station Switch Gear will be retrofitted with a
more modern facility.

These infrastructural upgrades will deliver a reliable and stable supply of
electricity to Barbuda.

Through a grant of US$ 8 million dollars from the PetroCaribe Initiative and
the associated ALBA Fund, established by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, APUA’s water production capacity will be increased by the end of July 2009 by point 63 million imperial gallons per day.

In addition, my Government will install a Reverse Osmosis desalinating Plant at Ffryes Beach.

This will reduce water supply challenges in that area.

The Water Division will commence work on the instillation of additional potable water supply capacity for Barbuda.

The new plant with a supply capacity of 130 thousand gallons per day will be twice as large as the two units presently in operation.

In addition to laying twenty miles of pipeline across Antigua and Barbuda in 2009, APUA will construct four water tanks and renovate the Grays Hill Reservoir; increasing the water capacity by four million gallons.

The work at Gray’s Hill will be financed by the People’s Republic of China.

My Government expresses its profound gratitude to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the People’s Republic of China for this demonstration of friendly relations.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

Education is a top priority of my Government.

During this fiscal year, my Government will commence construction of two new secondary schools in Five Islands and Tomlinson’s, respectively, and expansion of the Sir McChesney George High School in Barbuda.

These schools are intended to accommodate not only students leaving grade six but also grade nine students, until the Junior Secondary Programme is phased out.

They are designed to cater predominantly for technically inclined students with a view that all children, regardless of academic orientation, will have access to secondary education.

Core curricular areas will be offered, but students will be given a variety of options in technical and vocational education and training.

During 2009, my Government will establish the Antigua and Barbuda National Training Agency, as the umbrella body for ensuring quality training and certification for Technical and Vocational workers in Antigua and Barbuda.

The agency will accredit Training providers, and approve the awarding of the Caribbean Vocational Qualification to deserving persons.

The National Training Agency will also create and deploy an adequate system to train and certify persons.

The Agency will also recruit and train the various personnel and professionals to administer the system.

During this Parliamentary Year, my Government will continue work on the expansion of the Antigua State College; to include construction of the Learning Resource Centre, consisting of a Library, Computer centre, audio-visual language areas, distance-learning areas and offices.

Expansion of the Antigua State College will provide for the construction of a new classroom block consisting of a total of 12 classrooms; a Home Economics Centre; and a car park area and ramp.

My Government will also continue to provide school uniform vouchers for school uniforms for the nation’s children.

Since its inception, 55 thousand vouchers have been issued in the school
uniform programme.

Some thirty local suppliers have benefited from this programme.

Government will also move in earnest to ensure the completion of the new
public library.

Funding has been allocated to complete the facility during this parliamentary year; and work on the facility has already commenced. In preparation for the opening of the new library, a number of librarians are currently furthering their training through funding from the Board of Education.

Throughout this fiscal year, my Government will continue to grant scholarships to suitably qualified Antiguans and Barbudans for degree studies at home and abroad.

Through the Board of Education, the Ministry of Education and the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme, the range of scholarships offered has increased.

Since 2004, over 18.5 million dollars has been disbursed on scholarships through the Board of Education.

Over 1000 students are currently on scholarships throughout the world through the government’s programme of building a knowledge based society.

Teacher education has received added attention from my Government; with the provision of professional development training, and an Associate Degree programme.

The Antigua State College now offers a minimum of an Associate Degree or its equivalent in all Departments, except the Engineering Department, which will come on stream in September of this parliamentary session.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

In my Government’s determination that no one will be left behind, the Ministry of Social Transformation has begun a Housing Development Programme.

Government has already launched the Jolly Hill Gardens Development; where 75 structures will provide affordable housing to first time home owners in Antigua and Barbuda.

Additional Housing Development programmes are planned for the North Sound area and the Grays Green Community.

My Government will continue the Home Improvement Grant programme, which provided a maximum financing of $2500 dollars to low-income, elderly citizens to maintain their properties in good condition. Over 100 hundred persons have benefited from this initiative, to date. In keeping with a programme to provide assistance to the elderly, the Ministry of Social Transformation has reorganized the Home Help Programme.

This programme, now named the Government Residential Assistant Care Programme, provides assistance to over 135 elderly persons.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

2008 has seen a resurgence of culture in Antigua and Barbuda. The Cultural Development Division will continue to generate a greater network of opportunities for local artistes.

The Division will establish an Arts Service Directory, which list all persons involved in all aspects of the arts in Antigua and Barbuda.

Another major thrust for the Division will be the completion of the National Cultural Policy for presentation in Parliament.

The Division will also aim at increasing the number of workshops and hands on training in cultural related fields.

Efforts will also be made to develop new and innovative cultural\ programmes in communities. This will require a recruitment of additional cultural officers.

This programme will see the establishment of a steel band in every community designed to provide young people with alternatives to unwholesome activities.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

In 2008 the world experienced unprecedented economic, political and social changes on a scale never before imagined.

These changes have given rise to equally unprecedented challenges and opportunities that have placed greater burdens on small States such as Antigua and Barbuda and force us to countries to become even more strategic in how we respond to these ever changing factors and twice as focused in our efforts to build alliances commensurate to our Foreign Policy.

It should come as no surprise therefore that the theme of my Government’s Foreign Policy for 2009 will be “Building Alliances for economic and social development.” We intend to implement this through the development of a strategicdiplomatic plan of action, which will call upon our overseas offices to
promote international support and opportunity for our cultural producers.

To these ends, our strategic diplomatic goals for 2009 will include:

• Building international alliances that will generate economic and social development in Antigua and Barbuda;
• Building an effective and regionally competitive Antigua and Barbuda in services and trade;
• Delivering high quality support for nationals abroad at all times;
• Neutralising the negative impact of international criminal activity; and
• Managing regional integration and the promotion of the CSME.

My government has begun the work to achieve these objectives during 2009.

This was particularly evident when, for the very first time in the history of the entire Caribbean region, a head of government, the Honourable Prime Minister, simultaneously served as Chairman of the UN-based Group of 77 and China, the largest grouping of developing countries within the UN system; Chairman of Conference of the CARICOM Heads of Government, and Chairman of the COFCOR, CARICOM’s Council on Foreign and Community Relations.

As we move into 2009, my Government will seek to build on the wide international coverage received and strengthen the many relationships forged for the long term benefit of all Antiguans and Barbudans.

My Government values the relationship it has established with its CARICOM partners; the Peoples Republic of China; the Republic of Cuba; the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; Turkey; Japan; South Korea; the Gulf States; and countries around the world.

As a small island state among the developing countries of the world, my country has gained the respect of many world leaders and will continue to play a key role in finding solutions to the major global concerns of our time, such as globalization and climate change; combating international criminal activity; strengthening the rule of law; and working with the new US Administration to ameliorate the harmful US practice of deporting hardened criminals to our shores.

My government will strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its overseas offices.

To ensure quality service provision in the execution of the thrust for maintaining our diplomatic theme, my Government commends the efforts of our diplomatic corps for their commendable efforts in maintaining a focused and extensive programme of strengthening our bilateral relations and expanding economic cooperation.

Within this framework, my Government will begin the implementation of the Foreign Service Orders, to be promulgated by December 31 of this year, which will henceforth serve as the code of conduct for the operations of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

For the first time in its history, Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Service will function in a more professional manner in conducting the business of promoting this country’s Foreign Policy.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

My Government has moved one step closer in embracing the tenets of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

In 2008, the Ministry of Labour commenced the issuing and duly recognizes Skilled National Certificates.

Skilled Nationals of Antigua and Barbuda can now apply for and be granted employment without hassle across the region.

The Ministry of Labour also continued its mandate to foster industrial peace in the nation through the consolation and mediation of industrial disputes.

The job placement department, “One Stop”, continues to grow and expand its database to seek employment for suitably qualified nationals in the private sector.

The Gender Affairs division of the Ministry continued its education mandate with its Work and Life Skills Programme.

To deal with the tragic incidence of sexual violence and assault in our society, a High Level Task Force was established by Cabinet to review the society’s responses to these incidents.

A programme for strengthening state accountability and community action to end Violence Against Women, which UNIFEM has approved by with a budget of US$96,000 will be carried out in 2009.

This is a two year programme designed to:

• Develop multi-sectoral strategic plans for the protection, prevention and punishment of sexual and gender-based violence;
• Build technical competencies of the justice and security sectors and the non-governmental sector to respond effectively to gender-based violence; and
• Promotion of a gender-sensitive, youth-focused social communications strategy on gender-based violence.

The Youth Empowerment Program, also called the Work Experience Programme, attached to the Ministry was established during the year; as a means of providing skills training and employment opportunities for young people in Antigua and Barbuda.

The Youth Empowerment Programme is intended to create industry driven training and apprenticeship systems that are relevant, accessible and responsive to industry needs and priorities.

In 2008, 50 persons who were a part of the programme gained employment privately as well as in the public sector.

120 persons are still in the programme, with expectations that 20 more will merge into the work force by the end of this year.

In the New Year, a shortened-nine month programme initiated by the Minister of Labour will come on stream.

This programme will complement the existing one, preparing and equipping unemployed persons for employment.

In 2009, two batches of trainees will operate simultaneously, those on the one year programme and those on the nine month programme.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

Following on from the success of the Senior Citizens Utility Subsidy Programme, the Government of Antigua & Barbuda - in conjunction with PDV Caribe Antigua & Barbuda Limited - will shortly introduce the People’s Benefit Programme to offer tangible assistance in the form of a monthly benefit to two new groups within the society: the disabled and the economically disadvantaged.

This project will issue a special debit card to programme beneficiaries. The card will be used solely to purchase food and personal household items at the Central Marketing Corporation and the Fisheries Complex, in the initial stages.

In order to ensure optimum accessibility the project beneficiaries, outlets will be expanded to supermarkets throughout Antigua and Barbuda.

The project is targeted at approximately 2,000 individuals of whom, approximately 500 will fall in the disabled category; with the remainder comprising disadvantaged households.

In order to ensure total transparency in the application process, my Government has appointed a nine-member committee comprising stakeholders from various civic and non-governmental organizations.

This committee will have final approval of all applications for persons who apply to be a part of the programme.

The Peoples Benefit Card will be issued in conjunction with ABI Bank and will require the placement of point of sale debit card swipe machines to process payments at the respective merchants.

Each month, every recipient’s card will be topped up to the value of EC$200 dollars; with any unused portion of the monthly benefit expiring at the end of each month.

The Peoples Benefit Programme which has been made possible by the Petro Caribe Initiative is another tangible demonstration of the Government’s commitment to developing a social programme that is targeted at two of the most vulnerable groups in society.

It will give much needed financial relief to an estimated 2,000 people in Antigua & Barbuda.

This is a tangible demonstration of my Government’s commitment to putting people first.

Madam President and Members of the Senate;
Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives:

My Government has put forward a comprehensive programme to ensure that our nation stays on track and continue heading in the right direction. Although the year holds many challenges for our nation and the region, my Government is confident that its programmes and policies will realize continued growth for our nation.

Before concluding, I take the opportunity to extend early sentiments for a joyous and peaceful Christmas to the President and Members of the Senate; to Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, and to all in our nation.

I also take this opportunity to urge all who become involved in the forthcoming election campaign to temper political passion with love of one another and ensure a peaceful election that faithfully reflect the will of the electorate, while providing the world with an example of democracy in action.

I pray God’s Blessings on you the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, that your actions will be guided by Him who gives us strength and courage to do what is right by the Almighty for and in the interest of our beloved country and people.

I pray that God will continuously bless each and every one of you.

Madam President of the Senate, Honourable Senators, Madam Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, I pray God’s blessing upon your counsels.

I thank you.