Press Releases

April 30, 2010….Twenty officers from the Ministry of Social Transformation participated in “The Way to Happiness” Conference held aboard the Freewinds Ship on Thursday.

The ship which is currently docked at the Deep Water Harbour facilitated around three hundred persons within the Government sector and was geared specifically for service providers.

Officers from the Ministry of Social Transformation Probation unit, Community Development Division and the Citizens Welfare Division were among the participants.

The attendees were schooled on basic social principles that would enhance their daily performance as well as leader’s guidance.

Tools that would enhance the delivery of social service were also distributed to the participants.

Sister Valerie Browne Williams is the most recent person to be selected by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA ) to attend such a program, the previous being Nurse Idona Bachelor. The course in intended to help participants improve the quality of nursing management and nursing services their in respective hospitals. It is also aimed to train nursing managers in hospitals to raise their awareness and to improve their managerial capabilities. Nurse Williams will have the following opportunities in Japan:

1. Lectures on introductory subjects and general subjects related to leader’s training
2. Site visits to Japanese Institutions
3. Training in groups at Japanese Hospitals
4. Discussions on Clinical Practice
5. Problem Solving Methods
6. Formulation of Reports and Action Plans

In additon to Nursing Management, JICA has provided training to many Antiguan and Barbudans over the years. In the past 2009/2010 year alone, six (6) persons have been selected by JICA for various training opportunities in Japan to include:

Darez Dundas - Education in Science and Mathematics in Primary School

Daryl Spencer - Waste Management Techniques and Environment Education

Karen Cabrall - Japanese Programme for Foreign Service Offices

Natasha George - Japanese Programme for Young Diplomats and

Sherese George, a teacher of the Ottos Comprehensive School is presently on the Japanese Teaching Exchange 2009/2010. This program allows Miss George to teach English to Japanese students.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was established on August 1974, with a view to contributing towards world peace and prosperity through its economic cooperation programmes.

JICA as a technical cooperation organization of Japan's ODA programme has accepted more than 170,000 participants in different fields for technical training in Japan from developing countries. To date, JICA has dispatched around 50,000 experts and 20,000 Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) to other countries.

The Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the National Solid Waste Management Authority, Central Board of Health, Environment Division and the Community Development Division will be embarking on a project aimed at giving our island a face-lift. This is dubbed ‘Island Beautification Programme’. It is a clean up and enhancement of our already stunning country. The aim of this project is to ensure that the streets and villages of Antigua and Barbuda become more appealing to not only our Tourists but also our entire Nation. The aim is also to promote the spirit of community conservation as well as give the streets a unified and cohesive feel.

The first Village Community that has been identified to begin this project is the Grace Green Community. With the community groups being fully committed and actively participating, there will be a Tree-Planting exercise on Friday, April 30th, 2010 commencing from the Multi Purpose Cultural Centre. This exercise begins at 10:00am. The following day, on Saturday, May 1st, 2010, there will be a community clean up which is scheduled to commence at about 7:00am at the King George V grounds.

We welcome any interested persons who would like to assist in any way. For further information, please contact Ms. Vashti Ramsey at 463-9522/23.

The Ministry of Tourism is recording an increase in the number of exhibitors registered for participation in its second annual Staycation Expo slated for May 8th and 9th 2010 at the Multi-Purpose Cultural and Exhibition Center.

Last years’ event saw some 23 exhibitors registered inclusive of hotels and tours companies and already this years’ figures breach the latter 30’s with added interest and limited space.

“We’ve already decided to move to the upper level of the eastern portion of the Multi-purpose Cultural Center, which we did not use last year because we comfortably fit in the lower portion, however this year the demand has been great and thus the need for the expansion,” reports Vashti Ramsey, Product Development Officer within the Ministry of Tourism.

She continues that, “This speaks volumes of the success of last year’s venture and we definitely are pleased with the response.”

New additions to the list of exhibitors this year are inclusive of The Coast Restaurant and Nightclub who has also come on board as a sponsor of the event, The Tides Restaurant, The Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, The Jumby Bay Resort and The Sugar Ridge Hotel among others.

Minister of Tourism the Hon. John Maginley says that he is especially elated with the response from Tourism Partners as clearly they see the huge potential that such a marketing initiative has for the success of their business and the overall industry during the upcoming summer months.

For more information on Staycation 2010 and the lucrative packages and offers that will be available to patrons of the event, visit www.staycationexpoantigua.com.

The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer, and the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on the occasion of the I Brazil-CARICOM Meeting of Heads of State and Government, held in Brazil on April 26th., 2010, met to discuss issues of interest to both their Countries, as well as ways to deepen the ties of friendship existing between the people of Antigua and Barbuda and the people of the Federative Republic of Brazil. In this light, the opening of the Brazilian Embassy in St. John's was welcomed by the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda as a very significant and tangible sign of Brazil's commitment to enhancing ties with its Caribbean neighbours.

1. The Meeting reflected their mutual disposition to deepen the political dialogue between the two countries at the highest level and to stimulate the intensification of the bilateral relationship in the economic and commercial fields, as well as in the technological and scientific, cultural and educational fields. Both Leaders agreed that institutions such as the Antigua and Barbuda Development Bank (ABDB) and Brazil's Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES) could be instrumental in furthering cooperation between the two countries.

2. To emphasize the importance of having a broader institutional basis for the bilateral relationship, the two Leaders expressed satisfaction at the signing, during this summit, of the Agreements between their two countries regarding Cooperation in Education and Concerning Visa exemptions for Holders of Diplomatic, Official and Service passports. They also agreed to initiate negotiations with a view to signing in the short term Agreements for Cooperation between Antigua and Barbuda and Brazil in the fields of Agriculture, Investments, Science and Technology, Culture, Sports and Tourism.

3. Acknowledging the importance of developing the capacity for communication between the two peoples, the President of Brazil welcomed the suggestion by the Prime Minister that Portuguese language courses be introduced in his country. The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda stated that his government would provide a package of incentives to establish an off-shore campus of a Brazilian university and/or of a Brazilian technical college in Antigua and Barbuda as instruments to facilitate access by Caribbean students to Brazilian institutes of higher learning.

4. Both Leaders were in agreement as to the need to widen and diversify trade and bilateral investments and undertook to promote the exchange of entrepreneurial missions by each side. Recognizing the importance of coordinating trade between Brazil and the sub-region, Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer opined that the imminent establishment of the OECS Economic Union would facilitate such coordination and offered the services of Antigua and Barbuda in this regard.

5. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed the suggestion that Antigua and Barbuda's prize-winning project of urban agricultural production could prove to be very useful as an instrument for programmes of eradication of hunger and increasing food production.

6. The two Leaders underlined the importance of the recently completed highway connecting Manaus, Boa Vista and Georgetown, rendering those Brazilian cities natural portals for trade and tourism exchanges between Brazil as a whole and all of CARICOM, as Belém and Macapá already are.

7. The two Leaders recognized that the establishment of direct air links is of paramount importance to any and all cooperation between their countries. In this respect, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took note with interest that the Government of Antigua and Barbuda will utilize its best efforts to explore the granting of Fifth Freedom Rights to suitably qualified carriers wishing to operate one or more routes between the two countries and onwards. Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer highlighted the potential of the opportunities which will open up if the airport at St. John's becomes an even greater hub for air traffic,once airlines make stopovers there on the way to or from destinations in North America, Europe and even the Middle East.

8. Aiming at enhancing cooperation in tourism and increasing as well the number of passengers on direct flights between the two countries, both Leaders were in agreement as to the importance of the cooperation of public sector organizations and private entities. They further agreed that the introduction of innovative tourism packages with multiple destinations, combining attractions in Antigua and Barbuda with those of Brazil, can be expected to create significant demand in countries of the Northern Hemisphere.

9. As direct shipping lines are essential for trade to develop, the President of Brazil took note with interest of the intention of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to proceed as soon as possible to modernize and expand the port of St. John's as well as the free trade zone. These measures should attract Brazilian companies wishing to finalize production of goods or to assemble products therein, thereby qualifying such goods to benefit from Antigua and Barbuda's privileged access to markets where Brazilian goods do not enjoy similar benefits.

10. Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer requested that consideration be given for Brazil's technical expertise in navigational aids and reef marking to be made available to Antigua and Barbuda, in order to expand the yachting component of the tourism industry as well as to ensure safer navigation in his country's coastal waters.

11. Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva affirmed the interest of their countries in cooperating to strengthen energy security and the use of alternative and renewable sources of energy. They agreed, moreover, to stimulate bilateral cooperation in the field of bio-fuels, in light of the pioneering Brazilian experience in the production and the use of ethanol and bio-diesel.

12. The two Leaders expressed their support for the enlargement of the Security Council of the United Nations, with the entry of new members so as to make it more broadly representative, efficient and transparent. Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva were further in agreement as to the necessity of reform of the United Nations with a view to strengthening multilateralism and ensuring stability and security at the global and regional level. Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer indicated that his Government is giving favourable consideration to Brazil’s candidacy for a permanent seat on the United Nations' Security Council.

13. The two Heads of Government reasserted their support to promote, within the scope of the United Nations, the initiative to elaborate a Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, on the basis of the legal framework of the Protocol on Trafficking in Persons, additional to the Palermo Convention on Transnational Organized Crime.

14. In this respect, they also agreed that there should be cooperation between their two countries in combating drug trafficking and other international illicit activities, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva agreed that Brazil is ready to consider ways in which it could contribute to improving the capacity of the Antiguan and Barbudan Coast Guard, Police and other similar bodies.

15. The two Leaders reaffirmed their support for the initiative on the "Alliance of Civilizations" and manifested their satisfaction at the holding of the III Forum of the Alliance, to take place in Rio de Janeiro in May 2010, for the first time outside the Euro-Mediterranean area.

16. The two Leaders agreed that climate change is a very worrisome issue on the contemporary international agenda and should be the subject of constant and priority attention, in the scope of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol. They were also in agreement as to the need for ample cooperation at the global level, on the basis of the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and committed themselves to cooperating for the success of the 16th Conference of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP-16), to take place in Mexico, at the end of 2010.

17. The Leaders commended all the efforts underway to overcome the international economic and financial crisis and stressed the importance of the consolidation of the G-20 as the principal forum for international economic and financial cooperation. [Prime Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer opined that countries that are not members of the G-20 should have an avenue for airing their views and influencing decision-making in that forum.]

18. Furthermore the two Leaders also reiterated their support for the [PRINCIPLES OF THE] multilateral trade system.

19. Prime-Minister Dr. W. Baldwin Spencer and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed their satisfaction with the results of their meeting and reiterated their determination to take the necessary steps to reinforce and put into practice what was discussed between them.

Brasília, April 26th., 2010.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – April 26, 2010…….Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer is today leading a five member delegation to Brasilia, Brazil for the First CARICOM-Brazil Summit which will discuss among other issues cooperation in Agriculture, Fisheries, Health, Education and Training, Energy, the reconstruction and development of Haiti, Climate Change, Tourism and Financial Services.

The Prime Minister’s delegation comprises Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to Brazil Her Excellency Joan Underwood, Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the OAS Deborah-Mae Lovell, Trade Coordinator Ambassador Dr. Clarence Henry and General Manager of the Antigua and Barbuda Development Bank Mr. Donald Charles.

“At this meeting CARICOM intends to establish a formal and structural relationship with Brazil. This meeting comes at an opportune time as Brazil enjoys significant influence in the region, Latin American and most importantly in the hemisphere where it has become a privileged interlocutor of the United States. So we intend to strengthen our relations with Brazil while at the same time increasing joint actions for our mutual benefit. Greater integration between CARICOM and Latin America can be forged at this meeting and at the same time we can achieve better levels of commercial, cultural, social and economic development,” said Prime Minister Spencer.

“On a personal level, Antigua and Barbuda will sign a visa-waiver agreement with Brazil which will exempt holders of Diplomatic and Official passports from requiring visas to enter Brazil. We will also sign an agreement for technical cooperation in Education and Sports. Since my administration came into office, we have been forging close relations which Brazil which has resulted in us establishing a Consulate in that country and Brazil establishing an Embassy here. We are very pleased with the progress of cooperation between our two countries,” said the country’s leader.

Against the backdrop of the region being adversely affected by the global financial and economic crisis, CARICOM will seek the support of Brazil in its lobby to reverse the graduation out of concessionary lending that took place as a result of the region’s changed per capita income status.

It is also anticipated that CARICOM will seek support for the execution of its public expenditure investment programmes, and also assistance in facilitating the revitalization of the private sector industries in the region, especially Agriculture, Energy, and Transportation, and in filling the economic activity gap being created by the fall-out that is occurring in the off-shore financial services sector following the implementation of the OECD tax standards.

CARICOM will also requests Brazil’s support in representing its views and advocating on behalf of the Community at the Meetings of the G 20.

Prime Minister Spencer returns to the country on Wednesday. Finance and Eocnomy Minister the Hon. Harold Lovell is the Acting Prime Minister.

St John’s Antigua, April 23, 2010. A mission from the World Bank will visit Antigua and Barbuda in the coming months, to discuss ways in which the Bank can provide financial assistance to the country. The proposed visit was agreed to as Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation continued discussions in Washington on Thursday and Friday with World Bank and IMF officials about the country’s Fiscal Consolidation Programme.

The delegation, headed by Finance Minister Harold Lovell, met with the World Bank Caribbean Country Director Ms Yvonne Tsikata (pronounced see-ka-ta), who indicated that the actions being pursued by the government place Antigua and Barbuda in a favourable position to reengage with the World Bank and to access resources from the institution.

Another area of possible collaboration discussed was enhancing regulation and strengthening capacity in the international financial services sector. The Bank also indicated its eagerness to provide support to Antigua and Barbuda in the area of social safety nets.

Ms. Tsikata advised that under the Regional Partnership Strategy, Antigua and Barbuda may be able to access resources to advance work in areas identified in the NEST Plan. The Strategy is a World Bank initiative that facilitates development efforts in the region. The World Bank is already assisting Antigua and Barbuda with its public sector transformation initiative.

Minister Lovell and his team also met with the assistant director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, representatives of the Money and Capital Markets Department, and the executive director for the United Kingdom.

The team was given an update on the status of the internal review process of Antigua and Barbuda’s programme as agreed to in March. The first draft of the document is being reviewed within the Western Hemisphere Department and will shortly be submitted for review by other departments within the Fund. The IMF is expected to submit the programme for Board approval in late May/early June.

The representatives of the money and capital market department have indicated a willingness to assist Antigua and Barbuda with its strategies for debt management and medium term financing. These are important to ensure that the objectives of fiscal and debt sustainability are achieved during the programme and sustained after the three-year Standby Arrangement has ended.

Minister Lovell and his delegation return to Antigua over the weekend.

St John’s Antigua, April 20, 2010. Minister of Finance, the Economy and Public Administration, Honourable Harold Lovell heads Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation to the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington DC on April 24 and 25.

While in the US Capital, the local delegation will hold a series of meetings on Antigua and Barbuda’s application for an IMF Stand-By Arrangement and the country’s efforts at improving debt management by implementing a comprehensive debt strategy.

These include meetings with the IMF’s deputy managing director, and with the executive directors for Ireland, Canada and the Caribbean; Switzerland; Germany; and the US.

The team is also expected to meet with representatives of the Paris Club group of creditors, and the World Bank’s country director for the Caribbean.

The overall objective of the meetings is to generate a greater understanding of Antigua and Barbuda's economic situation and how the global financial and economic crises have affected the country.

The other members of the delegation are Financial Secretary Whitfield Harris Jr., deputy financial secretaries Kevin Silston and Rasona Davis, and Debt Manager, Nadia Spencer Henry.

(St. John’s Antigua; April 19, 2010) - With preparations for Staycations Expo 2010 in full gear, the Ministry of Tourism welcomes on board the sponsorship of two corporate entities.

The Coast Nightclub and Restaurant and Antiguanice.com are now official sponsors of the two day expo which will be held on the 8th and 9th of May at the Multi-Purpose Cultural and Exhibition Center.

Both entities have sought to contribute to the marketing of the event which saw its inaugural session in September last year.

The Coast Night club will be highlighting Staycations throughout its weekly marketing campaign, with features on its Facebook page and blitzes via radio promotional spots, while AntiguaNice .com has dedicated an entire website page link to the event.

The webpage can be accessed by visiting the main web portal which is www.antiguanice.com. There, interested individuals will have the opportunity to view photos from the previous event, access information on registration and view special offers and attractions which will be available to patrons of the expo.

“Working on a compacted budget this time around for the Staycations Expo and acknowledging the fact that marketing plays a pivotal role in the success of this promotion, we are indeed grateful for the assistance in kind of our partners the Coast nightclub and Antigua Nice. Com and we continue to seek the assistance of the major media entities on island in broadcasting the message of Staycations 2010,” stated Samoya Kirby, Communications Officer within the ministry of Tourism.

Presently some 26 vendors inclusive of properties, restaurants, tour operators and entertainment centers have registered for the event, which is geared towards encouraging locals to spend and engage in on land vacation options during the upcoming summer months.

Not only will this prove economical considering the current economic climate, but it will increase product knowledge amongst the local populace.

“I welcome and applaud the collaborative effort of our stakeholders who have embraced the concept of Staycations acknowledging the mutual benefits that can be gained by every party involved,” remarks Minister of Tourism, The Hon. John Maginley.

He continued, “ I would particularly like to encourage more tourism related businesses particularly tour operators, restaurants and entertainment centers to register to market their products, as likewise I am encouraging all locals to attend the two day exposition and embrace the special offers and promotions that are being packaged particularly for this event.

Last year, thirteen lucky patrons to the expo walked away with prizes as result of their participation in the expo. These prizes were inclusive of hotel stays, dinners and relaxation and tours donated by STAYCATION exhibitors.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – April 17, 2010………Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer leaves the country on Sunday for Venezuela where he will take part in the 9th Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA).

According to Prime Minister Spencer, this Summit of ALBA to be held on April 19 in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, coincides with the celebrations to mark the bicentennial of Venezuela’s independence of 1810.

Leaders attending the Summit will be invited by the Venezuelan government to witness a civil-military parade that will include military delegations from countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas.

“It is my intention to build on the close relations that currently exist between Antigua and Barbuda and the Government of Venezuela, particularly our relations as it relates to our involvement in ALBA. Antigua and Barbuda has benefited tremendously from our involvement in ALBA and by extension our relations with Venezuela and it is my belief that strengthening the relations can only be of mutual benefit to both of our countries,” said Prime Minister Spencer.

“I will also use the opportunity to congratulate the Government and People of Venezuela on the celebration of their 200th anniversary of independence. The people of Venezuela have a rich and diverse history which they should be proud of and the people of the Americas owe them a debt of gratitude for the numerous life altering and life giving projects that are conceptualized and implemented through ALBA and the associated PetroCaribe Agreement which have served to reduce poverty, illiteracy, morbidity and mortality in many countries including Antigua and Barbuda,” PM Spencer pointed out.

The ABLA Summit on Monday is expected to examine the accords which govern ALBA and address the challenges being faced by member countries which include Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Panama is expected to official become a member of PetroCaribe during the Summit.