The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Official Newsletter

July/August 2011 The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Official Newsletter

A newsletter produced by the Antigua and Barbuda High Commission London for nationals and friends of Antigua and Barbuda Issue 144

Eastern Caribbean Central Bank assumes the need to maintain financial stability in Antigua and “Each control of ABI Bank (ABIB) Barbuda, and, by extension, within the Currency Union. Endeavouring all The affairs of ABI Bank will now be carried out by Achieving” ECCB staff, with the support of a dedicated group of banking specialists and the current staff of ABI Bank. Together, they will resolve 1st November 2011 the issues that led to this action, and ensure the con- Marks 30 Years of tinued operations of the bank. Independence for Finance and Economy Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Honourable Harold Lovell, Prime Minister the Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer and the Governor of the Antigua and Barbuda Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Sir Dwight Venner The Government of Antigua and Barbuda will continue Statement by the Hon- lenged because of insuffi- to work with the ECCB to ourable Harold Lovell, cient liquid assets. ensure that all steps are Minister of Finance and taken to protect the inter- Inside this issue: The Economy Accordingly, and in consul- ests of depositors and tation with the Board of creditors of the ABI Bank. Government „rolls‟ out 4 “The Eastern Caribbean Directors of ABI Bank, the economic stimulus pack- Central Bank assumed con- Banking Community within We ask for the support and age trol of the ABI Bank, exer- the Currency Union and the patience of depositors and Farewell to Curliss Bart, 5 cising the powers conferred Monetary Council, it was creditors of ABI Bank and Counsellor on it by Part IIA, Article 5B decided that the ECCB the understanding of the of the ECCB Agreement should assume control of public in general during this Artisanal Fisheries Com- 5 Act 1983. the Bank. time. plex for Barbuda This action has been taken In agreeing to this course of We are confident that our Prime Minister wants 6 after extensive discussions action the Government was collective actions will re- affirmative action for UWI between the Government particularly mindful of the store the bank to normality, of Antigua and Barbuda, the current economic condi- and maintain stability within LIAT and Unions come Monetary Council, and the tions in Antigua and Bar- the banking system. up with a deal 12 ECCB, all of whom have buda, the lingering effects of been closely monitoring the the global recession, the Let me reassure you that New Pre-Secondary 13 situation at ABI Bank over CLICO/BAICO issue, and the Government of Antigua School on Course time. the best interests of deposi- and Barbuda is fully commit- tors with ABI Bank. ted to resolving the issues Poultry Production to 17 ABI Bank¹s ability to meet at ABI Bank and preserving Increase its statutory obligations and We also took into consid- the banking system”. to carry out normal banking eration the successful res- 22 July 2011 functions has been chal- cue of Bank of Antigua , and * * * * * *

Antigua and Barbuda High Commission, 2nd Floor, 45 Crawford Place, London W1H 4LP 2 High Commissioner’s Message

Migration and The Brain Drain

Migration, both in terms of immigration and emigration has become a common reality in the globalised world we live in. However many countries experi- encing high levels of emigration often feel the need to assess the negative effects of a growing number of the indigenous population leaving and seeking to establish themselves elsewhere. „Brain Drain‟, the term used to describe the emigration of the highly skilled and educated segments of the population is one of these effects, and this will be the focus of this discussion as part of the migration series which commenced in issue # 142 of our newsletter.

According to the OECD (Organisation for Eco- nomic Cooperation and Development), the share of a country‟s nationals with a university education residing in another country can be illustrated as follows:

Less than 2 % Less than 5 % Less than 10 % Less than 20 % Over 20 % Not included

In the United Kingdom, the effects of the brain drain has been quite staggering, with research showing that Brit- ain is attempting to address the worst brain drain in its history, having over 1 million of its nationals living and working abroad, with the fields of healthcare and engineering worst hit.

Although this is a phenomenon most believe to be experienced by developed nations where there has become a saturation in certain employment fields such as the United Kingdom and Australia, it is also faced by Antigua and Barbuda, with so many of our young nationals choosing to study abroad, and remaining in their country of choice upon completion of their studies. In fact, historical trends show that low income countries are the hard- est hit by this effect of emigration.

A discussion in 2010 carried out on CNN expounded on this fact, with Michael Elliot (Editor of Time International) analysing the World Bank report on the matter in terms of its links to the Caribbean. In his analysis, he states:

“A recent World Bank report on nursing in the English-speaking Caribbean tells the story. Local demand for nurses, the bank found, exceeds supply by about 30%; emigration is a key explanation for the gap. The bank estimated that roughly three times as many Caribbean-trained nurses are working overseas (especially in the U.S., Canada, and Britain) as at home. And the report found that the brightest nurses were the ones leaving to work abroad..

Migration from the developing world is often a function of smart people fleeing badly managed, corrupt economies that haven't invested in health and education. But the poor countries that are trying to do the right things and there are many -- need the best and brightest working in their agricultural colleges and finance ministries if they are to ever get richer. Bluntly, they need that brainpower more than we do. ”

It is only through national initiatives and encouragement can we begin to reverse the effects of this trend, and redress the imbalance created by years of emigration, a point which was raised by the IMF when it published its report titled “How Extensive is the Brain Drain”, in which states “one important implication of the brain drain is that investment in education in a developing country may not lead to faster economic growth if a large number of its highly educated people leave the country. Also, efforts to reduce specific skill shortages through improved educational opportunities may be largely futile unless measures are taken to offset existing incentives for highly educated people to emigrate.”

But what categories of skills are being lost to developing countries? Are they: trained civil servants, nurses, engineers, technicians, teachers, technocrats, architects or entrepreneurs? How many in each category? According to information released at the end of 2010 by the OECD on migration 35% have intermediate skills and 21.5% have high skills. In other words 56% of all persons migrating have some level of skills needed by the developing countries to enhance their development.

Do we then as some persons have stated in the Caribbean make this movement a beneficial policy initiative of our Governments: i.e., do we train to export? What benefits could such a policy bring in return to a country? The argument put forward by some of the proponents of this strategy is that such a policy can achieve one or both of two things. Firstly, it can serve as a method of increasing badly needed foreign exchange through the remittances to the country and secondly it allows those citizens to acquire new and advanced skills which can eventually be of benefit to the homeland.

The overriding concern is the level of returning nationals with these enhanced skills. How can a developing country encourage or promote this? Is the rate of repatriation or re-entry a fair return on the initial educational investment of a Government? Is it just a high risk gamble? I am afraid that even after more than 30 years of debate the jury is still out on this subject. We must however move on and develop clear strategies to deal with the problem.

Antiguans, Barbudans, and friends of our twin island state, I therefore encourage you to lend your skills to our country to address this issue. Encourage your family and friends to return to Antigua and Bar- buda, to help build our nation into the country we all know it is capable of being. Remember you are never too old to make a worthy contribution.

His Excellency Dr Carl B W Roberts High Commissioner for Antigua and Barbuda

Stories Excerpted from www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag, caribbean360news and caribbeannewsnow,www.oecd.org Antigua government rolls are in order with Inland Revenue Although the scheme is intended to 4 out economic stimulus and other statutory obligations.” support small businesses in general, the minister said some priority ar- package The minister went on to clarify eas have been identified. They are

what he meant. “When we say agro-processing and related ser- Government is offering local manu- that affairs must be in order with vices; health and wellness, including facturers and other business stake- the Inland Revenue Department, indigenous spas and alternative holders a package of incentives that we‟re not saying that any monies therapies; indigenous craft; art and it hopes will stimulate the sector owed must be paid up immediately cultural activities; tourism related and, by extension, the economy in full. What we are saying is that services (tours and new attrac- into some sort of recovery. The persons must go into the Inland tions); software development, and announcement was made by Fi- Revenue Department and ensure manufacturing. nance and Economy Minister Har- that if there are any outstanding old Lovell. He explained that gov- arrears, then they are placed within When it comes to the tourism ernment recognised it “may be giv- a proper payment plan so that both sector, Lovell disclosed that gov- ing up some revenue, but the over- the manufacturer or the customer ernment has decided to extend all intention is to stimulate eco- and the Inland Revenue Depart- some incentives that formed part nomic activity by creating jobs and ment can ensure that a regime is of its 2008 Memorandum of Agree- increasing the turnover in busi- devised that meets the needs of ment with the Antigua Hotels and nesses.” Lovell added, “We expect our revenue collection agency as that the increased tax yield from Tourist Association. the additional activity will be well as the manufacturer.” enough to offset the upfront tax “In order to assist in the improve- Lovell also announced a Credit ment and refurbishment of proper- concessions.” Guarantee Scheme for small and ties and subject to vetting by the

micro enterprises, or SMEs, as a Ministry of Tourism, capital items Effective from the first day of next joint initiative by Government, the will be exempt from the payment month, he announced, government Antigua Barbuda Investment Au- will waive import duties and reve- of customs duties,” he said. thority (ABIA), and the Antigua nue recovery charges on all raw Barbuda Development Bank materials, packaging materials and Further, “hotels may renew their (ABDB). That facility will also be machinery used by local manufac- operating equipment for the dura- turers. These particular incentives, available from August 1, 2011. tion of this agreement. Such pur- Lovell said, will be reviewed after chases may include chinaware, glass six months. He continued, According to Lovell, it “will enable and silverware, room linens, and “Manufacturers may also receive authorised businesses to access small operating equipment. These cash flow benefits within the con- credit facilities from authorised items will be exempt from Cus- text of a bonded warehouse re- financial institutions. The amount of toms duties. Requests for conces- gime. This would allow them to guarantee for an SME is 80 per cent sions must be submitted to the defer payment of the ABST while of the approved loan, to a maxi- Ministry of Tourism for approval mum of $20,000. The guarantee the materials are warehoused. before purchase.” period will cover the life of the To access this facility, the manufac- loan from the first drawdown . * * * * * * turers must ensure that their affairs date.”

Antigua and Barbuda Gets High Other CARICOM member states eighth in best human resources. Ranking in New FDI Report receiving high rankings were Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in third Commenting on this development to and fourth place respectively, and Finance News, Investment Promo- Jamaica in the tenth position. Costa tions Director at the Antigua and Rica was ranked number one in the Barbuda Investment Authority, Fitz- Caribbean and Central America. The maurice Christian, said the high rank- rankings are created by the British ing in infrastructure underscores the media group‟s Foreign Direct Invest- country‟s attractiveness in business ment Intelligence Division as a process outsourcing, which relies on The Financial Times has ranked Anti- benchmark of the investment attrac- a reliable telecoms infrastructure and gua and Barbuda among the top ten tiveness of countries and cities in a well trained work force. He said Caribbean and Central American more than 55 sectors for 350 loca- the ABIA would concentrate on im- Countries of the Future. Antigua tions around the world. proving these rankings and on making and Barbuda was one of only two the top ten in the other three as- OECS member countries to make In the individual rankings, Antigua sessed areas - economic potential, the top ten, coming in sixth, with and Barbuda placed second in best business friendliness and cost effec- the British Virgin Islands in seventh infrastructure, fifth in best quality of tiveness. place. life, sixth in best FDI strategy and 29th August 2011 5 Acting Prime Minister, Har- the Government of Japan‟s Grant the over-reliance that fishermen old Lovell said Antigua and Aid Scheme, was held this week. have on lobster harvesting should shift toward harvesting a broader Barbuda is committed to the variety of fish. growth of the fishing sector. The Government of Japan says it

looks forward to the success of this As a result, the harvesting pressure project, and anticipates great bene- on lobster will be reduced, contrib- CODRINGTON, Barbuda, Fri- fits for the Government and the day August 12, 2011 – The fishing uting to the diversification of the people of Antigua and Barbuda. industry in Barbuda has received a fishing industry and sustainable use boost following the construction of of marine fishery resources. an Artisanal Fisheries Complex. Acting Prime Minister, Harold Lovell Through the project, fish and lob- said Antigua and Barbuda is commit- Minister of Agriculture, Lands, ster products from Barbuda will be ted to the growth of the fishing sec- Housing and the Environment Hil- able to satisfy the international qual- tor and will ensure that the proper son Baptiste said the facility will al- ity control requirements to export support system is put in place to low the fishermen on Barbuda to employ more advance fishing tech- to European Union countries. ensure the success of the facility. A dedication ceremony for the $30 nology.

He pointed out that the fisheries The Barbuda facility will also be able sector contributes over $25 million to supply fresh fish to Antigua, alle- dollars to Antigua‟s GDP, and is an viating the current shortage of fish- important part of the nation‟s devel- eries products available for con- opment thrust. sumption, he added.

The Artisanal Fisheries Complex Member of Parliament for Barbuda, houses a landing jetty, mooring Trevor Walker, said the construc- wharf, slipway, fish-handling shed, tion of the complex marks an im- Plaque unveiling at Artisanal Fisheries administrative offices, ice making portant turning point in the devel- Complex Barbuda.. and storage facility, cold storage, opment of fisheries and the fish ex- meeting room and sleeping quarters, million dollars complex, which is the port sector on the island. among other features. fifth artisanal Fisheries Facility to be Furthermore, he said, because fresh built in the twin-island state under fish will be distributed from Barbuda * * * * * *

Farewell to Miss Curliss ment) at our High Commission Tourist Office, Family and Bart, Counsellor in London, Miss Bart decided Friends. to return home to Antigua. His Excellency Dr Carl Rob- His Excellency the High Com- erts, High Commissioner and missioner Dr Carl Roberts, Mrs Pauline Roberts and staff staff wish Curliss God Speed at the High Commission hosted a reception to honour Curliss for the long years of service as a Public Servant. The reception was held on Wednes- Miss Curliss Bart retired on day 27th July 2011 at the 31st July 2011. After more High Commission. Amongst than 30 years of unstinting those who attended were service in the Public Sector of members of the diplomatic the Government of Antigua corps who started their post- and God’s Blessings as she un- and Barbuda, in many varied ing in London with Curliss in- roles including in the Ministry dertakes the next journey of cluded Colleague Diplomats of Finance and her last being, her life. from Barbados, Dominica, St Counsellor (Trade and Invest- Lucia, Belize, staff from our

Stories Excerpted from www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag, caribbean360news and caribbeannewsnow,www.oecd.org 6 Antigua PM wants sponse to a presentation delivered by prospects at a time of enormous Professor Nigel Harris, Vice Chancel- challenges”. affirmative action at UWI lor of the UWI.

Professor Harris had indicated that “If we are talking about the integra- only 12 percent of non-campus terri- tion movement, then we must ad- tories‟ students comprise the total dress the inadequate places being made available to students of the non UWI student population. -campus territories…They must be given the opportunity to live, study “We have provided more places for and rub shoulders with other stu- students from those territories…of dents from the campus territories,” course we have sought to provide he said. more access to students from the BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Monday OECS…12 percent is certainly not July 4, 2011 – Antigua and Barbuda enough,” the UWI Vice Chancellor Professor Harris agreed that there is has called for affirmative action to said, although noting that the process “need for affirmative action on this allow more students from CARI- to introduce change has started matter”. COM‟s non-campus territories to through the work of the Open Cam- access tertiary level education at the pus – called the UWI 12 project – In addition to the three main cam- University of the West Indies (UWI). and recommendations of a special puses – Cave Hill in Barbados, Mona task force on ways to expand the in Jamaica and St. Augustine in Trini- Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer has number of places for OECS students dad – the UWI Open Campus offers expressed “serious concern” over at the UWI. multi-mode teaching and learning ser- the low number of students from the vices through virtual and physical site OECS at UWI campuses compared Although saying that the UWI 12 pro- locations across the Caribbean re- to the campus territories which are ject has merit, Prime Minister gion. Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Spencer expressed strong dissatisfac- Tobago. tion with the number of students be- There are currently 42 site locations ing given places to study at the UWI, of the Open Campus in the region, He made his concerns known at the especially since “it‟s the quality of a serving 16 countries in the English- 32nd Regular Meeting of the CARI- nation‟s human capital resources that speaking Caribbean. COM Heads of Government, in re- will drive its future development * * * * * *

Free Movement Of Citizens 21, 2011. card or a national ID card. and Free Movement Of La- 2. A completed E/D form. bour Begins In the OECS On that date the OECS Authority of Heads of Government agreed that The immigration official shall grant Economic Union August 01, 2011 would be the imple- entry for an indefinite period, save mentation date for the regime for the and except in those circumstances Monday August 1st, 2011 heralded complete free movement of citizens where the citizen poses a security the commencement of full free move- of participating Member States. risk or there exists some other legal ment of OECS citizens throughout basis for prohibiting entry to the citi- the six independent countries of the In order to facilitate the free move- zen. Organisation. ment of citizens, the following administrative arrangements and proce- Persons who require additional infor- Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Gre- dures are in effect in Member States: mation or who are interested in giv- nada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia OECS citizens travelling within the ing feedback are encouraged to con- and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Economic Union should enter the tact the Regional Integration Unit of agreed that, from that date, they special immigration lines designated their Member State. would permit OECS citizens to enter for CARICOM Nationals. their territories and remain for an They may also contact the OECS Se- indefinite period in order to work, OECS citizens travelling within the cretariat in St. Lucia at telephone establish businesses, provide services Union must produce the following (758)-455-6327 or send us an e-mail: or reside. documents to the immigration Offi- [email protected] o r cials at the point of entry: [email protected] with a copy to Free movement of OECS citizens is [email protected]. Information is 1. A valid photo identification also available on the OECS website one of the fundamental aspects of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre estab- card that bears the nationality of the www.oecs.org. lishing the OECS Economic Union, holder, for example, a passport, which entered into force on January driver‟s license, voter‟s registration 7 licensing regime to encompass gam- „White-list‟ status system will be bling operators irrespective of them upheld. Minister of Finance, the based in the UK or overseas. Economy and Public Administration, Hon. Harold Lovell recognizes in principle the need for the British At Present gambling operators who Government to protect British con- are licensed and regulated in Euro- sumers in a more consistent man- pean Economic Area (EEA) member ner, to close the regulatory incon- states or white-listed jurisdictions sistencies and to address shared Antigua and Barbuda Reacts to (Antigua and Barbuda, Alderney, Isle concerns with respect to problem British Government Proposal of Man and Tasmania) are allowed gambling. Minister Lovell is confi- to introduce an expanded Sec- to offer their services to British dent that the UK Government and ondary Licensing Regime for consumers. However, the proposal British Gambling Commission will Gambling Operators will require overseas operators to continue to work with Antigua and obtain a license from the UK Gam- Barbuda and other white-listed ju- The Government of Antigua and bling Commission in order to trans- risdictions to maintain their confi- Barbuda acknowledges the an- act with British consumers and ad- dence in our respective regulatory nouncement made today by the vertise in Great Britain. The DCMS regimes, as Antigua cooperates with United Kingdom Department of anticipates that the pending changes other jurisdictions consistent with Culture Media and Sports (DCMS) will not come into force until pri- recommendations of the Financial Minister, Hon. John Penrose, that mary legislation has been amended Actions Task Force (FATF). the British government proposes to in late 2012. Accordingly, until such introduce an expanded secondary time, the new policy will not impact * * * * * * Antiguan licensees, and the current

Antigua gets European mission has approved a grant of US$4.1 million to further initiatives During the week under review, sen- money aimed at strengthening revenue ad- ior officials of the Ministry of Finance ministration and public financial man- participated in a video conference agement in Antigua and Barbuda. with the European Commission‟s Barbados Office. The grant will largely be used to continue the technical assistance and capacity building which are integral Also involved in the exchange were to both areas of reform. the Caribbean Regional Technical Assistance Centre, the Office of The European Commission has approved a The country will have to meet spe- Technical Management at the Inter- grant of US$4.1 million to Antigua and Barbuda. cific timelines and reporting require- national Monetary Fund (IMF), and ments for the continuation of the the IMF‟s Fiscal Affairs Department ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, Monday initiatives, when the funding becomes July 18, 2011 - The European Com- * * * * * * available at the end of August.

NON-MACHINE READABLE PASSPORTS OUT-OF-DATE BY THE END OF 2011… PLEASE APPLY TO RENEW YOUR PASSPORTS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE

New Style Caribbean Community Antigua and Barbuda Passport

Antigua and Barbuda National Association London (ABNA) Service of Thanksgiving JOIN US For Antigua and Barbuda’s 30th Anniversary of Independence JOIN US Sunday 30th October 2011 at 3.00pm St Matthias Church, Wordsworth Road, London N16 8DD

Stories Excerpted from www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag, caribbean360news and caribbeannewsnow,www.oecd.org 8

Caribbean UK Film Festi- Africa were brought to provide slave colonies of Great Britain. labour to work these estates. In val at Victoria & Albert Museum Sunday 10th July 1728 there was a small uprising and in 1736, a major slave rebellion was The island was granted Self- 2011 claimed to be uncovered. The three Governance in 1967 (also referred Address by His Excellency ring leaders Court, Tomboy and to as Independence in Association Dr Carl B W Roberts Hercules were „broken‟ on the with Great Britain) under which wheel and some eighty others were scheme Britain was responsible for External Affairs and Defence while brutally executed. “Spotlight in the Caribbean: Anti- the locally elected Government held gua and Barbuda” responsibility for internal matters.

Slavery was abolished in Antigua on the 1st August 1834 but the freed “Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island st slaves continued to provide cheap On the 1 November 1981, the Na- state around the centre of an archi- tional flag of the new Nation of Anti- pelago stretching from the tip of labour for the owners of the sugar estates well into the 20th century. gua and Barbuda was raised for the edge of Florida in the north to the first time as the country became a edge of South America in the south. Many villages were established when the freed slaves moved away from fully sovereign and independence Though we speak of a twin-island state with the Queen, HRH Eliza- state, current-day Antigua and Bar- their former master‟s estates. Fa- mous among these were Freetown beth II as Head of State. The first buda has three main inhabited islands Prime Minister was the late Sir Vere and Liberta (or liberty village). (Antigua, Barbuda and Long Island Cornwall Bird Sr. and the first Gov- [which is locally also known as ernor-General or Queen‟s Repre- Jumby Bay]) and several smaller is- The Assembly voted to 1846 to im- sentative on the island was the late lands – Green Island, Guinea Island, port Portuguese workers from Ma- Sir Wilfred Jacob. The current Gov- Bird Island, Maiden Island, York Is- deira and the Cape Verde Islands. ernor-General is Dame Louise Lake- land and Redonda) Around 2000 arrived as replacement Tack and the current Prime Minister, labour over the next nine years. Just in office since 2004, is Dr. Hon W. History after the opening of the next cen- Baldwin Spencer. tury, several traders from Lebanon

Antigua was first settled by the arrived in the island and settled Executive power is exercised by the Amerindians then by the Arawaks, there. elected Government while the Legis- who introduced agriculture espe- lative power is vested in a bi-cameral cially the famous Antigua Black pine- In early 1918, the planters attempted parliament consisting of a House of apple, corn, sweet potatoes, guava, to exploit the workers by changing Representative with 17 members tobacco and cotton. the method by which cane was paid ( with Mrs Giselle Isaac-Arrindell as for at the factory. This resulted in Speaker) and a Senate with 17 mem- The Caribs later defeated the Ara- the riot of 9th March 1918, during bers ( 10 appointed on the advice of waks and dominated the island until the disturbances of which many per- the Prime Minister, 4 on the advice the time of the arrival of the Europe- sons were killed or injured. This of the Leader of Opposition, 1 on ans. Christopher Columbus first forced the planters to reverse their the advice of the Barbuda Council, sighted this island in 1493 and named decision on cane payment. one resident of Barbuda on the ad- it “Santa Maria La Antigua” after a vice of the Prime Minister and one at church in Seville, Spain. The island the discretion of the Governor Gen- has names like “Wa‟ladli” from the In the 1940s the arrival of the Trade eral. Mrs Hazelyn Francis is the cur- Arawaks and today is often called Union generated a surge of desire rent President of the Senate. for more involvement in the govern- “Land of Wadadli”, ance of the island. Eventually the membership in the Assembly was Antigua and Barbuda has a popula- The English settlers arrived in Anti- opened to national representatives tion of about 90,000 which is mostly gua and Barbuda in 1632, while Sir of the population. In 1962 the at- made up of persons of African- Christopher Codrington settled in tempts at forming a West Indies Caribbean descent. The ethnic distri- Barbuda. He later established the Federation failed. The larger territo- bution consists of 91% black, 4.4% sugar estate at Betty‟s Hope in Anti- ries in the region negotiated inde- mixed race, 1.7% white and 2.9% gua in 1674. The English settlers es- pendence from the colonial masters tablished sugar plantations, many of and became sovereign nations and other (primarily East Indian and which carried their names (Vernon, members of the Commonwealth of Asian).re Christians with this group Gunthropes, Duers, Parry, Cochran Nations. The smaller islands, includ- consisting of Anglicans (Church of and Winthorpe. Later persons from ing Antigua and Barbuda, were left as England), Methodists, Moravians, 9

Lutherans, Presbyterians, Seventh- lead to the following advantages: living, this is however being severely Day Adventists, Jehovah Witnesses, tested in the current economic Baptists and Catholics. Non- 1. Economies of scale in pro- situation, and has forced the coun- Christian religions practiced on the duction, distribution, marketing and islands include the Rastafarian try to seek a $117.8million standby public administration; Movement, Islam, Judaism and the loan in June 2010 while it embarked Baha‟i Faith. 2. The spread of risk across a on a stabilisation program to re- store growth in the economy. greater land space and a bigger The national Coat of Arms was de- population; and In the third review of the country‟s signed by Gordon Christopher and economic efforts by the IMF, Anti- depicts our famous pineapple 3.Increased capacity to negotiate (Antigua Black), the Red Hibiscus with single and groups of countries gua and Barbuda has achieved all flowers, the golden Sun Setting into outside the region, regional and in- quantitative performance targets to blue and white wavy banks repre- ternational institutions, and foreign date, which has allowed the nation senting the sun, sea and white sand private investors. to continue its recovery from high beaches. The Sugar Mills and cane levels of governmental debt, weak depict the production of sugar. The economic growth, and the overall deer depicts the wild life of many The OECES Economic Union in the effect of the global economic crisis. years ago in Antigua and Barbuda. eyes of the Governor of the OECES The main economic activity is tour- Central Bank, which regulates ism, which generates about 65% of The National Flag is one of the most money flows in the member territo- the foreign exchange earnings, with outstanding in the region and was ries of the ECCU (Eastern Carib- construction being the second larg- designed by Sir Reginald Samuel. It bean Currency Union), must at- est contributor to the economy shows the golden setting sun sym- bolizing the dawn of a new era, red tempt to enhance its productive amounting to just over 12% of GDP. – the dynamism of our people; the capacity, reduce vulnerability to ex- The economy experienced negative blue – hope; the black – the soil and ogenous shocks and improve its growth in 2009 and 2010 due to the the Nations African Heritage; the human resource. As a result, the economic downturn in the world gold, blue and white represents the OECS economic union is very im- economy and the financial crisis. country‟s natural tourist attractions portant in providing a platform and However it is projected to show – the sun, the sea and the white or small growth in 2011 and began ro- pink sand while the „V‟ – shape indi- instrument for socio-economic development of the sub-region. It bust improvements from 2012. cates the victory of our people. therefore demands the develop- Foreign Relations ment of policies and more effective The Nation‟s Moto is “EACH EN- implementation. In terms of foreign relations, Anti- DEAVOURING, ALL ACHIEVING” gua and Barbuda is a member of Antigua and Barbuda Economy several International Institutions OECS Economic Union The GDP of Antigua and Barbuda is including the United Nations, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas In 2010, the heads of government of estimated at around US $1.2billion (ALBA), the Commonwealth of Na- the member states of the OECS with a GDP per capita of approxi- tions, the Organisation of Eastern decided that in light of the uncer- mately $16000 to $17000. In spite Caribbean States (OECS), the Car- tainties associated with the Carib- of being a vulnerable small island ibbean Community (Caricom), the bean single market economy developing state subjected to the Organisation of American States (CSME) project of CARICOM, the many natural disasters plaguing the (OAS), the World Trade Organisa- OECS must begin to strengthen the region, Antigua and Barbuda has tion (WTO) the World Bank, the ties that bind the peoples of the sub been classified as a middle income International Monetary Fund (IMF) -region together. They agreed to country, which whilst on one hand to name a few. establish the OECS Economic Union is a positive assessment, on the other, this categorization restricts in the shortest possible time Role of the Ambassador thereby providing a single financial the country‟s access to reasonable levels of interest rates on borrow- and economic space which, through On many occasions I have been ing. Although the country has main- the process of aggregation, should asked questions by several members tained a relative high standard of

Stories Excerpted from www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag, caribbean360news and caribbeannewsnow,www.oecd.org Address by H E Dr Carl Roberts, Caribbean UK Film Festival—continued from Page 9 10 of the public as to what my respon- Antigua and Barbuda has five non- sailing, surfing and parasailing to sibilities are as a Diplomat. Some- resident ambassadors residing in name a few. The world famous Anti- times jokingly, some often comment Antigua who are accredited to gua Sailing Week takes place around on the fact that all we seem to do is China, Japan & IWC, Central Latin April each year, and attracts many attend parties, enjoy free drinks and America & ALBA, Trade and Re- sailing enthusiasts from all over the dress-up. Now I would be the first gional Cooperation (CARICOM and world. to concede that at times the beauti- OECS) and EU Development Assis- ful and colourful national attire that tance (through Barbados and the In terms of culture, music has his- we sometimes don might leave the EDF). torically played an important role in impression of a „jovial fun loving so- Antiguan and Barbudan society. The ciety” but generally I would reply Two of the overseas heads of mis- steelband had parallel development that it is our duty to represent the sion, the High Commissioner and in Trinidad and Antigua and Barbuda best our country has to offer at all the ambassador to Cuba, have sup- with many important progressions times, especially in the way we dress plemental duties. The High Commis- of the art form were made in Anti- in our national dress and communi- sioner in London also holds ambas- gua and Barbuda. The first steelband cate with those who have a desire sadorial responsibilities for France, that was commercially recorded was to know more about our country. Germany, Italy and Spain, in addition the „brute force‟ steelband Antigua to permanent representative status and Barbuda, and the first „all girls‟ Seriously, my role here in the UK at the Commonwealth of Nations, steelband, and several specialist pan embodies five principle duties: UNESCO and deputy permanent instruments originated from the is- 1. To represent the sovereign representative to the WTO. The land as well. The oldest steelband in country who appointed me to the destination for which I hold titles of ambassador to Cuba is also the non- the OECS and probably including appointment to develop and en- resident ambassador to the African Trinidad and Tobago is the Hellsgate courage good bilateral relations be- Union. Steel Orchestra of Antigua and Bar- tween the two countries. buda. We also have a number of pan 2. To increase the level of Culture and Sports soloists, one of which is the well trade and investment into Antigua renowned Lacu Samuel. and Barbuda by presenting the Sports in Antigua and Barbuda have country as a viable destination to developed as a mixture of British Calypso is also a very popular music generate reasonable returns on in- and Spanish influences, with cricket artform, and Antigua and Barbuda vestment and trade. being the national sport, along with has produced numerous calypson- 3. To encourage the greatest football (soccer). Antigua and Bar- level of tourist visitors to Antigua ians who have been able to convey a and Barbuda from the citizens in the buda has produced several world social message that is as applicable host country and the highest repeat acclaimed cricketers, especially to the day it was written as it is to- visit ratio possible. Anderson Montgomery Roberts, day. One of those calypsonians is Sir 4. To facilitate the best welfare Richard „Richie‟ Richardson, Curtly McClean Emmanuel musically of citizens and residents of Antigua Ambrose, Ridley Jacobs, and Sir known as „Short Shirt‟. and Barbuda travelling to, or transit- Vivian Richards. It has a world re- ing through the host country. nowned cricketing venue. It was at I hope that this sample of musical 5. To maintain good relations and regular communication with the Antigua Recreation Grounds delights and everything you‟ve heard Antigua and Barbuda‟s Diaspora re- (ARG) that the fastest century was today has sparked your interest and siding in the host country and pro- scored by Sir Vivian Richards, and will entice you into visiting Antigua vide assistance where needed o where Brian Lara surpassed Sir Gar- and Barbuda, and visit us to enjoy safeguard their well-being. field Sobers‟ long standing test re- the warmth of our people and the cord to create a new record of beauty of the islands. Do promise to Antigua and Barbuda currently oper- 400runs. come soon. ates 7 overseas missions: the Cuban Embassy, the Miami, Toronto and Antigua and Barbuda‟s other sport- I have with me here today, my wife New York Consulates, a UN Per- ing activities include horse racing Pauline Roberts, my daughter manent Mission, the London High and drag racing, and with so many Chalene Roberts and the director of Commission and an Embassy in beautiful beaches, it is no wonder Tourism for Antigua and Barbuda, Washington. that the sea provides another area Mr Hilary Modeste. Thank you for for sporting activities such as boat inviting me here and for listening”. 11 LIME gives teachers Lap- just want to empower our teachers Primary, St Michael‟s School and tops with an Internet connection. We Freemansville Primary,” the release wanted to make a contribution to said. push this country along, to em- Over 1600 teachers of primary and power our teachers, who will then secondary school are poised to empower our children.” The second group of teachers from receive laptops and home Internet the following schools are due to service at a discounted rate as part receive their laptops on Thursday of a joint initiative between govern- October 6 at the Precision Centre, ment and telecommunications Paynters: Pigotts Primary School, company LIME. New Winthorpes Primary, Sunny- side Tutorial School, St Joseph‟s Academy, Jennings Secondary, St According to a government re- Mary‟s Secondary School, Old lease, the programme dubbed Dr the Hon Edward Mansoor, Minister of Infor- Road Primary School, Urlings Pri- mation, Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Sci- Technology for Education 20/20 mary, Five Islands Primary, Cedar has three components: high speed ence and Technology, Mr Davidson Charles, LIME and Official from Ministry of Education Grove Primary, Bolans Primary, laptops for all teachers in public Bethesda Primary, Buckleys Pri- and private, primary and secondary The first phase of Technology for mary, Freetown Primary, Irene B schools; 2) broadband Internet Williams Secondary and Potters connectivity at the homes of the Education 20/20 is set to begin Sep- Primary School. teachers who have registered for tember 13, when the first batch of the programme at a special rate for teachers are to receive laptops, the a three year period; and 3) Broad- government communiqué noted. “Moreover the first four months band Internet hotspots in 22 sec- “Teachers assigned to the following of connectivity for 1600 teachers is ondary schools. Indications from schools are included in the first being subsumed completely by the LIME are that close to 1000 teach- phase of the programme and will government, and for the ensuing ers have already signed up for the receive laptops on that day, during three years, teachers will pay EC programme. a special ceremony to be held at $59 plus ABST,” the communiqué the Multipurpose Cultural and Ex- read. “The government envisions “We saw this as a grand opportu- hibition Centre commencing at 9 that this programme will be the nity for us to really get involved in am: Charlesworth T Samuel Pri- catalyst that will facilitate the crea- a deeper way in our education sys- mary, J T Ambrose Primary, tion of a local teaching and learning tem,” LIME‟s Country Manager Seaview Farm Primary, Foundation network.” Davidson Charles said. “We didn‟t Mixed School, Bendals Primary, Liberta Junior Secondary, Willikies * * * * * *

Distribution of Certificates for APUA. 3. Previous booklet (or registration Senior Citizens Utility Subsidy receipts for persons who regis- Booklets August 15, 2011 Booklets can be collected at the tered in May 2011) Multipurpose Cultural Centre be- 4. Recent APUA Utility Bills PDV Caribe Antigua and Barbuda ginning on Monday 22nd August

Ltd. (PDV CAB) in collaboration 2011 and running until Friday 26th with the Government of Antigua August 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to Barbudan beneficiaries should take note that arrangements have been and Barbuda announced that resi- 3:00 p.m. daily. dents who opted to participate in made for their booklets to be de- the Senior Citizens Utility Program livered to their home addresses. Documents to present: will soon be able to collect their new certificates. The new booklets 1. Valid Government issued Photo Further information on the Senior cover the period September 2011 I.D. (Voter‟s Card, Passport or Citizens Utility Subsidy Programme to February 2012 and includes 6 Driver‟s Licence) can be obtained by calling the PDV vouchers valued at EC$100.00 each 2. Social Security Pension Card CAB office at 562-6185 or 562- to be used for bill payments at 6189. (Survivor, Age, Old Age, Invalidity)

Antigua and Barbuda Pensioners’ Social Security Life Certificates Kindly note that Pensioners‟ Life Certificates can be witnessed and signed at the Antigua and Barbuda High Commission, 2nd Floor, 45 Crawford Place, London W1H 4LP For more information or to make an appointment please Telephone 020 7258 0070

Stories Excerpted from www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag, caribbean360news and caribbeannewsnow,www.oecd.org 12 OECS Officials gather in sectors identified and prioritized Antigua and Barbuda to key areas on which the Policy At that meeting, OECS Tourism Ministers endorsed the priority ar- finalize a Common Tour- should focus. eas identified for inclusion in the ism Policy Policy, emphasizing the need for Some of the broad focus areas high- immigration and border control in lighted by the first workshop in- the OECS to be addressed as prior- Senior Tourism Officials are sched- clude: transportation; tourism uled to meet in Antigua and Bar- awareness; product development; ity issues in the Policy. buda on August 16th and 17th 2011 customs and immigration proce- at a workshop designed to finalize dures; environmental and cultural The pending Common Tourism the first ever Common Tourism sustainability and sustainable financ- Policy is within the context of the Policy for the OECS region. OECS Economic Union as a single financial and economic space.

Programme Officer at the OECS Secretariat Dr. Lorraine Nicholas At least twenty tourism profession- says tourism officials are reviewing als from the region‟s private and a draft final Common Tourism Pol- public sectors are confirmed to at- icy document ahead of the meeting tend the second workshop booked in St. John‟s. for the Jolly Beach Resort & Spa in Head Table of Tourism Conference Antigua. “Quite a bit of work has gone into ing. The March meeting also identi- the formulation of the Policy. The fied actions to address each of the The primary aim of the workshop consultants have done considerable will be to review the draft docu- work in putting together this policy policy focus area. ment and secure agreement among which is it draft form. When we OECS Member States on priorities Immediately following the first meet in Antigua next week the pri- and actions for the final Common mary objective will essentially be to workshop in St. Lucia, the Consult- Tourism Policy. finalize the Policy. The senior tour- ants visited all nine OECS Member ism officials from across the region States discuss with key stakeholders The workshop is facilitated via tech- will be reviewing the draft Policy key issues affecting the develop- nical assistance support provided by with a view to ensuring that it in ment of tourism and their buy-in to the Commonwealth Secretariat. sync with their vision and aspira- the emerging Common Tourism Yellow Railroad, a consulting firm tions for tourism development in Policy.

based in the UK was contracted to the OECS region” execute the project, which is ex- The Consultants also presented pected to be completed at the end The coming workshop follows an initial findings and observations to of August, 2011. posted August 12, 2011 initial consultation held in March the OECS Council of Tourism Min- isters at their 10th meeting held in 2011, where tourism professionals * * * * * * from the region‟s private and public St. Kitts on 19th April 2011.

LIAT And Unions Come Up online, via the airline‟s hotline, or He explained that based on the With A Deal through travel agents. For the ap- number of years employees have proximately 40 CTO workers, the worked at LIAT, and vacancies cre- agreement provides an enhanced ated as a result of other workers severance package and the possibil- taking up the Voluntary Separation ity of employment in other parts of (VSEP) and Early Retirement pack- LIAT operations, according to age which the company offered in Chairman of the Regional Consulta- May, some of the CTO staff will not tive Council of Trade Unions within be out of work. Under the agree- the LIAT System, Senator Chester ment, workers will receive sever- Humphrey. ance pay, along with an additional

two months‟ pay in lieu of notice, A year and a half of turbulent nego- which is one month‟s salary less tiations between LIAT and unions “We have been able to reduce the than the unions had previously de- over the closure of the airline‟s city effect of the compulsory termination ticketing offices (CTOs) came to an by way of redundancies,” he said manded. end with both sides sealing a deal to shortly after representatives of the close the operations in Antigua and workers‟ bargaining agents, LIAT‟s Additionally, the retrenched em- across the region on July 31. For acting Chief Executive Officer Julie ployees will still be covered by the regional travellers, the deal means Reifer-Jones and Director of Human company‟s health insurance policy that come August 1, LIAT flights will Resources Ilean Ramsey sealed the until the end of January 2012. have to be booked at airport offices, deal. 13 New Pre-Secondary School on work begins, students will first be Caribbean Vocational Qualification evaluated. (CVQ) examination and also con- Course tinue their educational journey at the “Many of the students we will have Antigua and Barbuda Institute of to evaluate to see what difficulties Continuing Education (ABICE). they are coming with, because in order for us to help, we have to first Asked about the life-span of the assess to know exactly what caused NTTC and whether it will continue them (students) to be in that posi- beyond the time the incoming batch tion and then for us to offer reme- of students will spend there, Mr diation.” Browne said hereon, it will be de- pendent on what takes place in the Education officials along with the primary schools. Dyslexia Association are likely to be enlisted during the process to prop- “If as we assess along the line and Preparations are advanced for the erly diagnose students‟ weaknesses remediation is done, then in due opening of a new school that will in order for them to be properly course there probably will be no cater for students who can no placed. need for such an institution, since we longer continue within the public and are talking about special education private primary school systems, due The NTTC will be managed as a pre- and treating people at an earlier to difficulties they experience negoti- secondary school with strict regula- stage. If we can identify the problems ating final examinations. tions, and according to Clare early, then we will be able to correct Browne, the Public Service Commis- those problems in the primary sion will soon appoint a principal, schools especially since we are aim- With the Ministry of Education led while the ministry of education will ing for universal secondary education by Minister Dr. Jacqui Quinn- be responsible for staffing the institu- by the year 2013.” Leandro working assiduously to at- tion. tain universal secondary education “If the institution continues, we are by 2013, the National Technical “We are scouting for staff within the hoping it will not have the numbers Training Centre (NTTC) will open education system. Since junior sec- we are seeing now but significantly its doors on 1 September, 2011 to ondary schools have been closed, less. But there will always be persons more than two hundred students some of those teachers will be re- that might not be able to handle who were unsuccessful at the Com- deployed to NTTC to help those some things, so we want to see mon Entrance and Junior Secondary children,” Browne said. where we to go with this. For now, examinations, giving them another we are focusing on the people we opportunity at receiving an educa- A batch of students who were sent have, the people we know will not tion. to ABICE two years ago after falling qualify for secondary schools, the

short in the junior secondary exami- people who are aged fourteen years Senior Education Officer in charge of nation will also join the programme. old and we can‟t put them back in Secondary Schools Mr Clare Browne Students attending the new institu- grade six,” the SEO said. says plans are moving ahead, pointing tion will spend a period of two out that a curriculum is in place, one years, though the SEO acknowledged Education officials say they are up- that will include core subjects and there may be others who will be holding the motto of the ministry also entrepreneurship, fashion de- enrolled longer depending on their that no child will be left behind, and signing, metal work and theatre arts intellectual capabilities. At the end of they will do whatever it takes to en- among other subjects. The SEO that period, some students may qual- sure that students become produc- noted however that before the real ify to enter a mainstream secondary tive citizens. August 26, 2011 school, while others will write the * * * * * * National Policy on sented various institutions across tion has also gone on record stating Children with Special the island were part of a two-day that special needs education remains Needs in the making Special Education Workshop recently a top priority for Government. Per- conducted. Participants completed sons who applied last year for Board Parents of children with special needs questionnaires which were devised of Education scholarships in the spe- are welcoming news that educators to collect data geared at equipping cial needs field were successful. Spe- in Antigua and Barbuda are calling on teachers from regular classes, with cial needs is again top priority for Government to develop a special the necessary skills to attend to stu- 2011. The Minister also expressed needs policy that will ensure that dents deemed as different or with the wish to have an education officer every child has equal access to edu- special needs within a regular class- dedicated to overseeing the well- cation (The Education Act 2008.) room setting. being of students with special educa-

tional needs similar to officers for the More than 80 educators who repre- The Honourable Minister of Educa- various school subjects.6 July. 2011 Stories Excerpted from www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag, caribbean360news and caribbeannewsnow,www.oecd.org 14 Curtains Close on Carnival This was Revelers 11th straight band of the year title. 2011 Meanwhile reigning Party Monarch Hard Knaxx , won the road march competition for his hit song Ken- tucky which was played 47 times.

The judging of troupes and groups Incessant rainfall brought on by Tropical Storm Emily, which passed Revelers mas troupe and upcoming south of Antigua and Barbuda on Soca artist Hard Knaxx were among Monday 1st August forced the post- the big winners on the final day of ponement of the carnival judging of the 2011 Carnival Festivities. troupes and groups and last lap until Saturday August 6th 2011. Revelers mas troupe was named winner and 2011 band of the year, The parade of troupes and groups for the troupes theme “festivals” and last lap celebrations moved which showcased national celebra- was pushed back because of heavy through the streets of St John‟s on tions from the Caribbean and downpour though some mas players Saturday 6th August and late into around the world, including Mardi still braved the weather. The curtains the evening despite poor weather Gras, Trinidad Carnival, Festival of finally came down on the 2011 carni- conditions. Lights, and Seafood Festival. val celebrations on Saturday 6th Au- gust 2011. August 7, 2011 Hurricane Irene hits the The hurricane flooded streets and Republic and Haiti rushed to make Caribbean caused rivers to overflow their preparations for its impact. The banks, as it raged over the island. ground was already saturated after The first hurricane of the 2011 At- Winds brought down trees and left weeks of heavy rain, including tropi- lantic Hurricane Season has devel- more than a million Puerto Ricans cal storm Emily, which caused flood- oped in the Caribbean. Irene, the without power, but there were no ing. Residents were urged to evacu- ninth storm of the season, devel- immediate reports of any deaths. ate areas which are vulnerable to oped over the Leeward Islands of Schools and government offices will flooding. The Dominican Republic Guadeloupe and Dominica and remained closed whilst the clear-up Government was on high alert. It strengthened as it barrelled west operation was underway. After hit- will be especially devastating for towards Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. ting Puerto Rico, the hurricane Haiti, which was hit by a devastating As the storm crossed Puerto Rico, headed towards Hispaniola, the earthquake in January 2010. Even the winds topped 120kph, and southeastern Bahamas and the Turks now, 19 months after the quake, it is Tropical Storm Irene was reclassified and Caicos Islands. A hurricane estimated that 600,000 people are as Hurricane Irene; the Caribbean warning has already been issued for still living in tented communities. Islands began to prepare for the the north coast of the Dominican These families are particularly vul- Republic and although the storm was nerable to severe weather and worst. only a category one hurricane at the flooding. The US embassy an- moment, there were concerns that nounced that the naval hospital ship, Before making landfall in Puerto the USNS Comfort, which had just Rico, the authorities identified the it would strengthen in arrived in the Haitian capital of Port- storm as potentially life-threatening. au-Prince was forced to cease op- "We have to take this seriously," the Hurricane Irene was a slow-moving erations and seek a safe haven until Puerto Rico governor, Luis Fortuno, storm, moving northwest at only 19 warned. The ban on that Sunday kph. The longer the storm is over an the storm passed. morning shopping was lifted so resi- area, the more rain and damage it dents could stock-pile canned food will cause. The hurricane swamped After clearing the island of His- and bottled water, and would not Hispaniola, the southeastern Baha- paniola, Hurricane Irene was ex- need to venture out in the storm. mas and the Turks and Caicos Is- pected to strengthen further as it Emergency shelters were opened lands with 25cm of rain, and some barrels northwest. The storm and people in flood zones were spots could see up to 50cm which threatened Florida and residents urged to use them. People in secure caused life-threatening flash-flooding across the southeastern parts of the houses were ordered to stay inside and mudslides. States were urged to keep a close and stay off the roads until the eye on the storm's progress. storm had passed. As the storm strengthened and the August 22, 2011 forecast worsened, the Dominican * * * * * * 15 Barbuda services are to be approximately 15 volunteers on the On completion, this will house an sister isle. This will help to enhance office for the disaster co-ordinator enhanced says NODS the time frame in which damage and staff and an area to store relief impact information is submitted to items for emergencies and disasters. The National Office of Disaster Ser- the National Emergency Operations It is expected that this storehouse vices (NODS) and the Antigua and Centre and improve the shelter and base of operations will enhance Barbuda Red Cross are working management process on the island. services to Barbuda during the together to expand the membership While in Barbuda, Mullin also visited emergency phase, especially after a base for disaster management in a mini-warehouse and disaster office hurricane. Barbuda. Director of NODS Phil- under construction with funding more Mullin completed a two-day from the US Agency for Interna- * * * * * * training Wednesday in shelter man- tional Development (USAID). agement and damage assessment for

Tsunami/earthquake moni- It will provide information about the Once formal permission has been toring system for Antigua Eastern Caribbean subduction zone – granted to utilise the site, the team the area most likely to generate will return to make a number of earthquakes and tsunamis – and its preparations and is hoping to begin associated faults, one of which is lo- shipping equipment by September. cated northeast of Antigua. The proposed site for the station is Budkins Additional work will also be under- in the Bethesda area. taken on another seismic station that is already located in Barbuda. A two-man team of Research Fellow at the UWI Seismic Research Unit at The weather station project is being the St Augustine Campus in Trinidad, funded by the European Union‟s Lloyd Lynch, and GPS Operations INTERREG and UNAVCO, a Colo- Manager with UNAVCO rado-based non-profit consortium The Global Positioning System GPS) Plate Boundary Observatory, Karl of universities funded by the US weather station will provide high Feaux, met over a two day period National Science Foundation to in- quality data that will give better in- with the authorities, including repre- stall and maintain the systems. sight into hurricanes, earthquakes sentatives from the National Office and tsunamis. of Disaster Services (NODS). * * * * * *

Help for Meals on Wheels ery programme dedicate to provid- tigua Mrs. Denise Armstrong said,

ing and delivering over 100 food "On behalf of the Rotary Club of ABI Insurance Company Ltd. has packages to deprived senior citizens Antigua, I wish to thank ABI Insur- extended its commitment to the within the community. This pro- ance for its donation of $2,000.00 community through a recent dona- gramme is funded by the Club‟s towards our Meals on Wheels pro- tion made to the Rotary Club of fundraising activities, donations gramme. As a Good Corporate Antigua Meals on Wheels pro- from Corporate Antigua, and indi- Citizen, your contribution towards supplying food packages to the indi- gramme. viduals in the community. gent in our community is much ap-

Meals on Wheels is a monthly deliv- During the cheque presentation, preciated." 21 August 2011 President of the Rotary Club of An- * * * * * * * *

Donation of books to the A prominent feature in the planning shoulders we all stand.

of this family reunion, a release said, library was requesting each family member “Among the many values instilled in to make a contribution of a Black- us by our ancestors are those of The Public Library now has a larger authored book to be donated to collection of Caribbean African and “helping others” and “giving back” the national library. African-American authors due to to society. This donation exercise the generosity of four members and served to have the youth of both friends of the Blaize/Liverpool fami- The communiqué also noted that families experience and uphold lies. The presentation of the 50 vol- members of both families possess these values so as to be able to pass umes was made during the family‟s “a strong sense of honour and re- them on to their progeny.” spect for our ancestors, on whose reunion which took place in July * * * * * *

Stories Excerpted from www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag, caribbean360news and caribbeannewsnow,www.oecd.org 16 Below is the address made by His Excellency Dr Carl B Roberts, High Commissioner at the Antigua and Barbuda Association Education meeting on Sunday 12 June 2011

“Good afternoon to each and every states, countries and companies quirements in the form of a minimum one present here this evening. Greet- around the globe. The UWI wants number of contributions in a single ings from my wife and family and from you, as descendants of the Caribbean country due to having moved between the Government and people of Anti- diaspora, to look favourably at its members. gua and Barbuda at home. Today I training programmes when you are have been asked to address you at considering your own development your “Education General Meeting”. plans. The crisis in the banking system resulting from the demise of Allen Stanford Group of Companies and the arrest of I find this a pleasant duty as it allows Recently you would have heard much Mr Allan Stanford could have had each of us to leave here more in- about the OECS Economic Union in more devastating consequences were formed about many things. Every two the news. An economic union of the it not for the quick action of the East- months we attempt via the Newsletter OECS member states will enhance the ern Caribbean Central Bank and the to disseminate information of impor- trading area and create one unified governments of the OECS. The East- tant events happening at home and economic zone to facilitate the devel- ern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank abroad, and to share the successes of opment of the several states forming (ECAB) was incorporated on the 19th citizens wherever they are. We can the union. In addition to the common July 2009 and was successfully only achieve this objective if we are external tariff for goods entering the launched on the 18th October 2010 to able to gather the relevant information zone, the space will allow the follow- avert a banking crisis and to protect or if you in turn provide us with the ing:- the investment of many citizens and relevant details so that the information residents alike. ECAB assumed certain can be shared. 1. Free Movement of Labour: assets and liability of the former Bank National of the OECS member states of Antigua and has as shareholders:- will be able to move across the OECS The Antigua Commercial Bank, East- In this address I shall provide details of to work and live freely ern Caribbean Financial Holdings a few things which have been drawn to 2. Free Movement of goods and Company Ltd., National Bank of Do- my attention and hope that during the trade in services: Goods produced in minica, St Kitts and Nevis National discussion which follow you in turn the economic space will be moved Bank, Bank of St. Vincent and the will allow both myself and Mrs Bana- without additional tariff and other re- Grenadines and the Government of hene who is here with me this eve- strictions. Citizens of the member Antigua and Barbuda. ECAB has dem- ning, to be made aware of issues or states will be able to provide services onstrated the strength of the banking concerns which are impacting you. within and across the economic union system and Regulatory structure in the 3. Free Movement of Capital: OECS and is a source of great pride

There will be no restriction of move- Let me start with the first subject. On for the sub-region. th ment of capital to do business within Thursday 9 June, a group of Carib- the entire union. The traditional Alien As you would also have heard, LIAT is bean High Commissioners met the Land Holding Licences will eventually attempting to restructure its operation vice Chancellor of the University of cease to apply and all restriction to to better serve the public. There has the West Indies, Professor Nigel Har- owning land in the union should be been several issues resulting from this ris to discuss a promotion being un- removed. including strikes by LIAT workers dertaken here in the UK. The UWI, as 4. Free movement of OECS citi- across the region and also by the air- you are aware, is one of the institu- zens by 1st August 2011. line‟s pilots. Some of these industrial tions formed in the 1960s, and has action stem from the decision by the gained worldwide recognition for its Already there are a number of shared LIAT Board and shareholders to re- educational programmes at all levels in duce staff numbers through redun- a variety of fields. It would surprise benefits from the OECS membership by citizens of each state. One of these dancy offers and natural retrenchment. you to know that through its research This is a time of great uncertainty for work, the UWI is also at the leading relate to social security benefit. The OECS Convention on Social Security the region. LIAT has faced many chal- edge of advancing knowledge specifi- lenges from other recently launched cally relating to Small and Vulnerable stipulates that contributions made in any of the signatories of the OECS airlines such as Caribbean Star which States. convention are totalized, thus a wanted to see the demise of our faith- ful carrier in the sub-region. I know worker will receive a pension as long The entire Caricom Region feels a as his cumulative number of contribu- that there is a certain level of dissatis- sense of pride at the achievements of tions satisfies the eligibility require- faction with the airline but no one, not this world renowned institution. Many ments in the State in which he is apply- one of us should be wishing for its de- of its graduates have contributed to ing for the pension. This holds even if mise”. the development objectives of many he does not meet the eligibility re- * * * * * * 17 Poultry association look- the poultry consumed in the 12 Group Dr Keith Amiel said critical ing to increase local pro- Caribbean countries that his organi- areas for the improvement and ex- sation represents is created at pansion of the livestock sector duction home, but attempts will be made to must be looked at.

strengthen those areas and get An- tigua and Barbuda self-reliant on This includes artificial insemination the nation‟s poultry needs. for pigs and small ruminants industry, broiler production, pig produc- “We are concerned about the issue tion, trans border constraints, and of food security and food safety, so sanitation in order to maximise we are trying to encourage the trade between the Caribbean Com- From left, President of Agriculture Cor- countries that do not now produce munity (Caricom). porate Society Valerie Edwards, local enough poultry for their own need representative for Caribbean Broilers to get into the production of poul- This workshop is in keeping with Group Phillip Abbott, Acting Permanent try as a private sector enterprise,” the Caribbean Broilers Group com- Secretary Faustina Joseph, Permanent Dr Ali said. mitment to service Nutramix cus- Secretary Sharon Peters, Corporate tomers and associates, while assist- Affairs Manager-Caribbean Broilers He added that this would also cre- ing farmers with improving profit- Group Dr Keith Amiel, Chief Veterinary ate more local jobs and stimulate ability through the use of state-of- Officer Dr Oona Edwards, FAO Live- the economy. the-art technology. stock Officer Dr Cedric Lazarus, Ex- port Manager Dominique Rose, Execu- Dr Ali is amongst a group of re- Among the regional delegation are tive Director-Caribbean Poultry Asso- gional stakeholders in agro- Corporate Affairs Manager- ciation Dr Desmond Ali and Food Ani- processing who are currently on Caribbean Broilers Group Dr Keith mal Veterinarian at Nutramix Feeds island to facilitate a workshop for Amiel; Food and Agriculture Or- Dr Gabrielle Young. The group is livestock farmers that focus on in- ganization Livestock Officer Dr among persons taking part in a work- creasing livestock production and Cedric Lazarus; Dr Ali; Food Ani- shop for livestock farmers. mal Veterinarian–Nutramix Feeds reducing imports. Dr Gabrielle Young; and Export ST JOHN‟S, Antigua – Executive Director of the Caribbean Poultry “One of our roles is to help grow Manager Dominique Rose. Association Dr Desmond Ali said the production and processing of he is very concerned with the per- poultry within the region to satisfy The representatives spent yester- centage of imports of poultry into the regional needs,” he explained. day meeting with senior officials Antigua. within the Ministry of Agriculture

“The poultry industry is perhaps and visiting farms around the island. He said efforts are to be made to one of the largest generators of The team will travel to Dominica have the country producing more small business entrepreneur of any and the rest of Caricom where the of the poultry it consumed because agriculture enterprise – we gener- workshop will be repeated. this will ensure that the product is ate a lot of jobs,” he added. fresher.

Manager of corporate affairs of the 19th July 2011 Dr Ali said at least 75 per cent of Jamaican-based Caribbean Broilers

To All Antiguans and Barbudans and Friends of Antigua and Barbuda

Please join us

to celebrate Antigua and Barbuda’s 30th Anniversary of Independence

At Evensong, Westminster Abbey

Monday 31st October 2011 at 5.00pm

The second lesson will be read by His Excellency Dr Carl B W Roberts

Stories Excerpted from www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag, caribbean360news and caribbeannewsnow,www.oecd.org 18

Antiguan sculptor‟s work to be Hunte, who co-owns Cedar Pottery said will make the physically de- featured in China in Buckley‟s with his wife Imogen manding project much harder. Hunte, said the international invita- tion is a huge step forward in his “I never work in granite – it‟s a very sculpting career. hard stone. I asked them for limestone but I can see from their point “The sculpting is something I have of view granite‟s harder wearing and been teaching myself over the past more enduring in the environment,” few years,” Hunte said. “It‟s a total Hunte said. self-taught skill. My degree is in ce- ramics so that is where my base is. “I feel it‟s going to be hard work, me being there from the beginning. I am “I‟ve been moving towards working going to be slogging away at lumps on bigger-scale pieces forever but of stone and it‟s going to be physical, I‟ve only started doing that properly but they will be giving me a team to in the last eight to ten years and I work at it with,” Hunte added. have been getting big commissions Sculptor Michael Hunte at work on it from Jumby Bay and Mill Reef The artist will travel to Changchun, locally,” the artist added. China, where he will stay in a hotel Prominent sculptor Michael Hunte and given everything he needs by a has become only the second Anti- Hunte will construct a sculpture supporting team of Chinese workers guan to be selected to construct a called “Ocean Spirit” out of a 6 x 4 to have the project completed in large-scale sculpture at the interna- metre block of granite. He will time. tionally renowned Changchun spend a total of eight weeks carving World Sculpture Park in Changchun, out the block along with a team of The local artisan said he is anxious China. Chinese workers assigned to assist to get on the plane and get started. him. He hopes the biggest moment in his He follows Sallie Harker, who was career thus far will serve up more selected by the Chinese government The project was chosen from a total opportunities in the future. in 2008 to construct a piece in the of three designs Hunte submitted. park where artists from across the Despite requesting limestone for the globe are chosen to create pieces of Observer News - July 8th, 2011 job, Hunte will have to work with * * * * * * art. the more hardy granite, which he

New group pressing for Their struggles to be accommodated received both media prominence greater priority for special within the public system and the and an audience with the education needs children high cost and limited availability of minister, though it would be fair to private alternatives have been well say that it is less than happy with the documented. results to date. ST JOHN‟S, Antigua – With the new school year looming, the newly “The private programmes are very Crump is clearly thrilled that there is formed group ABILITY – which lob- limited, extremely limited,” Crump greater awareness and interest – she bies on behalf of special needs chil- said. “And even with that, a lot of points to the fact that during a re- dren – continues to push for re- these parents cannot afford (them); cent discussion with the Education forms in our country‟s educational the tuition alone is prohibitive.” Minister on OBSERVER Radio, not system. only did special needs occupy a siz-

“What‟s important for us is that par- The ABILITY network is a network able portion of the discourse, inter- ents don‟t go back into the same in quite a literal sense, since the con- est was so high that Crump was in- situation,” said Salma Crump, group nections were fostered through vited on for a follow-up discussion. leader and mother of a special needs BlackBerry smart phones and blog- She was happy as well that they child. ging about common challenges in were able, shortly after, to meet raising children with special needs. with the minister to discuss their She and the group‟s other con- concerns and proposed fixes. cerned parents want to see their It‟s about 17 at its core, with as children have as fair a shot at quality many as 60 beyond that, given the August 22nd, 2011.Daily Observer education as any child in Antigua and instant sharing that the medium al- Barbuda has a legal right to expect. lows. Rather quickly, the group has * * * * * * 19

30th INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY DINNER AND DANCE Saturday 5th November 2011 at The Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT (nearest tube: Russell Square, Piccadilly Line) 7.30pm to 2.00am You are invited to join us to celebrate this special occasion To mark our Twin Island State 30th Anniversary of Independence Please book your tickets as early as possible to avoid disappointment A deposit can be paid to reserve your seat. Music by DJ Daddy Sampson and the Nite Blues Steel Band plus Guest Appearance by Pete Campbell

Dress Code: Black Tie Tickets: £60

Tickets are available from: Mr A Spencer 07951400738, Mrs L Manners 0208 980 0805, Mrs M Richards 07594 566792 or 07599 166577, Mr C Griffiths and Mrs P Stroude-Griffiths 0208 597 3510, Mrs I Gardner 0208 555 1780, Mr E George 07956 665152, Mr A Peters 07714 112073, Miss S Martin 07984 694364, Ms L Richards 07983 058836, Mr U Richards 07903 184463, Mr K Coates 07985161612, Mr B Joseph 07885 493394

Notice from the Antigua and Barbuda National Association London (ABNA)

‘Visit’

‘Antigua and Barbuda’ at The Commonwealth Fair Saturday 12th November 2011 11.30am—6.00pm Kensington Town Hall Hornton Street London W8 7NX

MUSIC * FOOD * CRAFTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH

Entrance Fee: £5.00 Children up to 12yrs £3.00

Stories Excerpted from www.antiguabarbuda.gov.ag, caribbean360news and caribbeannewsnow,www.oecd.org 20 New Addition To The Air- first-class lounge adjacent to Big Ba- service without additional cost. nana‟s airport restaurant, which was Members of Priority Pass, a sub- port Facilities….. incorporated into the renovation scription service that gives access to for the new lounge. Patrons access executive lounges around the world, First-class and frequent fliers depart- it after going through Check-in, Im- can also use the lounge without pay- ing out of VC Bird International Air- migration and the Security Check- ing a fee. All other walk-in passen- port now have a new place to await point and then going upstairs into gers are asked to pay a fee of US their flight with the opening of the the Departure Lounge. $40 for adults, and US $20 for children under 12 years of age. Big Banana Club 1761 Executive Lounge. It was officially opened with a reception on Wednesday. The Complimentary services in the new lounge, encompassing 1,800 lounge include drinks at the bar, tea “For frequent flyers out of Antigua square feet, includes a bar, large and coffee service, light snacks at a we are also looking into creating a lounge area with comfortable chairs self-serve buffet, WiFi and computer membership structure where they and tables, a work area with two access, and a concierge service. First could pay a yearly fee for access,” class and card member passengers said lounge manager Natasha Gon- computer stations, and restrooms. flying British Airways, Virgin Atlantic salves. and Caribbean Airlines can now use * * * * * * Part of the space was formerly a the lounge as part of the airlines‟ Air Berlin Begins Same portunity for having scheduled Day Service to Antigua flights out of Germany daily within from Germany the winter months and six days a week during the summer months, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation will allow for greater access to the and Culture the Honourable John German market rather than just a Maginley and The Antigua and Bar- weekly charter” buda Tourism Authority (ABTA)

through negotiations with German The Minister is extremely excited Airline, Air Berlin announces a code The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism about this new agreement and an- - share agreement between Air Ber- Authority (ABTA) through its of- ticipates that this code-share rela- lin PLC & Co. Luftverkehrs KG with fices in England will be working to tionship will be beneficial to the re- British Airways (operating carrier) promote Antigua & Barbuda within spective countries involved and pro- as a marketing carrier to Antigua duce greater opportunities for the German market. and Barbuda. Flights are scheduled growth within the tourism sector. to begin as early as this summer Minister Maginley stated, “The op- Posted On: July 22, 2011 2011.

AA to launch new Antigua was looking forward to the additional AA's Vice President in New York, airlift. Art Torno, said Antigua and Barbuda service was a popular destination for passengers travelling from and through ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Friday New York. August 26, 2011 – American Air- lines (AA) has announced that it will launch service between New York's “As American celebrates 30 years of John F. Kennedy International Air- service to the island, we are pleased port (JFK) and V. C. Bird Interna- to begin this new service from JFK tional Airport in Antigua four times a Airport, offering convenient access week beginning November 17. to Antigua and Barbuda as well as additional travel options for our val- The new service will be operated “This new service provides us with a ued customers,” he said. every Monday, Thursday, Friday and great opportunity to increase the Saturday by a 148-seater Boeing 737 number of visitors to Antigua and AA currently serves Antigua with aircraft. Barbuda from around the world. We one daily flight between Antigua and are glad to partner with American Miami. American Eagle also operates Antigua and Barbuda‟s Tourism Min- Airlines to showcase our beautiful one daily flight between Antigua and ister John Maginley said the country islands,” he said. San Juan, Puerto Rico. * * * * * * Antigua and Barbuda High Commission, 2nd Floor, 45 Crawford Place, London W1H 4LP