Newsletter - Issue 134 -- June 2009

The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Official Newsletter - Issue 134 -- June 2009 Prime Minister Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer’s remarks at National Economic Consultation See pages 3, 10 His Excellency Dr Carl Roberts presents ‘A Little Bit of Paradise’ to Prime Minister Peter Harry Carstensen of Kiel, Germany at the Kiel Regatta See page 8 In This Issue 1. Prime Minister’s remarks at the National Economic Consultation (pages 3, 10 2. World Environment Day Message - Commonwealth Secretary-General (page 4) 3. Antigua and Barbuda goes to cricket (page 6) 4. High Commissioner at Kiel Week regatta (page 8) Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 - June 2009 telecommunication infrastructure. international services in Barbados and it It is indeed a major was through their links here that much of telecommunication market. As the traffic out of the region passed. several reports would readily admit, it is a market in which Early communications were simple. The several parts have main modes of communications were telecommunication infrastructure telegrams, government messages, press as advanced as anywhere else reports and operator-connected HF Radio in the world. Good trading transmitted telephone calls. I give you an relations with the United States, example of the type of telegram message. Canada, UK and Europe and the After the mandatory heading the message dominance of tourism as the read: principal economic activity, are the main reasons for this. “Addition to family stop mother and daughter doing well stop still in Let me first state what I mean by hospital stop more later”. the Caribbean. The Caribbean is a region or a chain of islands Or another: from the southern tip of Florida in the USA to the northern tip of “Reached safely stop place South America and often nothing like we discussed stop good includes such places as prospects for business” Bermuda, Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands in the Atlantic. Or yet another: The Region covers around 1000 square kilometres. In my “Richard in accident stop come presentation I will not include quickly” such places as Cuba, Dominica Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico and You will notice that brevity was the order the French and Dutch islands. of the day. Every word was counted and Telecommunications in charged. Sometimes the conciseness of Let me first provide a little history of this the message conveyed more worries then the Caribbean, then and important service. Telecommunication intended. Receiving a telegram was now Service was introduced into the Region frightening in and of itself before one by not long after Alexander Bell’s invention could decipher the contents of the H.E. Dr Carl B. Roberts of the telephone became commercially message. available in the capital centres of the then High Commissioner commercial world. The Service was If it were marked urgent then you opened to owned by Governments and was it with trepidation. Rotary Club of London introduced in the main to support 22nd June 2009 mercantile interests, government official Making a telephone call was no less easy. communications and to a lesser extent If the country to which you were making PRESIDENT Marion, Sergeant-at-Arms public service. that call had direct circuits to your Roy, Fellow Rotarians, Ladies and homeland, you would simply call the Gentlemen, Good Afternoon. It is indeed As any research using reports on the operator, book the time of your call and a pleasure for me to speak today about a official site of the Caribbean Association await the call back. It could take hours subject which has been the focus of my of Telecommunications Organisations and days and the quality was at best life for over thirty-seven and a half years. (CANTO) will reveal the 1960s began a questionable. The cost was always Though the period over which I will point period of rapid changes within the region. higher than you expected. the flashlight spans from the 1960s to During this period, a US Company called present day, if one were to go back further, Continental Telephone (Contel) bought In the late sixties, Cable and Wireless one would find other interesting periods to the companies providing domestic upgraded the radio systems serving the speak about. I was very fortunate to have service in Barbados, Jamaica and region. New emerging tropospheric worked in telecommunications in not only Trinidad and Tobago. and the entities scatter systems were introduced. Local one of the most dynamic periods, but in providing both domestic and international switchboard operators were able to seize my humble opinion, one of the most services in the Bahamas. Contel installed international circuits and connect directly interesting. new electro-mechanical switching and to some destinations without going Although the Caribbean is predominantly transmission systems in those places. In through transit points in Barbados, White made up of several small developing the small English speaking territories of Plains New York, Jacksonville Florida, countries, in fact many micro-states, it is the Eastern Caribbean Cable and and London. In the 1980s Cable and nevertheless a market where many Wireless, then owned by the the UK Wireless upgraded the radio system changes are taking place in government, provided both domestic and across the region with the installation of Continue on page 10 2 The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 - June 2009 Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer Remarks National Economic Consultation 25th June, 2009 Ladies and Gentlemen: Your government is prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to address the issues The world we live in today is drastically that confront us by devising new plans and different from the one we knew of some policies. You as Antiguans and Barbudans two to three years ago. Since 2008, the must also be prepared to make sacrifices world has been shocked by an economic for the good of this country – from public crisis of enormous proportions. servants, to the private sector, the trade unions – we all must play meaningful roles The collapse of world financial markets if we are to overcome this economic hurdle. has led to hundreds of thousands of persons in Europe, North America and Ladies and Gentlemen: Asia and most recently right here at home in the Caribbean and in Antigua and Over the past few weeks, The Ministry of Barbuda, being placed on the Finance, the Economy and Public unemployment line. Administration has been conducting widespread consultations with non- For Antigua and Barbuda, this global governmental organizations, community economic crisis has generated major based groups, the private sector and challenges that are impacting our regional and sub-regional partners in an economic output and employment. effort to finalize a plan that would bring about the structural changes and social Honourable Baldwin Spencer There is no doubt that as a small, open, and economic transformation that are Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda developing economy, Antigua and needed to propel our country into a secure Barbuda would have become susceptible and prosperous future. Ladies and Gentlemen: to the economic crisis that has gripped the large, developed economies of the world. The National Economic and Social I wish to address just a few major The recent developments within our region Transformation (NEST) Plan was rolled challenges that we are facing today - involving CLICO, British American out with four major components being the Tourism and the effects of the recession, Insurance, the R. Allen Stanford debacle fiscal consolidation programme, an to employ or not to employ and to borrow and more recently the possible fall-outs economic action plan, social or not to borrow – these are the questions from the alleged wrongdoings of the transformation, and financial sector that we must answer truthfully and with former boss of our financial services stability. reality. regulatory commission have further compounded the crisis for us here in It is my government’s belief that this NEST Our tourism industry is the driving force of Antigua and Barbuda. Plan will strategically address our fiscal our economy. It is also the sector that is and socio-economic concerns, fully hardest hit in the region and Antigua and This fourth instalment of the National cognizant that we, as a small open Barbuda is no exception. Economic Symposium, therefore, is of vital economy, have limited policy options. importance not only to your government in With an over thirty-percent reduction in charting the way forward but to every This NEST Plan is not unlike various occupancy, most if not all tourism related Antiguan and Barbudan as it would take all policies and strategies being developed entities have had to reduce staff in order to of our efforts combined to ensure that we and pursued by our regional counterparts remain in business. survive these harsh global economic as they too seek to cope with the fallout conditions. from the global economic crisis. In My government has made the issues addition, our NEST Plan reflects the sub- facing this sector immediate priority. The Today’s consultation is not about cosmetic regional approach to the crisis, which is yachting, hotels, cruise, tours and changes to the economy of Antigua and outlined in the Eastern Caribbean attractions aspects of the sector must be Barbuda. It is about making structural Currency Union (ECCU) Eight Point Plan. addressed if we are to stave off massive changes to our domestic economy and unemployment. finding real and workable solutions to At this point I wish to commend and effectively cushion the effects of a world- express the appreciation of the It is my government’s intention to continue wide recession that has never been seen government of Antigua and Barbuda to the to engage with members of the tourism before in most of our lifetime.

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