During a recent appearance on the *Browne and Browne Show*, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda announced two new domestic toilet paper manufacturing ventures, alongside a beer brewing project, that signal growing momentum in the country’s local production and entrepreneurship sectors.
The first, a small-scale operation launched by a young local entrepreneur, has already begun producing three-ply toilet paper entirely within Antigua and Barbuda. Browne praised the venture’s product quality and announced plans to feature the founder on an upcoming episode of the program to help consumers connect with the locally made good.
Alongside the small startup, a far larger commercial manufacturing facility, developed by entrepreneur Solomon Dumit, is on track to launch operations in 2027, with explicit plans to enter international export markets. At the time of the announcement, Browne did not release key details of the project, including total investment amount, facility location, projected annual output, or target export destinations.
In a separate announcement during the same discussion, Browne revealed that Antigua Distillery is developing a new on-island brewery, with the first batch of locally produced beer expected to hit markets in 2027. These new manufacturing projects, Browne emphasized, are part of a broader upward trend across Antigua and Barbuda’s productive sectors.
Browne used the announcement to make a public appeal to local consumers, urging them to prioritize domestically produced goods to support growing local businesses. “As products are being produced locally, we must support our own,” he stated, encouraging widespread adoption of a “buy local” mindset across the country.
The prime minister also noted that the government has seen a steady rise in interest from aspiring entrepreneurs, with new applications for entrepreneurial financing submitted every week. He called this growing participation in local business a positive sign for the national economy, adding that the government is pleased with the current trajectory of economic growth across all sectors. If Dumit’s large-scale toilet paper project comes to fruition as planned, it will advance two key government priorities: expanding domestic consumer goods production and building new export revenue streams for the country.