In a decisive response to mounting economic pressures, the government of Antigua and Barbuda has launched a comprehensive initiative to alleviate the burden of rising living costs on its citizens. The strategy, detailed during a recent town hall meeting in St John’s Rural West, hinges on a threefold approach: significant tax reforms, substantial agricultural investment, and the expansion of state-backed retail infrastructure.
Central to the fiscal measures is the complete elimination of the Common External Tariff (CET) on a wide array of imported goods. This move, announced by Information Minister M.P. Chet Greene, is designed to directly reduce retail prices for consumers by lowering the cost of imports. Minister Greene explicitly acknowledged the nation’s vulnerability to global inflationary trends in food and shipping, stating that while the administration cannot control international supply chains, it is leveraging its authority over domestic taxation to provide relief. The Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) was highlighted as a key policy tool in this effort.
Complementing the tax cuts is a major investment in national food security. The administration disclosed the acquisition of the former Kennedy’s building at Cassada Gardens for approximately $9 million EC. This facility is slated to be transformed into an enlarged distribution hub for the Central Marketing Corporation (CMC), featuring enhanced cold storage capabilities and modernized intake systems for domestic agricultural produce. This infrastructure upgrade is intended to better support local farmers and streamline the supply chain from field to market.
Furthermore, the government has allocated over $5 million EC for the procurement of advanced agricultural equipment. This investment aims to bolster local food production, thereby reducing the nation’s dependency on volatile international food imports and creating a more resilient domestic economy.
Officials framed these actions as a necessary intervention to shield citizens from external price shocks. The overarching mission, as stated by Minister Greene, is to actively ‘ease the squeeze’ on households by ensuring the affordability of essential goods through strategic government action where possible.