标签： Antigua and Barbuda

ST. JOHN’S, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA – In a landmark move to revolutionize its agricultural sector, the government of Antigua and Barbuda has unveiled a comprehensive strategic agenda during the 2026 Budget Debate. Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy Anthony Smith Jr. presented an ambitious blueprint designed to achieve national food sovereignty, enhance food security, and comprehensively revitalize farming, livestock production, and agro-industrial operations across the twin-island nation.

The cornerstone of this transformative initiative involves significant infrastructural investments. A pivotal development is the establishment of a dedicated heavy-duty equipment division within the Ministry. This division will directly facilitate large-scale land clearing, construction of vital farm access roads, and the creation of irrigation ponds and dams, thereby modernizing agricultural infrastructure and reducing dependency on costly food imports.

In a direct effort to curb the country’s substantial $175 million annual expenditure on imported livestock products, the government has committed funds to construct two new state-of-the-art abattoirs. One facility will be dedicated to poultry processing, while the other will handle small ruminants and pork. Concurrently, the existing beef processing facility is slated for major upgrades to meet higher standards.

Further enhancing productivity, a nationwide deployment of solar-powered farm lighting systems is planned. This initiative aims to extend viable farming hours into the night, thereby increasing output and improving the economic viability of farming as a sustainable profession.

Beyond primary production, the strategy includes developing two specialized hubs: an Agro-Industrial Park at Diamonds and an Agro-Eco Park at Christian Valley. These parks are designed to integrate agriculture with light manufacturing, advanced packaging, and eco-tourism, fostering value-added production, encouraging innovation, and boosting export capacity.

Minister Smith emphasized that these measures are critically aligned with the government’s commitment to insulating the nation from global supply chain disruptions. He positioned agriculture not merely as an economic activity but as a fundamental pillar of long-term national sustainability and sovereignty. The minister firmly stated that these are not abstract policy pledges but concrete, fully-funded investments destined to provide lasting stability, expand domestic production capacity, and fuel broader economic growth.

Antigua and Barbuda is mobilizing resources for a crucial international aviation assessment scheduled for January 2024, with Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez emphasizing the nation’s preparedness to defend its current safety standing while pursuing elevated Category 1 status. The minister’s address during the Budget Debate revealed coordinated efforts between the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Air Transport Licensing Board and the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) to align with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

Minister Fernandez articulated the complex reality that Category 1 certification—a coveted designation that would expand the country’s air transport opportunities—remains contingent upon collective compliance across all Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority member states. This regulatory interdependence means Antigua’s individual advancements, however significant, cannot secure the higher rating without uniform adherence to safety protocols throughout the OECS bloc.

The expansion of VC Bird International Airport’s operations has intensified the urgency for enhanced safety and security measures. Fernandez acknowledged historical understaffing issues while detailing current government initiatives addressing personnel training, operational upgrades, and infrastructure modernization. A landmark $50 million runway rehabilitation project and digital transformation program demonstrate concrete steps toward aviation system enhancement.

Despite demonstrated progress, the minister maintained a cautiously optimistic tone, recognizing that the January audit represents both a challenge and opportunity. The outcome will directly impact Antigua’s aviation competitiveness and its appeal to international carriers, making regulatory alignment and systemic preparedness critical priorities for the nation’s transportation future.

The Antigua and Barbuda government has authorized EC$41 million in housing concessions for 2025 through its flagship Construct Antigua and Barbuda Initiative (CABI), pushing the program’s total value beyond EC$900 million since its inception. Tourism and Investment Minister Charles “Max” Fernandez revealed these figures during the Budget Debate, highlighting CABI’s role as a cornerstone of the nation’s home-ownership strategy.

The 2025 approvals will facilitate the construction of 120 new homes for first-time buyers, with all recipients receiving significant concessions. Minister Fernandez emphasized that these figures represent exclusively CABI-approved units and do not include developments under separate housing schemes like Central Housing or other subsidized programs.

Launched in 2011, CABI has dramatically exceeded its original scope, now boasting over 1,500 approved homes nationwide. Fernandez credited continuous program reforms for enhancing both its reach and effectiveness. “We met the program. But we make it better,” he stated, underscoring the government’s commitment to refining the initiative.

Beyond mere construction numbers, Fernandez stressed CABI’s profound social value in enabling homeownership for citizens who would otherwise face prohibitive market barriers. The program specifically targets first-time Antiguan and Barbudan homeowners, providing them with unprecedented opportunities to acquire property.

Notably, all CABI-approved homes must comply with elevated resilience and sustainability standards, reflecting government mandates for climate-resistant construction. Minister Fernandez pointed to recent regional disasters as catalysts for these strengthened building requirements, ensuring new infrastructure can withstand environmental challenges.

Concluding his address, Fernandez framed CABI’s mission in broader terms: “It’s not just about building houses, it’s about building a future,” positioning the program as both an economic catalyst and social empowerment tool for the nation’s citizens.

In a significant policy announcement during the Budget Debate, IT Minister Melford Nicholas revealed the government’s intention to establish new regulatory measures requiring private CCTV system operators to surrender footage to law enforcement agencies during criminal investigations. The minister emphasized that the proliferation of community-operated surveillance networks has created an essential crime-fighting resource that currently operates outside legal frameworks.

Nicholas pointed to communities like Pigeon Point that have independently installed camera systems to enhance neighborhood security, acknowledging their value in monitoring suspicious activities while highlighting a critical legal gap. When criminal investigations require access to this privately-held footage, authorities currently lack clear legal authority to obtain it consistently.

The proposed regulations would create a legal obligation for private CCTV operators to provide recorded footage upon official request in criminal matters. Nicholas stressed that all surveillance resources—whether state-operated or privately installed—must contribute to national crime detection and prosecution efforts without procedural obstacles.

This initiative connects to the ongoing expansion of the government’s official CCTV platform, which has already proven instrumental in helping the Criminal Investigations Department identify suspects and support prosecutions. With an additional 200 cameras approved for installation, the national system expects enhanced coverage and improved investigative capabilities.

Minister Nicholas emphasized that private systems should complement rather than conflict with national surveillance networks, particularly as more communities deploy security cameras for protection. Clear regulatory guidelines would streamline cooperation between residents and law enforcement while ensuring crucial evidence remains accessible rather than withheld.

The government’s primary objective is to maximize the effectiveness of all available surveillance resources and prevent investigations from being hampered by uncertainties regarding access to potentially vital recorded evidence.