ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Antigua and Barbuda is celebrating its 42nd anniversary of political independence from Britain on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Gaston Browne saying that the past four decades have been “nothing short of extraordinary, marked by a myriad of challenges and continued progress.
Browne said that the population of Antigua and Barbuda are all aware of the numerous powerful and destructive storms that have rocked the country over these last four decades.
Browne said that the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has forecast growth this year at 9.5 per cent, second only to Guyana with its vast oil and gas resources.
He said ECLAC has already forecast the growth next year at over eight per cent, maintaining the position as the second fastest-growing economy in the Hemisphere.
A confident Prime Minister Browne said that the “road ahead is not just bright; it is radiant with potential” and that new projects are nearing completion, and others are already on the horizon, promising “to expand economic growth and opportunities beyond our dreams”.
He said among these projects are the ongoing PLH and Paradise Found projects in Barbuda and the Sunwing Chic hotel which will become operational next season, creating over 800 new jobs. In addition, two new ultra-luxury resorts will commence construction in 2024 at Halfmoon Bay in Antigua & at the former Dulcina Hotel site in Barbuda.
But Browne said that not enough is said about the special qualities that promote and uphold political stability, democracy, and human rights to expression, dissent and media debate.
“Nonetheless, brothers and sisters, we acknowledge the challenges we still face. Water production and distribution, road infrastructure, and the need for more robust social welfare programmes for our most needy remain pressing issues,” he said, adding that “overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity; it is a recognition of the right of every person to a life, lived with respect and dignity”.
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