ISSUE NO.73 January 2003
The cruise ship Constellation leaves the
St John’s Harbour
after completing another exciting visit to Antigua and Barbuda
Bills
passed in the Senate
The Antigua and Barbuda Senate began the New Year by passing
five Bills.
Debate on the Bills began before Christmas and concluded on January 3rd. The
new legislation includes the Representation of the People Amendment Act, the
Antigua and Barbuda Merchant Shipping Act, The Environmental Protection Levy
Act, The Passenger Facility Charge Act, and the International Business Corporation
Act.
The Representation of the People Amendment Act clarifies the
position of Supervisor of Elections and extends the time for the
preparation of a revised register of electors to 31st March 2003.
The Merchant Shipping Act seeks to make Antigua and Barbuda a more attractive
jurisdiction for the registration of ships and vessels. It allows companies
that register in Antigua and Barbuda as external companies and secure and maintain
registration of vessels in Antigua and Barbuda to be exempted from the payment
of income tax, capital gains tax or any other direct tax that may be levied
for a period of 50 years.
The Environmental Protection Levy Act provides for the imposition
and collection of an environmental protection levy on goods imported
into, or manufactured in, Antigua and Barbuda.
The law sets out that the money collected from the levy will be used to finance
the cost of protecting the environment and to finance the preservation and
enhancement of the environment.
The new Passenger Facility Charge Tax Act introduces a levy for
arriving airline passengers. This charge to passengers will be
used to finance the ongoing development, expansion and improvement
of the V C Bird International Airport.
The new facility charge will be US$10 for arriving passengers at the airport.
The International Business Corporation (Amendment) Act amends the IBC Act abolishing
the 3% tax that was imposed on the Offshore Banks and the Interactive Gaming
Institutions.
BACK TO TOP
 Prime
Minister tours New Medical Centre
On 3rd January 2003, Prime Minister Lester Bird, accompanied by
Minister of Health, John St. Luce, and other officials of the Ministries
of Health and Public Works toured the Mount St. John Medical Centre
on Michael's Mount.
According to Minister St. Luce the ultra-modern 187-bed facility will bring
a number of firsts to the country's health services when it is completed. It
will include modern emergency and trauma suites, technologically advanced operating
suites, well-equipped modern patient rooms, a state-of-the-art obstetrical
wing, a modern radiological laboratory and diagnostic room, and an Intensive
Care Unit (ICU) with advanced monitoring capabilities.
 The
Prime Minister explained that the facility will not only provide
a first class service for Antiguans and Barbudans, but it will
also enhance the country’s tourism product.
He said “The knowledge that we have a modern medical facility
will encourage visitors to choose Antigua and Barbuda over countries
whose facilities are sub-standard. For, the risk of illness and
accidents is ever-present, even on holiday. People will be more
comfortable knowing that good medical facilities are available
here.”
BACK TO TOP
Equipment
arrives for Mount St. John
Equipment worth over US$5 million has arrived in Antigua for the
Mount St. John Medical Centre.
The equipment includes MRI, X-ray, state of the art mammogram
machines, monitors, ventilators, and anaesthesiology equipment.
Siemens, the company that supplied the equipment will install it
and train hospital staff to use the new machine. It will also set
up a service centre in St John’s to meet its five-year service
contract.
Dr Joey John, chief surgeon at the Holberton Hospital, explained
that another batch of equipment for the new hospital will arrive
in the country once the loan agreement with the Royal Merchant
Bank of Trinidad & Tobago is finalised.
Dr. John also disclosed that the hospital board has retained the
services of a search firm in the United States, Steve Engman Associates,
to look for a chief executive officer, chief financial officer
and a chief information technology officer for the new Mount St.
John Medical Centre.
The new medical facility will cater for the basic and latest
in health care, offering services such as tele-medicine and laparoscopic
surgery.
BACK TO TOP
 OECD
accused of practicing a form of Neo-Colonialism
Sir Ronald Sanders, High Commissioner to the United
Kingdom for Antigua and Barbuda has launched another stinging attack
on the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),
accusing the multilateral body of practicing ‘a form of neo-colonialism'
throughout its Harmful Tax Competition Initiative (HTCI).
In a published paper entitled 'The Fight Against Fiscal Colonialism:
The OECD and Small Jurisdictions', Sir Ronald outlined developments
since the 1998 publication of the OECD's 'harmful tax havens' list,
and strongly questioned whether the level playing field concept,
which was so central to the cooperation of many of the jurisdictions
named on the list, ever actually existed.
The High Commissioner argued that the OECD, over the past four years, has attempted
to dictate the tax systems of other nations for the benefit of its own member
states, arguing that: 'Throughout this initiative, the OECD is seeking to curb
the rights of sovereign small states and autonomous jurisdictions, defying
the norms of international rules and practice.'
He also cited the powerful role played by the media - particularly in OECD
member states - in effectively demonising the territories named on the 'blacklist',
despite the fact that many Western countries have tax regimes which could be
viewed as equally harmful under the criteria laid out by the organisation,
and questioned the non-inclusion of certain prominent low tax jurisdictions.
It is noteworthy, for instance, that Hong Kong was never named as a tax haven,
yet by every criterion that the OECD established, Hong Kong should have been
a prime target. “Was Hong Kong's omission an indication that the OECD did not
want to offend the Peoples Republic of China?” he observed.
BACK TO TOP
Antigua
and Barbuda tells OECD “Everything has changed” and calls for
Global Forum to decide future of OECD tax competition initiative
On 27th January 2003, Antigua and Barbuda’s Chief Negotiator
on international financial services, Sir Ronald Sanders, wrote
to the Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation
and Development (OECD) informing him that his country wants a meeting
of the OECD Global Tax Forum so that “all jurisdictions could collectively
decide whether there is any basis for further commitment to the
OECD’s initiative to eliminate tax competition”.
Sir Ronald’s letter follows a decision taken by the European
Union Council of Economics and Finance Ministers in Brussels in
which they decided that Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg will not
be required to exchange information on tax matters even though
this is central to the OECD’s “harmful Tax Competition Initiative”.
The OECD had threatened over 40 jurisdictions with sanctions
unless they made a commitment to exchange information with OECD
countries on tax matters. Consequently, these jurisdictions committed
in February 2002 to work with the OECD in its Global Tax Forum
to implement new standards including automatic exchange of information.
However, on 22nd January 2003, the EU council decided that Austria,
Belgium and Luxembourg will not be required to exchange information
on tax matters. Instead, they will be allowed to apply a withholding
tax on savings held by residents of other member states (15% from
1st January 2004; 25% from 1st January 2007 and 35% from 1st January
2010) in an open-ended arrangement.
With regard to Switzerland which is not an EU member but is a
member of the OECD, the Council decided that it could apply the
same rates of retention and withholding tax as Belgium, Luxembourg
and Austria.
A further decision agreed that the EU should enter into similar
agreements with Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and San Marino.
In his letter to the OECD Secretary-General Mr Donald Johnston,
the Antigua and Barbuda diplomat said, “It is now patently and
blatantly obvious that no level playing field exists and jurisdictions,
such as Antigua and Barbuda, that have committed to participate
in the OECD Global Tax Forum are being placed at a severe disadvantage”.
Sir Ronald told Mr Johnston, “Your organisation has continued
to issue documents adumbrating new standards as if nothing has
changed. However, everything has changed, and my Government does
not see how it would be possible to continue to respond to OECD
documents purporting to set new standards which will clearly apply
only to non-OECD jurisdictions”.
The Antigua and Barbuda representative, who has headed his country’s
negotiations with the OECD since 1999, said, “All the non-OECD
jurisdictions are being placed in a very disadvantageous position
in relation to competition in the provision of international financial
services”.
Sir Ronald said that his government would not be responding to
anything from the OECD until such time as there is a meeting of
the Global Tax Forum to decide the future of the OECD’s plan to
stop tax competition internationally.
BACK TO TOP
Antigua and Barbuda
expresses concern over IMF position
Antigua and Barbuda’s Chief Negotiator on international
financial services, Sir Ronald Sanders, has expressed concern about
a position adopted by IMF representatives at a meeting with the
Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) in Barbados on 15th
January.
The meeting was requested by the CFATF to discuss a new methodology
being applied by the IMF to assess countries in the Caribbean.
Sir Ronald said, “The IMF has adopted a methodology for assessing
the member states of the CFATF without full consultation with governments”.
“The result”, he said, “is that CFATF countries will be measured
by standards they do not fully appreciate and for which they are
unprepared”.
At the Barbados meeting, the CFATF representatives offered to
establish a Working Group which would engage the IMF in a dialogue
on the appropriateness of the methodology with a view to ensuring
that it was fair and did not apply measurements that were inappropriate
to small jurisdictions.
The Antigua and Barbuda representative declared, “We were very
disappointed when the IMF representatives told us that they could
not engage in a dialogue on the methodology unless CFATF countries
signed-up to it blindly and used it to carry out at least three
evaluations of our jurisdictions”.
“This was simply an unacceptable position. It reminded many of
us of the high-handed position taken by the OECD when it first
started its so-called harmful tax competition initiative. We must
simply accept dictation and expect no consultation”, Sir Ronald
said.
At the end of the Special Ministerial Meeting in Barbados meeting
on 15th January, CFATF jurisdictions issued a communiqué in
which they said, “At this stage, CFATF has not endorsed the methodology
for the 12-month IMF/World Bank project ending in November 2003”.
Sir Ronald explained that in devising the new methodology, the
IMF had not only adopted the recommendations of the Financial Action
Task Force (FATF), an organisation created by the world’s industrialised
nations, they had also expanded them and introduced new conditions.
“We are forced to wonder whether there is not a concerted desire
to push our jurisdictions out of competition in global financial
services”, the Antigua and Barbuda negotiator said.
“The troubling thing”, he continued, “is that while our jurisdictions
will be assessed by the IMF on the basis of this methodology, the
FATF member countries will be assessing themselves. We, therefore
have no assurance that the assessments will be equal and the results
fair”.
The Special Ministerial Meeting in Barbados had recommended that letters be
written to President of the World Bank and Managing Director of the IMF “expressing
the concern of each CFATF country about their desire for a meaningful consultative
process”.
BACK TO TOP
Antigua
and Barbuda and The People's Republic of China sign agreement
on economic and technical cooperation
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda and the Government of the
People’s Republic of China have signed an agreement on economic
and technical cooperation worth 15 million Renminbi Yuan.
Prime Minister Lester Bird and China’s State Counsellor Madame
Wu Yi signed the aid agreement during a special meeting with the
visiting Chinese Government delegation on Thursday 16th January
2003.
The funds are to be used for the implementation of economic and
technical cooperation projects to be agreed between both governments.
At the signing, the Prime Minister noted that Antigua and Barbuda and China
enjoy a good relationship that he hoped would continue to grow.
"We very much feel that we have a special relationship with your country
and look forward to a new phase which I hope that you would initiate when you
get back to Beijing," Prime Minister told Madame Wu Yi.
Since Antigua and Barbuda and the People’s Republic of China established diplomatic
relations in January 1983, China has given over US$17.58 million in aid to
the country.
This aid includes agricultural and educational equipment; the provision of
technical assistance; and the construction of the of the Multi-purpose Exhibition
Centre which was completed in 1996.
Assistance from the Government of China has also been secured
for the re-construction of the Antigua Recreation Grounds into
a state of the art sports stadium. The project will include a three
storey VIP area capable of seating over two thousand persons, changing
rooms and an art gallery type lobby.
BACK TO TOP
Ministry of Foreign
Affairs receives gifts from the Republic of Korea
The Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation
Agency Programme (KOICA) recently gave the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs a mini-bus and a motor car, office and conference equipment,
computers and a photocopier.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Colin Murdoch,
said that the Ministry is very appreciative of the donation from the Government
of the Republic of Korea, and that it will significantly augment the Ministry’s
effectiveness.
Mr. Murdoch noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently in the
process of developing its Communications Department and the donations from
the Republic of Korea are very timely.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda and the Republic of Korea established
Diplomatic relations in 1981.
BACK TO TOP
Prime
Minister chairs Congressional/Ministerial Roundtable
On 16th January 2003, the Prime Minister chaired a Business Roundtable
Meeting with a US Congressional and Business Delegation.
The Meeting was organised by the Inter-American Economic Council.
The Congressmen who visited Antigua were: Charlie Gonzalez (D) – Co-Chair
of the Democratic Caucus Special Committee on Election Reform and
Democratic National Committee Voting Rights Institute; Martin Frost
(D) – Democratic Caucus Chairman; Donald Payne (D) – member of
the House International Relations Sub-Committee on Africa and serves
on the House Committee on Education and the workforce; Pete Sessions
(R) – who is a strong supporter of President Bush’s policy of National
and Homeland Security through increased support of the military;
Robert Ney (R) – Chairman of the Committee on House Administration;
and Phil Crane (R) – Chairman of the Full Ways and Means Committee
and Chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation.
The Inter-American Economic Council said, Antigua and Barbuda had been chosen
because it is economically stable and a growing marketplace. It said the country
offers an attractive entry to the entire Caribbean community and with tourism
as the dominant industry, the country is recognizing the need to position itself
for diversifying its economy. The country’s active participation in the Free
Trade Agreement of the Americas negotiation process also attracted the Congressional
Team to Antigua and Barbuda.
BACK TO TOP
 New
Turkish Ambassador pays courtesy call on Prime Minister
On 30th January, 2003, Turkey’s new Ambassador to Antigua and
Barbuda, His Excellency Mr. Vefahan Ocaka and his wife Ferzan,
paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Lester Bird.
Ambassador Ocaka explained that there was a new initiative by the Turkish Ministry
of Foreign Affairs to reach out to the countries of the Caribbean and he had
been given the responsibility to cover the jurisdictions of the eastern and
western Caribbean.
Ambassador Ocaka also responded favourably to a proposal by the
Government of Antigua and Barbuda for both governments to negotiate
and sign an agreement on the promotion and protection of investments,
as well as a double taxation agreement. Both sides agreed to explore
possibilities for cooperation in the field of tourism.
The men engaged in a detailed discussion on the current international
situation and the prospects of military action in Iraq. Ambassador
Ocaka pointed out that the Parliament in Turkey was unlikely to
support military action in Iraq without a further UN resolution
authorizing it.
Ambassador Ocaka has held senior level positions in Austria,
the United States, Iraq, Belgium and Germany. He succeeds Ambassador
Ataman Yalgin.
BACK TO TOP
IMPORTANT
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, PASSPORT DIVISION
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Passport Division, wishes to
inform the general public that a statement, appearing in a local
newspaper, to the effect that “on the recently issued passport
there is absolutely NO reference to place of birth”, is untruthful
and deliberately misleading. The fifth line of the final page of
the new passport, where biographical information is contained,
gives both the sex and the place of birth of the holder of the
passport.
Furthermore, the new Antigua and Barbuda passports have been designed
in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO)
standards. The same information is to be found on the same lines
in US and European Union passports. The statements appearing in
the local newspaper are evidently from someone who has not taken
the time to examine the Antigua and Barbuda passport closely, or
has deliberately decided to cause confusion among the public.
Every holder of the new Antigua and Barbuda passport is assured
that their document meets the highest international standards.
At this time, the data in the passports are entered by hand. In
the near future, the data will be entered by computer/printer.
Nevertheless, the document is perfectly organized and reproduced
in London, England, by the same company responsible for printing
many highly secured documents.
Persons wishing to find fault with the Antigua and Barbuda passports
and the passport office should, at the very least, check their
facts before they make public pronouncements.
BACK TO TOP
Senator
asked to relinquish US citizenship
Political leader of the Barbuda People’s Movement for Change
#1 Arthur Nibbs, has called on Senator Lynton Oliver Thomas to
produce documentary evidence that he has relinquished his United
States citizenship.
In addition to being a Barbudan national, Senator Thomas is said
to be a citizen of the United States of America.
Nibbs contends that based on the Barbuda Local Government Council
Act, a citizen cannot swear allegiance to a foreign power and hold
government office. The Act states that “a person shall be disqualified
from being elected as a member of the Barbuda Council who is by
virtue of his own act under any acknowledgement of allegiance,
obedience, or adherence to a foreign power or state.”
According to Nibbs, since Thomas has sworn allegiance to the
US he is automatically disqualified from being a Senator.
“Failure by Senator Thomas to produce documentary evidence that
he has relinquished his US citizenship, will mean that I will be
taking the matter to Governor-General Sir James Carlisle, Chairman
of the Barbuda Council Fabian Jones and Attorney-General Gertel
Thom,” Nibbs said.
When contacted, Senator Thomas said, “Who’s in trouble? I don’t
know what Nibbs’ motive is, but he can do what he wants. I know
that the Governor-General has appointed me a Senator and that’s
that. I am a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda. I was born here, raised
here.”
Senator Thomas described Nibbs’ action as part of a “witch hunt.” “Nibbs
tends to think that he is the Almighty, but he is upset because
he has been chairman of the council for 16 years and he can’t produce
any evidence of his contributions.”
BACK TO TOP
Antigua and Barbuda
Electoral Commission impasse resolved
The impasse between members of the Electoral Commission has been
resolved following a meeting mediated by members of the Antigua
Christian Council - Rev. Oral Thomas and Rev. Franklyn Manners
- and the Ombudsman, Dr. Hayden Thomas.
The meeting brought together the two factions of the Electoral Commission which
have been at odds for more than one month. The functioning of the Electoral
Commission came to a halt when the two Opposition-appointed members refused
to attend meetings claiming that they were unable to work with the Government-appointed
Chairman McClin Matthias.
A report from the meeting outlined that the discussions were frank and open,
allowing the mediators to assist the Commissioners in arriving at a resolution.
It also said that the Commissioners have agreed that the work
of the Electoral Commission will resume immediately, in order to
facilitate the re-registration of all eligible voters in Antigua
and Barbuda by March 31, 2003.
BACK TO TOP
New
political parties formed in Antigua and Barbuda
Three new political parties have formed in Antigua and Barbuda,
two of which are off-shoots from the Opposition UPP.
The new parties are the Organisation for National Development
(OND), the Christian Democratic Party (CDP), and the National Movement
for Change (NMC).
The Organisation for National Development is formed by Melford
Nicholas and Glentis Goodwin, two former UPP stalwarts and campaign
strategists.
In a revealing press conference, Mr Goodwin minced no words when
he described the UPP leadership as corrupt and dictatorial. He
pointed a finger directly at Baldwin Spencer, leader of the UPP,
when he stated that the campaign funds from the 1999 general elections
remained unaccounted and the findings of a formal inquiry were
buried. He also said that the OND will work against the UPP in
the next election.
Another former key officer of the UPP that has walked away from
that party is Alister Thomas. He has joined James Mannix to form
the National Movement for Change.
The third party, the Christian Democratic Party (CDP), is headed
by Egbert Joseph and Morris Norris Harris. Mr Joseph contested
in the last election as an independent in the St John’s Rural South
Constituency. Mr Harris had planned to run as an independent in
the next election. The two men have joined forces and rejected
the UPP.
The addition of these parties now brings the total number of
political parties in Antigua and Barbuda to five.
BACK TO TOP
Fraudulent Documentation
Detection Training conducted in Antigua
On the 28th January 2003, an extensive Fraudulent Documentation
Detection Training Workshop opened at the Cultural and Exhibition
Centre.
The 3-day training was conducted by the US Immigration and Naturalisation
Service (INS) with some fifty persons being trained daily in two
sessions.
A wide cross section of persons from government departments including Passport,
Airport, Airline, Customs and National Drug and Money Laundering officials
and Immigration and Police officers participated.
Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility
for Immigration, Senator Kenrick Isaac, said that the training is very timely.
He explained that “The rapid developments in computer communications and digital
technologies, as well as their easy availability means that criminal and terrorist
organisations now have at their disposal powerful tools for deception. While
a few years, and even months ago, those of us in small Caribbean countries
like Antigua and Barbuda, felt that we were somehow distant from such events,
the recent incidents involving John Mohammad and his accomplice have shown
only too graphically how much a part of this new world we in Antigua and Barbuda
are.”
He expressed confidence that at the end of this seminar, the
participants will be in a much stronger position to detect fraudulent
documentation.
The Senator also said that, “professionalism and courteousness in fact go together
hand-in glove, and we must be careful that in implementing our training we
continue to provide a courteous service environment while at the same time
taking our security measures to the next level. This is particularly important
for us in Antigua and Barbuda as tourism oriented economy and the need to provide
both courteous service and a secure environment for visitors and locals alike.”
BACK TO TOP
 Penal
Reform Consultations conducted in Antigua and Barbuda
On the 28th and 29th January, consultations on Penal Reform
took place in St John’s.
The team conducting the consultations was invited to Antigua
and Barbuda by the Ministry of Public Safety as part of its plan
to update the Penal system.
The team was headed by Ms. Wendy Singh, who has worked for the
past fourteen years on international human rights, promoting and
advancing the interest of civil society to governmental and inter-governmental
organisations in the Caribbean and Central America. She has headed
penal reform consultancy missions to St. Lucia, Grenada, Dominica,
Belize and Jamaica.
The consultations included gathering information from stakeholders involved
in corrections and legal reform and visited the Boys Training School, Sunshine
Home for Girls and the Prisons to observe their programmes and system of corrections.
The team also met members of the Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police
Force, members of the judiciary, political organisations, civic
organisations, and Rastafarian organisations to get their input
on prison reform.
BACK TO TOP
 Barbuda’s
Nibbs to throw support behind ALP
Arthur Nibbs has decided to throw his weight behind the ALP Government
in what he terms an effort aimed at getting rid of Hilbourne Frank,
political leader of the Barbuda People’s Movement, and bettering
Barbuda’s position.
Mr Nibbs has broken away from the BPM party to form a new faction – Barbuda
People’s Movement for Change # 1. He said that his change of heart
from his previous anti-central government stance is in the interest
of Antigua and Barbuda and particularly Barbuda.
“Arthur Nibbs is 100% plus for Antigua and Barbuda. True, I was
on the platform at Nevis Street and elsewhere cursing Lester Bird
from A to Z in 1999. But that was 1999 and this is 2003,” he added.
He said that once a person stands up for what is right and it does
not gel with the UPP and others they are considered as “no good.”
Nibbs said that he had decided that the opposition, the UPP, had nothing of
substance to deliver to either Barbuda or Antigua.
Nibbs will also be offering himself up to the Barbudan electorate
in general elections. “I will be running in the general elections
in 2004 come what may,” he said.
BACK TO TOP
Lawyers
for Prime Minister explain why lawsuit against two journalists
has been dropped
The lawyers representing Prime Minister Lester Bird have explained
why suits for defamation against two journalists have been dropped.
The two journalists, Julius Gittens and Bettye J Reed-Aitken,
were the interviewers on a videotape recorded in the studios of
Observer Radio in which Monique Kim Barua made unsubstantiated
charges against the Prime Minister and several other persons including
officials of the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
Attorneys Anthony Astaphan QC and John E Fuller have explained
that the decision to drop the suits is not an indication of the
weakness of the case against the two journalists. They say the
decision is a tactical one since they want the journalists to provide
full testimony of their knowledge of the matter.
The lawyers further explained that the journalists would be better
able to testify if they were not themselves defendants in the case.
“We are persuaded that the two journalists have knowledge and
information that are beneficial to the Prime Minister’s case”,
the two senior attorneys revealed. “Therefore, we considered it
appropriate to advise the Prime Minister to drop the suit against
them in order that they could provide full testimony”, they declared.
The lawyers also disclosed that evidence was already being taken
from Mr Juilius Gittens.
Contrary to a statement allegedly made by Bettye J Reed-Aitken
in The Daily Observer, in which she said that she has never been
in communication with members of the Prime Minister’s legal team,
the attorneys said that they have tried several times to communicate
with her but she has not responded.
“Now that it is alleged she has made a statement indicating her
willingness to “stand up as a defendant or a witness“, we will
persist in our attempts to examine Miss Reed-Aitken who would have
valuable knowledge that would be important to the Prime Minister’s
case”, the lawyers concluded.
In addition the Attorneys have made a number of applications
to examine other persons including President of the Professional
Organization for Women (POWA) Joan Underwood.
POWA has repeatedly claimed that it had evidence corroborating
the videotape. The application is to have Joan Underwood examined
in relation to the alleged evidence that POWA had in its possession.
It has been reported that Miss Joan Underwood has refused to accept service
of the document; however they were left at her place of employment.
In addition, Prime Minister Bird’s attorneys say that they will continue his
suit against the female minor who made the allegations on the videotape, the
Antigua Observer media group that employed the journalists and opposition members
for showing the video at public meetings.
Last October, an independent investigation headed by British Police Officer
Colin Warburton cleared Prime Minister Bird and other members of government
of any wrongdoing.
BACK TO TOP
Prime
Minister accuses Opposition of creating false stories
Prime Minister Lester Bird has declared that Opposition Leader
Baldwin Spencer is party to the creation of false stories about
Antigua and Barbuda.
Mr. Bird was responding to Spencer’s statement Daily Observer
of Thursday January 30, 2003, concerning The Time Almanac 2003. “It
is now obvious that Mr. Spencer and I were looking at two different
documents with similar names,” Mr Bird said.
Bird said when Spencer mentioned the publication in a letter
two weeks ago, he did not refer to the editor of the publication
as he has now done.
He added that research by his office this week revealed that
there was a New York Times Almanac 2003 edited by John W. Wright.
It was assumed that this was the publication to which Spencer
referred and it was on this publication that Bird commented.
The UPP leader has now made it clear that it is The Time Almanac
2003 edited by Brogan Brunner to which he referred.
Bird said he will not comment on the content of the Brunner publication
until he has had a chance to see it. “Whatever the content of this
publication which is compiled by journalists, they are not as authoritative
as documents issued by governments and international agencies,” he
said.
“And, it is clear that the US Government agencies, in their official
actions and publications, have rated Antigua and Barbuda highly
in the fight against money laundering and drug trafficking, and
both the Financial Action Task Force and the Caribbean Financial
Action Task Force have judged Antigua and Barbuda to be fully cooperative
in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing,” he
added.
The Prime Minister pointed out that in a formal letter a few
months ago, the Head of the US Drug Enforcement Agency stated in
unequivocal terms that Antigua and Barbuda and Prime Minister Bird
personally were in the forefront of the war against drug trafficking
in the Caribbean.
He said Spencer is simply using journalistic writings, that are informed by
false information fed from within Antigua by people like himself, to continue
to sully the name of the country and the government. “He is party to the creation
of these false stories.”
Bird concluded, “This is the sin that Mr. Spencer commits. In
his zest for political mileage, he shows no concern for the damage
that he does to our country by helping to create stories he knows
to be absolutely untrue, and then repeat them.”
BACK TO TOP
 Chamber
of Commerce and Deputy Prime Minister meeting hailed as cordial
The elimination of the requirement to pay disputed arrears of
tax assessments as a pre-condition of appeals against such assessments,
was among proposals put to Deputy Prime Minister Robin Yearwood
by the Chamber of Commerce at a meeting this January.
The meeting took place in response to a call from Chamber President
Clarvis Joseph for dialogue with the Government on this and other
matters affecting the performance of the business sector.
In the event of tax assessment by the Board of Inland Revenue,
the Chamber proposed that assessed corporations immediately pay
the undisputed percentage of the amount and be allowed a period
of 90 days thereafter during which to have their appeals heard,
without obligation to pay the remainder.
The onus would be on the authorities to hear and rule on the
appeal within the 90-day period, and the assessed corporation would
not be penalised for failure on the part of the appeal body to
act within such a timeframe.
Yearwood promised the Chamber to make representation to Cabinet
on their behalf, while stressing that the government was committed
to collecting taxes from the private sector and was clamping down
on the large-scale tax evasion being practiced by certain businesses.
But Joseph, in response to the Minister was quick to point out
that the Chamber’s members were not the guilty ones and that scores
of the country’s corporations, including many of the larger organisations,
were not members of the Chamber.
Other matters discussed at the meeting included the future imposition of a
Value Added Tax (VAT).
The meeting described by participants as constructive and cordial
was part of a drive towards an improved relationship between public
and private sector.
BACK TO TOP
 Government
wins Half Moon Bay appeal
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has received the go ahead
to acquire the Half Moon Bay Resort.
This was the judgement of the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal on 28th January
2003.
The High Court in Antigua had previously ruled that the Government
could acquire Half Moon Bay, which has been closed by its owners
since it was damaged by a hurricane in 1995. An appeal had been
launched by HMB Holdings, the owners of the Half Moon Bay property
to stop the Government’s acquisition of the land.
The Government’s Attorney, Anthony Astaphan, explained “The court
of appeal said that the application or challenge to the acquisition
by HMB Holdings, which is the company which owns Half Moon Bay,
was essentially misconceived and should have been struck out. As
a result, the government succeeded on its appeal and had the application
to challenge the acquisition dismissed and awarded costs to the
government.”
He added, “It means that the government is now free to proceed in a manner
which is in the best interest of the country and the public. I do not believe
that even if there is an intended appeal to the Privy Council, it should affect
or delay the decision of the government to proceed.”
 Senior
Counsel Astaphan noted that if HMB Holdings plans to appeal the
ruling in the Privy Council the Government will maintain that it
is a frivolous application and an abuse to the process of the court.
He said that the owners of the Half Moon Bay Property have consistently
failed to open the property even though granted numerous concessions
by the Government to redevelop the hotel.
The Government now hopes to revitalize the property in order
to make it a world class tourism destination.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has made numerous attempts
to have the resort open and has passed a number of legislation
in the House of Representatives to acquire the property which has
been closed since 1995.
BACK TO TOP |
