Chief Minister, Hubert Hughes, delivered the following address on friday, February 17, at the House of Assembly, during a meeting with local media:
Fellow Anguillians,
I feel it my duty to address the Nation today, as today marks the commencement of the third year in office of this Administration. On a day such as this it is important for us as an Administration to reflect on where we have come from, as a country where we are currently, and set goals for the coming year so that we remain focused on our objectives and in our commitment to you the People of Anguilla.
I therefore would like to address you on various areas which I think may be of interest to you on a general basis and in my capacity as Chief Minister, and I have asked my Ministers to report to you separately in relation to their ministries.
THE STATE OF OUR PUBLIC FINANCES
As the Minister of Finance, the situation pertaining to our Finances has been a significant focal point of the attention of this Administration over the last two (2) years and as the Leader of Government business the responsibility fell on the shoulders of my Ministry and I to ensure that Anguilla’s finances were steadied from cliff-edge on which we hung when I entered office on 16th February 2010.
It may seem repetitive to refresh your minds of the brink of calamity which we faced just two years ago, but I think that we have to constantly remind ourselves what that position was because it must act like an indelible stamp in our memory so that Anguilla NEVER finds itself in such a position again.
Fellow Anguillians since we came to Office in early 2010 we have been paying particular attention to Government’s fiscal situation and in particular, to the recurrent balance (which is the difference between recurrent revenue and recurrent expenditure. This is because at the end of 2009GoA’s recurrent situation was a deficit of approximately EC$70 million. Though we came under significant pressure from the UKG to achieve recurrent balance in one year (i.e. by the end of 2010) we resisted strongly and were able to secure agreement with them to achieve balance over three years instead – that is by the end of 2012. The target agreed for 2010 was a recurrent deficit of EC$50 million. We did better than that with the recurrent deficit of less than EC$40 million. The target agreed for 2011 was a deficit of EC$10 million. As has been well documented we achieved a recurrent surplus of EC$21.5 million (thanks in large part to the receipt of funds from the sale of Viceroy Hotel). The target for 2012 is a recurrent surplus of EC$4.14 million. While there will be challenges along the way, this Government will do its best to continue the upward curve. The focus on the recurrent balance is important because just like a business Government should ideally not have to borrow to meet its recurrent needs.
That is why in December 2011 when I delivered this year’s budget address I carefully selected the theme “Steadying the Ship….moving cautiously ahead”. This year has to be about stability and trying to maintain a positive image.in relation to our finances.
TOURISM
The other significant limb of my Ministry is Tourism. In this sector our product is still strong. Anguilla still has great appeal in the Tourism market and at the last attendance at Caribbean Market Place in the Bahamas which is one of the largest of the tourism conferences, I feel assured that our island has the ability to continue to attract visitors to our Shores. I continue to remind Anguillians that Tourism is everyone’s business and that more importantly than our beaches and our beautiful accommodation, tourism is about YOU, the friendly, honest and independent –thinking People that we are. This Administration sees it as our duty to continue to work on ideas to improve the access to our island
As you know, we have been continuing to explore attracting investment to our shores and we are hoping that the fruits of the several Memoranda of Understanding that we have signed since we entered this Administration will soon start to bear fruit. We are hoping that the Zemi Project in will progress, the Cuisinart Golf Course project with the construction of the hotel component will shortly commence this year, and we look forward to the Jumeriah Project in the Forest coming to fruition. We are also looking to the progress on the Scrub Island Project in the East, although that Project is still in its formative stage.
We are hoping that with these projects coming on stream, Anguillians can be back at work and can break the hiatus of the sluggish economy that we have experienced over the last two years. We are mindful of course that despite the sluggish economy we have been able to make impressive strides in reducingAnguilla’s overall budgetary liabilities and for that we thank you for your cooperation in making that a reality.
I have asked for the Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for tourism to update you with a complete overview of many of the initiatives that we have been able to accomplish and to share some of the pressing initiatives that we would like to fulfill this year.
DIVERSIFICATION
I have raised the issue of diversification of our Economy as a separate issue, because this Administration sees diversification of our Economy as another crucial hurdle to be conquered. While Tourism has been good to us and we have to continue to foster that industry, there is no question in my mind that we have to find an avenue to diversify our base so that we are never dependent on just one industry. I am so pleased to see so many in our Anguillian community moving back to the land, cultivating, farming and re-building our culture as we know it, to feed ourselves as a young Nation. The Minister of Home Affairs whose portfolio directly concerns this aspect, and I, have discussed this together with the Minister for Infrastructure and Works and I have been strategizing on how best Government can help to develop, promote and uplift the farming industry. The Minister of Home Affairs will no doubt highlight the nature of the efforts that we have so far embarked on and our strategies for the upcoming year.
Similarly, I am sure that you have heard of the exemplary efforts of Mr Sam Webster whose passion for fishing drives his work to secure to our fishermen a much safer environment as they follow their trade in being active suppliers to our economy. With the new monitoring system in place in the event that our fishermen encounter any difficulties at sea, I am sure has to be considered a wonderful initative in encouraging growth in this industry. I am deeply grateful for the dedication that Mr Webster is showing in his work in the portfolio relating to fisheries and know that his commitment to elevate our fishing industry to where we can obtain a fisheries plant will by God’s grace become a reality. I expect Mr Webster to share with the public as well over the next few days as to the developments in the area for which he is responsible.
THE CONSTITUTION
I have been listening intently to the constant discussions happening as it pertains to whatAnguilla’s status should be in the future. As everyone knows, we are the last of theOverseasTerritoriesto be embarking on constitutional advancement, and so we have to ensure that whatever is the result of the discussions with the People of Anguilla that they be respected and contained inAnguilla’s new constitution. It is my commitment to ensure that on submission of the Report of the Constitutional Committee to me, that we move promptly towards consideration of a Draft Constitution that captures the aspirations of the People of this Country. I hope that every Anguillian will feel compelled to contribute their thoughts and views towards the creation of this document and that during the course of this coming year thatAnguillawill be able to conclude this process.
POLICY
What I consider as the most fundamental initiative that I wish to occur in the short-term during this year is to address the issue of Policy. By that I mean, I wish to conduct a structured overview of some pressing Policies that I feel require attention in some form. Over the past two years, the focus of this Administration had to be dedicated primarily to our fiscal position and seeking to bringAnguillaback into a climate of fiscal prudence. This also absorbed a significant part of our second year although, in the latter part we felt a little more comfort that our goals towards fiscal prudence could be achieved. As such the time and attention that we would have liked to have dedicated in a structured fashion to Policy in general, did not materialize in any significant way, and this is my focal point in the first few months for this upcoming year.
Of course there is existing policy on things like land use, policies pertaining to how our Beaches are used, matters pertaining to fishing and just recently a whole tourism master plan which incorporates policy pertaining to the greater development of that industry. However, there are policies that currently exist that you the People of Anguilla may feel require revisiting, tweaking or better meeting the needs of our People in the current atmosphere in whichAnguillahas now grown. So for example, policies towards land use, labour, environment, education and youth development may no longer be serving the People of Anguilla in the way that they would like them to, and I would like to engage with our People on what you would like to see occur in the re-visiting of some of our Policies.
As such I am charging my Ministers over the next few months with the responsibility to have that conversation with You the People of Anguilla in the context of whether current policies are serving the wider interests ofAnguillaand what changes, if any, that you would like to see occurring. Just as my Ministers are being charged with the responsibility to take the lead on that initiative, I would like to invite every Anguillian in particular, and residents as well, to join in contributing your thoughts views and aspirations in the casual setting of town-hall sessions. The final product of policies whether they are adjusted in a minor or major way should be a reflection of You the People of Anguilla.
CONCLUSION
This is just a snapshot representing an overview in a general way of my perspectives on where this Administration is to date, and where our focus will be in the upcoming year. You will be hearing from my Ministers together with Advisor, the Honourable Mr Jerome Roberts, the Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Haydn Hughes, and Advisor Mr Sam Webster on the specific initiatives in their respective ministries.
I thank God that he has sparedAnguillafrom any natural disasters last year and look to Him for his graciousness in this the commencement of our third year of Administration. I pay tribute to many of our Anguillians that have passed on in the last year of our Administration and for the service that many of them gave to our country.
I urge you to continue to help to mentor our Youths who engage in unlawful behavior who pose a threat not just to the lives of our community but also threaten our tourism industry. I encourage you to remember that Strong Families build Strong Communities and Strong Communities build a Strong Nation. Let us all commit to re-igniting that respect for Family that we had and need to recapture.
As our Nation prepares to look forward to the occasion of the Birthday of the Father of our Nation, we in this Administration fully accepted the responsibility to repair the image of Anguilla, theAnguillafor which those Faithful Men and Women fought to maintain the dignity of us as a Nation. With God’s Help we continue our tenure of service and thank you the People of Anguilla for your consideration.
GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD BLESSANGUILLA
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
