Is This What We Fought For in 1967?
During the days of the revolution Anguillians would chant, “We’re out to build a new Anguilla…”? We were prepared to lay down our lives to ensure that we and our children would enjoy a brighter future. We were filled with national pride. Today, we seem to have lost that pride. We no longer seem to understand what it means to be Anguillian.
We used to take pride and boast to our Caribbean neighbours that our retail sector was fully controlled by Anguillians. The restaurants, village shops, bars, supermarkets, and hardware stores, for example, were all locally owned. These businesses along with the Government, construction, and hotel sector were the biggest employers of residents on the island. The entrepreneurial spirit was in our blood. And you know what? We could depend on them for their generous contributions to many of our social needs.
But something has gone terribly wrong. We have allowed the retail sector to be take over by people from far away countries, particularly China. Many of our businesses are now on the verge of closing, and many have already closed. How can this be good for Anguilla? I wonder what our freedom fighters who are still alive are thinking. This is enough to cause many of them, who have departed to turn in their graves. Yes, we marched for the Chinese and Indians a few years ago, but I don’t think we fought our political oppressors in St. Kitts for the benefit of the Chinese at the expense of our local entrepreneurs.
What is most disturbing is that our present Government, prior to the last elections, vigorously campaigned about the fact that Chinese were taking over Anguilla and that they would put a stop to it. But they done absolutely nothing to solve the problem. In fact the number of Chinese retail establishments has multiplied significantly in the last four years. The Chief Minister laments over the fact the Chinese are aggressively taking over the retail sector and that too many work permits are being granted. I would just like to remind him that he is the Chief Minister and he is the Minister of Labour and Immigration, and therefore he should stop complaining about an issue over which he has the authority to deal with. All the has to do is stop signing the work permits and allowing them to set up these businesses. What is probably even more disturbing is the fact that there is a deafening silence from the other main political party, the United Front, on this topical issue. This is perhaps the only significant issue that it has not commented on. I wonder why? It might be instructive to note that the Chinese businesses started to increase under the AUF when it was the party in power.
As a friend from another Caribbean island remarked, “Anguillians must stop blaming the Chinese but blame your Government and ah you Anguillians who shop there”. My friend felt that some Anguillians shopped by the Chinese stores because they don’t like to see other Anguillians prosper. In other words, they are bad minded. Others probably believe that prices are lower, and there are some who do not understand what this is doing to the Anguillian economy and ultimately our future and our children’s future.
The Chinese are good at pulling the wool over your eyes. They sell some popular goods at heavily discounted prices and a lot of their other goods at prices higher than some of the local stores and we feel that overall they are so much cheaper. The thing that concerns me a lot is that we are complaining about hard times. The Chinese can undersell the locals because they provide little employment for locals and are allowed to flourish using cheap labour. Local businesses must pay decent wages so that their local and regional workers can have a decent standard of living. At the end of the day money earned by local establishments go into the local banking system where it can be borrowed by locals to build homes, buy cars and set up businesses which in turn employ Anguillians. In other words, the money stays in the economy and helps to create jobs. It is not repatriated to a foreign continent to help develop their economies.
I have no problem with non-nationals working or investing in Anguilla. As a matter of fact it should be encouraged where necessary and appropriate. However, I have a problem with allowing non-nationals with a greater competitive edge because of certain advantages such as access to cheap loans, being allowed to drive Anguillians from areas where they are already established and operating efficiently given the harsh conditions they operate under. There are areas where Anguillians do not have the capital or expertise, such as the hotel and manufacturing sector, where they should be encouraged to invest.
I am saying to our Ministers of Government that it is not enough to say ‘God bless Anguilla’ after every speech. You must help develop and empower your people through your strategic thinking, policies and actions. It is then we shall feel God’s blessing even more.
Name withheld at writer’s request
