Anguilla’s Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks, was among regional and external leaders, and other officials, at the Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) in St. Kitts this week.
Mr. Banks, who was accompanied by his Permanent Secretary, Dr. Aidan Harrigan, was invited to the meeting by the President of the CDB, Dr. Warren Smith.
“We in Anguilla have a number of requests and applications for borrowing from the CDB – and also a number of other initiatives that we might be putting forward,” the Chief Minister told The Anguillian. “There are discussions on a number of projects. The CDB is funding the expansion of the Anguilla Community College. It is also taking into consideration the expansion project for Blowing Point Port; and it is also looking into the possibility of some lending for ANGLEC.”
Mr. Banks said he would be presenting his Anguilla United Front Government’s Manifesto to officials of the CDB so that, as part of their record, they could have a general idea as to the direction in which the island is moving. He went on: “My Permanent Secretary and I will be looking at certain measures related to our efforts to deal with the indigenous banks’ situation here in Anguilla. We are actively working towards resolving that. The Caribbean Development Bank, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the IMF are also part of this discussion. So this is an excellent opportunity to meet all the participants in one place for the first time.
“We met with the FCO here and the ECCB for over three days, and we are now going forward to meet with the CDB and other officials. The President of the Bank, Dr. Warren Smith, called me personally and invited me to be at the meeting on this occasion.”
Chief Minister Banks added: “The CDB has been in the forefront of Anguilla’s development over the years. It is an institution from which we have received most of our borrowing of a concessionary nature, outside of the International Development Bank which usually lends to more private sector organisations.
“In recent times the CDB’s borrowing policies and procedures have become more efficient, and we are grateful for that because it is important to respond to issues in these small islands very quickly, otherwise they deteriorate to the point where they become larger problems that they would normally be. The bank has been the centre of development in the region as the number one institution where you can get concessionary borrowing; and we are grateful for the support it has given us over the years, and look forward to its continued support in the future.”
