The Government of Anguilla has expressed its thanks and appreciation for the relief sent to the island by a group of companies in Trinidad following the passage of Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
Mr. Curtis Richardson, the Minister of Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities and Housing, has just returned to the island from Trinidad where he led a delegation. Those who travelled with him were: Mr. Jameel Rochester, Assistant Manager, Destination Experience, Anguilla Tourist Board; Mrs. Heather Richardson of the Anguilla Development Board; Ms. Jasmin Garraway, Tourism Adviser and fund-raiser; and Mr. Marcel Fahie, Chairman of the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority.
Speaking to The Anguillian newspaper on Monday, July 9, Minister Richardson said: “The Chief Minister was invited to Trinidad but he could not go so he asked me to go on his behalf and on behalf of the Government and people of Anguilla. It was to express our appreciation for the relief that we got following Hurricane Irma. A lot of people in Trinidad sent supplies to us. It was a little bit late because they learnt about our situation only after Dominica had taken over the news. When they heard that Anguilla was equally devastated, business persons in Trinidad sent large shipments of water and other supplies here and the Chief Minister felt that we should go there to thank them.”
Mr. Richardson continued: “Some members of the business community in Trinidad felt that since the hurricane had a severe impact on Puerto Rico and Miami, thus creating shortages and delays in getting supplies to Anguilla that, perhaps, the time had come for us to build a better and stronger network to reply to devastation. We felt that establishing the network was an extremely good idea.
“There were about one hundred business persons at the meeting who set up displays of their products and services. We were able to build a strong network with banking institutions and business persons in Trinidad, as well as market Anguilla. Jamal Rochester from the Anguilla Tourist Board did a tremendous job in promoting Anguilla along with the rest of us. We continued the discussions we had previously with people interested in working with, or investing in, the marina projects in Anguilla. We intend to develop a very strong bond with Trinidad so that in the event of a hurricane the people there can respond to our needs.”
Asked who the business people were in Trinidad, Minister Richardson replied: “They are a lot of very well-established business persons who have the wherewithal.”
Meanwhile, he said he was leaving Anguilla on Thursday, July 12, for the United States for discussions with a number of investors he met in Trinidad. “Coming out of Trinidad, I met a lot of high-profile billionaires who want me to come to New York to meet with them to see what investments they could make in Anguilla,” he explained. “I think the era of the millionaires is ended. We have to start to look for billionaires to bring Anguilla to a sustainable level. We welcome the millionaires, but we are now on the billionaires list.”
Before travelling to New York, Mr. Richardson paid a one-day visit to Montserrat on Wednesday, July 11, in his role as Minister responsible for the environment in Anguilla. That meeting, with ministerial colleagues and officials, was to discuss the sargassum now littering the beaches of Anguilla, as well as those of other islands, and various other environmental issues affecting the Caribbean.
