The series of political debates, involving district candidates in the forthcoming general election, continued on Wednesday evening, June 18, at the Teachers’ Resource Centre with a large and passionate crowd in attendance.
The debaters were Mr. Curtis Richardson of the Anguilla United Front – the recent Minister of Infrastructure – and Mr. Haydn Hughes of the Anguilla Progressive Movement, a former Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, in the 2010-2015 Anguilla United Movement Government. They are both candidates in the Road South constituency.
One of the subject areas dealt with early in the debate was tourism, the main foreign exchange earner, economic development supporter and employment generator in Anguilla. The question, to which the debaters responded, was:
Members of the audience“What changes must be made to our current tourism product to make it sustainable for the future, while still promoting green living?”
Mr. Curtis Richardson’s answered as follows:
“I think that tourism has served us well in Anguilla but one of the key fundamental changes that we must have from 2020 coming forward – to defend our way of life here in Anguilla – is that any significant investment in the tourism industry must address the issues of renewable energy. One of the things that I have been able to achieve is not only water 24/7, but all of the tourism properties in Anguilla are now set to surrender their water production plants to the Water Corporation of Anguilla. This is an arrangement that has to be worked out, but it is one of the things we must pursue within the tourism product for advancing the people of Anguilla.
“We must ensure that all of the [tourism] investment projects address the issues of green sustainable development – and that is renewable energy – and making the fundamental changes in the way the investors do their developmental projects.”
Mr. Haydn Hughes gave the following reply:
“We talked about changing the tourism product. It isn’t so much about changing the tourism product but the enhancement of the product. I believe that we have a superior tourism product here in Anguilla. We have a very good mix of what we consider Charming Escapes – the small boutique properties – and large five-star properties. We have a great collection of villas; a wonderful selection of restaurants, both local and foreign-owned. Anguilla is the culinary capital of the world. We have magnificent chefs in Anguilla, and we have also have Kerth Gumbs who is a Michelin chef in the United Kingdom. So we have the capacity and the capability. When we talk about changing the tourism product, here is where I see the tourism industry [must] change.
“I come from the tourism industry in which I worked, and where every supervisor was an Anguillian. Today, many hotel operators have come to our shores on the backs of those operators, and now we have very few managers in the upper echelons of the hospitality sector. That is a fundamental change that I would like to see going forward; and when I am elected you could rest assured that those Anguillians at home, and in the Diaspora, who are professionals in the sector, will be given their just due. Today, we have some of the brightest hospitality workers sitting on the sideline. [They include] Patricia Bryan; Chris Richardson; Eustace Guishard; George Reid; Delroy Lake – and I can go on and on. And that is a fundamental change that we need to have.”
Mr. Hughes went on: “I worked in the industry where persons landed at our airport or seaports and sometimes the tourists would say: ‘Anguilla is a beautiful place with beautiful people.’ We have some of the most wonderful people in the world, but you close your eyes from the port facilities until you get to your prospective property – whether it is a villa or whatever. We have to enhance Anguilla and our roadsides. Why is it that we cannot have a public/private partnership, between our hoteliers, to enhance our roads from the Blowing Point Port, all the way out through Spring Path, or the regular road through South Hill, so that the tourists can see our beautiful surroundings as well?
“Not only that. We have an antiquated Property Tax system where we punish people for keeping their properties clean, pristine and properly painted – and award persons for keeping their properties thirty years later unpainted. Why it is that we don’t have a system of credits for persons who keep their properties painted, have a nice area of vegetables or an ornamental garden…thus enhancing the product that we have?
“As it relates to renewable energy, we have already seen Frangipani come off [the electricity [grid], and I don’t know if it is sustainable for ANGLEC to have our major properties coming off the grid and developing renewable energy. But the thrust towards renewable energy must emanate from the Government of Anguilla through ANGLEC, and that is why it is important to keep ANGLEC under the people of Anguilla’s hands.”
Mr. Curtis Richardson rebutted, or provided further information, in this manner: “Before I was elected, I held the views that Mr. Hughes just expounded. But being a Minister of Government, and having to deal with the reality that is before us, they are things that the bright mind cannot imagine because they are real. We have Guishard, Chris, Delroy yes, but if you speak to every Anguillian who has worked at high levels in the tourism industry, they will tell you that their biggest challenge, perhaps, has been managing their very own Anguillians. We do have some educating to do.
“When we talk about ANGLEC, it is a very heavy discussion because, as a young man, in the Road South area, I grew up with a certain fundamental outlook on life. As the Minister of Infrastructure, I restored electricity in three months [following Hurricane Irma] for the people of Anguilla to build confidence in investors and entrepreneurs – and to make sure they would be happy. But do you know what the price tag for the restoration of electricity was? Twenty million dollars that Anguilla, CARILEC nor the Government of Anguilla had. We cannot continue to live on the mercies of everyone. I would like to keep ANGLEC, but we have to find a way to finance our own way in this life.”
Mr. Haydn Hughes rebutted: “The Minister speaks about the sustainable ability of ANGLEC, and also about 24/7 water. There is no 24/7 water in Anguilla. I have been throughout the length and breadth of Road South and I know that there are so many persons that water does not reach; and even those persons that water reach, it is mostly air.
“When we talk about the sustainability of ANGLEC, and the price tag, what the Minister also fails to mention is that to date the Water Corporation of Anguilla owes ANGLEC in excess of 10 million dollars and has not paid its electricity bill in over a year. So when we talk about the sustainability of ANGLEC and its bills are not being paid, how can you have a sustainable entity? If the bills were paid it would be a tremendously profitable entity, and until that is done we will continue to talk about selling ANGLEC. I believe that it should not be sold – and should remain in the hands of the people of Anguilla to be a social partner. If you sell it, say for 30 million dollars, and Government departments owe the company all of these bills what do you think is going to happen? If you and I own ANGLEC, we are going to ask for our money – and if we don’t get paid, they will cut you.
“The airport owes ANGLEC almost two million EC dollars at present, so when we talk about a sustainable ANGLEC, how can it be sustainable when the Government departments and, in particular those that are under the Minister, are not paying their bills? They need to pay and then we will have a sustainable ANGLEC and move forward.”
This is the second week of the political debates which were organised by the Anguilla National Youth Council.
