Eight draft bills are to be presented in the Anguilla House of Assembly on Tuesday, December 15, following a public consultation there on Tuesday evening, December 8.
Five of the Bills which were already given their first readings, and were sent to public consultation by the Speaker, Mrs. Barbara Webster-Bourne. Since then, three additional Bills were presented at the consultation.
The Bills are:
• The Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Bill, 2020. It is to allow non-nationals to enter, reside and work remotely in Anguilla for a period of 12 months. It is part of the Government’s plans to mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 on the island’s economy.
• The Economic Residency (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2020. It is to provide an avenue for persons who have already invested in property in Anguilla to obtain residence by investment.
• The Select Anguilla Agency (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2020, to facilitate the Residency by Investment programme in terms of Select Anguilla Agency, and its alignment with the Ministry responsible for economic development and investment.
• Three Bills relating to dog control and the impounding of other animals.
• The Merchant Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2020, to regulate the shipping registry in Anguilla.
• The Financial Intelligence Unit Bill, 2020. It is to establish a unit for the investigation, detection, prevention and control of financial crimes – and other connected matters.
Those at the public consultation included Premier Dr. Ellis Webster; Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Kenneth Hodge; Minister of Infrastructure and Tourism, Mr. Haydn Hughes; Minister of Economic Development and Natural Resources, Mr. Kyle Hodge; their Permanent Secretaries, Dr. Aidan Harrigan; Mr. Karim Hodge and Mrs. Chanelle Petty Barrett; and Ms. Erica Edwards of the Attorney General’s Chambers.
A few members of the public were also in attendance. Several other persons followed the event on social media and asked questions during the two-hour public consultation from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm.