Fellow Anguillians, at home and abroad, on behalf of myself, my family and the Government of Anguilla, I wish you a very happy, healthy, safe, prosperous and peaceful New Year.
I offer heartfelt condolences to those who lost loved ones in the past year, those from natural causes, and those from diseases such as cancer, those from tragic motor vehicle accidents, and gun violence. May God continue to grant you strength and comfort.
As the winds of change and the rains of renewal sweep out 2020 and usher in 2021, we realize that in spite of the difficulties and uncertainty of the past year we have a lot to be thankful for. We are thankful for a quiet hurricane season. We are thankful that in the midst of a global pandemic, although there were 14 confirmed positive cases of Covid-19 on Anguilla, there was no community spread and no loss of life from the disease. Thanks to the Chief Medical Officer, the Ministry of Health and the Health Authority of Anguilla for developing the protocols; the Royal Anguilla Police Force, the special constables and the surveillance teams for monitoring and enforcing the protocols; the hospitality workers and the people of Anguilla for following the protocols.
We are thankful for those who serve the people of Anguilla, including doctors, nurses, EMTs, police, firemen and women, and public servants, especially the teachers, who, despite makeshift classrooms, limited supplies, extended hours, the shift system, uncertain situations including disrupted schedules and online teaching, continued to educate our children and helped to graduate some of the top students in the region.
We are thankful for the hospitality workers who remained patient while forced out of work by the pandemic and then returned to work in spite of the risk to their own health to do their part to restart Anguilla’s tourism industry. We must protect them with better wages and laws which recognize their importance to the economy and society.
We are also thankful for the hotel, villa and restaurant owners, and ferryboat and taxi operators for their willingness to adapt to new protocols, develop standard operating procedures and learn new terms such as ‘bubbles’ and ‘stay in place’ to restore the hospitality sector.
We are thankful for the banks which gave moratoriums on loan payments, landlords who were lenient with their tenants, the Social Security Board which provided Unemployment and Underemployment Benefits to their contributors, and ANGLEC and the Water Corporation which gave concessions to their customers. Good corporate citizens are essential to a country’s development and sustainability.
We are thankful for the financial assistance from the UKG which has continued into 2021 to help decrease the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic which has slowed economies throughout the world. We are also thankful for the offer of vaccines which will protect us from the coronavirus. We especially thank His Excellency Governor Tim Foy for his efforts to secure funding for many projects on Anguilla including Health care facilities, schools, ports and resurfacing of the airport runway. He will be missed.
We are thankful to you the people of Anguilla for being resilient and caring. While many of you are still living in the ‘valley of despair’, without a job, with fear of losing your homes or your businesses, or not being able to provide for your families, you continue to look out for each other.
We are also thankful that you elected this administration to protect your interests, advance your causes and look out for your wellbeing. I said at the beginning of 2020 that “Anguillians would have a golden opportunity to reshape their destiny by embarking on a journey, solidified by our faith, that will sow a new path for development and empowerment.” While none of us could predict a global pandemic or its impact on Anguilla, we have persevered by our faith in God and the goodwill of our people. We know that with God’s help this year will be better than the last.
There are many challenges ahead, but we can face them with the same determination our forebears demonstrated during prior hardships, and with the unity and resilience required to recover from the ravages of Hurricane Irma and this pandemic. As I meet with people throughout Anguilla, I realize that our people are not looking for miracles, they are looking for Hope. Hope for a future where we are not limited by our circumstances or our surroundings but given every opportunity to succeed; Hope that when we work hard and follow the rules that we are not passed over by someone who is better off or better connected; Hope that your elected government and our administering power will enact laws and impose Orders which will benefit us as a people and advance Anguilla, rather than satisfy a political agenda; Hope that we can provide for our families, including our elderly and our children; Hope that we love and care for each other, minimizing strife and violence in our society, ensuring a safe, happy and peaceful existence that is equitable and sustainable.
May God Bless us in this New Year and continue to Bless Anguilla, our home.
Thank you.
Dr. Ellis Lorenzo Webster
Premier
