The Premier of Anguilla, the Honourable Cora Richardson- Hodge, held her first radio interview on Klass FM on Tuesday, March 18th, 2025, with host DJ Hammer. She mentioned that Anguilla’s .AI domain name has been quite lucrative in providing Government with handsome revenues.
Consequently, these revenues would be utilized to offset or reduce the burden on the people of Anguilla brought on by the infamous GST.
Long before campaigning for the recent general elections had begun in earnest, the Anguilla United Front (AUF), which was headed by Mrs. Richardson-Hodge in her capacity of Opposition Leader, had presented to the Anguilla Progressive Movement (APM) administration a GST Relief Plan. This plan had provided for the elimination of taxes on four facets on revenue, namely: sales on wholesale, sales on retail, manufacturing income and restaurant revenues.
Now, through the windfall income of the .AI domain name, the Premier intends to take the opportunity of making good on her party’s promises in the GST Relief Plan.
“The .AI domain name is bringing in more revenues than was anticipated,” she observed. “What this means is that it gives us the space to be able to implement a number of programs such as the GST Relief Plan.” She said that during the month of February 2025, revenues from .AI amounted to some EC$16 Million. “This allows us to look at the GST Relief Plan that we have been speaking about.”
“At the time when the GST was implemented,” she continued, “this .AI revenue was not anticipated or forecasted to bring in the amount that is realized today. So the question is how best can we use these .AI funds. We believe that the best way they can be used is to ease the burden of the cost of living on the people of Anguilla. Income from .AI would be used to bring relief to businesses, homes and individuals.”
The Premier said that she had already spoken to her Permanent Secretary in terms of moving forward with the GST Relief Plan. She mentioned that the Government is also looking at the possibility of decreasing customs duties at the ports.
Meanwhile, as it concerns relief, the Premier broke the good news that the Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Mr. Timothy Antoine, had provided a grant of EC$2.4 Million in order to facilitate food security in Anguilla.
“With regard to the portfolio of Minister Kyle Hodge,” the Premier noted, “I can report that recently the Governor of the ECCB contacted me and indicated that the institution has given Anguilla a grant of EC$2.4 Million to go towards the island’s food security. Minister Hodge is now in the process of being able to identify the appropriate programmes within which those funds can be utilized.”
She added that this contribution is important and timely, given the context of where we are currently with trade tariffs and the potential increases in the cost of food supplies.
