The Honourable Premier Cora Richardson-Hodge, who is championing the cause for an Anguillian office building in London, has once again set out to defend the purpose of the facility and the need for Anguilla to have such an asset as a representative presence in the UK.
The issue of Anguilla being represented in the UK with its own property there has been a burning issue among opposing individuals in this society since last December when news of the proposed Anguillian office in the UK first broke. Individuals, and in particular members of the parliamentary opposition, are vehemently opposed to the idea, citing that the money to purchase the property could be better spent for local development instead.
In the last Government Press Conference on Monday, June 15th, the Premier went to a great extent to once again emphatically explain the rationale behind such a need:
“We have been speaking about this since December,” she said, “and we have not acquired it as yet. It is still under review, and we are dong proper due diligence before it can be acquired.”
In analyzing the need for the London office, Premier Richardson-Hodge said, “The question is not whether Anguilla can afford to invest in a permanent office in London, but the real question is whether Anguilla can afford not to have a permanent presence there.
“As a British Overseas Territory, many of the decisions that affect Anguilla’s constitutional development, economic resilience, security, education, healthcare and international representation continue to involve engagements with institutions based in the United Kingdom,” the Premier said.
“A permanent Government-owned office in London would be a strategic national asset that will serve the interest of Anguillians for generations to come.”
She then presented points which she thinks would support the reasoning behind the establishment of the Anguilla Office in London.
She referred to the Strengthening of Anguilla’s Representation in Advocacy: “London remains the center of engagement between the UK and the Overseas Territories,” she stated. “A permanent Office would provide a dedicated base for engagement with the UK Government, Parliament, Overseas Territories Directorate, investors, development partners, and international organizations. It will also provide greater visibility for Anguilla’s priorities and concerns and improved coordination of official visits and high level meetings.”
She commented that currently Government relies on temporary arrangements when Anguillian delegates travel to the UK to attend conferences. She said that generally such meetings are held in a hotel lobby, and whereas all other Overseas Territories operate from established offices, Anguilla remains leaps and bounds behind when it comes to such accommodation.
She noted that a permanent Anguilla office in the UK would translate into Long-term Financial Prudence: “While the acquisition of a property requires upfront investment, ownership can be more economical than perpetual rental expenditure,” she attested.
She remarked that, as Anguillians, we believe in owning our own accommodations. We won’t normally rent, and if we do rent it would not be for a significant period, but we would rent only until we are able to build or buy our own, thus avoiding escalating rental costs.
The Premier pointed out that to acquire the office building would enable Anguilla to Build Equity Through Ownership of a Tangible Asset: She explained, “In our books, the acquisition of a permanent presence in the UK would be an asset to Anguilla. And should we desire to sell it in the future, it would be of great value to us as Owners Equity.”
She expressed the fact that the Fleet Street location of this property in London makes it quite suitable as a high quality asset, as Fleet Street is currently undergoing redevelopment. Thus the proposed Anguilla office building would be a of a high grade equity on Anguilla’s books.
She then made reference to the Generation of Income by Leasing Unused Office Space: She observed, “The property can be both an operational headquarters and a long-term investment asset. She noted that the building is a multi-floor structure and once it is acquired, the Government of Anguilla can decide to utilize a portion of it for its own operations and rent spaces to recoup some of its investments over the long term.
The Premier noted that the building could be used for Supporting Economic Development and Investment Promotion: “A London Office would serve as a gateway for investors seeking opportunities to invest in Anguilla,” she said. “The office would promote tourism, financial services, renewable energy, and infrastructure projects.”
She reflected that right now many people are saying that while our .AI domain name is well known throughout the US, there is very little presence of .AI in the UK and Europe. Therefore, the establishment of an office presence in the UK would enable Anguilla to support further expansion of our .AI domain name reach, as well as our tourism product that we so much desire to promote outside of Anguilla.
She also pointed out that a presence in London would enable Anguilla to host investment forums and business meetings, facilitate stronger relationships with international businesses and development institutions and it will create opportunities for job creation and economic diversification back in Anguilla.
Another advantage of the facility would be to Improve Access to UK-based Services: She stated: “Many Anguillians travel to the UK for education, medical treatment, professional training and Government-related matters, and so a permanent office would provide information and support services for our people. It would facilitate Anguillians with assistance during emergencies and coordination with the UK institutions and agencies. It would actually become a practical source of help for all Anguillians in the UK,” she said.
She also mentioned that Anguilla’s office in London would serve to Enhance Regional and International Cooperation. “A London office would serve as a hub for collaboration with other Overseas Territories, Commonwealth organizations, academic institutions, and developmental agencies. It would help to strengthen Anguilla’s ability to participate in policy discussions and access technical assistance and funding opportunities,” she observed.
One other important advantage would be that of Preserving National Interests for Future Generations: “Governments come and go,” she said, “but strategic assets endure. So, long after this administration would have gone, there would be an asset in the UK for the benefit of our Anguillian people. It will create a lasting institutional presence, reduce dependence on temporary arrangements, demonstrate confidence in Anguilla’s future, and it would be a valuable asset for future generations of Anguillians,” she affirmed.
There was an allocation of some EC$9.5 Million in the most recent supplementary budget that was earmarked for the acquisition of the London property, but after some objections from the Opposition, this figure was removed. The Premier reiterated that due diligence is being undertaken to make sure that everything is in order for the proposed acquisition.
“That is why it was not difficult for us to remove the allocation from the supplementary budget,” she stated, “because we know that when we come back to the House, we will be sure that everything is in order and we are well prepared for the debate that the Opposition would present.”
