The Anguilla House of Assembly took time off from its 2015 budget debate on Monday, December 29, to pay tribute to the late Brian Hughes, son of Chief Minister and Minister of Finance, Mr Hubert Hughes and Mrs Norma Hughes, and to offer condolences to his family.
Brian, a noted building contractor, collapsed at Meads Bay on Wednesday afternoon, December 17, and was pronounced dead at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. His sudden passing brought an abrupt postponement of the House of Assembly on that day, when it had resumed for the debate of the 2015 budget presented by the Chief Minister on Friday, December 12.
When the House sat again on Monday, members from both the Government and Opposition sides expressed condolences to the Hughes’ family, and spoke about Brian’s contribution to the construction industry and development of Anguilla.
The Chief Minister was not present on that occasion, but the condolences and tributes were received and acknowledged on behalf of the family by Mr Haydn Hughes, First Nominated Member and Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism and Sports. He described his late sibling not only as a brother, but also as a friend and neighbour.
Brian’s funeral will be held on Saturday, January 3, on the Sandy Ground ball field, commencing at 2.00 pm.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hughes, Leader of Government Business, returned to the House of Assembly on Tuesday this week to further acknowledge the condolences of the parliamentarians, and to complete the budget debate and the passage of the 2014/2015 Appropriation Bill.
The 2015 budget, which shows a 4.9 percent increase over the 2014 figure, comprises the following: Recurrent Expenditure: EC$192.17 million; Recurrent Revenue: EC$ 192.28 million; and Capital Expenditure: EC$19.81 million.
Following the passage of the budget, the House of Assembly passed amending legislation to extend, for another year, the unpopular Interim Stabilisation Levy which imposes a tax on the incomes of employees and other persons to help balance the budget. The levy, which has been in force over the past few years, is projected to fetch EC$14.936 million this year, compared with EC13.98 million in 2014.
Opposition Leader, Mr Evans McNiel Rogers, called the levy an unfair and burdensome tax and suggested that there were other financial avenues available to Government to provide the necessary budgetary support. Chief Minister Hughes sought to justify the levy, stating that it was not an unfair tax – and indicated that, apart from its importance to the recurrent budget, it was eventually aimed at becoming a contributor to the National Health Insurance system.
