In order to be in a position to submit the concerns of Anguillians to a meeting with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and other officials, the Anguilla Government held a working session on the proposed Banking Bill on Monday evening, November 16.
The session followed a meeting of the House of Assembly earlier in the day when the Bill was given its first reading in a tense atmosphere.
Those at the Government’s working session, in the conference room at the Ministry of Home Affairs, included: Chief Minister and Minister of Finance, Mr. Victor Banks; Minister of Home Affairs, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge; her Ministerial Assistant, Mrs. Evalie Bradley; Parliamentary Secretary, Mr. Cardigan Connor; Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Palmavon Webster; Leader of the Anguilla United Movement, Dr. Ellis Lorenzo Webster; Mr. Kennedy Hodge, an advocate against the Bill; Ms. Marie Horsford; Mr. Allister Richardson of North Hill; Mr. Lanville Harrigan; and Mr. John Lloyd.
The working session was announced in a press release from the Ministry of Home Affairs. It read in part: “Interested persons are asked to come prepared to discuss specific sections of the Banking Bill and the Eastern Caribbean Asset Management Company Act, outline their concerns and indicate suggestions for amendment.
“The concerns and suggestions from the working session, along with concerns and suggestions from the other public consultations and meetings, will be collated for presentation during Tuesday’s visit to St. Kitts to meet with ECCB and other officials.
“The Anguilla delegation will comprise Hon. Victor Banks, Chief Minister; Hon. Cora Richardson-Hodge, Minister of Home Affairs; Hon. Palmavon Webster, Leader of the Opposition; Rupert Jones, Attorney General; Dr. Aidan Harrigan, Permanent Secretary, Finance; [and] Mr. Marcel Fahie. The delegation will return to Anguilla in the afternoon.”
