On Monday, 10 October 2016, the Honourable Minister with responsibility for Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing, Agriculture, Fisheries and Information Technology (MICUHAFIT), Mr. Curtis Richardson, took The Anguillian newspaper on a tour of a number of departments and institutions in his portfolio so as to give an update on a number of ongoing initiatives. The Minister’s portfolio covers the areas of Infrastructure, Water, Electricity, Fire Services, Renewable Energy Development, Information Communications Technologies, Utilities, Aviation, Ports & Harbours, Housing & Construction, Vehicle Inspection, Agriculture, Fisheries, Marine Parks and Maritime Affairs. He is also responsible for four Statutory Bodies and Boards, namely the Anguilla Air & Sea Ports Authority, the Public Utilities Commission, Water Corporation and the Building Board.
The Minister was accompanied by his Permanent Secretary and was later joined by the Honourable Chief Minister.
Water Corporation of Anguilla
The Minister visited the sea water reverse osmosis plant in Crocus Bay and was informed by one of the employees, of the Caribbean Water Treatment Plant, that the plant will be restored to full operations during the course of day as the replacement parts were flown into Anguilla the previous day. Employees of the Water Corporation later confirmed that the SWRO plant will be restored to full capacity shortly and that work will start shortly on addressing various issues with The Valley well field so at to regularise production from the brackish water reverse osmosis plant.
The Water Corporation is responsible for the distribution of piped water in Anguilla. It is currently working on an initiative to establish bulk water filling points.
Fisheries
The Minister visited the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources to get an update on the implementation of the 2015 Fisheries Development Plan and the Management Plan for Anguilla’s Marine Park System (Final 2016). The Minister was informed of the progress with respect to the legislative changes to support the Fisheries Development Plan and the Marine Park Management Plan. The Minister was also informed of the ongoing discussions with the UK Government with respect to the support provided to the fisheries sector in Anguilla.
Agriculture
At the Agriculture Department, the Minister was informed of the progress on the Agriculture Strategic Development Plan, and progress on the plan since it was discussed with the Ministers in September 2016 – and the timeline for public consultations.
Information Technology and e-Government Services
At the Department of Information Technology and e-Government Services, the Minister was informed about various initiatives pertaining to streamlining the delivery of government information technology services. The Minister was specifically briefed on the progress of the replacement communication tower, next to the Water Corporation of Anguilla, at Crocus Hill. This tower will serve as an essential communication link between the Central Government IT system and remote government departments and units.
Fire and Rescue Service
The Minister took the opportunity to thank the members of the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service at the completion of their march around The Valley as they celebrate Fire Prevention Week. The Minister also visited the construction site of the new Fire Station and Air Traffic Control Tower and spoke with members of the construction company and the project manager. The Minister, who was later joined by the Honourable Chief Minister, was informed of progress on the project and given reassurance on the completion date.
ANGLEC Solar Farm
The Minister met with the CEO of ANGLEC, Mr. David Gumbs, to get an update on the workings of the solar farm since the commissioning of the farm in September. The Minister also took the opportunity to discuss with the CEO the reasons for the recent island wide electrical outages. He expressed the need for better communications – with the public and the Ministry of Infrastructure, which has the responsibility for electricity – with respect to reasons for outages.
Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority
The Minister visited three main sites of the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority, the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport, Blowing Point Sea Port and Road Bay Port.
At Blowing Point, the Minister reviewed the progress in getting Blowing Point Port ready for the upcoming tourist season. The AASPA is in the process of implementing a number of changes to the Blowing Point Port ferry terminal to ensure that the experience of travellers is in keeping with Anguilla’s five-star status in the tourism industry. At Road Bay, the Minister and the Chief Minister inspected the ongoing repairs to the Road Bay Jetty. The contractor gave the Ministers the assurance that the work will be completed in a timely manner, and that there would be considerable improvements to the conditions of the Jetty.
Department of Infrastructure
At the Department of Infrastructure, the Minister inquired into the restoration of the ‘one–stop shop service’ so that customers can complete the full processing of the licensing of vehicles at the Vehicle Inspection Centre. The Minister also committed to the transfer of the full vehicle licensing and transport board functions to the Ministry and to the improvement of the Maritime functions.
The Minister spoke about various road projects, and of his commitment to the implementation of the various road projects as soon as the cash flow permits the start of the projects. He inspected the mitigation measure that was implemented on the Jerimiah Gumbs Road and expressed his satisfaction with the work done by the Department of Infrastructure.
On completion of the tour, the Minister thanked Mr. Nat Hodge of The Anguillian for the time he spent touring the various areas under his portfolio, and expressed his gratitude to all the mangers, officers and employees, who work in the various areas under his portfolio, for their commitment and hard work.
