The next general election is around the corner, so the rubber-stamping of recommendations, obligations, and requirements that are outstanding should not surprise us. This Government has approved projects and programmes without careful consideration and acknowledgement of our nation’s dire circumstances. The AUF has buried the people of Anguilla in debt and lies that hinder us from digging ourselves out of the hole we are in. The Honourable Chief Minister’s 2019 Budget Address highlighted how entrenched we are in debt and starkly evidenced a lack of solutions to the problems that confront us. We must continue to scrutinize and question this Government as to their competence.
Despite the nothingness of his budget address, the Chief Minister continued to push the false narrative of the AUF’s great “record of achievements” in his 29 March, 2019 interview with Billy D on SOS 95.9 FM Radio in St. Martin. During the interview, he suggested that his good relationship with the Foreign Commonwealth Office and the Governor, Tim Foy, was based on mutual respect. He boasted that in 2018 the British had required a new taxation measure and that he had disagreed with its implementation. Our Minister of Finance did not even take the time to explain alternatives he might put in place.
Is this really what respect looks like? Did the Chief Minister consider that he could lead a discussion with the British as to how to limit their contingent liability for Anguilla without imposing taxes? Clearly he did not resist the ideas put forward by the British and simply acquiesced in the decision to impose taxes. At most, he secured a mere deferral of the British requirement, nothing more. Towards the end of the interview Billy D expressed his concerns with the Government of Anguilla’s debt situation and the decision to increase the taxes in a phased approach. The Honourable Chief Minister then uttered, “the point is, if you are on the operating table and you need the blood transfusion, you can’t wait to make a decision.” Billy D quickly responded back stating, “But make sure you are getting the good blood. If you are A+ don’t get B.” We can speculate that Hurricane Irma indeed put a spoke in the wheel, but the assurance the Chief Minister would have provided to the British was certainly evidenced in the budget, and he has run out of excuses to bar the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax.
We should let these words resonate and put into perspective how in denial our Government is when it comes to admitting how they have failed the people of Anguilla.. When receiving a blood transfusion we all know that getting blood is not the goal. As Billy D said, it’s all about getting good blood. There is no point of starting the procedure if you will not receive blood that actually matches your blood type and will ultimately “save your life.” This analogy is put forth to demonstrate why our Government keeps compromising our opportunities by accepting handouts without taking into consideration the ramifications. This is a practice well accommodated by the AUF and related governments. We no longer have autonomy for our financial services industry, for that same reason. The British enjoys the decision making in that area, without regard to the impact on our local economy. We are already submerged in debt, and instead of implementing the necessary measures and procedures to stabilize the economy and ensure its longevity, that the British currently requires, we are taking a lifeline and just accepting funds from anywhere by any means.
Needless to say, the Chief Minister may believe that the £60 million UK grant is one of his greatest achievements according to his narrow record, but we cannot ignore the facts and reality. The British Government presumably operated under three assumptions when considering allocating these funds to Anguilla. First, the British must have been under the impression that Anguilla did not have any further resources to fix schools and critical infrastructure. They were set to believe that we were at our wits end and Irma depleted funds to a point of no return. However, how is it that the Turks and Caicos severely suffered from Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria as well, yet they were able to find internal solutions? Shortly after Irma the local power utility restored electrical services, resorts along Grace Beach patched up damage, Providenciales International Airport quickly reopened, distribution of home goods took place at churches, within a few days the local grocery store IGA was opened and by January of 2019 the Turks Government launched a new National Recovery Plan. These were initiatives that the Turks and Caicos Islands paid for from the government reserves.
Clearly they had a sustainable plan, including a Cash for Work Plan similar to the plans funded here, by Social Security. When will the AUF meet their societal and fiscal responsibility? Unlike the Turks and Caicos, I believe the second assumption the British made, was that Anguilla was not sustainable, as it’s currently organized. Lastly, the British must have relied on the Chief Minister’s representation that the Goods and Services Tax solution is one that had been accepted by the Anguillian people as part of the banking resolution; albeit this outcome was never disclosed to us.
The British had already required our Government to push sustainable measures and create a national plan that ensured the necessary economic benefits. These goals were not achieved in 2013 but it became pivotal and a requirement of the new Government formed in 2015. We had to create these measures and laws because of where the Banking Resolution, under this current AUF Government, left us. Obligations and requirements fell through, as expected, and Hurricane Irma distracted our people from the issue.
Let us go back and analyse the history and what legal documents were in place to require our Government to step up to the plate. The Honourable Chief Minister is not being truthful when he says that the British are not requiring anything of him, pushing him to tax our people, or desiring debt alleviation because of “mutual respect.”
On 12 August, 2013 we can all remember the start of our banking crisis, when the Eastern Caribbean Bank placed NBA and CCB in conservatorship. The ECCB assumed control of both banks properties, subsidiaries, and financial affairs. Let us not forget that the vast declines in Anguilla’s banking sector were in full effect months and months prior to the ECCB Intervention. Our banking crisis from 2013 extended till 2016 when we all saw the disastrous effects of the Resolution Plan, that was effected on 22 April, 2016, under this current AUF Government.
It is clearly evident that 2013 was a year of major economic downturn, leading the British to embark upon some sort of intervention as well. Hubert Hughes was the Chief Minister of Anguilla at this time, until 2015. On 25 October, 2013 his Government had an emergency, short notice, sitting of the House of Assembly where three Acts of Parliament were passed. The most important bill was the Fiscal Responsibility Bill 2013, which put into effect the Framework for Fiscal Sustainability and Development policy. This Bill, along with the other two that were passed, caused uproar, because there was not a quorum in the House of Assembly and the three opposition members were not present. The Fiscal Responsibility Act was set to ensure the longevity of Anguilla and was of immense importance, especially since it was passed four months after the British Government had urged for its implementation.
The British knew our banking sector was failing to a point where Anguilla had to take responsibility and the designated leaders of our nation were obliged to create a national development plan that ensured: sustainable development, medium and long term development and fiscal planning, decision making that put value for money considerations, risk management, and accountability. The three members of the House that were in Opposition at the time, Evans McNiel Rogers, Othlyn O. Vanterpool, and Edison A. Baird just happened to be absent when their voices were needed. It appears that all they could do was provide the former Governor, Christina Scott, with a letter urging her not to pass the laws. They were at liberty to propose alternative strategies as well, and failed to do so.
The one time the people of Anguilla truly needed the Honourable Minister, McNiel Rogers, to voice their interests and stand up for what is right, he was missing in action. The Rookie Leader of the Opposition, as Rogers was then, apparently could not contribute to a debate on governance. And he appears even now not to understand the fundamental theories and practices underpinning good governance and our constitutional status. The Framework for Fiscal Sustainability and Development policy needed to be debated, as it was an essential requirement from the British. The UK Government wanted us to drastically lessen our debt by taxing people and promising to only borrow to fund capital expenditure where our Government would yield sufficient revenues and receive a surplus to fund additional debt costs. The British expected our Government officials to demonstrate that they understood fundamental concepts relating to economic sustainability. They likely expected that we were capable of properly representing our people. They were wrong.
The current AUF Government came into power in 2015 and has not progressed one initiative during this present term that would provide continuous growth. Of course this Government has scurried away from accepting responsibility to progress Anguilla’s sustainability planning, while secretly making advances to satisfy the British that they are progressing the implementation of increased taxation measures. While no one perceives this administration as satisfactory nor impressive, it is time to consider alternatives and real programmes that will deliver economic sustainability. It is time to choose leaders who will truly represent our peoples’ interests at home and abroad. The time for action is now.
