Anguillians at home and abroad, through various mass media platforms, have been given a most revealing report by the Anguilla Progressive Movement Government about the state of affairs on the island, dating back from several years to the present.
With just over two months in office, since the June 2020 general elections, the Government delivered on a campaign promise on Tuesday evening, September 16. That was by way of a State of the Nation town hall meeting at the Rodney MacArthur Rey Auditorium, which was filled to capacity.
Those at the head table comprised Premier Dr. Ellis Webster, Minister for Finance and Health; Ms. Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, Minister for Social Development, Cultural Affairs, Youth Affairs, Gender Affairs, Education and Library Services; Mr. Kenneth Hodge, Minister for Home Affairs, Immigration, Labour, Human Rights, Constitutional Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, Lands and Physical Planning; Mr. Haydn Hughes, Minister for Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing and Tourism; Mr. Kyle Hodge, Minister for Economic Development Commerce, Information Technology, Environment and Natural Resources; Mrs. Quincia Gumbs-Marie, Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Development; Mr. Merrick Richardson, Special Ministerial Assistant in the Ministry of Social Development and Education; Mr. Courtney Morton, Special Ministerial Assistant in the Ministry of Finance (who chaired the meeting); Civil Servants, Mr. Vonlee Harris, Accountant General; and Ms. Marisa Harding-Hodge, Principal Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Finance. Each of the Civil Servants did a most informative job in backing up the Government by providing their listeners with the required comprehensive financial data.
Overall, the public was given a full account about such salient matters as the difficult financial situation facing Anguilla – occasioned by the shutdown of the tourism industry and the high unemployment situation due to Covid-19; plans to reopen the economy and the state of economic development; difficulties in the labour market and Government’s plans to address various matters relating to employees; the high national debt; reliance on the UK Government and the British taxpayers for past and future financial assistance; public sector projects – including education and health facilities under construction and funded by the UK Government, but with dwindling funds; the state of statutory bodies and the need for overhaul to reduce millions of dollars in expenditure and contracts; and the need for public support and understanding as the Government of Anguilla seeks to overcome a myriad of problems burdening the island and its people.
Most of those matters were the subjects of expanded individual statements by Ministers of Government and the Parliamentary Secretary – and are reported by The Anguillian in the inside pages of this week’s edition.
