Officials are tight lipped over the results of a meeting that took place on Monday 20th March, 2023, with the Honourable Premier Dr. Ellis L. Webster, ANGLEC’s CEO, Mr. Sutclffe Hodge and the current Chairman of the Board.
Given the recent impasse between Government and the island’s sole electrical provider ANGLEC, and a growing public interest, the meeting seems to have been a rather “away from the public” affair.
Over the past several months, ANGLEC has been desirous of meeting with the Government to discuss the way forward with regards to providing the first Phase of renewable energy electricity for Anguilla.
Government, on the other hand, is adamantly expressing its interest in a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
Due to this apparent deadlock, meaningful dialogue has never materialized.
No information has been given as to the nature of the Monday meeting, and what was or was not discussed.
During the Government’s Press Conference on the afternoon of Monday 20th March, 2023, members of the local media prodded the Premier for a report on the outcome of the morning’s conversation between ANGLEC and Government.
When Radio Anguilla’s Felicia Hennis asked the Premier what was the outcome of the long-awaited meeting, the Leader of Government Business said: “I had a meeting today with the CEO of ANGLEC and the current Chairman of the Board, and it was a good meeting. We are working on the way forward. I can’t say anything more about it other than that.”
When asked by The Herald’s Dawn Hodge if he can indicate when he would be able to say anything more about the meeting, Premier Webster simply answered, “No, we came up with discussions on the way forward.”
Still seeking more information relative to the nature of the meeting, Dawn Hodge asked: “Up until this point, conversations between ANGLEC and Government has been somewhat inhibited by a divide. So, can you say whether or not the tenure of today’s meeting was reconciliatory on both sides or was it somewhat the re-hashing of the same positions again?” The Premier promptly replied: “It was a cordial meeting.”
When asked, seeing that it was such a cordial meeting, whether the Government still requires the current ANGLEC Board to be dissolved, the Premier said: “Yes, a meeting to that effect is scheduled for April 12th.”
