Official newsletter

newsletter134 ( .pdf )

The Antigua and Barbuda

High Commission

Official Newsletter Issue 134 -- June 2009


Prime Minister Hon.


Spencer's


remarks


W. Baldwin

at National


Economic Consultation
Seepages 3, 10


His Excellency Dr Carl Roberts presents 'A Little Bit of Paradise' to Prime Minister Peter Harry
Carstensen of Kiel, Germany at the Kiel Regatta


See page 8



y


In This Issue
1. Prime Minister's remarks at the National Economic Consultation (pages 3, 10
2. World Environment Day Message Commonwealth Secretary-General (page 4)
3. Antigua and Barbuda goes to cricket (page 6)
4. High Commissioner at Kiel Week regatta (page 8)











A MESSAGE FROM HIS EXCELLENCE

DR CARL ROBERTS, HIGH COMMISSIONER


Telecommunications in
the Caribbean, then and
now
by
H.E. Dr Carl B. Roberts
High Commissioner
to
Rotary Club of London
22nd June 2009

PRESIDENT Marion, Sergeant-at-Arms
Roy, Fellow Rotarians, Ladies and
Gentlemen, Good Afternoon. It is indeed
a pleasure for me to speak today about a
subject which has been the focus of my
life for over thirty-seven and a half years.
Though the period over which I will point
the flashlight spans from the 1960s to
present day, if one were to go back further,
one would find other interesting periods to
speak about. I was very fortunate to have
worked in telecommunications in not only
one of the most dynamic periods, but in
my humble opinion, one of the most
interesting.
Although the Caribbean is predominantly
made up of several small developing
countries, in fact many micro-states, it is
nevertheless a market where many
changes are taking place in


telecommunication infrastructure.
It is indeed a major
telecommunication market. As
several reports would readily
admit, it is a market in which
several parts have
telecommunication infrastructure
as advanced as anywhere else
in the world. Good trading
relations with the United States,
Canada, UK and Europe and the
dominance of tourism as the
principal economic activity, are
the main reasons for this.

Let me first state what I mean by
the Caribbean. The Caribbean
is a region or a chain of islands
from the southern tip of Florida in
the USA to the northern tip of
South America and often
includes such places as
Bermuda, Bahamas and Turks
and Caicos Islands in the Atlantic.
The Region covers around 1000
square kilometres. In my
presentation I will not include
such places as Cuba, Dominica
Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico and
the French and Dutch islands.

Let me first provide a little history of this
important service. Telecommunication
Service was introduced into the Region
not long after Alexander Bell's invention
of the telephone became commercially
available in the capital centres of the then
commercial world. The Service was
owned by Governments and was
introduced in the main to support
mercantile interests, government official
communications and to a lesser extent
public service.

As any research using reports on the
official site of the Caribbean Association
of Telecommunications Organisations
(CANTO) will reveal the 1960s began a
period of rapid changes within the region.
During this period, a US Company called
Continental Telephone (Contel) bought
the companies providing domestic
service in Barbados, Jamaica and
Trinidad and Tobago. and the entities
providing both domestic and international
services in the Bahamas. Contel installed
new electro-mechanical switching and
transmission systems in those places. In
the small English speaking territories of
the Eastern Caribbean Cable and
Wireless, then owned by the the UK
government, provided both domestic and


international services in Barbados and it
was through their links here that much of
the traffic out of the region passed.

Early communications were simple. The
main modes of communications were
telegrams, government messages, press
reports and operator-connected HF Radio
transmitted telephone calls. I give you an
example of the type of telegram message.
After the mandatory heading the message
read:

"Addition to family stop mother and
daughter doing well stop still in
hospital stop more later".

Or another:

"Reached safely stop place
nothing like we discussed stop good
prospects for business"

Or yet another:

"Richard in accident stop come
quickly"

You will notice that brevity was the order
of the day. Every word was counted and
charged. Sometimes the conciseness of
the message conveyed more worries then
intended. Receiving a telegram was
frightening in and of itself before one
could decipher the contents of the
message.

If it were marked urgent then you opened
it with trepidation.

Making a telephone call was no less easy.
If the country to which you were making
that call had direct circuits to your
homeland, you would simply call the
operator, book the time of your call and
await the call back. It could take hours
and days and the quality was at best
questionable. The cost was always
higher than you expected.

In the late sixties, Cable and Wireless
upgraded the radio systems serving the
region. New emerging tropospheric
scatter systems were introduced. Local
switchboard operators were able to seize
international circuits and connect directly
to some destinations without going
through transit points in Barbados, White
Plains New York, Jacksonville Florida,
and London. In the 1980s Cable and
Wireless upgraded the radio system
across the region with the installation of


Continue on page 10


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I(clla 13LL Illna 3nnO







The Andaua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 134 June 2009


Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer
Remarks
National Economic Consultation

25th June, 2009


Ladies and Gentlemen:

The world we live in today is drastically
different from the one we knew of some
two to three years ago. Since 2008, the
world has been shocked by an economic
crisis of enormous proportions.

The collapse of world financial markets
has led to hundreds of thousands of
persons in Europe, North America and
Asia and most recently right here at home
in the Caribbean and in Antigua and
Barbuda, being placed on the
unemployment line.

For Antigua and Barbuda, this global
economic crisis has generated major
challenges that are impacting our
economic output and employment.

There is no doubt that as a small, open,
developing economy, Antigua and
Barbuda would have become susceptible
to the economic crisis that has gripped the
large, developed economies of the world.
The recent developments within our region
involving CLICO, British American
Insurance, the R. Allen Stanford debacle
and more recently the possible fall-outs
from the alleged wrongdoings of the
former boss of our financial services
regulatory commission have further
compounded the crisis for us here in
Antigua and Barbuda.

This fourth instalment of the National
Economic Symposium, therefore, is of vital
importance not only to your government in
charting the way forward but to every
Antiguan and Barbudan as it would take all
of our efforts combined to ensure that we
survive these harsh global economic
conditions.

Today's consultation is not about cosmetic
changes to the economy of Antigua and
Barbuda. It is about making structural
changes to our domestic economy and
finding real and workable solutions to
effectively cushion the effects of a world-
wide recession that has never been seen
before in most of our lifetime.

We cannot simply remove the rose-
coloured glasses and expect our problems
to go away. We must remove them and
focus our attention on whether or not our
actions will catapult our economy over the
brick wall that is before us or lead us
head-on into a massive collision.


Your government is prepared to make the
necessary sacrifices to address the issues
that confront us by devising new plans and
policies. You as Antiguans and Barbudans
must also be prepared to make sacrifices
for the good of this country from public
servants, to the private sector, the trade
unions- we all must play meaningful roles
if we are to overcome this economic hurdle.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Over the past few weeks, The Ministry of
Finance, the Economy and Public
Administration has been conducting
widespread consultations with non-
governmental organizations, community
based groups, the private sector and
regional and sub-regional partners in an
effort to finalize a plan that would bring
about the structural changes and social
and economic transformation that are
needed to propel our country into a secure
and prosperous future.

The National Economic and Social
Transformation (NEST) Plan was rolled
out with four major components being the
fiscal consolidation programme, an
economic action plan, social
transformation, and financial sector
stability.

It is my government's belief that this NEST
Plan will strategically address our fiscal
and socio-economic concerns, fully
cognizant that we, as a small open
economy, have limited policy options.

This NEST Plan is not unlike various
policies and strategies being developed
and pursued by our regional counterparts
as they too seek to cope with the fallout
from the global economic crisis. In
addition, our NEST Plan reflects the sub-
regional approach to the crisis, which is
outlined in the Eastern Caribbean
Currency Union (ECCU) Eight Point Plan.

At this point I wish to commend and
express the appreciation of the
government of Antigua and Barbuda to the
Governor of the Eastern Caribbean
Central Bank Sir Dwight Venner and his
team for their expert guidance as we
address this daunting challenge.
Commendation must also go to the
technicians in the Ministry of Finance for
their dedication and hard work.


Honourable Baldwin Spencer
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I wish to address just a few major
challenges that we are facing today -
Tourism and the effects of the recession,
to employ or not to employ and to borrow
or not to borrow these are the questions
that we must answer truthfully and with
reality.

Our tourism industry is the driving force of
our economy. It is also the sector that is
hardest hit in the region and Antigua and
Barbuda is no exception.

With an over thirty-percent reduction in
occupancy, most if not all tourism related
entities have had to reduce staff in order to
remain in business.

My government has made the issues
facing this sector immediate priority. The
yachting, hotels, cruise, tours and
attractions aspects of the sector must be
addressed if we are to stave off massive
unemployment.

It is my government's intention to continue
to engage with members of the tourism
industry to ensure we are able to stimulate
the sector by focusing more on promoting
the industry on a regional and domestic
level.

The time has come when we have to look
inward and promote regional holiday travel
and on-island holidays. It is my
government's belief that if we as a region

Continued on page 10


The Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 134 -Juna 2009






The Andoua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 134 June 2009


World Environment Day
Message
5 June 2009
By
Commonwealth
Secretary-General
Kamalesh Sharma

The term 'rising sea levels' has real
expression in the Maldives and Tuvalu.
These and other low-lying states are
effectively threatened with
submergence. The tides have already
risen, and wholesale migration is a
possible response. The front lines
have already been breached.

Elsewhere in the Commonwealth, we
see the effects of climate change in
poor crop yields, destructive storms,
shrinking rainforests, dwindling fish
stocks, thawing tundra, encroaching
desert, flooded lowlands.

It is an existential emergency, in that it
is concerned with our very existence.
Typically and ironically, it is the
countries with the least carbon
footprints which are fighting for sheer
survival.

The world knows this only too well.
Last week it was reminded again, with
the publication of the Global
Humanitarian Forum's report entitled
Climate Change: The Anatomy of a
Silent Crisis. Climate change is
already responsible for 300,000
deaths a year, the report said, and it
directly affects 300 million people,
mostly in the developing world. Unless
radical action is taken, it argued, these
figures can only rise. Within just 25
years, it estimated that climate change
will push 20 million more people into
poverty, with 75 million more people
being displaced. Cavilling about
figures is not the issue: it is
incontrovertible that we are face to
face with an incipient catastrophe.
These are stark reminders of the
importance of recognizing today's
World Environment Day theme: 'Your
planet needs you, UNite to combat
climate change'.

Climate change is a core development
challenge, and one which can only be


tackled by countries pulling collectively
to achieve shared global solutions.
Fortunately, consensus is building in
this direction. Within the
Commonwealth, climate change is
central to our concerns. In 2007,
Commonwealth Heads of Government
demonstrated their commitment to
making a difference, by agreeing to
the Lake Victoria Commonwealth
Climate Change Action Plan.

The Plan has seen significant results in
supporting developing country
negotiations on climate change, using
the Commonwealth civil society
network (statisticians, geographers,
foresters, meteorologists, and others),
launching new programmes on land
management and forestation, and
studies on the exports of agricultural
produce, and supporting the
management of natural disasters.

Further, the practical response to
climate change has also been
discussed by the wider
Commonwealth family: governments,
officials, parliamentarians, youth
leaders, human rights officials, and
others all have a role to play.

The Commonwealth recognizes that
all nations have different interests and
objectives, and require freedom to
shape their own development agenda.
And it believes that it is possible to
develop beneficial outcomes for all,
providing we share the spirit of co-
operation and a common goal. It
expressed this in the Marlborough
House Statement adopted by its
leaders in 2008, which sets down the
principles of inclusiveness, legitimacy,
responsibility, transparency and
effectiveness that should inform the
new paradigm of international
environmental governance.

Negotiations are currently underway in
Bonn, under the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate
Change, to discuss and shape the
international agreements that will be
made in Copenhagen later this year.

Those debating in Germany should
pay heed to the lessons of last week's
report, and respond to the call of
today's World Environment Day theme.
We wish to see a strong climate
change agreement that addresses the


Commonwealth Secretary-General
Kamalesh Sharma

concerns of the poorest and most
vulnerable of people for it is they who
in general contribute the least to the
way our climate changes, and who
suffer the most.

Some of the other key outcomes which
must be pursued in Copenhagen
include new mechanisms for financing
the preservation and regeneration of
forests, that will deliver genuine
development benefits both nationally
and locally. We also need to see new
frameworks emerge that will enable
small and low-emitting developing
countries to create their own low-
emission economies, and remain
competitive. These countries do not
just need finance: they also need the
technology, skills and institutions
which will help them to adapt to
changing circumstances well into the
future.

Providing we stay united and true to
the principles of collective
responsibility and equity, and never
lose sight of the goal of achieving
genuine sustainable development and
the alleviation of poverty, we can be
hopeful of tackling the climate change
challenge. I am heartened to see that
this year's theme for World
Environment Day captures this
collaborative spirit.


I


Tha Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 134 -Juna 2009






The Andaua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 134 June 2009


Minister Maginley attends
Annual Caribbean Tourism
Summit

The Hon. John Maginley, Minister of
Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture
and current chairman of the Caribbean
Tourism Organisation, attended the
Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit in
Washington D.C. from June 8 to 10.

The Summit sought to provide
Ministers and officials engaged in the
tourism industry from the greater
Caribbean region with the opportunity
to meet with Congressional
Representatives, members of the
executive and private sector leaders in
order to promote tourism by examining
the various policies that affect the
industry while crafting strategies to
meet the requirements of the new
global environment.

Among the officials with whom Minister
Maginley interacted were those from
the Department of State, the United
States Agency for International
Development USAID, the Department
of Homeland Security, the World Bank,
Congresswomen Donna Christian-
Christensen, Yvette Clarke and


Congressman Eliot Engel. Issues
discussed included the global
financial crisis and its impact on
the Caribbean Tourism industry,
the impact of natural disasters, the
managing of health concerns,
energy, security and capacity
building.

The first component of the summit
that took place on June 8,
consisted of a CTO think-tank
session moderated by Adam
(le
Sacks, Founder and Managing Ma
Director of Tourism Economics
who focused his presentation on
establishing an understanding
between the economy and tourism as
a basis for destination strategy. In this
regard, areas discussed included
pricing, promotion, partnerships and
policies.

Before leaving for Washington the
Minister described the benefits he
hoped to obtain from the summit as
the importance of having an exchange
of best practices with his colleagues
as well as having the opportunity to
meet face to face with officials in the
United States whose work has a direct
bearing on the industry in Antigua and
Barbuda and the Caribbean.


ft to right) Mr Colin James, Minister John
;inley, Ambassador Deborah-Mae Lovell and
Mr Cortwright Marshall

The Antigua and Barbuda delegation
comprised Director of Tourism Policy
and Planning Mr. Cortwright Marshall,
Chief Executive Officer of the Antigua
and Barbuda Tourism Authority Mr.
Colin James and Ambassador
Deborah-Mae Lovell, Antigua and
Barbuda's Ambassador to the United
States and the Organisation of
American States.

Following his meeting in Washington,
Minister Maginley travelled to New
York where he attended Caribbean
Week.


Maria Blackman appointed Marketing Executive Communications

Maria Blackman has been appointed Marketing Executive Communications for the UK, effective June 15, 2009.
She is now part of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, having previously worked as acting
communications officer at the Ministry of Tourism, where she assisted with the Marketing Department's
development plans, and functioned as press liaison officer. Miss Blackman holds a BSc with honours in
Tourism Management, and brings to the team a good knowledge of the Antigua and Barbuda market. She will
assist both the Marketing & Administration Manager, Miss Cherrie Osborne and Antigua and Barbuda's
Director of Tourism for the UK & Europe, Mr Hilary Modeste.

The Authority's CEO, Colin C James, said, "The appointment of Maria to the London office further
demonstrates our commitment to ensure that the UK office is fully staffed with the right competencies as we
implement new strategies to meet the challenges of the market head-on. It is also an investment in building the
human capacity of our team. I wish Maria every success in her new role."


The role of Ascension
Trust and Street Pastors

\scension Trust is a charitable
)rganisation which has been running
for 15 years and takes teams to
various parts of the world for short
:erm missions. Ascension Trust has
maintained a continual relationship
Nith the Antiguan Government
throughh its Street Pastors Scheme.


Street Pastors is an international In a continued effort to foster social


initiative made up of individuals and
groups form different denominations.
Street Pastors initiatives work closely
with governments, police, social,
health and statutory agencies. The
Street Pastors scheme was launched
in Antigua in 2005 and reports to date
have shown the positive and
significant effect that this scheme has
had in the country.


transformation in Antigua, Streel
Pastors Antigua propose to continue
to encourage and facilitate medical
missions where UK based doctors can
come on a voluntary basis to Antigua
and promote health and social well
being through innovative community
projects.


U I


The Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 134 -Juna 2009






The Andoua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 134 June 2009


Antigua and

Barbuda goes to

Cricket!

The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism
Authority's- UK Office engaged and
informed attendees at the Caribbean
International Cricket Fun Day about
Antigua and Barbuda, when the office
participated in the fundraising event
held at the Thames Ditton Cricket Club
in Giggs Hill on Sunday.

Marketing Manager, Cherrie Osborne
said: "The event attracted the affluent
middle-class in Surrey, England and
our presence there afforded us the
opportunity to target this specific
community that makes up a sizable
percentage of our market."


Tony Pitchford, the
proud winner of this
holiday auction was
excited about his
spontaneously


Internationally known Antiguan
cricketers, Richie Richardson, who is
affiliated with the Thames Ditton
Cricket Club, and Curtly Ambrose
made guest appearances at the event
and featured in a 20/20 cricket match.

The over 2000 attendees at the match
between the Richie Richardson
International XI and Lashings World XI,
were also able to bid for an Antigua
and Barbuda package holiday to St.
James's Club for 7 nights, courtesy of
Elite Island Resorts.

"The chance to win a holiday with
flights to Antigua created a huge buzz
in the ground, and raised over 1,500
for good causes", said Angela Slater,
event coordinator.


Scholarship Foundation.


H.E. Dr. Carl Roberts, High
Commissioner of Antigua and
Barbuda for the UK and his wife were


planned trip and guests of honour at the event.


was exploring the
possibility of
extending his stay in
Antigua by an
additional 7 nights.

The Antigua and
Barbuda Tourist
Office also supplied
the Man of the
Match with a gift
basket containing a
bottle of 5-year-old English Harbour
Rum and two Gilly Gobinet books -
Top 20 places in Antigua and Barbuda
and Cocktail recipes. 50 miniature
cricket bats branded
with the Antigua and
Barbuda logo were also
distributed to the crowd
for autograph signing.

The Caribbean
International Cricket
Fun Day hosted by
Thames Ditton Cricket
Club raised money for
the Shooting Star
Hospice, Thames
Ditton Cricket Club and
the Richie Richardson


Photographs

Top (I to r) High Commissioner
Dr Carl Roberts, Tourism Staff -
Cherrie Osborne, Joel Henry and Maria
Blackman with Mrs Pauline Roberts
at extreme right

Left High Commissioner with cricket
teams

Bottom right: High Commissioner with
'man of the match' and Cricketing
Ambassador- Ritchie Richardson


I


The Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 134 -Juna 2009











A&41('? & BPrbte'dei)

InTeRniaTIonafld FeStivaL



6-8 November 2009 Jolly Beach Resort & Spa

FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE

The Antigua & Barbuda International Literary Festival, begun in 2006, is an annual 3-day celebration of
literary arts, with workshops, author readings, book signing and special events in a beautiful tropical setting.
This year the festival, held on 6-8 November 2009, features prominent Caribbean authors.

To date more than 65 authors have participated, and the line-up of literary stars for the 2009 Festival will
soon be announced. Our goal is to include noted writers in a broad range of genres from poetry, photography
and non-fiction to performance arts and drama.

The venue in 2009 will be the Festival Village at Jolly Harbour, an elegant resort, marina and business
centre on one of Antigua's most picturesque beaches. The village will include a stage for workshops, readings
and entertainment, a children's tent, a food demonstration tent, a bookstore, and food and beverage tents.

Among the specific activities planned for the 2009 Festival are:

Youth Day, where talented young writers attend workshops led by noted authors

School visits by authors brought in from other Caribbean islands as well as Antiguan authors

A Gala Opening Ceremony and reception attended by the Governour General, Prime Minister
and government officials of Antigua as well as the authors and Festival participants
Two days of workshops on the practical aspects of writing as well as lively discussions on
timely literary topics by panels of authors and publicists

A book sales area where participants can obtain books to be signed by the authors

A children's tent where children's authors and the crew from Sesame Street will entertain
children with readings and other activities to encourage reading

A cooking demonstration tent featuring noted Caribbean cookbook authors and Antiguan
Chefs

Food and drink vendors and live entertainment

U.S., Canadian and Caribbean region literary fans can join in all the activities by booking a
"Booklovers in Paradise" package, which features all-inclusive accommodations at Jolly Beach Resort.
These will be coordinated by Carib-World Travel in St. John's, Antigua.

To find out more about the Festival and see the latest list of authors participating in 2009, go to
www.antiguaandbarbudaliteraryfestival.com.

c/o Carib-World Travel
Woods Centre St. John's, Antigua
268-480-2987 268-723-7740


The Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 134 -Juna 2009






The Andoua and Rorlbudla Hich Commission Issue 134 June 2009


CDC ESTABLISHES
PARTNERSHIP WITH
BARBUDA CARIBANA
COMMITTEE
On the 4th June the Carnival
Development Committee announced
that it had entered into a partnership
with the Barbuda CARIBANA
Committee that will result in greater
participation of the winners of the
annual CARIBANA festivities.

Vaughn Walter, Chairman of the CDC
said that this year the winners of the
CARIBANA Queens Competition,
Teenage Pageant and Junior Calypso
will be added to the number of
contestants in the competitions for
Carnival 2009. In addition, the
Calypso Monarch of CARIBANA will
be admitted into the semi-finals of the
Wadadli Beer Calypso Competition.
"The inclusion of the winners from
CARIBANA 2009 is seen by the


Carnival Development Committee as
demonstrating that Carnival truly
belongs to all of us and the equal
participation of persons from both
Antigua and Barbuda demonstrates
our uniqueness as a people and our
varied talents. I am sure that all of
Antigua and Barbuda is looking
forward to this year's competitions,"
said Chairman Walter.

Secretary of the Barbuda Council
which manages the CARIBANA
celebrations, Mrs. Dorothy Rae said
that she welcomed the inclusion of the
winners from CARIBANA 2009 in the
festivities in Antigua and believes that
it is the beginning of a relationship that
can further strengthen the ties
between both countries and the
expansion of the CARIBANA festivities.

Ms. Jameel Jones, the winner of the
2009 CARIBANA Queens Competition
will become the seventh queen
contestant. The Barbuda Council has


already indicated that they will be
sponsoring the seventh contestant
who will join six other girls for a night
of competition at Carnival City on July
27 tagged "Fiesta."

16 year old Kendra Beazer, the
Teenage Pageant winner from
Barbuda will represent his school the
Holy Trinity School in the 2009 Teen
Splash competition while 14 year old
Chaos -chena "De Empress" Warner
will join the Juniors in the Calypso
Competition on Sunday July 26.

The winner of the CARIBANA Calypso
competition Bonita "Missy" John will
enter the semi-finals of the Wadadli
Beer Calypso Competition on July 18.

Carnival 2009 runs from July 25 to
August 4 with a theme of "It's Yours -
It's Mine -Antigua's Carnival 2009."


CONRAD DORAM IS CARNIVAL 2009 PARADE GRAND MASTER

Conrad Doram, one of the nation's long-serving costume builder and avid lover of Carnival, has been appointed this
year's Parade Grand Master. Doram said that he is honoured to have been given the title and is happy to make a
contribution to the annual summer festival in this way. He also thanked the Carnival Development committee for sticking
with the Grand Master tradition over the years. Doram also explained that, over the years, he enjoyed building Carnival
costumes, even though it was hard work. "It was quite rewarding and enjoyable...because of the satisfaction you get at
the end of it, which is seeing your own creation (move) from paper to reality," he stated. Building costumes as a sort of
career, however, really began in 1981, Doram said, when his wife Heather began designing them. The demand for
costumes created by the husband-wife team increased quickly they were desired by contestants and sponsors and
well received by the public. Of his wife, Doram said, "She's an artist." She is the one, he explained, who puts ideas down
on paper for him to turn into reality.


High Commissioner

attends Kiel Week Regatta

His Excellency Dr Carl Roberts, Mrs Roberts and other
Ambassadors were invited by the Prime Minister Peter
Harry Carstensen of Kiel, Germany to attend the Kiel
Week Regatta from 24th 27th June 2009.

The Kiel Week Regatta claims to be the largest sailing
event in the world, but it is also the largest public festival in
Northern Europe. Top class sailors from around the globe
compete in various classes of small craft, and capture the
view a sail-past by tall ships.

On land, a music festival kept the party in full swing.


The Kiel Week got underway with the traditional ringing of
the bell at the Town Hall Square, followed by a long blast
on a ship's horn to signal the commencement of festivities.


More than 5,000 sailors attend each year, in international
and Olympic dinghies, and about 250 off-shore yachts The Prime Minister of Kiel, Germany, Ambassador Dr Carl Roberts
compete in the off-shore area of Alpha. and the other Ambassadors at the Kiel Regatta


The Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


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Press Statement Issued by the Honourable Attorney General
and Minister of Legal Affairs 19th June 2009


The Government has been reliably
informed that the US Securities
Exchange Commission has today
Friday June 19 2009 filed in the
Northern District Court of Texas a
Motion for Leave to file an Amended
Complaint in its pending civil suit
against Stanford International Bank
Limited (SIB), Stanford Group
Company, and R Allen Stanford
among others. The civil suit was
filed by the SEC in February 2009.

The Amended Complaint adds Leroy
King, among others, as a defendant.
Mr. King who is the Administrator
(currently on suspension) of our
Financial Services Regulatory
Commission (FSRC) is therein alleged
to have, among other things,
facilitated the Stanford International
Bank's Ponzi Scheme "by ensuring
that FSRC 'looked the other way', and
conducted sham audits and
examinations of SIB's books and
records in exchange for bribes paid to
him over a period of several years".

2
The Government is naturally
concerned over these serious
allegations which suggest that Mr.
King was engaging in unlawful
activities for personal gain thereby
compromising the due performance of
his duties as an FSRC employee,
given the strict regulatory standards
established over the years by the
Commission. Antigua and Barbuda's
offshore business activities is once


again placed under intense
international scrutiny, and this will
clearly have adverse effects on the
economy and raise questions about
our regulatory legal framework. I wish
to reassure the general public and the
wider international community that the
Commission's Board has itself been
engaged during the past several
weeks in rigorous self-examination
along with an internal investigation of
Mr. King's employment conduct.

The Government has confirmed that a
number of criminal indictments have
been laid against both R Allen
Stanford and Leroy King which include
conspiracy to commit mail fraud,
conspiracy to commit wire fraud,
conspiracy to launder illegal proceeds,
and obstruction of the SEC. These
charges do raise the issue of a
possible extradition request by the
United States authorities.

I can authoritatively state that following
a meeting with Mr. King, the
Commission yesterday penned a letter
to the Hon. Minister of Finance making
certain recommendations for
Cabinet's consideration as to Mr.
King's continued employment with the
Commission.

3
The International Business
Corporations Act provides for the
appointment of and disciplinary action
against the Administrator of the
Commission are to be done by


Cabinet. This matter will be definitively
addressed at the next Cabinet
meeting to be held on Tuesday the
23rd.

These events touching and concerning
the operations of Stanford
International Bank Limited which
began in February 2009 has had an
adverse effect on the economy with
employees being laid off or dismissed
without payment of severance, trade
creditors remaining unpaid from as far
back as November 2008, and the
inability by the various Stanford
entities to provide their accustomed
services. The Bank has been placed in
liquidation in an effort to collect its
various assets for distribution to
depositors and creditors, but this will
be a long legal process. Government's
acquisition of the lands of these
entities has been challenged in the
High Court, and attempts by the
Registrar of Companies to assess the
financial viabilities of the entities are
also being challenged. But
Government cannot and will not sit idly
by, given its abiding duty and
obligations to its citizens and all those
adversely affected by these unfolding
events. Given the circumstances, we
firmly believe that the compulsory
acquisition of the lands, Government's
financial support of the Bank of
Antigua, the liquidation of Stanford
International Bank, and the action
initiated by the Registrar of
Companies are all in the best interest
of the country.


(Left) High Commissioner
Dr Roberts presents 'A
Lillle Bit of Paradise' to the
Mayor of Lyon Mr Ge'rard
Collo0mb while at an official
function in Lyon, France -
Mrs Roberts and Mr
Preud'homme look on.


right) High Commissioner
and Mrs Roberts with
Honorary Consul to France
or Antigua and Barbuda Mr
Preud'homme and Mrs
'reud'homme.


I


Tha Anb'aucr crnJ BcrrbuJcr Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 134 -Juna 2009







The Andaua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 134 June 2009


Continued from page 3
and as nationals support our own,
unemployment will remain low and
businesses related to the sector will be
able to remain open and thriving.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Some have criticized our policy of placing
a freeze on public sector employment. It
has been touted that a policy of no new
employment by the private sector and the
government can only spell disaster on an
already fragile economy.

However, with a 25 percent decline in
government's revenue, we must be even
more prudent in the management of
expenditure.

This Government has however determined
that it would seek to maintain the levels of
employment, at least in the short term, so
as not to add to the impact of the global
crisis on the level of employment. I wish to
also state that in these trying economic
times, employees must also recognize that
they too must make a sacrifice.

Now is not the time to agitate for pay
increases. In fact some labour specialists
may suggest that now is the time for the
trade unions, employers and workers to
reach tripartite agreements in the interest
of job security.

Of course, issues such as productivity
linked to wages and salaries and sharing


of gains must factor highly in any the challenges of the present and secure
arrangement. the future of our beloved nation.


Lastly Ladies and Gentlemen:

Many have suggested that government
should borrow to stimulate the economy
and increase employment. In a limited way
this cannot be ruled out.

However, the question is, in a financial
crisis, who is willing to lend and on what
terms? In an environment of tight liquidity
and high risk aversion, the options are
limited for small island economies such as
ours that are not "poor" enough to access
most concessionary or grant funding but
are also not "rich" enough to either do it on
our own or to afford the high premiums
associated with borrowing in this financial
climate. We simply cannot borrow our way
out of this crisis.

The NEST Plan will re-prioritize our public
sector direction and put emphasis on that
which can deliver maximum benefits with
minimum expenditure.

Our NEST Plan will ensure enhanced
productivity and more efficient and reliable
delivery of services to the citizens and
residents of Antigua and Barbuda.

The NEST Plan will afford all Antiguans
and Barbudans the opportunity to be a part
of a transformative process that allows us
to correct the mistakes of the past, address


The trials that we are now facing are
characteristic of the economic cycle.
There will always be the peaks and troughs,
lows and highs of economic activity.

However, I believe that by working
together as one people, we are fully
capable of overcoming the adverse effects
of this global recession.

Our cooperation our coordinated efforts
will ensure that we emerge a stronger and
better positioned nation, able to realize the
promise of a vibrant economic future for
every Antiguan and Barbudan.

I welcome each and every one of you here
once again to this important interaction. I
thank our regional and international
partners for your continued support and
assistance as we strive to develop a better
Antigua and Barbuda.

To you the members of the audience, here
and at home, I urge you to take advantage
of this opportunity to engage in dialogue on
the issues that are important to our
development and critical for securing the
welfare of the people of this great nation of
Antigua and Barbuda.

I thank you very much and I look forward
to a successful symposium.

May God bless each and every one of us.


52ndA'4nt ua CarnivaleCelebration


July 23rd


to August 4 t4/, 2009


From page 2

the Eastern Caribbean Digital Microwave
Fibre-Optic System (ECDMS). The
investment in telecommunications
equipment in the region was not
undertaken by Cable and Wireless alone.
Heavy investments by state-owned
telephone companies resulted in more
than 75 percent digital networks. By the
1990 with the additional laying of the
Eastern Caribbean Fibre-optic System
(ECFS), a link from BVI in the North to
Trinidad and Tobago in the South, the
region had the most modern network
available. Over 75 of the international
telephone links were digital with Cable and
Wireless Dominica being heralded as the
first fully digitalized network in the world.

Caribbean countries compared favourably
with other developing countries in terms of
teledensity measured lines per 100
population. This is nevertheless a crude


measure which provides very little
indication of the accessibility to phone
services. Many phone lines in the 1990s
were at businesses, and specifically at
service facilities which were involved in the
main industries of the countries; e.g.
Tourism and financial services. It was
easier to call from Antigua and Barbuda to
Trinidad and Tobago, than to make a local
across that country. This situation Guyana
was even worse.

Gradually new services were introduced
across the Region. Internet services were
introduced by the mid 1990s and mobile
services shortly thereafter. The type of
mobile services was TDMA, similar to the
USA standards and unlike the GSM
standard prevalent in the UK and Europe.
It was not until 2003 that GSM was
introduced in the Region.

Telephone charges varied widely across
the countries in the region. As the CANTO


official website indicates "this reflects both
the government policy and the quality and
extent of service available. In general, in
early 1990s English-speaking countries
had relatively higher rates than elsewhere
in the Caribbean, with Belize and Guyana
being low-cost exceptions. On the other
hand some countries with higher rates also
had better more varied and reliable -
service"

The Wait lists for telephone service in all
these countries remained generally strong.
These vary in size from Jamaica where in
1990 unsatisfied demand for new lines
almost equalled the installed base of
88,000 lines. In Trinidad and Tobago, the
wait list was over 40 percent of the
installed based of 216,000 lines and 7
percent of the population in the same year.

The situation now is very different. The
upsurge in demand for mobile service has
addressed much of this pent up and


Continued on page 12


Tha Anb'aua crnJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 134 -Juna 2009







The Andoua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 134 June 2009


Antigua and

Barbuda's Economic

situation

The direness of Antigua and Barbuda's
economic situation was laid out at the
Fourth National Economic Symposium
yesterday.

The government has readjusted its
projected revenues for 2009 from $800
million to $600 million, and so a number of
measures were presented for public
consumption at the symposium to bring
order the country's fiscal imbalance, which
is expenditure outstripping revenue
collection.

Some of the measures proposed in the
Nest (National Economic and Social
Transformation) plan include a 25 per cent
reduction in ministry expenditures, a freeze
on all new employment, increasing the
price of LPG gas, reduce the number of
items in the basket of essential goods,
increase the embarkation tax from EC$35
and US$20 to EC$50 and US$25, and
introducing excise tax on alcohol, tobacco,
ammunition and telephone equipment
among others.

Macroeconomic Adviser Kevin Silston said
with a revised budget the government
would have a deficit of about $100 million
as opposed to about $500 million including
loans.


It was acknowledged that the
government's fiscal mismanagement was
a historical problem that got progressively
worse over time. He showed that many
loan options are closed to Antigua and
Barbuda because loans dating back to
1967 have not been serviced and until
those have been cleared those donors are
not amenable to further helping the
government.

As it stands, options are a loan from the
Caribbean Development Bank of $81
million to be distributed over two years, or
$324 million from the International
Monetary Fund over three years. The
Ministry of Finance has also been
negotiating with the government of China.

Although an IMF programme was not
essentially desired, Governor of the ECCB
Sir K. Dwight Venner in his presentation
emphasised the country's need to bring its
expenditures in balance and pointed out
that Dominica succeeded with its IMF
programme and there was no reason why
Antigua and Barbuda could not.

He said the problem is the discipline of its
policymakers, who cannot stick with a strict
economic programme because of the need
to get votes.

Deputy Director of the Eastern Caribbean
Central Bank Hazel Corbin said that
Antigua's economy will contract by 3.3 per
cent in 2009, then by 1.1 per cent in 2010
because of the dependence on


construction and tourism, industries which
have declined significantly throughout the
Eastern Caribbean Currency Union with
the global recession.

She said that it was imperative that
appropriate polices be formulated to
cushion the impact of the current financial
crisis, and to place the country on a sound
macroeconomic footing for renewed and
sustainable economic growth once the
crisis subsides. As Antigua is also the
biggest economy in the ECCU, its success
or failure would affect the other countries.
Minister of Finance Harold Lovell said at
the day's conclusion, "We are at a seminal
moment in this nation's history and it is
time for us to demonstrate our maturity with
respect to the way forward."

Sir Dwight said he can judge from the
response and participation of the people
that the importance for drastic action with
the support of the people was understood.
"I got the sense that something has to be
done. As I keep saying, if you and I make
$10,000 and it suddenly downs to $7,000,
it's not business as usual. We have to find
a way to economise, to change our habits.
"I think all across the currency union, people
have to understand that this is a time of
focus and change."

The symposium focused on the NEST
plan and addressed issues relating to debt,
financial sector stability and financing
options for Antigua and Barbuda.

Source:Antiguasunonline.com


Antigua and Barbuda Mango Festival

The Mango & Pineapple Magic Menu competition set for August 8th, at the Antigua and Barbuda, Hospitality, Training
Institute (ABHTI), will be open to public viewing this year for the first time.

Madeleine McComas, chairperson of the Magic Mango & Pineapple Committee, said events are planned to bring
members of the public to ABHTI on that day. She noted that the committee is targeting approximately 300 individuals

In addition to the Chefs and Bartenders competitions, which will be held this year in the Demo Kitchen building, "we are
planning to have senior (non-competing) chefs do cooking demonstrations out on the lawn for the public to see and
taste."

This year's Mango Fest is scheduled for August 15 & 16th


The Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 134 -Juna 2009







The Andaua and Rorlbuda Hich Commission Issue 134 June 2009


SIRMM Project being
implemented;
Codrington Lagoon
to be protected

The Sustainable Island Resource
Management Mechanism (SIRMM) Project
is currently being implemented in Antigua
and Barbuda to ensure the nation's
environment is sustainable.
The initiative, which is funded by the Global
Environment Facility (GEF), is intended to
ensure the sustainability and maintenance
of the island's ecosystem integrity, health
and function through integrated planning
and management of island resources."
One of the SIRMM Project's main facets is
the protection and sustainable
development of the Codrington Lagoon.
The lagoon, is quite important to the
Caribbean region and even the world.
It is one of the largest lagoons in the
Lesser Antilles, has extensive mangrove
systems and supports one of the world's
largest Frigate Bird (Fregata magnificens)
colonies.
The lagoon is also a highly vulnerable
component of Barbuda's ecosystem that
houses a variety of flora and fauna, serves
as a habitat and nursery for a range of
marine species, and a number of birds like
the West Indian Whistling Duck an
endangered species.
As a result it has been designated as a
biodiversity hotspot by national and
international organizations.
This has made it both a tourist attraction
and a landmark of great cultural and
economic importance.
For the Codrington Lagoon to remain in its


along the waterfront needs to be carefully
planned.
This becomes especially important with
respect to the accessibility of water and
proper liquid and solid waste disposal.
There is a need, therefore, for a detailed
management plan to govern activities in
and around the waterfront.
Since the lagoon supports 60 per cent of
Barbuda's economy, through the sale of
fish and lobster, and tourism, such a plan
is made even more essential.
As such, a five year management plan has
been created through financing from the
SIRMM Project and co-financing from
other stake-holding agencies.
This was formulated in conjunction with a
financial stability plan and the two will be
used together to guide the management of
the lagoon towards a sustainable future.


Within the Codrington Lagoon, which is
also a National Park, user zones have
been identified with markers and signs
have been installed within the park and
village to inform users and visitors about
the project work and information on the
lagoon.
In the near future, there will be Park
Rangers offering camping trips in the park
to explore the diverse ecosystem.
The Codrington Lagoon National Park
encompasses the entire West Coast of
Barbuda; it comprises of both marine and
terrestrial habitats.
The park is approximately 18 square
kilometres and covers one-third of the
island.
The area is generally flat and, in some
places, rests just above sea level.
Source:Antiguasun.com


From page 10

Unresolved demand for fixed line
telephone service. In almost all of the
countries of the region the number of
mobile subscribers exceeds that of fixed
line. Many younger generation
householders have opted for a mobile
telephone as their main means of
communication instead of the fixed line.

Telephone service providers now look to
providing mobile networks to expand their
service provision instead of more
expensive landlines. Fibre to the kerb, is
even being introduced in the region to
address the pressing demand for higher
bandwidth Internet services and IP
telephony.

The increase in bandwidth and the quality
of networks has facilitated the extension of


Extra-Mural studies through the University
of the West Indies., which traditionally had
campuses in Mona, Jamaica; Bridgetown,
Barbados and St Augustine, Trinidad, to
the other non-campus territories. The UWI
Distance Teaching Experiment (UWIDITE)
satellite system now reaches the OECS
States and allows the first two years of the
degree programme to be done at home.

The landscape has changed drastically
from what it was in the 1960s. Most
modern handsets, pricing packages which
are available in this country, are also being
offered in the region. Network congestion
is virtually a thing of the past. Circuit
quality is comparable, and sometimes
even better than, in the developed
countries. Network coverage has
improved significantly and continues to do
so each year.


Telecommunication in the region has come
of age. Such taglines in advertisement as
Free calls to friends and family are also
available in some part of the region. You
can now roam throughout the region
whether your service provider is originally
from the USA, Canada, UK or Europe.
There is still some issues with roaming
from some countries in Asia, but I believe
that a solution to this issue will be found in
the not too distant future.

Madame President, I have given a brief
overview of telecommunication in the
Region and hope I have succeeded in
wetting your appetites for more information
on this very interesting subject.

I thank you for your attention and will
accept any questions for further expansion
and/or clarification.


Aerial view OT tsarDuaa


I


Tha Anb'aua anJ BarbuJa Hiah Cammirrian


Irrua 134 -Juna 2009

PAGE 1

The Antigua and Barbuda High Commissio n O fficial Newsletter Issue 134 -June 2009 In This Issue 1. Prime Minister’s remarks at the National Economic Consultation (pages 3, 10 2. World Environment Day Message Commonwealth Secretary-General (page 4) 3. Antigua and Barbuda goes to cricket (page 6) 4. High Commissioner at Kiel Week regatta (page 8) Prime Minister Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer’s remarks at National Economic Consultation See pages 3, 10 His Excellency Dr Carl Roberts presents ‘A Little Bit of Paradise’ to Prime Minister Peter Harry Carstensen of Kiel, Germany at the Kiel Regatta See page 8

PAGE 2

Telecommunications in the Caribbean, then and now by H.E. Dr Carl B. Roberts High Commissioner to Rotary Club of London 22nd June 2009 PRESIDENT Marion, Sergeant-at-Arms Roy, Fellow Rotarians, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Afternoon. It is indeed a pleasure for me to speak today about a subject which has been the focus of my life for over thirty-seven and a half years. Though the period over which I will point the flashlight spans from the 1960s to present day, if one were to go back further, one would find other interesting periods to speak about. I was very fortunate to have worked in telecommunications in not only one of the most dynamic periods, but in my humble opinion, one of the most interesting. Although the Caribbean is predominantly made up of several small developing countries, in fact many micro-states, it is nevertheless a market where many changes are taking place in telecommunication infrastructure. It is indeed a major telecommunication market. As several reports would readily admit, it is a market in which several parts have telecommunication infrastructure as advanced as anywhere else in the world. Good trading relations with the United States, Canada, UK and Europe and the dominance of tourism as the principal economic activity, are the main reasons for this. Let me first state what I mean by the Caribbean. The Caribbean is a region or a chain of islands from the southern tip of Florida in the USA to the northern tip of South America and often includes such places as Bermuda, Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands in the Atlantic. The Region covers around 1000 square kilometres. In my presentation I will not include such places as Cuba, Dominica Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico and the French and Dutch islands. Let me first provide a little history of this important service. Telecommunication Service was introduced into the Region not long after Alexander Bell’s invention of the telephone became commercially available in the capital centres of the then commercial world. The Service was owned by Governments and was introduced in the main to support mercantile interests, government official communications and to a lesser extent public service. As any research using reports on the official site of the Caribbean Association of Telecommunications Organisations (CANTO) will reveal the 1960s began a period of rapid changes within the region. During this period, a US Company called Continental Telephone (Contel) bought the companies providing domestic service in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. and the entities providing both domestic and international services in the Bahamas. Contel installed new electro-mechanical switching and transmission systems in those places. In the small English speaking territories of the Eastern Caribbean Cable and Wireless, then owned by the the UK government, provided both domestic and international services in Barbados and it was through their links here that much of the traffic out of the region passed. Early communications were simple. The main modes of communications were telegrams, government messages, press reports and operator-connected HF Radio transmitted telephone calls. I give you an example of the type of telegram message. After the mandatory heading the message read: “Addition to family stop mother and daughter doing well stop still in hospital stop more later”. Or another: “Reached safely stop place nothing like we discussed stop good prospects for business” Or yet another: “Richard in accident stop come quickly” You will notice that brevity was the order of the day. Every word was counted and charged. Sometimes the conciseness of the message conveyed more worries then intended. Receiving a telegram was frightening in and of itself before one could decipher the contents of the message. If it were marked urgent then you opened it with trepidation. Making a telephone call was no less easy. If the country to which you were making that call had direct circuits to your homeland, you would simply call the operator, book the time of your call and await the call back. It could take hours and days and the quality was at best questionable. The cost was always higher than you expected. In the late sixties, Cable and Wireless upgraded the radio systems serving the region. New emerging tropospheric scatter systems were introduced. Local switchboard operators were able to seize international circuits and connect directly to some destinations without going through transit points in Barbados, White Plains New York, Jacksonville Florida, and London. In the 1980s Cable and Wireless upgraded the radio system across the region with the installation of Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 2 Continue on page 10

PAGE 3

The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 3 Ladies and Gentlemen: The world we live in today is drastically different from the one we knew of some two to three years ago.  Since 2008, the world has been shocked by an economic crisis of enormous proportions. The collapse of world financial markets has led to hundreds of thousands of persons in Europe, North America and Asia and most recently right here at home in the Caribbean and in Antigua and Barbuda, being placed on the unemployment line. For Antigua and Barbuda, this global economic crisis has generated major challenges that are impacting our economic output and employment. There is no doubt that as a small, open, developing economy, Antigua and Barbuda would have become susceptible to the economic crisis that has gripped the large, developed economies of the world. The recent developments within our region involving CLICO, British American Insurance, the R. Allen Stanford debacle and more recently the possible fall-outs from the alleged wrongdoings of the former boss of our financial services regulatory commission have further compounded the crisis for us here in Antigua and Barbuda. This fourth instalment of the National Economic Symposium, therefore, is of vital importance not only to your government in charting the way forward but to every Antiguan and Barbudan as it would take all of our efforts combined to ensure that we survive these harsh global economic conditions. Today’s consultation is not about cosmetic changes to the economy of Antigua and Barbuda.  It is about making structural changes to our domestic economy and finding real and workable solutions to effectively cushion the effects of a worldwide recession that has never been seen before in most of our lifetime. We cannot simply remove the rosecoloured glasses and expect our problems to go away.  We must remove them and focus our attention on whether or not our actions will catapult our economy over the brick wall that is before us or lead us head-on into a massive collision. Your government is prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to address the issues that confront us by devising new plans and policies. You as Antiguans and Barbudans must also be prepared to make sacrifices for the good of this country – from public servants, to the private sector, the trade unions – we all must play meaningful roles if we are to overcome this economic hurdle. Ladies and Gentlemen: Over the past few weeks, The Ministry of Finance, the Economy and Public Administration has been conducting widespread consultations with nongovernmental organizations, community based groups, the private sector and regional and sub-regional partners in an effort to finalize a plan that would bring about the structural changes and social and economic transformation that are needed to propel our country into a secure and prosperous future. The National Economic and Social Transformation (NEST) Plan was rolled out with four major components being the fiscal consolidation programme, an economic action plan, social transformation, and financial sector stability. It is my government’s belief that this NEST Plan will strategically address our fiscal and socio-economic concerns, fully cognizant that we, as a small open economy, have limited policy options. This NEST Plan is not unlike various policies and strategies being developed and pursued by our regional counterparts as they too seek to cope with the fallout from the global economic crisis.  In addition, our NEST Plan reflects the subregional approach to the crisis, which is outlined in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) Eight Point Plan. At this point I wish to commend and express the appreciation of the government of Antigua and Barbuda to the Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Sir Dwight Venner and his team for their expert guidance as we address this daunting challenge. Commendation must also go to the technicians in the Ministry of Finance for their dedication and hard work. Ladies and Gentlemen: I wish to address just a few major challenges that we are facing today Tourism and the effects of the recession, to employ or not to employ and to borrow or not to borrow – these are the questions that we must answer truthfully and with reality. Our tourism industry is the driving force of our economy.  It is also the sector that is hardest hit in the region and Antigua and Barbuda is no exception. With an over thirty-percent reduction in occupancy, most if not all tourism related entities have had to reduce staff in order to remain in business. My government has made the issues facing this sector immediate priority.  The yachting, hotels, cruise, tours and attractions aspects of the sector must be addressed if we are to stave off massive unemployment. It is my government’s intention to continue to engage  with members of the tourism industry to ensure we are  able to stimulate the sector by focusing more on promoting the industry on a regional and domestic level. The time has come when we have to look inward and promote regional holiday travel and on-island holidays.  It is my government’s belief that if we as a region Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer Remarks National Economic Consultation 25 th June, 2009 Honourable Baldwin Spencer Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Continued on page 10

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 World Environment Day Message 5 June 2009 By Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma The term ‘rising sea levels’ has real expression in the Maldives and Tuvalu. These and other low-lying states are effectively threatened with submergence. The tides have already risen, and wholesale migration is a possible response. The front lines have already been breached. Elsewhere in the Commonwealth, we see the effects of climate change in poor crop yields, destructive storms, shrinking rainforests, dwindling fish stocks, thawing tundra, encroaching desert, flooded lowlands. It is an existential emergency, in that it is concerned with our very existence. Typically and ironically, it is the countries with the least carbon footprints which are fighting for sheer survival. The world knows this only too well. Last week it was reminded again, with the publication of the Global Humanitarian Forum’s report entitled Climate Change: The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis . Climate change is already responsible for 300,000 deaths a year, the report said, and it directly affects 300 million people, mostly in the developing world. Unless radical action is taken, it argued, these figures can only rise. Within just 25 years, it estimated that climate change will push 20 million more people into poverty, with 75 million more people being displaced. Cavilling about figures is not the issue: it is incontrovertible that we are face to face with an incipient catastrophe. These are stark reminders of the importance of recognising today’s World Environment Day theme: ‘Your planet needs you, UNite to combat climate change’ . Climate change is a core development challenge, and one which can only be tackled by countries pulling collectively to achieve shared global solutions. Fortunately, consensus is building in this direction. Within the Commonwealth, climate change is central to our concerns. In 2007, Commonwealth Heads of Government demonstrated their commitment to making a difference, by agreeing to the Lake Victoria Commonwealth Climate Change Action Plan. The Plan has seen significant results in supporting developing country negotiations on climate change, using the Commonwealth civil society network (statisticians, geographers, foresters, meteorologists, and others), launching new programmes on land management and forestation, and studies on the exports of agricultural produce, and supporting the management of natural disasters. Further, the practical response to climate change has also been discussed by the wider Commonwealth family: governments, officials, parliamentarians, youth leaders, human rights officials, and others all have a role to play. The Commonwealth recognises that all nations have different interests and objectives, and require freedom to shape their own development agenda. And it believes that it is possible to develop beneficial outcomes for all, providing we share the spirit of cooperation and a common goal. It expressed this in the Marlborough House Statement adopted by its leaders in 2008, which sets down the principles of inclusiveness, legitimacy, responsibility, transparency and effectiveness that should inform the new paradigm of international environmental governance. Negotiations are currently underway in Bonn, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to discuss and shape the international agreements that will be made in Copenhagen later this year. Those debating in Germany should pay heed to the lessons of last week’s report, and respond to the call of today’s World Environment Day theme. We wish to see a strong climate change agreement that addresses the concerns of the poorest and most vulnerable of people – for it is they who in general contribute the least to the way our climate changes, and who suffer the most. Some of the other key outcomes which must be pursued in Copenhagen include new mechanisms for financing the preservation and regeneration of forests, that will deliver genuine development benefits both nationally and locally. We also need to see new frameworks emerge that will enable small and low-emitting developing countries to create their own lowemission economies, and remain competitive. These countries do not just need finance: they also need the technology, skills and institutions which will help them to adapt to changing circumstances well into the future. Providing we stay united and true to the principles of collective responsibility and equity, and never lose sight of the goal of achieving genuine sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty, we can be hopeful of tackling the climate change challenge. I am heartened to see that this year’s theme for World Environment Day captures this collaborative spirit. 4 Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 5 Minister Maginley attends Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit The Hon. John Maginley, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture and current chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, attended the Annual Caribbean Tourism Summit in Washington D.C. from June 8 to 10. The Summit sought to provide Ministers and officials engaged in the tourism industry from the greater Caribbean region with the opportunity to meet with Congressional Representatives, members of the executive and private sector leaders in order to promote tourism by examining the various policies that affect the industry while crafting strategies to meet the requirements of the new global environment. Among the officials with whom Minister Maginley interacted were those from the Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development USAID, the Department of Homeland Security, the World Bank, Congresswomen Donna ChristianChristensen, Yvette Clarke and Congressman Eliot Engel.  Issues discussed included the global financial crisis and its impact on the Caribbean Tourism industry, the impact of natural disasters, the managing of health concerns, energy, security and capacity building. The first component of the summit that took place on June 8, consisted of a CTO think-tank session moderated by Adam Sacks, Founder and Managing Director of Tourism Economics who focused his presentation on establishing an understanding between the economy and tourism as a basis for destination strategy.  In this regard, areas discussed included pricing, promotion, partnerships and policies. Before leaving for Washington the Minister described the benefits he hoped to obtain from the summit as the importance of having an exchange of best practices with his colleagues as well as having the opportunity to meet face to face with officials in the United States whose work has a direct bearing on the industry in Antigua and Barbuda and the Caribbean.  The Antigua and Barbuda delegation comprised Director of Tourism Policy and Planning Mr. Cortwright Marshall, Chief Executive Officer of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority Mr. Colin James and Ambassador Deborah-Mae Lovell, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States. Following his meeting in Washington, Minister Maginley travelled to New York where he attended Caribbean Week. (left to right) Mr Colin James, Minister John Maginley, Ambassador Deborah-Mae Lovell and Mr Cortwright Marshall Maria Blackman appointed Marketing Executive Communications Maria Blackman has been appointed Marketing Executive Communications for the UK, effective June 15, 2009. She is now part of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, having previously worked as acting communications officer at the Ministry of Tourism, where she assisted with the Marketing Department’s development plans, and functioned as press liaison officer. Miss Blackman holds a BSc with honours in Tourism Management, and brings to the team a good knowledge of the Antigua and Barbuda market. She will assist both the Marketing & Administration Manager, Miss Cherrie Osborne and Antigua and Barbuda’s Director of Tourism for the UK & Europe, Mr Hilary Modeste. The Authority's CEO, Colin C James, said, “The appointment of Maria to the London office further demonstrates our commitment to ensure that the UK office is fully staffed with the right competencies as we implement new strategies to meet the challenges of the market head-on. It is also an investment in building the human capacity of our team. I wish Maria every success in her new role." The role of Ascension Trust and Street Pastors Ascension Trust is a charitable organisation which has been running for 15 years and takes teams to various parts of the world for short term missions. Ascension Trust has maintained a continual relationship with the Antiguan Government through its Street Pastors Scheme. Street Pastors is an international initiative made up of individuals and groups form different denominations. Street Pastors initiatives work closely with governments, police, social, health and statutory agencies. The Street Pastors scheme was launched in Antigua in 2005 and reports to date have shown the positive and significant effect that this scheme has had in the country. In a continued effort to foster social transformation in Antigua, Street Pastors Antigua propose to continue to encourage and facilitate medical missions where UK based doctors can come on a voluntary basis to Antigua and promote health and social wellbeing through innovative community projects.

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 6 Antigua and Barbuda goes to Cricket! The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority’sUK Office engaged and informed attendees at the Caribbean International Cricket Fun Day about Antigua and Barbuda, when the office participated in the fundraising event held at the Thames Ditton Cricket Club in Giggs Hill on Sunday. Marketing Manager, Cherrie Osborne said: “The event attracted the affluent middle-class in Surrey, England and our presence there afforded us the opportunity to target this specific community that makes up a sizable percentage of our market.” Internationally known Antiguan cricketers, Richie Richardson, who is affiliated with the Thames Ditton Cricket Club, and Curtly Ambrose made guest appearances at the event and featured in a 20/20 cricket match. The over 2000 attendees at the match between the Richie Richardson International XI and Lashings World XI, were also able to bid for an Antigua and Barbuda package holiday to St. James’s Club for 7 nights, courtesy of Elite Island Resorts. “The chance to win a holiday with flights to Antigua created a huge buzz in the ground, and raised over £1,500 for good causes”, said Angela Slater, event coordinator. Tony Pitchford, the proud winner of this holiday auction was excited about his spontaneously planned trip and was exploring the possibility of extending his stay in Antigua by an additional 7 nights. The Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Office also supplied the Man of the Match with a gift basket containing a bottle of 5-year-old English Harbour Rum and two Gilly Gobinet books Top 20 places in Antigua and Barbuda and Cocktail recipes. 50 miniature cricket bats branded with the Antigua and Barbuda logo were also distributed to the crowd for autograph signings. The Caribbean International Cricket Fun Day hosted by Thames Ditton Cricket Club raised money for the Shooting Star Hospice, Thames Ditton Cricket Club and the Richie Richardson Scholarship Foundation. H.E. Dr. Carl Roberts, High Commissioner of Antigua and Barbuda for the UK and his wife were guests of honour at the event. Photographs Top (l to r) High Commissioner Dr Carl Roberts, Tourism Staff Cherrie Osborne, Joel Henry and Maria Blackman with Mrs Pauline Roberts at extreme right Left High Commissioner with cricket teams Bottom right: High Commissioner with ‘man of the match’ and Cricketing AmbassadorRitchie Richardson

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 7 FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE The Antigua & Barbuda International Literary Festival, begun in 2006, is an annual 3-day celebration of literary arts, with workshops, author readings, book signings and special events in a beautiful tropical setting. This year the festival, held on 6-8 November 2009, features prominent Caribbean authors. To date more than 65 authors have participated, and the line-up of literary stars for the 2009 Festival will soon be announced. Our goal is to include noted writers in a broad range of genres from poetry, photography and non-fiction to performance arts and drama. The venue in 2009 will be the Festival Village at Jolly Harbour, an elegant resort, marina and business centre on one of Antigua’s most picturesque beaches. The village will include a stage for workshops, readings and entertainment, a children’s tent, a food demonstration tent, a bookstore, and food and beverage tents. Among the specific activities planned for the 2009 Festival are: Youth Day , where talented young writers attend workshops led by noted authors School visits by authors brought in from other Caribbean islands as well as Antiguan authors A Gala Opening Ceremony and reception attended by the Governour General, Prime Minister and government officials of Antigua as well as the authors and Festival participants Two days of workshops on the practical aspects of writing as well as lively discussions on timely literary topics by panels of authors and publicists A book sales area where participants can obtain books to be signed by the authors A children’s tent where children’s authors and the crew from Sesame Street will entertain children with readings and other activities to encourage reading A cooking demonstration tent featuring noted Caribbean cookbook authors and Antiguan Chefs Food and drink vendors and live entertainment U.S., Canadian and Caribbean region literary fans can join in all the activities by booking a “Booklovers in Paradise” package, which features all-inclusive accommodations at Jolly Beach Resort. These will be coordinated by Carib-World Travel in St. John’s, Antigua. To find out more about the Festival and see the latest list of authors participating in 2009, go to www.antiguaandbarbudaliteraryfestival.com. c/o Carib-World Travel Woods Centre  St. John’s, Antigua 268-480-2987  268-723-7740 6-8 November 2009 Jolly Beach Resort & Spa

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 8 CDC E STABLISHES P ARTNERSHIP WITH B ARBUDA C ARIBANA C OMMITTEE On the 4 th June the Carnival Development Committee announced that it had entered into a partnership with the Barbuda CARIBANA Committee that will result in greater participation of the winners of the annual CARIBANA festivities. Vaughn Walter, Chairman of the CDC said that this year the winners of the CARIBANA Queens Competition, Teenage Pageant and Junior Calypso will be added to the number of contestants in the competitions for Carnival 2009.  In addition, the Calypso Monarch of CARIBANA will be admitted into the semi-finals of the Wadadli Beer Calypso Competition. “The inclusion of the winners from CARIBANA 2009 is seen by the Carnival Development Committee as demonstrating that Carnival truly belongs to all of us and the equal participation of persons from both Antigua and Barbuda demonstrates our uniqueness as a people and our varied talents.  I am sure that all of Antigua and Barbuda is looking forward to this year’s competitions,” said Chairman Walter. Secretary of the Barbuda Council which manages the CARIBANA celebrations, Mrs. Dorothy Rae said that she welcomed the inclusion of the winners from CARIBANA 2009 in the festivities in Antigua and believes that it is the beginning of a relationship that can further strengthen the ties between both countries and the expansion of the CARIBANA festivities. Ms. Jameel Jones, the winner of the 2009 CARIBANA Queens Competition will become the seventh queen contestant.  The Barbuda Council has already indicated that they will be sponsoring the seventh contestant who will join six other girls for a night of competition at Carnival City on July 27 tagged “Fiesta.” 16 year old Kendra Beazer, the Teenage Pageant winner from Barbuda will represent his school the Holy Trinity School in the 2009 Teen Splash competition while 14 year old Cha¢ -chena “De Empress” Warner will join the Juniors in the Calypso Competition on Sunday July 26. The winner of the CARIBANA Calypso competition Bonita “Missy” John will enter the semi-finals of the Wadadli Beer Calypso Competition on July 18. Carnival 2009 runs from July 25 to August 4 with a theme of “It’s Yours – It’s Mine – Antigua’s Carnival 2009.” CONRAD DORAM IS CARNIVAL 2009 PARADE GRAND MASTER Conrad Doram , one of the nation’s long-serving costume builder and avid lover of Carnival, has been appointed this year’s Parade Grand Master. Doram said that he is honoured to have been given the title and is happy to make a contribution to the annual summer festival in this way. He also thanked the Carnival Development committee for sticking with the Grand Master tradition over the years. Doram also explained that, over the years, he enjoyed building Carnival costumes, even though it was hard work. "It was quite rewarding and enjoyable...because of the satisfaction you get at the end of it, which is seeing your own creation (move) from paper to reality," he stated. Building costumes as a sort of career, however, really began in 1981, Doram said, when his wife Heather began designing them. The demand for costumes created by the husband-wife team increased quickly – they were desired by contestants and sponsors and well received by the public. Of his wife, Doram said, "She’s an artist." She is the one, he explained, who puts ideas down on paper for him to turn into reality. High Commissioner attends Kiel Week Regatt a His Excellency Dr Carl Roberts, Mrs Roberts and other Ambassadors were invited by the Prime Minister Peter Harry Carstensen of Kiel, Germany to attend the Kiel Week Regatta from 24 th – 27 th June 2009. T he Kiel Week Regatta claims to be the largest sailing event in the world, but it is also the largest public festival in Northern Europe. Top class sailors from around the globe compete in various classes of small craft, and capture the view a sail-past by tall ships. On land, a music festival kept the party in full swing. More than 5,000 sailors attend each year, in international and Olympic dinghies, and about 250 off-shore yachts compete in the off-shore area of Alpha. The Kiel Week got underway with the traditional ringing of the bell at the Town Hall Square, followed by a long blast on a ship's horn to signal the commencement of festivities . The Prime Minister of Kiel, Germany, Ambassador Dr Carl Roberts and the other Ambassadors at the Kiel Regatta

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 9 The Government has been reliably informed that the US Securities Exchange Commission has today Friday June 19 2009 filed in the Northern District Court of Texas a Motion for Leave to file an Amended Complaint in its pending civil suit against Stanford International Bank Limited (SIB), Stanford Group Company, and R Allen Stanford among others. The civil suit was filed by the SEC in February 2009. The Amended Complaint adds Leroy King, among others, as a defendant. Mr. King who is the Administrator (currently on suspension) of our Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) is therein alleged to have, among other things, facilitated the Stanford International Bank’s Ponzi Scheme “by ensuring that FSRC ‘looked the other way’, and conducted sham audits and examinations of SIB’s books and records in exchange for bribes paid to him over a period of several years”. 2 The Government is naturally concerned over these serious allegations which suggest that Mr. King was engaging in unlawful activities for personal gain thereby compromising the due performance of his duties as an FSRC employee, given the strict regulatory standards established over the years by the Commission. Antigua and Barbuda’s offshore business activities is once again placed under intense international scrutiny, and this will clearly have adverse effects on the economy and raise questions about our regulatory legal framework. I wish to reassure the general public and the wider international community that the Commission’s Board has itself been engaged during the past several weeks in rigorous self r examination along with an internal investigation of Mr. King’s employment conduct. The Government has confirmed that a number of criminal indictments have been laid against both R Allen Stanford and Leroy King which include conspiracy to commit mail fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to launder illegal proceeds, and obstruction of the SEC. These charges do raise the issue of a possible extradition request by the United States authorities. I can authoritatively state that following a meeting with Mr. King, the Commission yesterday penned a letter to the Hon. Minister of Finance making certain recommendations for Cabinet’s consideration as to Mr. King’s continued employment with the Commission. 3 The International Business Corporations Act provides for the appointment of and disciplinary action against the Administrator of the Commission are to be done by Cabinet. This matter will be definitively addressed at the next Cabinet meeting to be held on Tuesday the 23rd. These events touching and concerning the operations of Stanford International Bank Limited which began in February 2009 has had an adverse effect on the economy with employees being laid off or dismissed without payment of severance, trade creditors remaining unpaid from as far back as November 2008, and the inability by the various Stanford entities to provide their accustomed services. The Bank has been placed in liquidation in an effort to collect its various assets for distribution to depositors and creditors, but this will be a long legal process. Government’s acquisition of the lands of these entities has been challenged in the High Court, and attempts by the Registrar of Companies to assess the financial viabilities of the entities are also being challenged. But Government cannot and will not sit idly by, given its abiding duty and obligations to its citizens and all those adversely affected by these unfolding events. Given the circumstances, we firmly believe that the compulsory acquisition of the lands, Government’s financial support of the Bank of Antigua, the liquidation of Stanford International Bank, and the action initiated by the Registrar of Companies are all in the best interest of the country. Press Statement Issued by the Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs 19th June 2009 ( Left) High Commissioner Dr Roberts presents ‘A Little Bit of Paradise’ to the Mayor of Lyon Mr Ge’rard Collomb while at an official function in Lyon, France Mrs Roberts and Mr Preud’homme look on. (right) High Commissioner and Mrs Roberts with Honorary Consul to France for Antigua and Barbuda Mr Preud’homme and Mrs Preud’homme.

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 10 Continued from page 3 and as nationals support our own, unemployment will remain low and businesses related to the sector will be able to remain open and thriving. Ladies and Gentlemen: Some have criticized our policy of placing a freeze on public sector employment.  It has been touted that a policy of no new employment by the private sector and the government can only spell disaster on an already fragile economy. However, with a 25 percent decline in government’s revenue, we must be even more prudent in the management of expenditure. This Government has however determined that it would seek to maintain the levels of employment, at least in the short term, so as not to add to the impact of the global crisis on the level of employment.  I wish to also state that in these trying economic times, employees must also recognize that they too must make a sacrifice. Now is not the time to agitate for pay increases.  In fact some labour specialists may suggest that now is the time for the trade unions, employers and workers to reach tripartite agreements in the interest of job security. Of course, issues such as productivity linked to wages and salaries and sharing of gains must factor highly in any arrangement. Lastly Ladies and Gentlemen: Many have suggested that government should borrow to stimulate the economy and increase employment. In a limited way this cannot be ruled out. However, the question is, in a financial crisis, who is willing to lend and on what terms?    In an environment of tight liquidity and high risk aversion, the options are limited for small island economies such as ours that are not “poor” enough to access most concessionary or grant funding but are also not “rich” enough to either do it on our own or to afford the high premiums associated with borrowing in this financial climate.  We simply cannot borrow our way out of this crisis. The NEST Plan will  re-prioritize our public sector direction and put emphasis on that which can deliver maximum benefits with minimum expenditure. Our NEST Plan will ensure enhanced productivity and  more efficient and reliable delivery of services to the citizens and residents of Antigua and Barbuda. The NEST Plan will afford all Antiguans and Barbudans the opportunity to be a part of a transformative process that allows us to correct the mistakes of the past, address the challenges of the present and secure the future of our beloved nation. The trials that we are now facing are characteristic of the economic cycle. There will always be the peaks and troughs, lows and highs of economic activity. However, I believe that by working together as one people,  we are  fully capable of overcoming the adverse effects of this global recession. Our cooperation – our coordinated efforts will ensure that we emerge a stronger and better positioned nation, able to realize the promise of a vibrant economic future for every Antiguan and Barbudan. I welcome each and every one of you here once again to this important interaction.  I thank our regional and international partners for your continued support and assistance as we strive to develop a better Antigua and Barbuda. To you the members of the audience, here and at home, I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to engage in dialogue on the issues that are important to our development and critical for securing the welfare of the people of this great nation of Antigua and Barbuda. I thank you very much and I look forward to a successful symposium. May God bless each and every one of us. From page 2 the Eastern Caribbean Digital Microwave Fibre-Optic System (ECDMS). The investment in telecommunications equipment in the region was not undertaken by Cable and Wireless alone. Heavy investments by state-owned telephone companies resulted in more than 75 percent digital networks. By the 1990 with the additional laying of the Eastern Caribbean Fibre-optic System (ECFS), a link from BVI in the North to Trinidad and Tobago in the South, the region had the most modern network available. Over 75 of the international telephone links were digital with Cable and Wireless Dominica being heralded as the first fully digitalized network in the world. Caribbean countries compared favourably with other developing countries in terms of teledensity measured lines per 100 population. This is nevertheless a crude measure which provides very little indication of the accessibility to phone services. Many phone lines in the 1990s were at businesses, and specifically at service facilities which were involved in the main industries of the countries; e.g. Tourism and financial services. It was easier to call from Antigua and Barbuda to Trinidad and Tobago, than to make a local across that country. This situation Guyana was even worse. Gradually new services were introduced across the Region. Internet services were introduced by the mid 1990s and mobile services shortly thereafter. The type of mobile services was TDMA, similar to the USA standards and unlike the GSM standard prevalent in the UK and Europe. It was not until 2003 that GSM was introduced in the Region. Telephone charges varied widely across the countries in the region. As the CANTO official website indicates “this reflects both the government policy and the quality and extent of service available. In general, in early 1990s English-speaking countries had relatively higher rates than elsewhere in the Caribbean, with Belize and Guyana being low-cost exceptions. On the other hand some countries with higher rates also had better more varied and reliable service” The Wait lists for telephone service in all these countries remained generally strong. These vary in size from Jamaica where in 1990 unsatisfied demand for new lines almost equalled the installed base of 88,000 lines. In Trinidad and Tobago, the wait list was over 40 percent of the installed based of 216,000 lines and 7 percent of the population in the same year. The situation now is very different. The upsurge in demand for mobile service has addressed much of this pent up and Continued on page 12

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 11 Antigua and Barbuda’s Economic situation The direness of Antigua and Barbuda’s economic situation was laid out at the Fourth National Economic Symposium yesterday. The government has readjusted its projected revenues for 2009 from $800 million to $600 million, and so a number of measures were presented for public consumption at the symposium to bring order the country’s fiscal imbalance, which is expenditure outstripping revenue collection. Some of the measures proposed in the Nest (National Economic and Social Transformation) plan include a 25 per cent reduction in ministry expenditures, a freeze on all new employment, increasing the price of LPG gas, reduce the number of items in the basket of essential goods, increase the embarkation tax from EC$35 and US$20 to EC$50 and US$25, and introducing excise tax on alcohol, tobacco, ammunition and telephone equipment among others. Macroeconomic Adviser Kevin Silston said with a revised budget the government would have a deficit of about $100 million as opposed to about $500 million including loans. It was acknowledged that the government’s fiscal mismanagement was a historical problem that got progressively worse over time. He showed that many loan options are closed to Antigua and Barbuda because loans dating back to 1967 have not been serviced and until those have been cleared those donors are not amenable to further helping the government. As it stands, options are a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank of $81 million to be distributed over two years, or $324 million from the International Monetary Fund over three years. The Ministry of Finance has also been negotiating with the government of China. Although an IMF programme was not essentially desired, Governor of the ECCB Sir K. Dwight Venner in his presentation emphasised the country’s need to bring its expenditures in balance and pointed out that Dominica succeeded with its IMF programme and there was no reason why Antigua and Barbuda could not. He said the problem is the discipline of its policymakers, who cannot stick with a strict economic programme because of the need to get votes. Deputy Director of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Hazel Corbin said that Antigua’s economy will contract by 3.3 per cent in 2009, then by 1.1 per cent in 2010 because of the dependence on construction and tourism, industries which have declined significantly throughout the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union with the global recession. She said that it was imperative that appropriate polices be formulated to cushion the impact of the current financial crisis, and to place the country on a sound macroeconomic footing for renewed and sustainable economic growth once the crisis subsides. As Antigua is also the biggest economy in the ECCU, its success or failure would affect the other countries. Minister of Finance Harold Lovell said at the day’s conclusion, "We are at a seminal moment in this nation’s history and it is time for us to demonstrate our maturity with respect to the way forward." Sir Dwight said he can judge from the response and participation of the people that the importance for drastic action with the support of the people was understood. "I got the sense that something has to be done. As I keep saying, if you and I make $10,000 and it suddenly downs to $7,000, it’s not business as usual. We have to find a way to economise, to change our habits. "I think all across the currency union, people have to understand that this is a time of focus and change." The symposium focussed on the NEST plan and addressed issues relating to debt, financial sector stability and financing options for Antigua and Barbuda. Source:Antiguasunonline.com Antigua and Barbuda Mango Festival The Mango & Pineapple Magic Menu competition set for August 8th, at the Antigua and Barbuda, Hospitality, Training Institute (ABHTI), will be open to public viewing this year for the first time. Madeleine McComas, chairperson of the Magic Mango & Pineapple Committee, said events are planned to bring members of the public to ABHTI on that day. She noted that the committee is targeting approximately 300 individuals In addition to the Chefs and Bartenders competitions, which will be held this year in the Demo Kitchen building, “we are planning to have senior (non-competing) chefs do cooking demonstrations out on the lawn for the public to see and taste.” This year’s Mango Fest is scheduled for August 15 & 16th

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The Antigua and Barbuda High Commission Issue 134 June 2009 12 SIRMM Project being implemented; Codrington Lagoon to be protected The Sustainable Island Resource Management Mechanism (SIRMM) Project is currently being implemented in Antigua and Barbuda to ensure the nation’s environment is sustainable. The initiative, which is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is intended to “ensure the sustainability and maintenance of the island’s ecosystem integrity, health and function through integrated planning and management of island resources.” One of the SIRMM Project’s main facets is the protection and sustainable development of the Codrington Lagoon. The lagoon, is quite important to the Caribbean region and even the world. It is one of the largest lagoons in the Lesser Antilles, has extensive mangrove systems and supports one of the world’s largest Frigate Bird (Fregata magnificens) colonies. The lagoon is also a highly vulnerable component of Barbuda’s ecosystem that houses a variety of flora and fauna, serves as a habitat and nursery for a range of marine species, and a number of birds like the West Indian Whistling Duck — an endangered species. As a result it has been designated as a biodiversity hotspot by national and international organisations. This has made it both a tourist attraction and a landmark of great cultural and economic importance. For the Codrington Lagoon to remain in its current, healthy state, any development along the waterfront needs to be carefully planned. This becomes especially important with respect to the accessibility of water and proper liquid and solid waste disposal. There is a need, therefore, for a detailed management plan to govern activities in and around the waterfront. Since the lagoon supports 60 per cent of Barbuda’s economy, through the sale of fish and lobster, and tourism, such a plan is made even more essential. As such, a five year management plan has been created through financing from the SIRMM Project and co-financing from other stake-holding agencies. This was formulated in conjunction with a financial stability plan and the two will be used together to guide the management of the lagoon towards a sustainable future. Within the Codrington Lagoon, which is also a National Park, user zones have been identified with markers and signs have been installed within the park and village to inform users and visitors about the project work and information on the lagoon. In the near future, there will be Park Rangers offering camping trips in the park to explore the diverse ecosystem. The Codrington Lagoon National Park encompasses the entire West Coast of Barbuda; it comprises of both marine and terrestrial habitats. The park is approximately 18 square kilometres and covers one-third of the island. The area is generally flat and, in some places, rests just above sea level. Source:Antiguasun.com From page 10 Unresolved demand for fixed line telephone service. In almost all of the countries of the region the number of mobile subscribers exceeds that of fixed line. Many younger generation householders have opted for a mobile telephone as their main means of communication instead of the fixed line. Telephone service providers now look to providing mobile networks to expand their service provision instead of more expensive landlines. Fibre to the kerb, is even being introduced in the region to address the pressing demand for higher bandwidth Internet services and IP telephony. The increase in bandwidth and the quality of networks has facilitated the extension of Extra-Mural studies through the University of the West Indies., which traditionally had campuses in Mona, Jamaica; Bridgetown, Barbados and St Augustine, Trinidad, to the other non-campus territories. The UWI Distance Teaching Experiment (UWIDITE) satellite system now reaches the OECS States and allows the first two years of the degree programme to be done at home. The landscape has changed drastically from what it was in the 1960s. Most modern handsets, pricing packages which are available in this country, are also being offered in the region. Network congestion is virtually a thing of the past. Circuit quality is comparable, and sometimes even better than, in the developed countries. Network coverage has improved significantly and continues to do so each year. Telecommunication in the region has come of age. Such taglines in advertisement as Free calls to friends and family are also available in some part of the region. You can now roam throughout the region whether your service provider is originally from the USA, Canada, UK or Europe. There is still some issues with roaming from some countries in Asia, but I believe that a solution to this issue will be found in the not too distant future. Madame President, I have given a brief overview of telecommunication in the Region and hope I have succeeded in wetting your appetites for more information on this very interesting subject. I thank you for your attention and will accept any questions for further expansion and/or clarification. Aerial view of Barbuda