ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC—The Antigua and Barbuda government says resolving the region to establish a special fund to purchase vaccines will be on the agenda of the next Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders.
CARICOM leaders will meet in Barbados from February 19-21, and a statement issued following the weekly Cabinet meeting noted that the current United States administration’s announced plan to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) would make many small states very vulnerable in the event of another global pandemic.
“The availability of vaccines and other drugs are likely to become unavailable, except for purchase. The USA is a large contributor to the WHO, and its withdrawal will impact small states most,” the statement said.
Speaking at the post-cabinet media briefing, Lionel Hurst, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister, said that while the full impact of US policies remains uncertain, the government is monitoring developments closely.
“We don’t yet know the consequences, but we take precautions where possible. Our main concern is the effect on trade, as higher tariffs on imports from China and other countries could increase costs for Antiguans and Barbudans,” Hurst said.
“We are seeing a shift in US priorities, and it’s important that we position ourselves accordingly,” Hurst said.
“If U.S. assistance to the region is reduced, we may need to look to alternative sources, including partnerships within CARICOM and other international bodies,” he said. The government indicated that it will continue monitoring trade policy changes and will engage regional partners to safeguard economic stability.
According to the statement, the Cabinet has placed food security and food sovereignty high on the country’s agenda, given the potential trade wars that could affect the cost and supply of food.
Antigua and Barbuda imports more than 90 percent of its food and spends more than EC$200 million (One EC dollar = 0.37 cents) annually on food imports from North America.
“The Cabinet agreed to begin its drive towards increasing food production by making more land available to farmers with capital and expertise. Diamonds Estate is more than 200 acres large, with 80 acres fenced. With a tiny percentage currently under production,” the statement added that “every effort will be made to strengthen and expand this particular farmland, still owned by the state.”
Meanwhile, the government says plans for the Local Investment Conference are ongoing and that while the leadership will come from the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority (ABIA), the input of the entire Cabinet is intended to strengthen its success.
“The Cabinet is persuaded that many depositors with savings that earn two percent interest will find the proposals to be put forward by the ABIA very exciting with far greater returns on investment than the amounts paid on savings,” the statement added.
and then 