Antigua turns to Guyana for sand

Antigua and Barbuda will be importing sand from Guyana with immediate effect and continuing into the future.
The move comes out of a Cabinet decision according to Government’s Chief of Staff Lionel ‘Max’ Hurst.
Hurst says since the importers are private industry firms, the charges they will pay at the border will be the same as if the import were another export from any CARICOM state.
While the Cabinet agreed that they will honour Caricom treaty obligations, it says there will be no special treatment equaling those applied to domestic sand production from Barbuda.
Hurst says the demand for building aggregate is at an all-time high because of a construction boom in the country.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne had reported that the Barbuda Council was refusing to provide the central government with sand.
But Member of Parliament for Barbuda, Trevor walker responded saying this was not true.
He added that the sister isle would not be bullied into providing sand and government would have to pay for the aggregate if it wanted it.