The government of Antigua and Barbuda is forging ahead with its ambitious development plans for the sister isle, despite resistance from the island’s residents.
During the commissioning of a hybrid-powered electricity plant on Friday, Utilities and Energy Minister Melford Nicholas emphasised that this marks just the beginning of the infrastructure needed for what he described as a “housing explosion” on the island.
“The Government of Antigua and Barbuda anticipates that within the next 18 months, that there will be a deluge of demands for new housing expansions in Barbuda, and that, of course will place the additional demand for renewable energy expansion here on this site and for the people of Barbuda.”
Traditionally, land on Barbuda has been owned ‘in common’, but in a significant move last June, the government made amendments to the Registered Land Act. These changes aim to shift the centuries-old common land ownership system, allowing individuals and investors to own land on the island for the first time in three centuries.
Despite Constitutional debates surrounding the enforcement of the new land ownership laws, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said that his government will move forward with the controversial plans.
While acknowledging the significant damage inflicted by the natural disaster, Browne characterized Barbuda as a “backwater country” before Hurricane Irma.
Browne also went on to call for persons to stop pushing the issue.
“Stop dividing our unitary state. I remind you that Antigua and Barbuda is a unitary state, and stop promoting this issue about land and people stealing your land. Nobody stole anything from you. All we have done is to show commitment to the advancement of Barbuda, and that cannot stop.”
Both announcements were made during the launch of a new hybrid electricity facility on Barbuda. The facility utilises solar energy and diesel to provide a continuous energy supply, catering to the island’s needs, both day and night.
