CABINET NOTES of Wednesday 17 August 2022

HURST REPORTS ON CABINET of Wednesday 17 August 2022

The Cabinet commenced its work at about 10:30 am following prayers, three members joining virtually; the meeting concluded at 4:30 pm, six hours later.

The Cabinet agreed that the first phase of the reverse osmosis plant at Fort James, turning out 500,000 gallons of potable water daily, will soon be completed; all the parts having arrived Antigua. Two storage tanks, each capable of holding 350,000 gallons of potable water, will also be fabricated; the basesfor the tanks have been constructed. The planting of the new pipes will also commence immediately, connecting the new plant to the Deepwater Harbour and homes within the Yorks, Villa, Upper Fort Road, the City of St. John’s, and other neighborhoods. APUA is currently providing 7,000,000 gallons daily and there is an expectation that daily output of potable water will rise to 11,000,000 gallons daily, in a few months. It was also agreed that the Ministry of Agriculture would submit a proposal for the provision of water tanks to farmers operating within the six agricultural zones, including Barbuda. The Minister of Agriculture reminded that drought conditions still hamper production on farms, and threaten our food security ambitions.
2.The Cabinet invited one of the principals of Trimble Company—a firm which specializes in cadastral surveys and land registers—to join its meeting virtually. The firm will work with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to complete the mapping of Barbuda, and will bring the Barbuda land registration system into the 21st The company provided timelines for the completion of its work, each step being detailed to allow for the measurement of its effectiveness. The Privy Council recently confirmed that all land in the unitary state of Antigua and Barbuda is owned by the Crown,unless privately owned. Since no land in Barbuda is owned by any person or corporation, the land comprising Barbuda is owned by the Crown. Those who have leasehold interest in the land in Barbuda, the Privy Council determined, have a lawful interest in the land as determined by the lawful authorities in Antigua and Barbuda. The PLH project, the Privy Council ruled, has a legitimate interest in the leased land it occupies in Barbuda.
Five officials from Her Majesty’s Prison, including the Prison Superintendent, were invited to Cabinet to address the challenges which they face, and the steps to be taken to eliminate or reduce the prisoners’ access to items that are disallowed. More than 60 cellphones were recently discovered in the cells occupied by prisoners during a surprise search and raid. Investigations have followedin order to determine which prison officials are responsible. Although the Cabinet may make rules for discipline and training at the Prison, the Officials have repeated that prevention is superior to punishment. Screening of those entering the Prison compound, including Officers, should not be left to the Prison authorities, it was determined. Five proposals were put forward to Cabinet.
Changing frequently the Officers who are responsible for checking entry and exit of the Prison,utilizing metal detectors and other kinds of security systems.
Complete the two towersthat are intended to deter folks from throwing items over the prison walls.

iii. One Officer to seven inmates is the ideal ratio; the ratio is now one on duty Officer to almost forty inmates at a time. There are about 250 inmates in the prison. At least 40 more officers are to be trained and deployed.

One additional vehicle and other safety equipment are required in order to effectively manage the prison and movement of prisoners.
An internal buffer fence at the eastern border of the prison should immediately be constructed.
Four Officials from the UWI Five Island Campus were invited to Cabinet. They included the Principal and Vice Chancellor Densil Williams and Registrar Hyram Forde.UWI started out with 178 students; by September 1,700 students will be enrolled at the UWI Five Islands Campus and that number will climb to more than 2,000 by September 2024. The Principal informed that on-campus residences are required as is an administrative complex. The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is about to acquire US$40 million  from the Saudi’s and will leverage 39 million towards the UWI Five Islands Campus expansion. Faculty housing will also be constructed near the campus and a clinic site will be arranged on campus which will host a nurse, an ambulance and possibly a fire tender. A Nursing School that meets the high standard set by the Antigua and Barbuda Law will have its beginnings September 2022. The UWI Five Islands will also create “The Center for Excellence for Oceanagrophy and the Blue Economy.” The Blue Economy is expected to have a significant impact on economic diversification through training of youth, taking Antigua and Barbuda to the next level. A Director is to be appointed and is expected to be in place by October 2022.
The Principal of UWI also made a presentation of the plans foranUWI Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Department; this will be a major focus of UWI Five Islands. Comparisons between the OECS and other Caribbean countries were offered and it is clear that the OECS has to step-up; and, UWI Five Islands is intended to do just that. A strong Business School is also needed for outstanding performance in business. UWI will provide the Business Education required in order to move the OECS forward.
The Minister of Health reported that there isNO major surge of Covid-19 after Carnival 2022. He concluded that 57 infections serve as evidence that boosters are working and encouraged Antiguans and Barbudans to get vaccinated and boosted. The Minister drew the Cabinet’s attention to large-scale events before that led to as many as 250 infections following the events. The policies of the Gaston Browne-led administration are clearly justifiable and helpful in the fight against Covid-19.
The Minister of Education invited two parents,two youngsters (8 and 11 years old) and a teacher to the Cabinet to share with the Cabinet the successes of the STEM camp at UWI. More than 280 students were registered and perused four disciplines during the life of the camp: Computer, Robotics, Rapid Design   (including robotic drones), and E-Sport.The teacher explained the basis for the selection of the subject areas; and, the eleven year old Zende Hazelwood and the eight year old Kamal Vaswani provided testimony as to the usefulness of the Camp.
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