Caribbean Times 100th Issue
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6 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g<br />
Friday 17th February 2017<br />
President of the Senate calls for<br />
legislatures to step up their game<br />
By Joanna Paris<br />
President of the Senate,<br />
Alincia Williams-Grant is<br />
urging Parliamentarians to<br />
take their responsibility seriously<br />
to set true examples<br />
for the youth of Antigua<br />
and Barbuda.<br />
Senator Williams-Grant,<br />
By Joanna Paris<br />
Leader of Government<br />
Business in the Senate and<br />
Minister of State with responsibility<br />
for Finance<br />
and Corporate Governance,<br />
Lennox Weston has announced<br />
a unique initiative<br />
for Antiguans and Barbudans<br />
to invest in the development<br />
of twin island state.<br />
While making his opening<br />
remarks during the<br />
2017 Budget Debate in the<br />
Upper House earlier this<br />
week, Senator Weston said<br />
the initiative is geared towards<br />
“giving Antiguans<br />
and Barbudans the chance<br />
to enjoy the commanding<br />
heights of the country”.<br />
He said that packages<br />
will be divided into six<br />
bonds with individual or<br />
groups having $5 million<br />
US dollar bonds which can<br />
be invested over a 10-year<br />
period.<br />
A call for<br />
Antiguans and<br />
Barbudans to invest<br />
“The bonds can be used<br />
for the roads, for the cark<br />
park or they can ask for<br />
them to be invested in eh<br />
hotel projects like the one<br />
at Valley Church, there is<br />
Halcyon and Royal Antigua<br />
as well”, he explained.<br />
“In other words, we<br />
are developing investment<br />
vehicles small enough for<br />
a group of Antiguans to<br />
come together or individually<br />
whether it is at 1 percent<br />
or one and a half percent<br />
for your fixed deposit,<br />
invest in Antigua”, he emphasized.<br />
He added that the government<br />
will be providing<br />
the opportunity for persons<br />
to invest with a 5-6% return.<br />
Senator Weston told<br />
the House that more details<br />
on this initiative will be announced<br />
shortly following<br />
a Cabinet meeting to further<br />
discuss the matter.<br />
who recently spearheaded<br />
the launch of the President’s<br />
10 Mentorship Programme,<br />
geared at equipping and<br />
empowering young female<br />
to pursue an active career<br />
in politics, pointed out that<br />
the recruitment process<br />
has been challenging because<br />
of the perception that<br />
young people have about<br />
politicians and politics.<br />
“We need to change<br />
their perception so that we<br />
can pursue the democracy<br />
that we cherish from day to<br />
day”, she stated.<br />
She also endorsed educational<br />
programs which<br />
will inform the young citizens<br />
about the importance<br />
of the Parliament and the<br />
role that Parliamentarians<br />
play in the country’s decision<br />
making process.<br />
“This will assist the<br />
young people in fully understanding<br />
what Parliament<br />
is really all about”,<br />
she said.<br />
As part of the Presidents<br />
10 Mentorship Programme,<br />
10 young ladies will be<br />
chosen from secondary<br />
school across the island.<br />
They will be engaged<br />
in a 11-month training programme<br />
where they will<br />
participate in a number of<br />
self-improvement activities<br />
while becoming familiar<br />
with parliamentary procedures.