HURST REPORTS ON CABINET of Wednesday, August 21, 2024

The cabinet began its meeting with prayers delivered by a minister of religion.

The Cabinet held an intensive debate on crime, violence, use of weapons by robbers and the damage inflicted on Antigua and Barbuda by shameless criminals.

The Cabinet has decided that when Parliament next meets, it will put a bill on the agenda that will impose a curfew on minors under the age of 18; the bill, if passed, will declare any young person who is outside their home after 10pm until 5am, unaccompanied by a parent/guardian, illegal. Several exceptions will be built in.

The cabinet has also decided that there will be anti-gang legislation in Antigua and Barbuda, which will also apply to social media posts.

The government is also strengthening law enforcement by providing vehicles, vessels, drones, radios and other communications equipment worth EC$5.4 million of the budgeted $15 million.

The Cabinet Chairman agrees that the holistic approach aims to stem the tide of gun-related crimes by identifying criminals who may be wearing hoodies, masks and gloves through advanced identification systems.

The government also plans to amend the law on the punishment of smoking cannabis in public. The current law requires that a warning is given first, a fine the second time and a fine the third time.

When parliament next meets, the intention is to impose a fine on those caught smoking cannabis in public. The aim is to discourage behaviour that shows disregard for the law and disregard for the well-being of other citizens.

The Cabinet has invited leaders of the Church Commission, a religious organisation set up a decade ago by the Gaston Browne government, to provide guidance on how the churches they lead can reach young people and others.

The Chairman of the Cabinet, Prime Minister Gaston Browne, highlighted the seriousness of criminal activities that undermine the sense of safety and security. He asked the Commission to help propose appropriate strategies to address the growing challenge of violence and youth.

Browne pointed out that crime knows no color or party and is clearly committed by people with little moral conscience. The government intends to reduce the incidence of crime and sees tougher sentences as an important deterrent.

The chairman pastor of the committee urged the cabinet to start each school year with prayers. After some discussion, a policy decision was made that all public schools should have a devotion at the beginning of each school day; the Ministry of Education will be asked to implement this.

The minister responsible for public safety (the attorney general) indicated that there is no constitutional impediment to ordering daily prayers in schools.

The Prime Minister has identified two gangs of youths who have posted images and veiled threats on social media. The police unit monitoring social media posts has captured their images and threats and will take strong measures to stem the tide of social media posts aimed at spreading fear and disgust.

The unit will also place advertisements on social media platforms to discourage young people from identifying with these violent groups who use the same platforms to spread their evil.

The cabinet, led by the Minister of Sport, advocated further strengthening of sport.

Following his presentation, Minster Matthew was asked to prepare a paper on the steps that can be taken to place Antigua and Barbuda in a winning column over the next 4 years, leading up to the next Olympic Games. The paper will be presented in 2 weeks time, to include improving and strengthening sports governance.

The Cabinet invited a technician from the Department of Agriculture and the Commonwealth Head of Education to discuss the issue of food security.

The team concluded that keeping more chickens for consumption could indeed lead to greater youth and women empowerment, foreign exchange savings and an end to chicken meat imports.

The Commonwealth of Learning will train farmers in the techniques to make them more effective, combining both old and new methods to increase chicken production annually. The institution has about $4 million in loans to support farmers in increasing their yields.

The cabinet has conducted a further investigation into Carnival 2024. After intensive discussions, the cabinet is of the opinion that a rescheduling of the shows, the ownership of the stage and other factors that would make Carnival more exciting should be implemented for Carnival 2025.

Although there are still debts owed to various providers and suppliers, the authorities will release an amount in the coming weeks to ease the obligations to those suppliers and service providers.

The Minister of Festivals was also instructed by the Cabinet to hold talks with promoters who invite artists to Antigua. Those with violent lyrics and misogynistic themes will not be allowed in.

The Boys Training School will be operational for the new school year. New furniture has been purchased and landscaping is underway to present an acceptable compound that can inspire good behavior.

The new cemetery is closer to opening as a road will soon be constructed within the 4-acre site. ii. The new Arkangel Medical School will open its doors to 100 students on the 1^st October 2024.

So far, over 40 students have been registered. iii. United Heads Incorporated Inc., members of a Seventh-day Adventist church, will be conducting a massive 7-day health program throughout Antigua. 60 health professionals, including dentists, ophthalmologists and cancer specialists, will be conducting free exams in October for primary and secondary school students, as well as adults.

The Cabinet expressed its condolences to the family of Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian citizen from Antigua, who died at sea when the superyacht he was working on sank off the coast of Italy.