Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/4394/-1/140/
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Government's Paying Of High Rent 'Burns My Heart,' Says Belto
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Parliamentary Secretary and Elected Member for the West End/Long Bay district, Albert Hughes, wants to see a stop to Government’s paying of exorbitant costs in rent for buildings and construction equipment, saying it must have its own.
Mr. Hughes told the House of House that he had risen to his feet to support a Government motion to borrow ten million dollars for an overdraft facility, but he was “seriously concerned” over the need to reduce expenses in various areas.
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Mr. Albert Hughes
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“One of the things that I am concerned about, Mr. Speaker is that over the years, and up to now, Government is spending a tremendous amount of money in renting space for government offices,” he stated. “This is a great burden on the Government and the people of Anguilla… It is high time that the Government sits down seriously and borrow money to put down a government building.
“When we pay out these millions of dollars, the money will be going towards the Government’s own building rather in rent. Mr. Speaker it would hurt your head when you learn of this tremendous cost. It burns my heart.”
Mr. Hughes continued:
“Mr. Speaker when I decided to give up my post in St. Thomas and come here to work for Anguilla, it was done from my heart even though the people in West End do not appreciate it. I had just gone to the Virgin Islands in November 1983 and I received a call from the people in 1984 to return to Anguilla to represent them.
“It was a very hard decision to make but when I thought on the words of the late President Kennedy – ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country’ – I decided to come. I was getting US$8 an hour but I gave up my job, came here and got EC$700 per month. Which other man was going to give up his job and come here to represent the people?
“I put country above self. This is why I am very serious with my colleagues to bring a motion to this House to get money for a government building. It must be done, Mr. Speaker. The country is growing and there is a need for it.”
Mr. Hughes also complained that the Government was paying enormous sums in renting heavy equipment for infrastructural development. “I was never in favour of Government getting rid of theirs. We do need equipment to cut down the cost in our development work,” he added.