In addition to matters regarding Wallblake Airport and jet aircraft flying to Anguilla, as well as the air ambulance and health insurance services for civil servants and other persons, the Chief Minister’s Press Conference on Tuesday, dealt with a number of other matters as indicated above.

Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming and Hon. Victor Banks

Mr. Fleming was grateful that despite the precautions taken in Anguilla, the stormy weather passed north of the region without affecting the island or any other islands. He advised, however, that there was no need for complacency as the hurricane season was on and at any time a storm could strike. It was therefore necessary to remain guarded in the event that something occurred.

The Chief Minister said that in the latter part of last week the Government had invited a representative of Viceroy to a meeting to provide information on the progress of the project, following a recent tour of which he was very pleased with what he had seen. Mr. Fleming reported that the Government was told that just over 100 persons were now employed at the site and that, in keeping with the Government’s desire, they were either Anguillians or belongers – not outside workers on permits.

He emphased that Anguillians must be given preference in being employed at the project. It was therefore shocking to find that there were a number of jobs for about 34 housekeepers but the applications they were receiving were being made by persons from abroad. “What alarms us is that we believe that there are a number of Anguillians who are not working, and here is an opportunity for a number of people to capitalise on these positions,” he went on. “This might not be the position that you want, but you have to start somewhere. Through this medium I am asking the people of Anguilla, especially those who are not working, to capitalise on these opportunities and check Viceroy.” The Chief Minister also said that there was a need for some twelve security workers at the property and his office, as well as the Labour Department, had been encouraging persons to apply for employment at the project. He pointed out that there were also vacant positions for pastry chefs and other workers in the culinary arts.

Mr. Fleming observed that while a significant number of Anguillians were unemployed, some nationals from other islands were working in jobs which should be held by local people. At the same time, he noted that there were many Caribbean nationals on the island holding work permits but unemployed and had become loiters on the streets, at bars and other public places. He repeated a call on these jobless people to leave Anguilla and to return when things got better.

“This situation is causing serious hardships in Anguilla, and for the local people, because we are told that a number of persons are not being paid their rent and our social services are being called upon to support for a number of [outside] people. Certainly, the Government does not have the wherewithal to meet all of these challenges…I am asking, if you are not working, do the honourable thing: leave and when things get better, come back.” He cautioned such persons to exit the island voluntarily to avoid expulsion by the Immigration Task Force. He also advised that some Anguillians were beginning to complain that if they were not working, persons who were not nationals should not be employed.
Mr. Fleming reported that two members of the Spanish community had called on the Government to say that they were very concerned about certain Dominican Republic elements in Anguilla whose behaviour was a threat to their comfort on the island. The Chief Minister said that for years nationals from Santo Domingo were well behaved, but the complainants from that country, residing in Anguilla, had requested that serious action should be taken against their misbehaving compatriots.

“We were very impressed as they presented their case to us,” Mr. Fleming stated. “They are saying we can’t allow tow or three persons to spoil our good name. I understand that so we will be looking in that direction to make sure that if you come to Anguilla, you must behave yourself. Because they are not working, they have more time to engage in things they shouldn’t do. We never like the idea of deporting people from Anguilla but if they can’t behave, they have to go.”

The Chief Minister was happy to report that a number of senior civil servants, including Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments, were prepared to put their heads together in an effort to assist the Government in handling certain matters. “They are not leaving everything up to us and so they want to come by and talk with us,” he said. “To that end on Friday we are having a discussion...with them. These people are concerned about what is happening in Anguilla to the extent that they are saying that we need to get some things together and let Anguillians know what the exact position is in this crisis because people don’t understand what it is like. Although we hope that things will get better, it will not be tomorrow. That gives us a good feeling to know that there are civil servants [who care]. I wish the aspiring politicians would [do likewise].”

Finally, the Chief Minister regretted the unfortunate incident on Saturday, August 15, in which a young man stabbed another youth to death. He said it did not speak well about Anguilla. “We had been boasting that we are the only country in the Caribbean, and probably in the world, that had not registered a murder case for the year, but we have to change that now,” he remarked. He urged the people of the island to live a life of togetherness in these difficult times and to avoid crime and the destruction it would cause.

Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, commenting on the matter, extended his condolences to the family of the youngster who lost his life and the parents of the youth who perpetrated the crime, saying, “When these things happen, everybody suffers – the victim, the families and the community at large. He stressed the need to get to the root of such acts of crime and to find ways of addressing it. “We suspect that it points to the breakdown of discipline in the family and the community…I think it is a key issue of how we teach our children to deal with conflict of differences from very young…[how we] teach them social skills and conflict resolution, so important to peace and harmony in the community,” he suggested.

On economic development matters, Mr. Banks said that the principals of the Altamer project visited the island and met with Government on Monday. “It was important because there had been a number of rumours with regards whether or not the project is going to be sold or terminate its business,” he pointed out. “We have been assured that this is not the case. Altamer will continue to operate. It will not close for the season as usual. There have been some health challenges with one of the owners and that has been the cause in the delay of some of the expansion of the project. Of course there were other issues as well, but they are fully committed to the project including the yachting marina which is part of that project.

“They may have scaled back the scope of the implementation going forward, but they presented a very optimistic and encouraging picture to us. And because of the confidence we had in them over the years, we feel very much re-assured that Altamer will continue to exist and follow its plan of expansion which will be a critical part of Anguilla’s tourism product.” He wished Mr. and Mrs. Eggleston the very best in their personal and health affairs and in addressing the Altamer project.

Mr. Banks said the Ministry of Finance was preparing to attend what was being called “a bootcamp” on the 8-point Fiscal Stabilisation Plan [involving the OECS] to be held in St. Kitts from September 7-15. The Anguilla Government’s team will be led by Dr. Wycliffe Fahie, with other teams attending from all the other territories. The discussions will focus on fiscal and economic stabilisation in the ECCU region.

The OECS Ministers will meet with the participants at the end of the ‘bootcamp”on Friday, September 18 for discussions. “It is something important so that we can have coordination among the ECCU member territories, so that we will be on the same page regarding economic and fiscal stabilisation,” he explained. “The 8-point plan includes social safety nets, financial safety nets, management, fiscal strategies and a whole range [of other matters] for creating a strong Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.”

Mr. Banks was critical of the action by the British Government in its recent announcement that it had taken control of the Turks and Caicos Islands from the elected and former Government. He thought it was a retrograde step, that there were other ways and means of handling the situation to reflect a more democratic approach to governance and the importance of allowing countries to have a level of responsibility to their affairs. “From time to time the emerging developing countries may falter, but that does not call for the kind of high-handed measures which are used to deal with the challenges wherever they existed,” he continued. "We hope that in the Overseas Territories Consulting Council this will be a very important matter on the agenda.”

Referring to the accusations of bribery of Ministers in Anguilla, as put forward by the Foreign Affairs Committee in London, he said no facts had been put forward and nothing further had been heard about the matter following the response of the Anguilla Government and comments by former Governor, Andrew George.

Chief Minister Fleming commented that the situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands was not a matter that anyone should be happy about. “I am not at all happy and I hope that we can discuss this further. Remember it is Turks today, it could be Anguilla tomorrow but it doesn’t have to be for the same thing,” he commented. He said he was going home on retirement from political life next year and was certain that nobody would rap on his door about any matter and was certain he could say the same about the other Ministers of Government.

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