Beginning a New Era in Development and Prosperity – 2026 Speech from the Throne

Delivered by Sir Rodney Williams

Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Parliament Building, St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

MADAME PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, MR. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

Introduction

Six months ago, in November last year, I addressed a joint session of the Parliament. It pleases me to return to these hallowed halls less than a year later to address yet another joint session of the Parliament. I congratulate the new administration on its success at the polls, on 30th April, and extend heartiest best wishes to all parliamentarians who are now charged with commencing a new era in development and prosperity.

The people of Antigua and Barbuda have spoken; and, the voice of the people is the voice of God. Our democracy has withstood many turbulent events in years past. The actions of the entire population, during the recent weeks of campaigning by the political parties and independent candidates, were nothing short of exemplary. Not a single incident of vandalism or violence! The entire four-week experience casually exceeded the dignity and high regard usually attributed to mature democracies. We are a great nation!

As a sovereign and democratic nation, we can all boast of the wisdom of our electorate. Despite the overwhelming influence of youth on the outcome of the contest, and in the pledges of the parties’ future outlook, the expected destination of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda, my Government asserts, is to transform our island-State into a formidable economic power.

My Government is determined to foster a renaissance in education, health-care, housing, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, agriculture, investments, cultural expression and other facets of life. My Government has created very ambitious pathways to a renaissance — like expanding the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, and turning Barbuda into a net contributor to wealth-creation. The renaissance is intended to take our nation-State, by purpose and design, to lasting progress and prosperity.

Foreign Affairs

I turn to one of the most challenging portfolios that, without skillful management, could engulf our small-island developing State in geo-political battles that are not of our choosing: Foreign Affairs.

There are two wars being waged by the strongest nations on earth, resulting in deaths in those affected countries and significant burdens being borne by small countries like ours.

The Russian Federation and Ukraine began fighting each other more than four years ago, and many are the consequences for a Europe that last experienced war ending in 1945. As sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation caused its sale of energy products to decline, the price of fossil fuels globally began to rise.

When the USA and Israel launched attacks against Iran, and that country closed one of the sea lanes through which 20% of the world’s oil usually flows, the price of shipping, insurance, fuels and consumer goods also began to rise globally.

Small states have played no role in starting these conflicts that have generated tough economic choices for the people of Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean, and the people of these two large states.

The management of our State’s Foreign Affairs by Paul Chet Greene demonstrates the sound reasons why faith is placed in the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration.

My Government views CARICOM as essential to our island-nation’s stability and prosperity. The several multilateral institutions created to meet the collective and individual needs of the CARICOM member-States form a protective blanket that allows for collaboration and far-ranging security building measures.

Tourism

Since 1952, when The Hotels Aid Ordinance was adopted by the Legislative Council of the Presidency of Antigua in the Colony of the Leeward Islands, our forebears bet on tourism.

Today, more than 60% of the gross domestic product of Antigua and Barbuda is generated by tourism. Tourism is Everybody’s Business.

More than one million cruise passengers are likely to arrive during this season, and more than 500,000 overnight arrivals will fly into Antigua and Barbuda in this calendar year.

The runway at V. C. Bird International Airport is being repaired and strengthened. A new runway and air terminal have begun operation at Burton-Nibbs International Airport in Barbuda.

More than EC$3 billion in investment have been generated for Barbuda; and more roads, desalinating plants, new housing, a new village at Louie Hill, and a new school will soon cause a renaissance in Barbuda. No-one will be left behind in this new dispensation, my Government promises.

Public Utilities: Water

One of the most daunting tasks faced by the Government of any small island developing-State is the provision of potable water for its inhabitants.

My Government has increased the APUA supply of potable water from 3.5 million gallons daily in 2014, when it first assumed office, to 11 million gallons daily with the addition of four more reverse osmosis plants. Before the end of this calendar year, my Government will be providing 14 million gallons of potable water daily.

While the level of production of potable water has been satisfactory, the delivery of that water has proven problematic in several communities. Ageing pipes that easily spring leaks and that break when pressure is increased must be replaced.

Residents and motorists who need potable water delivered to their homes and businesses decry the dusty or muddy, uneven or potholed street surfaces that result when new pipes are being buried. Every farmer knows, if you wish to plant crops, you must first plow the earth.

Ministry of Works

The quality of the roads and highways in Antigua has been improving. The Sir George Walter Highway, the Friars Hill Roadway, the Sir Sidney Walling Highway, the Valley Road from Golden Grove to Old Road, and the Parham to Willikies Highway have all been recently repaired.

All Saints Road is undergoing a renewal. Simultaneously, the secondary roads within villages and communities are also being paved.

A consortium of banks has agreed to advance $150 million against a small user-fee which each motorized vehicle is required to pay annually.

Another ambition has been the housing revolution which characterizes my Government’s 12 years in office. The National Housing and Urban Development Company and CHAPA have constructed more than 2,000 new homes in the period.

Education: Academic and Skills Training

When my Government decided upon establishing a University of the West Indies Campus in Antigua and Barbuda, there were those who scoffed at the presumptiveness of tiny Antigua and Barbuda proposing such a venture.

The UWI Five Islands Campus began life with a cohort of fewer than 350 students; four years later, nearly 2,000 students are enrolled in its various classes.

It has begun to offer master degree programs, and will eventually offer PhD programs also.

My Government is about to spend EC$300 million on UWI’s expansion, providing new Primary and Secondary Schools to the Five Islands community in the process.

UWI is at the heart of the renaissance where tertiary education will be tuition-free for citizens.

The ABICE, now a part of the ABCAS, will provide youth with training in the trades, allowing all to receive certification and to earn higher incomes on account of their training.

Agriculture and the Blue Economy

Agriculture has remained an integral component of the economy; but as tourism’s impact grew, agriculture’s share of the economy declined relatively.

Many new tractors, other vehicles and equipment have been purchased by, or donated to, my Government as heightened efforts are made to ensure that appropriate assistance can be extended to farmers.

Youthful farmers requiring training and other assistance as they modernize the methods of producing food are being supported.

My Government expresses its thanks to the People’s Republic of China for sending agricultural experts to Antigua and for flying many farmers to China, in order for our farmers to witness and learn from the new methods that are being utilized to boost production.

Modernizing methods of growing food, including greenhouses, aquaponics, drip irrigation, and adding fertilizers from many sources to the soil will surely grow the relative size of agriculture.

Social and Urban Transformation

My Government’s focus upon youth has been matched by its focus upon the elderly and those in need, including persons with disabilities.

The Ministry of Social Transformation has ensured that no-one goes hungry with its zero-hunger program.

The Ministry provides food vouchers which enable dignified purchases from a number of supermarkets.

As my Government sets out to make our country an economic powerhouse, the aesthetics of our capital city cry out for attention.

The Minister of Urban Transformation has been tasked with removing derelict buildings from St. John’s and turning those blighted spaces into places of interest or new ownership.

The refurbishment and renewal of the St. John’s Police Station reflect the start of the renovation of Government-owned properties in the City.

The refurbished Government House, resplendent in its beauty, is also an example of renewal of excellence.

Sports and the Creative Industries

My Government is determined to provide youth with potential to win, in both regional and international sporting events, the infrastructure required to make the athletes vault over competitors from larger States.

An Olympic-size swimming pool is shortly to be completed at the grounds adjacent to the ABICE, giving swimmers the opportunity to achieve excellence.

Carnival 2026 is shaping up to become the most outstanding since the start of the annual event in 1957.

My Government will inject several million dollars into the festival in order to ensure its success.

The airlines have already agreed to extra flights, and the hotels and other places of accommodation are already planning for a bumper season.

Our nation’s 45 years of Independence, coming on 1st November 2026, will also provide the leadership of the Ministry to engage meaningfully with all those elements of thanksgiving that mark our people’s climb out of degradation and exploitation.

A Legislative Agenda for 2026 to 2031

My Government has prepared a legislative agenda which takes into account the shortened term which triggered a new parliamentary session after April 30.

Reforms to the Police Services, the Fire and Rescue Services, forensic services and electronic crimes of every variety will be addressed in several proposed new laws.

Given the reporting by several workers of harassment by superiors, laws that protect the vulnerable and ensure fairness in establishing truth will be brought before the Parliament.

Other laws that impact food safety, mental health, pharmacy regulation, and the operation of medical laboratories and nursing homes will come before this Parliament.

The Citizenship by Investment Program, that has garnered more than EC$2 billion since 2013, has become a significant contributor to non-tax revenue and now accounts for more than 10% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Every decision by the Parliament, including legislative changes, will be undertaken to safeguard its importance to Antigua and Barbuda and the other OECS members engaged in attracting investments through this method.

Conclusion

My Government has long believed and adhered to a fundamental principle captured in a pithy, two-word adage: “leadership matters.”

One of the most challenging moments faced by the Government was to extricate the State from the grip of the International Monetary Fund.

By 2018, my Government repaid EC$320 million in full to the IMF.

My Government changed the law to allow, for the first time in the near-400-year modern history of the State, ownership of land in Barbuda to be claimed by all those previously disenfranchised for one dollar.

Today, more than EC$3 billion have been invested in Barbuda, making the sister-isle one of the most attractive places in the Caribbean for foreign direct investments.

The United Nations Fourth Conference on Small Island Developing States was held in Antigua in May 2025.

In November 2026, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will convene in Antigua and Barbuda, with more than 7,000 delegates and scores of Heads of Government and Heads of State.

My Government has adopted the proposal put forward by the oldest yet most energized trade union to provide a “livable wage” rather than a “minimum wage” to workers whose earnings are customarily among the lowest.

Antigua and Barbuda is off to a great start, a mere 45 years following independence. Despite wars and rumors of wars, despite hurricanes and earthquakes, despite droughts and floods, despite external shocks and the vulnerability of smallness, the nation is facing a renaissance that will make her unrecognizable a few years hence.

MADAME PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, MR. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: May God bless this Parliament; may God bless the nation; may God bless us all.

I thank you.

HE Rt Hon Sir Rodney Williams Delivers the Throne Speech 26 May 2026 Version as at 26 05 2026