St. John’s: To provide better road infrastructure to the citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne continues to remain firm on levying increased fees for vehicle registration.
Even as there has been a public backlash against the decision taken by the government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Prime Minister has claimed that many citizens were now able to see the long-term benefits of increasing the vehicle registration fee to fund the road network repair and upgradation project in the nation.
The Prime Minister said that having a good road network was imperative for any nation for its economic growth and to attract more tourists. He said that better roads also lead to fewer vehicle repairs and bring down the maintenance cost.
While a section of the society has accepted the contentions being put up by the Prime Minister, there is still a group of people within Antigua and Barbuda who are not happy with the hike in the registration fee for the vehicles.
Under the revised policy, the government has decided to impose a 40% hike on larger vehicles such as SUVs and heavy-duty equipment. The government has increased the vehicle registration fee by $100 for standard motor cars.
The Prime Minister said that larger vehicles caused more wear and tear on the road network. Therefore, an additional tax has been imposed on SUVs and heavy equipment vehicles.
The Prime Minister said that the funds that will be generated through the increase in vehicle registration fees will be used to upgrade the road network across the twin island nation.
The project to improve the road infrastructure across the nation will also be funded by a loan that is to be secured from Antigua Commercial Bank (ACB) and the Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank (EAB).
He said to ensure accountability and transparency in the use of these funds, the two banks will be monitoring the spending on the road infrastructure projects.
Under the new road infrastructure project envisaged by the government of Antigua and Barbuda, the nation will see roller-compacted concrete roads instead of asphalt roads.
The Prime Minister said that the concrete roads offer a long-lasting solution for ensuring a better road network in the nation.
Even as a section of the society is still opposing the move by the government to impose higher fees on vehicle registration, the government remains firm that this was imperative for improving the road network of Antigua and Barbuda, which can have multiple economic benefits for all sections of the society in the times to come.
