Crime, Illegal Immigrants, Financial Woes, Bonds And Treasury Bills, Constitution
Anguilla’s Chief Minister and Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Osbourne Fleming, has issued a call to all persons on the island to join the Government and the police “to take on board” the problem of crime facing the community.

L-R: Chief Minister Fleming, Hon. Victor Banks and Hon. Evans Rogers

“To that end we have solicited the support of the police and have asked them again to conduct meetings in the community whereby they could talk to the people of Anguilla and answer questions,” he told reporters at his weekly Tuesday press conference. “The first meeting of this kind will take place at East End on the 19th of February.” He hoped that similar meetings would be held throughout the island.

The Chief Minister’s call for public, police and Government partnership in crime prevention and control, has come against the background of a recent series of criminal activities including armed robberies and burglaries, some of which involved violence.

Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, condemned the attacks on a number of restaurants on the island during which some persons in the ownership of the facilities were injured by the intruders. “It is important that we recognise that this recent wave of criminal behaviour…is something that we have to take very seriously, as it has a very negative impact on the investment climate in Anguilla,” he said. “There is no excuse for this kind of behaviour. We cannot condone it. The Royal Anguilla Police Force is very vigilant and has made some arrests and is proceeding with its investigations. I want to send a clear message out about the responsibility of all of us, as the police cannot deal with this issue by themselves,” Mr. Banks said. “We all are responsible for securing our properties – whether private residence, commercial or as operators. I urge everybody to be vigilant.”

The Minister said it was not known who all were involved in the criminal activities but he stressed that if there was a need to purge the community to ensure homeland security in Anguilla that step would have to be taken.

Minister of Social Development, Evans Rogers, also spoke about the robberies and burglaries on the island but addressed concerns about vandalism and theft of property provided to the schools to assist in the education of the island’s children.

He took the opportunity to condemn the burglary at the Adrian T. Hazell School where 7 of the 18 or 19 computers were stolen. (See press release elsewhere in The Anguillian.) “This was a blatant act of vandalism in which a torch was used to gain access into the building by burning out a lock and destroying what we have worked so hard to provide,” he stated. “That is a computerised area so that our children could be exposed to what is truly the modern day method of learning.” He was angry that in stealing the computers the thieves had blighted the future of the children to some extent. “I am very disappointed in us, as a people, and I am appealing to the police and the community to look out for strange activities. We have to do our part but the community must embrace whatever we are doing in the community as part of its own because the replacement cost is always higher than the initial cost.” He added that this was especially so at a time when there was a global downturn in the economy.

Financial & Economic Situation

Chief Minister Fleming, in one of his more sombre moods, reflected on the global financial and economic situation which, according to predictions, might get worse but he hoped that it would not be the case in Anguilla. “We will not be daunted by the rhetoric but will continue to put our heads together to see what we can do to ensure that we can provide financing for our nurses, police officers, teachers and civil servants, health care and education for our people,” he stated. “The Government continues to monitor the financial situation in Anguilla and by extension that of the world…We hope that in Anguilla we can see the start of the Flag project. As I said the last time, that would alleviate a lot of our problems. We are in no position to say where that project is now but we are optimistic that something will happen.”

Illegal Immigrants

Mr. Fleming repeated his call on non-belongers in Anguilla who might be on the island illegally to regularise their position, saying his Ministry of Labour and Immigration did not have much success in that appeal. “We cannot sit idly and allow people to break the laws of Anguilla and, to that end, we are re-activating the Task Force (made up of the Police and personnel from Immigration and Labour) who will now be carrying out regular exercises and we will be dealing with the people who are here illegally,” he warned. “Through this media we are putting persons on notice …to go in and regularise your position or leave the island.”

The Chief Minister called on political aspirants on the island to realise that it was not a time for bashing or blaming the Government for the situation in Anguilla and to join in putting all heads together to see how best to address the problem. “The financial situation in the world is serious,” he said. “I cannot emphasise it stronger and in Anguilla it is the same thing. I am going to sit down with my colleagues and invite the other members of the House of Assembly to join us to see how we can brainstorm and how we can inform the people of Anguilla to recognise the situation that we are in... What I am saying is being said by every Head of Government throughout the world, asking for the same support.”

Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Victor Banks, pointed out that while it was necessary to be cognisant of the world’s financial situation, and its impacts on Anguilla, there was also a need to make a change by taking re-balancing measures.

Mr. Banks referred to the difficulty being experienced by the C L Financial Group in Trinidad and Tobago and the question of what impact its situation was having on the banking sector, government and other institutions which have lodged money with its agencies. “There is a proactive approach to dealing with this matter,” he went on. “The C L Financial Group is a hundred billion dollar company…(That’s in TT dollars, some US16 billion dollars) and they have over a hundred thousand policy holders throughout the region; and they invest in a lot of institutions and own the Republic Bank of Trinidad and Tobago and so it is a major financial institution.” He said the company was rich in assets but there were some issues with its cash flow affecting its ability to live up to the demands of its customers which, during this financial period, are seeking liquid support.

Local Banks Faring Well

He continued: “There are a lot of rumours about what is happening to the financial institutions in Anguilla. I must tell you that they are faring well [but] are feeling the stresses of these events. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has assured the region’s institutions that they will make good for whatever investments the institutions of the region – government, public and private - have in the C L Financial Group. They are in fact putting together a bail out package for this institution.” He warned that any banking institution in any part of the world could fail if customers demonstrated a lack of confidence and decided to take their money out, a move that would create a negative situation and would be the worst thing to do.

“I want to assure you that the Government, as a public organisation, the banking sector, the private organisation and the regulatory sector throughout the region, the Central Bank in particular, are all ensuring that our financial institutions in the region…are protected and customers and shareholders can claim the support they require,” Banks said.

Government Bonds & Treasury Bills

Mr. Banks said the Anguilla Government was now undertaking the issuing of Bonds and Treasury Bills for the first time, a means of funding public sector investor projects. The required legislation is going to the House of Assembly next Tuesday, February 10. A regional consultant is assisting the Government with a prospectus for the marketplace to get some one hundred million dollars. The reason is to enable the Government to create some liquidity in the banking sector by paying off its obligations to the local banks and also to address some of the pubic sector investment projects. “This is an aggressive and proactive way of dealing with the tightness in the financial system at this point,” he stated.

Draft Constitution

One of two other matters at the press conference was a statement made by the Chief Minister who disclosed that the Government had received word that it would receive the first draft of the Anguilla Constitution from the Committee charged with the work. The presentation will be on Friday this week. The plan is to discuss the proposals with the people of the island before taking it to the British team in March for formal discussion.

US$200,000 Dialysis Machine

In the other matter, Minister of Social Development, Evans Rogers, said he was pleased that Social Security had responded positively to a joint proposal by his Ministry and the Health Authority in providing US$200,000 for the purchase of a modern and internationally tested dialysis unit for the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Chief Minister Fleming was pleased with the arrangement and stressed that such equipment was a great need in Anguilla.

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