necessary assurances to the agents and the firms that advise those with an interest in a second citizenship. Our programme continues to attract high-net-worth individuals and fortunately interest has remained high. and is continuously increasing. The Antigua & Barbuda passport is still among the most attractive out there. How challenging has it been to balance health and economy in this crisis situation? It has been very challenging to engineer a balance between economic and health interests. My government’s objective is to balance lives and livelihoods and to ensure that no-one or very few people - in Antigua & Barbuda become infected by the coronavirus. Our task is also to ensure that workers can earn wages and salaries during this crisis, sufficient to feed and to house their families. The Cabinet which I lead must take all circumstances into account when determining how long or how severe the lockdown must be in fighting the spread of the disease. Do you foresee diversification of productive industries as a result of this pandemic?
Yes. We have started to plan the economic diversification. The challenges of previous decades remain; however, new energy and creativity are being readied for the new world, especially in agriculture, light manufacturing and in the knowledge industries, as well as commercial technologies to include apps, blockchain technologies, and crypto currencies. We are also diversifying into cannabis and medical education and medical tourism. Antigua & Barbuda is a resilient country and more than ever, open to business. What is your message to the world? During the five decades since 1967, when development decision-making moved from the colonisers to the colonised, Antigua & Barbuda experienced incredible growth. Since 1981, when sovereignty and independence were achieved, the country’s economy has grown ten times as large and productive. In the new era, post-Covid-19, when the world is likely to be reshuffled, our people’s creativity and resilience will again be put on display. In 2018, Antigua & Barbuda experienced 7.4 percent growth, and our passport was ranked the 10th most powerful in the world.
ISSUE 7 • MAY 2020
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