Antigua-Barbuda government eager to partner with private sector
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| Published on Thursday, November 19, 2009 |
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ST JOHN'S, Antigua -- The government is eager to forge strong Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) with the business community, as a way of delivering high quality infrastructure and services to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
Chief Implementation Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister, Ambassador Joan Underwood, made this pronouncement during a consultation with the Contractor's Association on Tuesday. The meeting was aimed at examining the potential for collaboration, between the government and the private sector as well as outlining the government’s Divestment Programme.
During the meeting, Ambassador Underwood expressed conviction that significant progress could be realized by harnessing the two parties’ resources, skills and ingenuity for the provision of services and infrastructure development.
According to Ambassador Underwood, one such avenue for partnership is the BOOT model – i.e. Build Own Operate and Transfer. Under such a system, private partners would be responsible for financing, designing and operating a capital project. The Chief Implementation Officer emphasized that under a genuine BOOT arrangement, the maintenance of the facility is the responsibility of the developer and not of the Government. It is only after the ownership of the facility is transferred to the people of Antigua and Barbuda that the Government would assume responsibility for its maintenance. Prior to the transfer, the Government would pay monthly fees to the private partner for the use of the facility.
The session was filled with vibrant exchanges as several executive members of the Contractor’s Association and Ambassador Underwood explored possible areas for partnership. Secretary of the Contractors’ Association Nick Hadeed was pleased with the meeting and welcomed the government’s overtures to his association. “I think this meeting is a very important beginning. This meeting shows that there are a lot of opportunities for partnership and we will consult further to explore these opportunities," Hadeed said.
He added “This is the first time we are talking bout partnership. Typically the private contractors are approaching government. This time around, the government is approaching us and saying they want to work with us. I applaud their efforts.”
The government will continue to hold consultations with key stakeholders including the Employers’ Federation, the Chamber of Commerce, and various statutory bodies as it utilizes public private partnerships as a vital element of its Divestment Programme. | | | | Reads : 638 | | | |
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