PM Browne Says Government Assistance Is Distributed Regardless of Political Affiliation

Prime Minister Gaston Browne says government social assistance programmes are available to vulnerable residents across Antigua and Barbuda regardless of their political affiliation, rejecting concerns raised by Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle about how resources are distributed.

The issue prompted an extended exchange in Parliament on Monday, as Pringle questioned whether opposition representatives and their constituents had equal access to government assistance, including food vouchers and building materials.

Browne said programmes administered through the Ministry of Social Transformation are intended to benefit people throughout the country.

“Every single constituency benefits from our programmes,” Browne said, adding that no constituency had been excluded.

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Pringle pressed the prime minister on whether only government members had access to some resources and later questioned why, in his view, people associated with the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party who were seeking political office appeared to have access to assistance that elected opposition representatives did not.

Browne maintained that the programmes were government-funded social initiatives rather than Labour Party programmes and said assistance was distributed to Antiguans and Barbudans irrespective of political persuasion.

The opposition leader also questioned what mechanism was being used to ensure resources reached the country’s most vulnerable people.

The exchange eventually turned specifically to food vouchers, with Pringle asking whether Browne intended to order an investigation into their distribution.

Browne said Pringle had not presented specific information demonstrating that there was a problem requiring an investigation.

He said that if Pringle had concerns about the food voucher programme, he should raise them with “specificity” and direct questions to the minister responsible for overseeing the programme.

Browne maintained throughout the exchange that government social programmes were operating across constituencies, including those represented by the opposition.

Antigua Newsroom