Prime Minister Gaston Browne has defended his administration’s performance by pointing to economic statistics he says prove the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) has delivered consistent growth and investment since taking office.
Speaking at a rally in St. George over the weekend, Browne dismissed criticisms from the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), telling supporters, “Those are the performances of our Administration,” as he listed what he described as indisputable gains.
According to Browne, Antigua and Barbuda’s economy has grown by more than $2.2 billion between 2014 and 2024—surpassing the size of the entire economy of Dominica and amounting to more than 60 percent of the economies of Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“Our economy today is about $6 billion,” Browne said. “We’ve been growing this country’s economy by over six percent per annum post-COVID.”
He credited his government’s policies for attracting more investment per capita than any other country in the region, highlighting the PLH project in Barbuda, which he said had already surpassed $1.8 billion EC in investments, with projections to reach $2 billion EC by the end of the year.
Browne also pointed to a labor market experiencing record demand. “Today we have a shortage of employment in a number of sectors—the hotel sector, the construction sector,” he said. “We’re actually importing construction workers now because we can’t find enough skilled labor.”
He contrasted this with the UPP’s time in office, claiming that their ten years of governance failed to generate even half of the investment secured by a single project under his administration. “If you aggregated all of the investments that took place during the UPP’s administration, they do not even come to half of that $1.8 billion,” he asserted.
Browne also highlighted infrastructure achievements, including the development of the Barbuda International Airport and upgrades to the country’s water and energy systems, saying these projects further demonstrate the ABLP’s commitment to national development.
“When anyone says to you that my administration has not performed, the stats do not lie,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s remarks appear aimed at bolstering confidence ahead of a potential early election. While he did not announce a date, Browne told supporters to remain ready and promised that when the time comes, “it will be a resounding victory for the Labour Party.”