My Antiguan Brothers and Sisters:

It is good to be with you this evening.

I am happy for this opportunity to chat with you about what is happening in Antigua and Barbuda.

Most of this week, I have been engaged in matters related to the World Summit at the United Nations.

Between Summit Sessions, I have seized the opportunity to meet with a number of Heads of State and Government.

They have all confirmed their goodwill for Antigua and Barbuda.

They have expressed a willingness to explore options for providing technical assistance and fostering cultural exchanges with Antigua and Barbuda.

We have gone a long way in restoring respect for Antigua in the international community of nations. There is growing international goodwill for Antigua and Barbuda.

I have also met with a number of major resort developers this week.

All have confirmed strong interest in investing in Antigua and Barbuda.

There are a number of developments that will soon go on stream that will run into millions of dollars and create much needed jobs for our people.

With growing prospects of significant foreign direct investment, the Government has prepared legislation for the Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority and for an Investment Code.

The Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority will be responsible for investment promotion and will operate as a one-stop shop to facilitate the approvals process for investment projects.

The Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority will remove subjective political and bureaucratic influences form the investment process.

We are gearing up to make new Antigua and Barbuda increasingly business friendly in a number of ways. We have begun the redevelopment of the city of St. John's.

We have begun significant expansion and upgrade of V.C Bird International Airport in a number of ways.

We have completed negotiations for substantial reductions in the Cable and Wireless rates on international telephone calls and on Dial Up Internet and Direct Connect charges.

We have launched a sweeping Digital Agenda to prepare Antigua and Barbuda, and the Antiguan and Barbudan people, making information and communications technology as a way of life.

Antigua and Barbuda is gearing up for Cricket World Cup 2007.

In preparation for Cricket World Cup 2007, I broke ground, last week, to mark the commencement of construction of the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground at North Sound.

We anticipate a big gap between Cricket World Cup demand for accommodation and our room capacity. The government is therefore offering a generous range of incentives for the construction of rental villas, guest houses, and small hotels for Cricket World Cup 2007.

Our strategic plan is to develop marketing packages designed to convert Cricket World Cup fans to repeat visitors and to use Cricket World Cup as a launching pad for high visibility tourism promotion campaigns.

All of this offers attractive opportunities for Antiguans and Barbudans living abroad to invest in the tourism sector.

I will be happy to set up meetings with anyone here with an interest in this opportunity.

In the purely local context, all students in Antigua and Barbuda are again being outfitted with free school uniforms.

This is for running for the second year, and will continue.

From this school term, students in designated schools will receive hot lunches at a nominal charge of One Dollar, EC.

One Dollar EC will also be all that is required for the release of Christmas Dollar Barrels.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a brief summary of some of the things that are happening in Antigua and Barbuda.

I am sure that you have some questions.

I am happy to take them. Thank you.