PM Browne Denies Claim of Separate ‘YIDA State,’ Says Zone Only Has Satellite Government Offices
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has dismissed claims that his administration is planning to create a sovereign “YIDA State” within Antigua, calling the report misinformation.
In a post shared online, Browne clarified that Yida’s Special Economic Zone operates under a standard arrangement similar to those established globally.
“Yida’s Special Economic Zone, like others globally, has approval for the government to operate satellite customs and DCA offices in the zone, at their cost, to expedite delivery of their services,” the Prime Minister stated.
His comments came in response to an article published by Real News Antigua, which alleged that the Browne Administration was considering allowing the Chinese-backed development to become a self-governing entity exempt from Antigua and Barbuda’s laws.
The article claimed that the plan would permit the YIDA zone to have its own parliament, government, and currency, while still being governed by the country’s Constitution—an arrangement reportedly opposed by some legal advisors but allegedly supported by Attorney-General Sir Steadroy Benjamin.
The Prime Minister’s clarification indicates that the government’s approval only allows for administrative offices—such as customs and civil aviation—to operate within the zone to facilitate investment and streamline regulatory processes, not to grant sovereignty or autonomy.
The YIDA development, first approved nearly a decade ago, was conceived as a major private-sector initiative to boost tourism and industry in the north of Antigua.
