Alfa Nero – By Jeressa Jeremy
Alfa Nero Funds Missing
The long-standing administrator of Antigua and Barbuda’s .ag internet domain, has concluded that the US$40 million proceeds from the Alfa Nero sale are missing from official digital records.
Dr George Daniel, who has managed the nation’s digital identity since 1995, stated that a windfall of this magnitude—amounting to 7 percent of total government revenue—should leave an unmistakable footprint in the budgetary estimates.
“I’ve searched for it and there is no record,” Dr Daniel stated. “You can’t hide a hundred million EC dollars easily in those documents.”
He identified a data mismatch: while the Ministry of Finance claimed the revenue was received in July 2024, the 2026 Budget actuals for that period do not reflect the influx. He stated that the absence of this record suggests a breakdown in fiscal reporting.
“I am looking at the numbers and they simply do not add up. In a digital age, you cannot have a forty-million-dollar transaction vanish between the point of sale and the national ledger. It points to a serious lack of synchronization in our financial data management,” he stated.
Other matters were also discussed when Dr Daniel appeared on OBSERVER Media’s OBSERVER AM yesterday morning.
He identified a US$450,000 commission involving a government representative and noted a lack of disclosure regarding agreements between the brokerage firm and its subcontractors.
“Make the agreement public. That’s the easiest thing to do,” he said. At the same time, he questioned the action of the government entering into agreements without full visibility of all parties receiving payment, comparing it to a main contractor hiring electricians without the homeowner’s knowledge.
“We are talking about public funds and international reputations. When you have intermediaries and subcontractors operating in the shadows of a government deal, it creates a vacuum where accountability goes to die,” Dr Daniel added. “It is not just about the money; it is about the precedent we are setting for future state assets.”
Managing the .ag domain involves managing the nation’s international brand. Dr Daniel warned that constant headlines involving undisclosed commissions and political interference in oversight bodies like the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) make it difficult to rebuild Antigua and Barbuda’s reputation.
“You cannot build a world-class digital economy on a foundation of financial ambiguity. Every time a scandal like this hits the international press, the value of the .ag brandtakes a hit. We are essentially working against ourselves,” he noted.
He said that while the .ag domain represents the nation’s digital future, a pattern of international scandals—averaging one per year—increases the risk of further grey-listing by global financial task forces.
