Member of Parliament for St Peter Asot Michael has firmly defended amendments to the Barbuda Land Act which paves the way for the right to own freehold land for a nominal price.
“In other words, it seeks to empower Barbudans in a way they have never enjoyed or experienced,” Michael told the ongoing debate in the Lower House.
He sees the amendment as giving them keys to open the door to wealth creation; “to seize the opportunity to be owners not tenants; to brighten their prospects and widen the pathways to their own progress.”
He said the law will bring Barbuda into the modern age and give young residents of Barbuda the opportunity to own and to empower themselves.
“Time to toss away the shackles of the past and stride boldly and unfettered into a brighter future,” the MP told colleagues.
In the view of the opposition, the changes are being made without consultation but Michael says in the past, the Barbuda Council has used the process “to thwart every effort and to maintain Barbuda and Barbudans in thrall to them.”
“In the wake of a major disaster that has emphasized the huge vulnerability of Barbuda, that is still what this government is striving to achieve – one house in which all are treated in fair measure and given the chance to grow and develop.”
Read the full speech here:
Statement by the Honourable Asot Michael
