Antigua and Barbuda Parliament to debate 13 Bills for second and third readings on Feb 27

In what is expected to be a key day in Antigua and Barbuda’s legislative history, as many as 13 Bills will be taken up for second and third reading debate in the House of Representatives on Thursday, February 27, 2025. The Bills on the Order Paper will be moved by top leaders such as Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who also has the responsibility for finance, and Attorney General and Minister for Legal Affairs, Steadroy Benjamin. 

There will also be Bills that will receive their first readings during the day. They include: The Payment System and Services Bill, the Cannabis (Amendment) Bill, the Civil Registration Vital Statistics (Amendment) Bill, the Litter Control and Prevention (Amendment) Bill, the CARICOM Arrest Warrant Bill and the Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill.

Bills that PM Browne will move

PM Browne will move the first and second readings of the Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF) Bill, 2025, which aims to ratify the Antigua and Barbuda Share Subscription Agreement entered with CAF (Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean) to secure Antigua and Barbuda’s membership into CAF as a shareholder member-nation.

He will also move the second and third readings of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Bill, the Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information Bill, and the Tax Administration and Procedure (Amendment) Bill.

Attorney General Benjamin to move Fire and Rescue Service Bill

Attorney General Benjamin will move the second and third readings of the Fire and Rescue Service Bill which will rename the fire department as the Fire and Rescue Service (replacing the Fire Brigades Act). The new Act, once passed, will see the Police Act and accompanying regulations not applicable to the Fire and Rescue Service. 

The Fire and Rescue Service will aim to educate people on preventive measures to safeguard life and property besides preventing and controlling the outbreak of fire. It will also be the lead agency in the dual-island state to undertake search and rescue operations with other bodies. The service’s command will be with the chief fire officer under the new Act. He/she will be directly involved with the service’s daily operations. A Fire Service Board will also be set up. 

The attorney-general will also move the second and third readings of the Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Services Bill to bring into operation a legislative framework to set up the Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Services to support law-enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting criminal offences. The Bill will also have provisions for the appointment and functions of the Forensic Director and Deputy Director.

Benjamin will also introduce the Magistrate’s Code of Procedure (Amendment) Bill, The Girl Guides Association of Antigua and Barbuda (Incorporation) Act, and the Architects (Professions) (Amendment) Bill.

Other Bills to be introduced

Other Bills to be debated during the day include the Cultural Heritage (Protection) Bill and the Consumer Protection Bill which will be presented by National Parks Minister EP Chet Greene, and the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the Leeward Island (Incorporation) Bill which will be tabled by the Minister responsible for Ecclesiastical Affairs, Molwyn Joseph.

Opposition UPP criticizes government

Parliamentary members of the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) were not pleased with the allegedly late distribution of the Bills by the legal affairs department and requested Attorney-General Benjamin to abide by the House’s Standing Orders. 

According to reports, the members of parliament were given hard copies of 12 of the 13 Bills just ahead of the February 27 sitting, which apparently gave them a little or no time for consultation. 

The UPP representatives expressed their displeasure, alleging the late distribution affected their preparations for debates about the Bills in a manner that reflected the needs of their respective constituents. They even accused the attorney-general of deliberately delaying it with the backing of PM Browne and the Government Bench. They also argued that the government has the advantage of prior knowledge and technical advice on the legislation. 

They also criticized what they called frequent breaches of the notice period and sought an intervention from the Speaker of the House to ensure the protection of the public interest. They also urged the public to raise a voice against the alleged abuse of parliamentary procedure.

What people said

People came up with mixed reactions to the government’s tabling of 13 Bills and the opposition’s criticism. While some praised the government for taking up several key issues together, others felt it was rushing through serious legislative action. On the UPP’s criticism of the government, many said it needed to focus on its responsibilities and advised its parliamentarians not to stage a walk-out, something they did in the past and was condemned.