ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, April 01 2015 – Prime Minister Browne along with Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister the Charles Fernandez left Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday for London, England where the agreement to change ownership of the company will be signed with the principals of National Petroleum Limited NPL.
Paving the way for the signing of the agreement in London are Energy Advisor Mr. Terry Burns, Government’s Director on the West Indies Oil Company’s Board Mr. Hilroy Humphreys and Chief Executive Officer of West Indies Oil Company Mr. Gregory Georges.
“…We will complete the purchase of WIOC and the government and people will own 100 percent of WIOC,” Browne said ahead of his departure.
“That also includes approximately 280 acres of land. At least 280 of it is undeveloped stretching from Friars Hill to McKinnon – lands that will be passed on to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”
He stated that this action by his government is a most empowering initiative, one in which they have taken $150 million in private wealth and transferred it into public wealth for the masses.
“We have engineered this deal in such a way that we would not have incurred one dollar in debt or spent one dollar in acquiring WIOC. So by setting this vision in transforming Antigua and Barbuda into an economic powerhouse, it is a serious vision and we are working relentlessly in achieving this vision. We are working smart and hard and we are exercising the type of discipline to ensure that we produce and create value for the people of Antigua and Barbuda,” Prime Minister Browne stated.
He said that his government expects the entire population, public and private to emulate the performance of the executive that has been working relentlessly to create opportunities for the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
