Prime Minister Gaston Browne is again emphasising his desire to have an organised national plan to beautify and to enhance the physical landscape of both Antigua and sister island, Barbuda.
To this end, the prime minister has announced the government’s intention to undertake what he termed ‘a robust beautification programme’, with Minister of Social and Urban Transformation, Rawdon Turner, leading the charge.
Under the programme, the prime minister indicated that new nurseries at Paynters and Fort Road, overseen by National Housing, are now being developed to grow indigenous plants and ornamentals specifically to revitalize ‘public spaces’.
“This movement is not merely aesthetic—it is about national pride, sustainability, and building a sense of place. The initiative has also become a source for renewed enthusiasm among public workers, many of whom are taking personal pride in the transformation of their communities,” he noted.
PM Browne celebrated this new spirit, citing a road worker nicknamed “Power Man” whose professionalism and passion reflect the broader revival underway.
Meanwhile, the prime minister is celebrating what calls ‘a culture of planning and performance in Public Works’.
PM Browne praised the ‘methodical and collaborative approach’ that is now standard within the Ministry of Public Works. Under the leadership of Minister Marie Browne and Director Collis King, the team meets several times weekly to ‘plan and review project progress’. This, he noted, has led to unprecedented efficiency and project delivery—across all communities, not just in affluent areas.
He noted that Works Minister Browne has become so well-versed in the technical language of infrastructure management that she now commands ‘full confidence at Cabinet’, further proof that strong leadership, combined with technical proficiency, is key to national development.
“From road patching to long stretches of new highways,” PM Browne affirmed, “Progress is visible everywhere and this widespread impact is being achieved without yet exhausting the full $100 million road infrastructure budget.
