A local businessman is welcoming the decision to establish a National Trade
Council (NTC) for Antigua and Barbuda.
Managing Director of Shell Beach Seafood, Wilbur Edwards, said such an entity
‘with muscles’ such as the NTC may be able to better represent the interests of
small/medium-sized enterprises such as his own in the face of many international
challenges.
Edwards, whose company exports lobsters internationally, to as far as China, has
recounted the challenges faced, within the last several years, just to keep his
business afloat.
From the COVID-19 pandemic issues to difficulties shipping his lobsters into
China, Edwards identified shipping as his greater challenge, especially since only
one airline is offering cargo service out of VC Bird International to London where
they are transited to China.
According to Edwards, in August of last year, British Airways (BA) the only
carrier with a cargo service, placed an embargo on shipping lobsters beyond
London. That forced his company to engage in a scramble to find a UK company
that would do a joint venture by shipping the lobsters from London to China.
“Now, you must understand that BA is the only game in town as Virgin Airlines
suspended cargo service into Antigua and Barbuda two years ago. We have begged
and begged Virgin to resume operations, but we do not have the muscle to
convince them to resume operations here. We need support from persons or
government entities with the necessary muscle to negotiate on our behalf,” he
remarked.
He also reported that calls have been made to senior officials of the airline, but
which seemingly have fallen on ‘deaf ears.’ He added that this development has
allowed BA to increase their prices sharply because there’s no competition.
Meanwhile, the Antigua and Barbuda Chamber of Industry and Commerce also
welcomes the formation of the NTC.
Executive Director – Martin Cave, said his organization would naturally support
the formation of the NTC since “trade is what we do. The NTC may bring the
various players together for them to collaborate, this would make trading easier.
Whenever this happens, it benefits the whole economy,” he remarked.
