Minister Asot Michael meets with the Minister for Regional Integration of the Dominican Republic; Mr. Miguel Mejia at the Dominican Republic National Palace.

The Minister for Regional Integration of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Miguel Mejia invited Minister Asot Michael to the Dominican Republic National Palace during his visit to the Dominican Republic. The meeting served to discuss the importance of our countries bilateral relations and the future visit of a Dominican Republic delegation to Antigua and Barbuda. Minister Mejia extended an invitation to Prime Minister Gaston Browne to visit the Dominican Republic.

Minister Miguel Mejia expressed the interest of the Dominican Republic in the region and the different projects that are currently being developed. Minister Michael expressed the interest of Antigua and Barbuda to attract investments to Antigua and Barbuda. Ambassador Juan Guiliani Cury, said that the Dominican Republic views CARICOM as their natural partners in projects.

Mr. Sadala Khoury, President of the Dominican Republic Exporters Association, expressed the interest of his sector to find partners to invest and promote exports. He recognized the advantages of manufacturing different products in Antigua and Barbuda.

Minister Michael welcomed their interest in Antigua and Barbuda.

Read More

Minister Asot Michael attends Investment Trade Show in Santo Domingo

Minister Asot Michael, Minister of Tourism, Economic Development, Investment and Energy attended in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic the most important investment trade show in all of Central America and the Caribbean.  The event had hundreds of representatives from all over the world. During the investment Forum, he met with Secretary of State Jean Alain Rodriguez, Director of the Export and Investment Center of the Dominican Republic. The Ministers discussed the importance of attracting Foreign Investment to the Caribbean.

In the event that was headed by the President of the Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina, Minister Michael expressed the idea of making the Caribbean one destination for Foreign Direct Investment. The representative of Antigua and Barbuda expressed the variety of business opportunities available in our country and the government investment friendly atmosphere.

Alternative energy options was one of the main topics discussed by Minister Michael during his meetings, in which he agreed on a visiting program by business people interested making investments.  Mr. Enrique Ramirez, Executive Director of the National Energy Commission of the Dominican Republic agreed to work with the Minister in looking for renewable energy options and promoting a national culture of energy conservation and efficiency.

Read More

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA COMMITTED TO ATTRACTING FOREIGN INVESTMENT

Antiguaand Barbuda’s Minister of Tourism, Economic Development, Investment and Energy, The Honourable Asot Michael, will go after international investment, this week, as he attends ‘Invest DR’. 

The Minister will meet hundreds of top investors at the two-day summit, which started today in the Dominican Republic.  ‘Invest DR’ is considered the Greatest Investment Summit in Central America and the Caribbean.

More than five hundred investors representing fifty countries have descended on the island to hold talks on business opportunities in tourism, energy, infrastructure, agribusiness, and the services and manufacturing industry. His Excellency Danilo Medina Sánchez, The President of the Dominican Republic, addressed delegates at the opening ceremony.

The Minister's trip is in line with Government's objective of attracting a significant amount of direct foreign investment within a year's time. 

Earlier today, the Economic Development and Investment Minister announced that: “Antigua and Barbuda is open for business.  There is no question about it, investment is key to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda’s economic plan.  We have revamped legislation and are formulating policies to make it more attractive for businesses to operate in the country as the focus is on securing more global investment.” 

Those involved in the closed afternoon meeting with Minister Michael to discuss investment strategies included heads of Government in the Dominican Republic: Minister of Tourism, Francisco J. García,  José Del Castillo Saviñón, Minister of Industry and Commerce,  and Pelegrin Castillo Seman, the Minister of Energy and Mining.

The minister will be seeking potential future collaborations in the shared sectors.

Read More

Asot Michael – The Anti-Corruption Mission

Corruption is found in the government when instead of thinking about the interests of the citizens as a whole, the members of the government are chiefly interested in promoting their own selfish interests.

Corruption is found in both public and private organizations and everyone starting from the clerk to the Managing Director of a company is corrupt in a way or the other. The clerk takes small bribes from the people who visit the office so that their work is finished early than the others who are waiting in a queue.

Parents offer bribes in schools and colleges to get their child admitted. There is no institution, no organization which is not corrupt in a way or the other.

But the question that arises is that can an anti-corruption movement be started and if yes, shall it be successful.

The answer depends largely on the adaptation of anti-corruption measures by both the government and the citizens.

This is the foundation on which the success of any anti- corruption measure will depend. Corruption is an incurable disease which all the citizens should try to combat by hook or by crook.

People should be allowed to re- elect the candidate they voted for if he fails to fulfill the promises that he made while contesting the elections. People are of the opinion that corruption is a way of life and nothing can be done to eradicate it. It is essential to understand that unless we as the citizens are not determined to do away with corruption from the roots, how we can expect the government to be corruption- free – Honorable Asot Michael

Read More