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HOUSEHOLDS DESPERATE FOR RUNNING WATER – The Anguillian Newspaper – The Weekly Independent Paper of Anguilla

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WCA’s Water Tanks at Crocus Hill

According to information from the Water Corporation of Anguilla (WCA), as much as 80% of the water that is locally produced by reverse osmosis leaks into the ground. That figure is astounding because it means that only as little as 20% of the water generated ever reaches consumers.

No wonder there are constant water shortages and outages that plague our people every week. Sharing 20% of the water produced among some five thousand households just can’t cut it – not to mention business places, offices, and some farmers that depend upon “government water”. In some cases, some households have not received running water from the WCA over a number of days on end, and they are, indeed, desperate and frustrated too.

It is clearly understood that the water distribution network in Anguilla is in a state of dire disrepair. The old metal pipes have rusted and grown thin. Leaks in deteriorating, rusty steel pipes are inevitable after being buried in moist soil for multiple years without due maintenance and attention. There is where the problem lies. Under those conditions, yes, eighty percent of water generated would most likely be wasted.

Whatever has been done by previous governments to alleviate the growing water crisis has not been enough. Now, with all this water going to loss, it means that in order for this mammoth problem to be solved, this current Government and, in particular, the Ministry of Infrastructure, will, in local colloquial terms, “have its hands full.”

During his 2023 budget address, the Honourable Premier Ellis L. Webster rightly said that food security and water security are intertwined. And during that budget address it was revealed that an amount of EC$5 million is earmarked for the island’s water distribution improvements. But the question is: Is that EC$5 million sufficient to take care of the island’s water woes? The WCA must know what its needs are to rectify this on-going, embarrassing situation.

Notwithstanding, the Premier did say that the EC$5 million investment will serve in a phased approach to solving Anguilla’s water crisis – a “phased approach”.

We do not expect this huge water problem to be rectified overnight, but The Anguillian reached out to the Honourable Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Haydn Hughes, to get some clarity as to what this phased approach to solving the problem really means.

The Minister remarked: “The water distribution network has been in terrible and irreparable shape for many years. To that end, it was determined, based on professional analysis, that over 80% of the water is lost in leaks.

“The WCA has not been in a good financial position for well over five years. We are investing in the rehabilitation of the water distribution network as this administration seeks to remedy this untenable situation.

We are confident that water is a viable entity and it is an essential service and only significant investment can remedy the long standing issues.

We are moving ahead with the remedial action in a phased approach given government’s financial and budgetary constraints.”

Well, as the saying goes, “Half a loaf is better than no bread”. We appreciate the investment (though little it might be) that the Government has made in order to “assist” the cash-strapped Water Corporation of Anguilla and, by extension, assisting its people by making the effort to supply their water needs in a “phased” approach.

Perhaps, as Government coffers become more lucrative throughout the months ahead, by the time the 2024 Budget rolls around, Government should be in a better position, with a clearer vision, to be able to allocate at least EC$10,000,000 instead of EC$5,000,000 towards the 2024 Water Works for more speedy repairs of the water distribution network.



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MEMBERS PLEASED WITH REBUILDING PROGRESS OF THE SHIMEI SDA CHURCH BUILDING IN LONG BAY

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Men at work
L-R: Lester Jules, Earnest Fleming and Howard Simon

The Pastor and members of the Shimei Seventh-day Adventist Church say they are excited with the progress of the rebuilding of the church building in Long Bay.

The latest development was the casting of the floor “jollification” style on Sunday 26th February, 2023. Work on “pouring the floor” started early in the morning when the truck rolled on the property to ‘shoot’ the concrete.

Workmen from the Mount Fortune and New Life churches in the east had traveled to the west to participate in the work. They were accompanied by the church sisters who cooked and distributed a delicious Sunday meal.

Pastor Lester Jules is the Pastor assigned to the Shimei Ministry, as well as the Jireh Ministry in South Hill. He shared with The Anguillian his feelings about the casting of the floor:

“We have registered good progress with the pouring of the floor,” he said. “This work spells excitement, hope, and great expectations, as we continue on this worthwhile project for the Lord. We were joined by members from the other districts who came down to assist us, and indeed we are thankful for all the help we can get.”

“The effort was crowned with a very tasty lunch provided by the women of the Mount Fortune Church. Indeed, we thank them immensely,” Pastor Jules said. “We remain resolute and committed to having this church project completed for the work of Christ in the not too distant future.”

Pastor Howard Simon is in charge of the churches in East End. He is the Coordinator of the building project, and one of his duties is to ensure that there is adequate manpower for the work.

He told the Anguillian Newspaper he is eager to see the Shimei church completed.

“Pastor Jules marshaled his troops,” he said, “and we from Mount Fortune and New Life joined forces with them to make the work easier. It was a wonderful experience. We had a tremendous time. We had a lot of folks down there engaged in the casting of the floor. The ladies from Mount Fortune provided a sumptuous lunch for us, and we thank them wholeheartedly.”

“We had gone down there before as a team to work with the Chief Contractor, Brother Earnest Fleming, on some other preparatory work for the floor pouring. All in all, Sunday’s work was quite rewarding and our united efforts proved to be a great success.

Remarkably, the Shimei Ministry was the first Seventh-day Adventist church established in Anguilla in the early 1930s, but the body of believers had no building of their own in which to worship. Services were held in Edmond Hodge’s home – one of the members – before a little shelter was built, which was occupied for a number of years.
Since then, a building was dedicated in 1987. The new building, now in progress, promises to be a magnificent edifice when it is completed. This 11,935 square-foot structure will replace that 1987 building which was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017.



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ANGLEC ENTHUSED WITH ROLLOUT OF THREE ELECTRIC CARS – The Anguillian Newspaper – The Weekly Independent Paper of Anguilla

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ANGLEC has unveiled three state-of-the-art electric powered cars.

The roll out on Friday afternoon, 24th February, is in keeping with its commitment to “serve you better”, and to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
ANGLEC’s CEO, Mr. Sutcliffe Hodge, introduced the two Chevrolet Bolts and one Nissan Leaf to the press, with emphasis placed on ANGLEC’s determination to move away from fossil fuel operated vehicles, to more efficient environmentally friendly vehicles over the course of time.

Mr. Hodge said that due to the impacts that fossil fuels have made on the environment all around the world, there is the need to transition to cleaner sources of energy. He said: “Over the past few decades, there has been much research work done on how to transition fossil fuel-operated automobiles away from fossil fuel to the use of other energies such as hydrogen and electricity, in particular.”

“For ANGLEC, as the supplier of Anguilla’s electricity, it seems almost like a natural relationship,” he said, “whereby ANGLEC should lead the way with Anguilla’s transitioning away from the use of fossil fuel cars towards using electrical vehicles.”

“A couple weeks after taking up my appointment at ANGLEC,” he said, “we started having the conversation about using electrical vehicles, and we decided that it is something that we must do. Now today, we are unveiling three electrical vehicles which ANGLEC has purchased.”

“Starting today,” he continued, “ANGLEC will have branded electrical vehicles on the road which will represent a mobile billboard for us, saying ‘100% fuel-free’. With these cars, we would realise zero emissions and a significant reduction in running costs.”

ANGLEC’s Chief Operations Manager, Mr. Steve Hodge, commended the efforts of the CEO for ANGLEC’s acquiring of the three electrical vehicles.

“I must give kudos to Mr. Hodge as our CEO. Shortly after he joined ANGLEC, the idea of electric vehicles dominated one of the first conversations he had with me. He made sure he would accelerate our acquisition of electrical cars and begin to move away from fossil fuel powered vehicles”, Mr. Steve Hodge said.

“As the Electricity provider for Anguilla, we keep our eyes focused on how our use of electrical vehicles would benefit our customers. These vehicles will give us greater efficiency, helping us cut operating costs in the long run. And naturally, a more efficient ANGLEC ultimately benefits our customers”, he told the press.

The Chief Operations Manager noted that the introduction of the three electric vehicles must be considered as Phase 1 in what will be an ongoing process of significantly reducing ANGLEC’s reliance on fuel-powered vehicles.

He stated that as ANGLEC acquires more electric vehicles, the fossil fuel-operated vehicles will be sold.

The introduction of the electric cars takes ANGLEC’s fleet to thirty-three, including thirty gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.



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ANGUILLIANS SHOULD ALL KNOW THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE #1 – The Anguillian Newspaper – The Weekly Independent Paper of Anguilla

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This initiative is now proving to be of great interest to businesses everywhere.
In this series of articles we will be explaining the Special Economic Zone and how it will benefit the economy of Anguilla and all Anguillians

AZUR is the name of Anguilla’s Special Economic Zone, set up by the Chord Group with substantial support from the Government, through a suite of legislation, and offers impressive concessions whilst creating fabulous lifestyle options.

Companies within the Zone are focused on trading globally, not locally, and are designed to facilitate trade on an international basis.

Establishing a business in the Special Economic Zone should be an attractive option for companies who are looking to branch out into different markets. With the right infrastructure supporting them, these businesses can gain access to many opportunities while avoiding the financial costs and restrictions associated with setting up a company in new markets globally.

Businesses searching for low administrative costs, tax benefits, and access to new markets often register their businesses globally, which AZUR makes easy.

With a specialized infrastructure in place, businesses can take advantage of the tax incentives and market opportunities offered by Anguilla without a large physical footprint.

To find out how you could benefit please visit AZURSEZ.com or contact us at info@azursez.com.

Alternatively contact our Zone Manager, Steve Garlick on 264 729 2793 s.garlick@azursez.com

 



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