Antigua & Barbuda and other Caribbean countries have been unfairly targeted by a US-based company, which measures safety in conducting business.
Minister of Finance and the Economy Harold Lovell said the company who made the assessment did so with no basis.
According to Aon Risk Solution’s 18th annual Political Risk Map, this country is among 13 in the region with a medium risk level.
Antigua & Barbuda is said to be one of many countries around the world that went the wrong way since the previous assessment. The country’s ranking, in terms of safety in conducting business, the company said, has slipped over the last 12 months.
“When we went and we checked Antigua & Barbuda in terms of what reason they were putting forward there were no risk factors identified, similarly with St Lucia there were no risk factors identified,” Lovell said.
“There are one or two countries where they did identify risk factors but I’m not going to say what those countries are or what those risks are because I’m not going to perpetuate what I consider to be an unfair targeting of Caribbean islands,” he added.
Antigua & Barbuda is listed among 13 Caribbean countries that received diminished ratings. The others are The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Netherlands Antilles, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad.
Most of the OECS, including Antigua & Barbuda have a medium risk level when compared to Aruba – part of the Dutch Antilles, which is unchanged at “medium-low.” Puerto Rico and Barbados are also at medium-low. Jamaica and the Dominican Republic are listed as medium-high.
I am glad to see you defending our island and I hope you will do it in a more timely manner next time.
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