ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The Ministry of Sports is attempting to build stronger partnerships with sports facility management and community stakeholders in an effort to conserve resources and stave off future run-ins with the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA).
In a meeting held on Thursday evening, ministry representatives including sports minister Winston Williams, Director of Sports Mervyn Richards and Co-ordinator of Planning and Project Management Anne Jonas were among representatives who met with community clubs, sports facility management companies and other community stakeholders to discuss money and energy conservation.
The ministry’s meeting with community groups was part of an agreement made with electricity provider, APUA, in a meeting held last week to address lingering matters stemming from the power provider’s island-wide disconnection of sporting facilities.
“Coming out of that meeting, we agreed to meet with our stakeholders and discuss with them the urgent need and requirement for conserving energy as a mechanism for cost saving, as well as environmental issues including fossil fuel conservation,” Jonas said in an interview with OBSERVER Media.
Jonas noted that greater transparency and empowerment of the community groups is the key to stabilising the power issues on island.
To this end, she said the Memorandum of Understanding that exists between the ministry and stakeholders would also be strengthened.
(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)
