ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Minister of Finance Harold Lovell is debunking reports that government is attempting to operationalise a “pirate” website.

Two weeks after government paid February salaries late, public servants have been informed that wages for the month of March will not be forthcoming until after the Easter holidays.

Finance Minister Harold Lovell said paying public workers on a fortnightly basis, rather than a monthly basis, is being considered as a way to ease the burden created by the late payment of wages and salaries.

Finance Minister Harold Lovell said he has honoured a court order to issue a warrant for the payment of more than US $70 million (almost EC $190 million) to Half Moon Bay (HMB) Holdings.

Finance Minister Harold Lovell is facing legal action if he fails to promptly issue a warrant to compensate Half Moon Bay (HMB) Holdings more than US $70 million.

Thousands of public servants will spend another weekend without their salaries – almost a fortnight after February’s wages were due.

The government could decide to call it quits with the country’s second biggest contributor to the economy – the financial services sector.

An ease is coming for non-commercial importers in Antigua and Barbuda.

Finance Minister Harold Lovell has said maybe to a proposal by the Antigua & Barbuda Employers Federation (ABEF) to abolishing income tax.

Prominent businessman Phillip Shoul is the latest to voice his favour for a scrapping of the personal income tax.