Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that businesses in Β Antigua & Barbuda will face fines if they fail to submit trade data, as the government moves to strengthen economic reporting.
Speaking on Pointe FM, Browne said, βIt means, therefore, that we will have to use legislation with penalties and to ensure that those penalties are enforced, even if they fail to submit the necessary data.β
He criticized the lack of reporting from some entities, stating that the Department of Statistics has been unable to capture accurate economic data due to non-compliance.
βThereβs no reporting taking place, and part of the reason too is because the data capture is weak,β he said.
To improve data collection, Browne revealed that the government is bringing in an expert.
βWe have also approached a very capable Β Antiguan who worked at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in the statistical division, and Iβm hoping that she will at least agree to take on some form of consultancy to help us to build capacity,β he said.
He also called on officials to take a more proactive approach.
βEven though people are not sending the information voluntarily, pick up the phone and call them. You canβt just sit behind a desk and say youβre not getting any information,β he stated.
Browne acknowledged that some businesses refuse to provide data, making it difficult to assess economic growth.
βThe data that weβre getting from our statistical unit is not in keeping with the level of growth and development that is taking place within the country,β he said.
The government plans to introduce legislation to ensure compliance and improve economic reporting in Antigua & Barbuda.
