St. John’s, Antigua – Prime Minister Gaston Browne has issued a stern warning to vendors and roadside mechanics, urging them to clean up their surroundings and stop “ghettoising” the country with pallet structures and abandoned vehicles.
Speaking on his Pointe FM program, Browne emphasized the need for national pride and cleanliness, particularly in areas where makeshift structures and derelict vehicles are becoming eyesores.
Addressing vendors, the prime minister acknowledged their right to earn a living but insisted that this should not come at the expense of the country’s aesthetics and tourism appeal. He specifically pointed to vendors in the Woods area and the south side of the pond, where he observed the accumulation of pallets and even an old vehicle.
“I’m personally going to tell them—clean up the place, man! You can’t be ghettoising the country like that,” Browne declared. “It’s not about depriving anyone of an opportunity to make a living; it’s about ensuring we have a beautiful country. We should not allow anyone to trample on our national pride and our desire to maintain a clean and attractive environment.”
Browne contrasted Antigua and Barbuda’s situation with other regional countries, noting that even less wealthy nations manage to keep their surroundings cleaner. He lamented that many of the worst cases of indiscriminate dumping and poor maintenance appear to be in lower-income communities.
“I don’t know since when poor people lack pride,” he remarked. “I grew up among the poorest of the poor, and I had to clean the backyard and sweep the public gutter. Even though my mother was mentally ill, she knew the importance of keeping our space clean.”
The prime minister also expressed frustration with roadside mechanic shops that leave vehicles in public spaces, obstructing traffic and creating hazardous conditions. He singled out a mechanic operating on Rohan Henry Street, known as Bryson, who was previously given two acres of land at Painters to relocate his business but has continued using public roads as a workspace.
“Bryson, either you act voluntarily and clean up the place, or we will clean it up for you. And if we clean it up for you, you’re not going to like it,” Browne warned.
Authorities, he said, have already started marking abandoned vehicles for removal, particularly in Swetes, where one individual has lined the street with multiple non-functional cars. Browne stressed that vehicle owners will be held responsible for removal costs.
“We need enforcement,” he said. “Too many people feel they have a God-given right to violate the laws and disrupt public spaces. We cannot continue to allow this.”
He also took aim at community wardens, accusing them of failing to issue citations or take meaningful action to curb the problem. He suggested they should be placed on a commission-based pay structure to incentivize them to enforce the laws.
As Antigua and Barbuda continue to push for tourism and economic growth, Browne reiterated that maintaining a clean and orderly environment is a national priority. “We need to stop normalizing disorder and filth. It’s time for accountability.”