Dear Editor,

We are reaching out to Antigua News Room because we feel that we have exhausted every avenue available to us, and we believe the public deserves to know what has been happening to the workers who provided their services for the National Food Fair 2025.

Almost one year later, we have still not been paid.

Yes—almost an entire year has passed since we showed up, worked, and fulfilled our responsibilities for an event that was organized and supported by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda. Yet, despite completing the work we were contracted to do, we are still waiting for the money we earned.

What is perhaps even more frustrating than the delay itself is the silence.

For months, we have been left without proper communication, clear answers, or a definitive timeline for when we will receive our payments. We have reached out and attempted to follow up, only to be passed between government departments.

The Ministry of Creative Industries and Innovation has indicated that the matter is no longer in its hands and that it falls under the responsibility of the Cultural Development Division and Treasury.

We should not have to navigate a maze of government departments just to receive payment for services we have already rendered.

We did not abandon our responsibilities. We did not fail to show up. We did not ask the government to wait almost a year before paying us.

It is unacceptable that ordinary workers can be expected to perform their duties on time while those responsible for processing their payments can allow nearly a year to pass without providing adequate communication or accountability.

Instead, we have been left frustrated, confused, and feeling completely forgotten.

Our patience has run out.

We want the Cultural Development Division and Treasury to provide a clear and public explanation regarding the status of the outstanding payments for workers of the National Food Fair 2025.

We are tired of being told that the matter is someone else’s responsibility.

It should not matter to us which desk our payment is sitting on. What matters is that we did the work, and we are still waiting to be paid.

We are not asking for special treatment.

We are asking for what we are owed.

Almost one year is long enough.

Respectfully,

Concerned Workers of the National Food Fair 2025

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Almost One Year Later: National Food Fair 2025 Workers Are Still Waiting to Be Paid.