Vehicle owners in Antigua and Barbuda will face a 40 per cent increase in licensing fees as part of the government’s road infrastructure improvement plan, officials announced Thursday.
“If at the moment you pay $400 to the ABTB, it’ll go to $560, 40 per cent. And it’s 40 per cent across the board for everyone,” explained Lionel Hurst, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister, during Thursday’s post-Cabinet press briefing.
The increase will fund a major road repair initiative through a dedicated revenue stream. “They’re going to take this money that we’re going to put into a special fund, and they will use that money to repay a loan of about $100 million in the first instance. That will allow us to get a lot of work done at the same time,” Hurst said.
The new regulations, which will affect cars, trucks, buses, and heavy-duty equipment, are scheduled for their first reading in Parliament on February 25.
The user-fee system has already drawn criticism from opposition members, who voiced concerns before the specific percentage increase was announced.