New APUA Board urged to put public interest first

Observer News Desk
Governor General Sir Rodney Williams has called on the newly sworn-in Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) Board to place the public interest at the centre of its decisions as it oversees the country’s critical water, electricity and telecommunications services.
Speaking at the Board’s recent swearing-in ceremony at Government House, Sir Rodney stressed the significant public trust attached to the directors’ responsibilities and urged them to exercise integrity, accountability and independence.
The Governor General said the Board assumes its duties at a time of continued investment and modernisation across APUA’s operations, including increased water production, improvements to water storage and distribution, and developments in electricity generation and distribution.
He also pointed to ongoing efforts to strengthen the resilience of the country’s telecommunications network.
Sir Rodney encouraged the directors to approach their responsibilities with “integrity, diligence, sound judgement, accountability and independence of thought”, while keeping the wider national interest and the reliable delivery of essential services firmly in focus.
The new Board is chaired by Luther Lee, with Purcell Bird serving as deputy chairman.
Other members are Senator Shaquan O’Neil, Elisabeth Fane, Tesfa Francis and Kelvin Benjamin. Sir McLean Emmanuel serves as consultant, while Joy Dublin is corporate secretary.