Petition for the installation of additional cash machines

in 

the English Harbour Area [EH], Antigua and Barbuda.

This petition is a collaboration between Antiguan Citizens, EH residents, EH Traders, EH workers, EH visitors, EH university students and Investors in the English Harbour community Antigua and Barbuda, henceforth referred to as ‘The English Harbour Community.’

We, ‘The English Harbour Community’, hereby petition the Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank (ECAB) and our political representative, MP E.P. Chet Greene, for the sighting of a minimum of 4 additional ATM machines in the English Harbour / St. Paul’s Parish area.
      Having identified 13 locations for the installation of the ATM machines, we hereby additionally petition for a feasibility study regarding these locations to be undertaken by the banks. We state that the single weekly armoured cash delivery to the sole ATM is insufficient to meet the demand for cash in the EH community and petition for an additional weekly delivery to the existing arrangement.
     This petition for additional ATM machines arose from the persistent inability of the sole ATM Machine in the area, at Nelsons Dockyard, to dispense cash when needed 24 hours a day. The English Harbour Community notes that this has been the case for many years and believes the current ATM facilities are not fit for purpose.

The community believes that this cash shortage in the English Harbour area has impacted trade, especially small traders denied the use of a card machine by the banks, and those community members on a low income. For example: Tourists and boat crews are unable to get cash, so do not spend with smaller traders on their days out /shore leave.   When the ATM is inoperable, local workers do not have pocket money, the students of The University of Health Sciences Antigua (UHSA) can’t buy food at the “EC cash-only” on campus restaurant, cash-only taxi drivers are losing out on fares because customers lack cash, and drivers can’t purchase petrol at the cash-only petrol station. 

Consequently, unnecessary journeys to St Johns for cash are being made my members of the EH community. This is impacting upon people’s time and expenses on unnecessary journeys.  When EH residents are forced to travel to St Johns to get cash, local trade then decreases as people then spend money in St Johns for groceries, petrol and food. Additionally, the consequences of the above is a further decrease in EH trade and reduced employment opportunities for EH Antiguan citizens. 

The English Harbour Community believes the current ATM facilities in EH are not fit for purpose and this is longstanding. Polite requests to the ECAB and other local banks and government officials have, so far, been without success. This petition represents the community and is the next step in persuading the politicians and banks that additional ATM cash facilities are needed in the St. Paul’s Parish / English Harbour community. 

Locations identified for ATM installation: -

1: Covent Garden Supermarket

2: Antigua Yacht Club Hotel

3: Falmouth Harbour Marina

4: Los Cabrones 

5: Sweet Ts / Bailey's Superette

6: St. Paul's Empowerment Centre

7: Copper & Lumber

8: Dockyard Pharmacy

9: Abracadabra- new owner

10: Colibri Restaurant

11: Crab Hole Liquors

12: UHSA - Med School

13: The National Sailing Academy 

Please sign our petition.