Senator Malaka Parker has criticised Prime Minister Gaston Browne’s response to protesting service station operators, calling on the

government

to provide sustained relief for families and businesses facing rising costs in Antigua and Barbuda.

In a public Facebook post, Parker accused Browne of condemning fuel dealers and threatening government-backed competing stations instead of addressing concerns about profit margins and operating expenses.

She said the prime minister had acknowledged those concerns as legitimate.

“The public deserves uninterrupted access to fuel. The dealers deserve a fair hearing. And both deserve responsible leadership,” Parker wrote.

The senator cited inflation of 7%, a 42.9% year-on-year increase in electricity prices to August, and a rise in gasoline prices from $14.50 to $17.99 per gallon in just over a month. She also pointed to increasing rent, transportation and other essential costs.

Parker said families, workers and small businesses were struggling, arguing that the government’s response should focus on practical financial relief.

“Prime Minister, you cannot keep increasing the cost of living and then demonise the people and businesses struggling to survive it,” she wrote.

Her criticism extended to Browne’s leadership, describing him as “unworthy to lead” the country.

Parker urged the government to explain what it would do to deliver meaningful, sustained assistance outside an election period, saying the central issue was how it would ease the pressure on residents and businesses.

Source: Antigua News Room Senator Malaka Parker Criticises PM’s Response to Fuel Dealers, Calls for Cost-of-Living Relief.