Prime Minister Gaston Browne has defended the government’s decision to write off utility arrears for struggling households, describing the measure as a necessary intervention to support vulnerable citizens rather than a political gesture.

Speaking on Pointe FM’s Browne and Browne Show, Browne confirmed that the policy will apply to individuals whose electricity, water or landline services have been disconnected for more than six months, with the government moving to wipe those outstanding balances and restore service.

“Those of you who have arrears for water, electricity and landlines for more than six months, we wipe off your arrears and you start afresh,” Browne said.

The prime minister said the initiative is specifically targeted at persons facing genuine hardship and will not extend to commercial entities.

“It doesn’t apply to business clients. Only individuals who evidently are going through hardships… they can’t pay for electricity. We wipe off their arrears and we reconnect them,” he said.

Browne pushed back against criticism that the measure is unfair to those who have kept up with their payments, arguing that the policy is designed to assist those in extreme financial difficulty.

“You’re talking about people who are practically indigent,” he said. “It takes a person who is practically indigent not to pay and not to have electricity for over six months.”

He added that the policy is not new, noting that a similar approach was implemented after his administration took office in 2014, when arrears were cleared and disconnected households were reconnected.

According to Browne, that earlier move did not harm the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA), but instead improved its financial position.

“You think it did anything to APUA? … APUA revenues increased, because now the people who weren’t paying started paying,” he said.

The prime minister also framed the measure as a safety issue, pointing to risks faced by households without electricity.

He recalled a past incident in which a family relying on candles lost their home in a fire, resulting in the deaths of two children.

“How can we, as leaders in a society, see these kind of difficulties and not address them?” Browne said.

Browne said the waiver is part of a broader effort to ensure that all citizens benefit from national development, particularly those at the lower end of the income scale.

“Everyone must share in the gains of this country… we have to look after the poor and indigent too,” he said.

The government is expected to implement the measure alongside reconnection efforts, allowing affected households to resume service without the burden of longstanding debt.