Antigua to launch 2026 citizens’ portal to publish all government contracts

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne says his administration will roll out a public “citizens’ portal” in 2026 that will make every government purchase and contract available for public review. The move, he said, is part of a broader governance reform effort in response to controversy surrounding recent vehicle acquisitions by state entities.

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Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show, the Prime Minister said the new digital platform is designed to give citizens direct oversight of state spending. “We’ll have a citizens portal,” he said. “So all the purchases that we make, all the contracts that we give will be on that portal so anybody can go and examine.”

Browne linked the initiative to concerns raised during the vehicle-purchase dispute and said the government intends to strengthen oversight to prevent misuse of state resources. He referenced situations in which individuals resisted accountability measures and argued that the portal will help curb abuses by making procurement information fully accessible.

His remarks came during a wider discussion on governance standards, where he stressed the need for public officials to accept stronger controls that are intended to safeguard public finances. The goal, he said, is to ensure resources are used “exclusively for the empowerment of our people, especially the poor and the vulnerable.”

Browne added that the administration is actively “plugging gaps” across government systems, and that the portal will serve as a central feature of a modernized procurement framework next year.

The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny and calls for stronger transparency and compliance mechanisms following the vehicle matter. The portal is expected to go live in 2026.