The House of Representatives has passed the Visiting Forces Bill, 2026, establishing the legal framework to govern foreign military and security personnel expected to assist Antigua and Barbuda during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November. According to Antigua News Room, the legislation was approved on Tuesday.
Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin told Parliament the bill is designed to give legal authority to visiting forces that will be deployed alongside local law enforcement during the high-profile international summit.
"We're having a very big thing here in November," Benjamin said. "This bill… is intended to give credence… to the forces which were coming to Antigua to help us to maintain law and order."
Benjamin said the legislation sets out the legal basis under which foreign personnel may operate while in Antigua and Barbuda and defines how they will be treated under local law.
Among the bill's key provisions, members of visiting forces will be exempt from paying income tax on salaries and emoluments earned while serving in the country. The exemption, however, does not extend to Antiguan and Barbudan nationals. Service vehicles brought into the country by visiting forces will also be exempt from local licensing taxes and fees.
Furthermore, equipment, supplies, and other goods imported exclusively for use by the visiting forces will not attract customs duties or taxes. All such materials must be re-exported once the deployment concludes.
"They will not attract any customs duties and they will be repatriated or sent back to their homes when completed," Benjamin told lawmakers.
The Attorney General was careful to stress that the bill is not intended to confer special privileges on foreign personnel. Rather, it establishes the legal framework governing their presence, including how any legal proceedings involving them would be handled during their deployment.
"This really is putting the system in place so that they can lawfully apply their trade, assist us… and this is all this Act is about," he said.
Following Benjamin's presentation, the House resolved itself into a committee of the whole to consider the legislation clause by clause. Members approved all eight parts of the bill, which cover provisions dealing with jurisdiction over visiting forces, claims for personal injury and property damage, taxation, coroners' inquests, attachments involving members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, and miscellaneous matters.
The legislation was subsequently reported back to the full House and approved, completing its passage through Parliament.
