The House of Assembly is the third oldest parliament in the Western Hemisphere and celebrated its 350th anniversary in 1989, although voting was limited to property owners until 1950. There are 21 senators appointed by the Governor General, of whom 12 are on the advice of the Prime Minister, two on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and seven at his own discretion to reflect religious, economic and social interests. 28 single-member constituencies elect the House of Assembly. A 1998 Commission on the constitution chaired by a former BLP leader and Attorney General, Sir Henry Forde QC, recommended abolition of the monarchy, with the Governor General replaced by a ceremonial president, changes in the composition of the Senate, and replacement of the London-based Privy Council as final appeal court by a Caribbean Court of Justice. There is a well-established service sector, and a wide range of light industries which produce mainly for the local, regional, and North American markets.
Manufacturing is the second largest foreign exchange earner.
Informatics is a growing business, employing over 2,000 people. There is a small oil industry. There is also enough natural gas for piped domestic supply to urban and suburban areas. Conoco has an offshore exploration programme which has yielded promising preliminary results. This allowed the prime minister to remove VAT from essential foods in his September budget, which in turn produced a dramatic drop in retail prices.