Trinidad committed to international airport in St Vincent
By Duggie Joseph
Caribbean Net News St Vincent Correspondent
Email: duggie@caribbeannetnews.com
Published on Monday, July 14, 2008
Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of
Trinidad and Tobago has pledged his government’s assistance in helping St
Vincent and the Grenadines realize its goal of constructing an international
airport.
Manning was invited to Sunday’s ‘ground-breaking ceremony’
for the airport but was unable to attend. However, he sent an official
statement, which was read by Hans King, Press Secretary for Prime Minister Dr
Ralph Gonsalves.
Manning pointed out that his government had opened a CARICOM Petroleum Stabilization Fund three years ago, the purpose of which was to assist with poverty alleviation and to provide relief in emergency situations.
“In response to a request from the Government of St Vincent
and the Grenadines for US$10 million to start with the construction of this
runway, Trinidad and Tobago decided to establish a special window in the
CARICOM Petroleum Stabilisation Fund, to help finance infrastructure
development projects and programmes of countries within the OECS (Organization
of Eastern Caribbean States), with an allocation of TT$6.5 million per month,”
Manning said in his official statement.
Manning said establishing the special window became
necessary, since St Vincent and the Grenadines’ request did not meet the
established criteria for accessing money from the Fund.
(What exactly is the criteria for accessing funds? Do we kiss ass and get $6.5 Million a month? Here we are, poor suffering stupid trinis dying at the hands of murderers, gang wars, imaginary dengue and losing our homes to floods but our Prime Minister's responsibility is to take care of St. Vincent. Neighbourly yes but we all know it's just a grandiose scheme to stroke patos' megalomaniac ego as we trinis need neither poverty alleviation nor emergency measures to combat crime. Perhaps St.Vincent will also send people over to Trinidad to vote for the great PNM in the next election to ensure that they prevail forever! Yay us Trinidadians!)
(Oh, didn't you know a Commonwealth citizen can vote in our elections? The link above states that "A Commonwealth citizen, 18 years of age or older, whom has resided legally in Trinidad and Tobago for a period of at least one year and has resided in an electoral district/constituency for a least two months prior to the Qualifying Date." )
“The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, recognizing the need
to commence this project without undue delay, decided to capitalize up front,
the funds in the special window by a sum of TT$78 million, that is, an
injection of one year’s funding at TT$6.5 million per month,” Manning stated."
These articles are widely researched, accurate in fact and really raise pertinent issues at the national level.
Posted by: shankar bidaisee | September 27, 2009 at 12:24