Trinidad PM shows support for International Airport
An international airport is vital for the economic and social development of St Vincent and the Grenadines. This as the new world economic order, resulting from globalization, continues to destroy the agricultural sector of countries like this one.{{more}}
This is the view of Trinidad and Tobagoâs Prime Minister Patrick Manning that was expressed last Sunday in his address at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Argyle International Airport.
Manning, who could not attend, forwarded his address, which was read by Hans King, the Press Secretary to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.
â…it has become essential for St Vincent and the Grenadines to focus its economy on the tourism sector, an occurrence which makes an international airport requisite for its economic and social development,â Manningâs address said.
He reiterated Trinidad and Tobagoâs commitment to fraternal relations with the CARICOM community and stressed the need to forge ahead with âcloser and deeper relations with each other.â
âIf one reflects on it, one will see how much we depend on each other and must strive harder to be our brotherâs keeper,â the statement read.
Referring to Dr Gonsalves as his âdear friendâ, Manning outlined the process which facilitated his countryâs contribution towards the airport project.
He recalled that the CARICOM Petroleum Stabilization Fund that was set up three years ago to deal with poverty alleviation and emergency relief situation could not be used for airport development.
In response to a request made by this countryâs government, a special window to help finance infrastructural development projects in countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) was set up.
This special window was to be financed with US$1 million per month by Trinidad and Tobago but because of St Vincent and the Grenadinesâ urgent need, it was capitalized with US$12 million up front, so that this country could assess the US$10 million that it needed.
Meanwhile, Dr Gonsalves has again credited good leadership on his part and his longstanding friendship with Prime Minister Manning as responsible for the positive response by Trinidad and Tobago regarding the funds for the airport construction.
âListen to the sequence and you will understand the importance of leadership on this matter,â Dr Gonsalves said at a press conference last Tuesday.
âFor me to get Prime Minister Manning, to speak to him about this thing, to even have an opportunity to persuade him, it means that I would have had on an ongoing basis to establish a very good relationship with him and his government, to be in a position to exercise the influence and to do the persuasion by the force of the arguments and the documentations,â he said.