Gov’t to answer questions at today’s sitting of Parliament

When the House of Assembly meets today, the Government will provide oral answers for 16 questions the Opposition has put to them, including two about the financial statements of the International Airport Development Company (IADC) and PetroCaribe, and another about the flights chartered by the government for the opening of the Argyle International Airport.

Leader of the Opposition Dr Godwin Friday will ask Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr Ralph Gonsalves: “The International Airport Development Company has received hundreds of millions of dollars of public money to use for the construction of the Argyle International Airport. Will the Prime Minister please state: (a) How up to date the IADC is in filing financial statements at the Commercial and Intellectual Property Office; (b) When the company will be up to date in the filing of financial statements; (c) When the account or manner in which the money spent by the IADC will be reported to Parliament.”

In relation to the chartered flights, the opposition leader will ask the Minister of Tourism Cecil McKie: “(a) What was the final cost to charter Sunwing, CAL and other airlines to fly to and from St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the opening of the Argyle International Airport and; (b) How much of the cost was recovered through ticket sales and how much was paid by the government, including government owned entities.”

Parliamentary representative for East Kingstown Arnhim Eustace will ask the Prime Minister:

“Given that no financial statements for PetroCaribe SVG and PDV SVG have ever been filed at the Companies Registry (CIPO), would the Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance please indicate: (a) Why in the 12 years since PetroCaribe SVG’s establishment and the 11 years since PDV SVG’s establishment no financial statements have ever been filed for each and; (b) When will the financial statements be filed.”

Other questions to be answered today pertain to the fiscal outturn for the Central Government for the period January – March 2017, as compared with the similar period in 2016; road repairs in Bequia, Ottley Hall, North Leeward and South Leeward; Government policy on the construction of a polyclinic at Redemption Sharpes; the status of the fisheries centres at Owia and Chateaubelair; the possibility of Government assistance to raise the near three million dollars required by the Anglican church to restore the St George’s Cathedral and the status of arrowroot export and production in St Vincent.  

This sitting of the House of Assembly was initially scheduled for June 6 but was postponed to today because of the search for the six Vincentians who went missing at sea on Sunday, June 4.