THE EDITOR: Unlike the senseless dramas associated in parliament, this time around, significant details were provided by the current administration on the way forward for St. Lucia.
Democracy was witnessed at its highest level when a clear cut debate was aired in regard to the construction of the new HIA.
In 2006, the UWP administration highlighted the importance of constructing a new terminal facility to deal with our vibrant and growing tourism industry. Unfortunately, the SLP administration which is known for its lack of foresight was not inspired by the decision and to the best of our knowledge, Phillip Pierre actually announced that airport terminals are not that important as such facilities are merely used as a transit entity for persons entering and exiting the country.
Mr. Pierre‘s God and Superior acted with impunity by placing a freeze on an annual income of $75mil on a head tax initiated by the UWP administration during their term of office 2006 to 2011 — a decision which not only shocked the Ministry of Finance, but also IATA which had introduced this charge into the airline fares for St. Lucia.
The big question remained: what became of that annual $75 million which would have totaled $300 million during the four-year reign of the SLP administration? The answer is rather unfortunate: the airlines retained that revenue and laughed heartily all the way to the bank.
In response, the questionable genius Kenny D. Anthony then proceeded to hand over the HIA to an organization for 30 years with poorly-implemented safeguards by way of water tight contractual arrangements with various concessionaires which would have caused St. Lucia to suffer a loss close to $2 billion over the 30-year period of one of our most lucrative investments.
By the grace of God, the UWP won an overwhelming g victory in 2016 and was able to save St. Lucia from a catastrophic agreement.
The current administration clearly articulated the pitfalls of the SLP plan and provided the public with a well-documented option by retaining control of the HIA and all its rightful earnings.
St. Lucians need to follow and address the importance of placing individuals in government that have a basic knowledge of business to protect the ROCK OF SAGES from individuals who fail to understand the importance of maximizing the limited resources and benefits available to small island states. (Sage)
I am appalled by the writer’s sophomoric argument on the case of the HIA. What the writer should have was to make a comparative cost analysis between the public-private-partnership (PPP) and the sole venture taken by the government. It seems that the writer is too lazy to embark on a scientific approach in order to reach an objective conclusion. Rather, the writer preferred to be immersed in a cesspool of filth.
Let us hope that local professionals who have had experience in design of terminals will be given an opportunity to team up with the new foreign designers/architects.
Let us hope that local professionals who have had experience in design of terminals will be given an opportunity to team up with the new foreign designers/architects.