Construction of the EC$652 million Argyle international airport will continue apace as the nation rebuilds after the devastating Christmas Eve floods, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says.
“The monies which are earmarked for the airport, which were specifically given either as grants or loans for the airport they are specific; they just have to continue,” he said at a press conference on Monday in response to a question about how the floods will affect the 2014 Budget.
“In any case, you need the airport to help you — very much so — to strengthen your own resilience to vulnerability. Even in the case of a natural disaster, to bring in stuff, supplies by air, there is a limit what you can do at E.T. Joshua, so that itself is an issue to strengthen the country’s capacity to address the vulnerability issue, both in respect of nature and of the economy,” Gonsalves said.
The airport is expected to become operational sometime this year. The terminal building was handed over to the Government on Dec. 30.
He said supplementary appropriation bills will be needed to bring into account any contribution the country gets for disaster relief, be they grants or soft loans.
Parliament in December approved Estimates of Income and Expenditure for 2014 amounting to EC$911 million.
“Clearly, there have to be alterations in the Estimates which we have before us,” he said, adding that while some projects will proceed as planned, monies will be diverted from others.
He said the South Leeward Highway project, which will rehabilitate the main road from Kingstown to Layou, will proceed as planned because the monies are already available, the designs have been completed and a contract awarded.
The works there will begin in February.
“Sums where there have been specific allocations like that, they are already existing,” Gonsalves said.
He also spoke of the US$20 million, five-year project for vulnerability and disaster after Hurricane Tomas in 2010.
“Those that are spending this year, which have specific component and the funds remain in train, and in some cases which have been contracted will continue. But there are elements of that package which can be repackaged,” he said, adding that there are other projects which the government may wish to redirect, based on the advice of the Ministry of Planning.
“What I have asked them to prepare for me immediately is how much out of that money package of 54 million that I can get to use now by diverting …” Gonsalves said.
He said that a source that is giving monies for computers for secondary school children wants to proceed with the project.
“But some have raised the question as to whether the donors should be asked monies shouldn’t be diverted,” Gonsalves said.
But if out of all the secondary school students I produce 100 extraordinary individuals, that is part of my resilience-building, my capacity-building,” he said.
“So, there are these choices which you have to make, delicate choices, and we can have an interesting discussion as to whether you should have made this particular choice in changing, or this one,” he said.
“The ideal situation, obviously, is if all the new monies you want for this you can get them substantially in grants or soft loans for these new monies which you require. And, of course, this recovery is a process over time. There are immediate things we do, what I call the humanitarian challenge, the road, for instances are going to be rebuilt over a period of time…” Gonsalves said.
There are dozens of NDP supporters who’s homes were destroyed or damaged three years ago by hurricane Tomas. After three years they still haven’t received help from funds from foreign countries or the Diaspora.
The most they got was a food parcel that lasted two days.
That is why all donations should be sent to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army, not to this government, or any supporters of his government.
If you send aid to his government, if they follow the previous pattern, only their supporters and members will get help.
Good will to all men except those that voted NDP.
Just to be clear, my post above was to the article’s headline. Not to you.
No siht, Jose, Then f-k me twice.
Now I am seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. There seems to be a responsible group already established in SVG. It works with the bank and LIME. The combination is ideal for transferring badly needed funds immediately, to get goods and services that people in distress need badly.
People can send money via the bank to an account specifically setup to handle disaster in SVG. Most of the things shipped from foreign can be bought right there in SVG. It takes the pressure off the people in the DIASPORA, because they can send finds from their account to the one established in SVG.
As a matter of fact; I think this group can be trusted to purchase the materials needed to rebuild the homes lost in the flood. No more party politics to hinder the wishes of donors. This will also get rid of those who would want to use the disaster; pretending to be raising funds for the unfortunate, but instead, use the situation make money for their own purposes.
The group I just came across is called Can Fest. Lets see if we can investigate the group and the possibility of working with it to serve all the people of SVG. Let be proactive and stop reacting to situations like this disaster. So far we had Tomas and now the flooding. Lets be prepared for the next one.
Your feedback will be appreciated.
It was always obvious that the airport would come before the people suffering the countrywide devastation.
The Francis boy is very quite, what is he up to, the bag man, motor mouth, bank roll baby, Buccament Bay Resort Mr Fixit.