The meeting of the House of Assembly scheduled for today, Tuesday, has been postponed as the search continues for six Vincentians missing at sea.
Minister of Fisheries, Saboto Caesar, made the disclosure at the Fisherman’s Day activities in Calliaqua on Monday at the end of his short speech, saying that he had just been notified of the decision.
The Fisherman’s Day celebrations were scaled down in consideration for the six missing persons, whose names have not been released.
The SVG Coast Guard and its regional counterpart, along with the Regional Security Services, are involved in the search and rescue operation.
The SVG Coast Guard has said that it received information that around 4:55 p.m. Sunday a purple and blue speedboat with six persons on board sent out a distress call, saying it was sinking.
The boat was travelling from Canouan to Mustique.
Today’s meeting of Parliament was expected to hear answers from the government on a number of national and constituency issues.
Opposition Leader Godwin Friday was slated to ask Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Ralph Gonsalves, about the monies spent to build the EC$700 million Argyle International Airport.
Friday had also tabled a question asking the government about the performance of the flights it chartered from Canada and the United States to land at the airport on Feb. 14, when it began operating.
Also, Member of Parliament for East Kingstown, Arnhim Eustace, was slated to ask the government about monies it had received under PetroCaribe, Venezuela’s oil initiative with a number of Caribbean countries.
Among the bills on the order paper was the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Anti-Terrorist Financing and Proliferation (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Occupational Safety and Health Bill, 2017, all of which were scheduled to have their first reading.
Government senator and Deputy House Speaker, Carlos James was also carded to move a motion on transportation of school children.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said the missing boat was travelking from Mustique to Canouan. It was in fact travellling in the opposite direction.