The current Caricom chairman, Roosevelt Skerritt, who is also the Prime Minister of Dominica, recently commended the Gaston Browne administration for their efforts in keeping LIAT operational. Prime Minister Skerritt expressed his appreciation while returning from the inaugural Saudi-Caricom Summit in an interview with ABS’s Garfield Burford.
“I want to commend Gaston Browne for holding the fort where LIAT is concerned. High commendation must be given to him…but it must require efforts from all of us”, Skerrit said
A few months ago, it seemed like Browne was going it alone at reviving LIAT, and not receiving support from other shareholder governments.
Skerrit admits that “this is where we went wrong with LIAT, too few of us were engaged in LIAT.”
“We have always said that if we allowed LIAT to go under, we would have a problem in the Caribbean and it is manifesting itself now…it is important for us to engage ourselves and play our part in financing a strategy,” he said
Skerrit admits that the venture would not be easy but he believes with the support from regional governments, LIAT 2020 will be successful.
“I believe there is a greater political will now, on the part of every government so it might be an opportune time for us to invest and find a longtime solution to air travel in the region,” he said
Skerrit also gave a resounding “yes” response to questions about whether Dominica will be investing financially in the new entity.
“Certainly, I believe Dominica is ready to play its part because this is crucial”, he added
The Antigua and Barbuda government took the initiative to appoint a court-appointed administrator to save LIAT from liquidation. Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest private carrier has invested in LIAT 2020 to help get the airline back in operation. In fact, LIAT 2020 and Air Peace have just inked a deal that grants the Nigerian airline a 75% stake in the new entity.
I belive for Dominicans to take part in liat again at least 2 od the airlines should be based in Dominica as their hob, we should not listen to Antigua prime Minister, he can’t be trusted. he screwed us too many times. Dominicans got screwed in Antigua too many times just to make money off them, and yes I said it
” same Gaston said he was cutting the Stu: will continue.”
So, yes, one of the reasons Ross probably left Dominica is all due to the exorbitant transit fees he Gaston Brown charged the students boarding LIAT to travel to Dominica.
And so months after Ross left Dominica, classes commenced in Barbados; Gaston eventually declared he was going to eliminate (stop charging the students) the transit fee in order to prevent Ross from leaving Dominica.
That was a cunning and hypocritical hogwash talk, because he knew very well Ross had long left Dominica.
But you see all these prime ministers, and government ministers of the Caribbean step in Roosevelt’s face, the laugh in his face while urinating on him; and dumb as he is he turns around and honor them like a dog wagging it tail after been told mash by someone who does not want the dog to be in their presence.
Count all the Prime Ministers from Guyana in the South to Jamaica in the North, all have college degrees, except…
There is an old saying scratch my back I will scratch yours. With these two I think skerrit is scratching testicle and behind of Gaston among other things. Gaston got 8 million to pay liat Antigua workers get vaccine for choksi, and left Dominica holding the hot potato, now skerrit is kissing Gaston behind while Gaston buying water from Trini. when you trying to hard to be someone friend it tells your psychological state. Is liat a regional government business or a private business with investors? it seems like the two governments own the airline and the pilots and employees are government employees.
This is a big deal. A revived LIAT will do us a world of good. But after giving the guy $8 mil to help the effort, then he turns around and contemplates buying water, a thing you have in abundance from TnT or even as far as maybe Australia, I would keep one eye open on the Hitler goatee.
You praising the PM of Antigua and Barbuda and yet he is not thinking of buying water from and going way down south to buy water.
Come on Dominica PM. some of you all in this governments of the Caribbean taking this for a joke. He is not helping you in your economy elevation, but yet you bringing him up and up. Well sar.
very nice to say but what of the countries who have their allegencies in open/secret to other airlines? how are those member states going to fund strategy to support liat when they have their own airlines or subsidize other major carriers. countries pay certain airlines to fly to them, or offer benefits to these airlines. Liat requires fresh ideas, highly innovative approach to doing business. unfortunately that won’t be found in governments.
Only Skerro. After giving LIAT some eight million dollars from our treasury for foolishness, he must congratulate him.
If Roosevelt was not the moron, trying to be what he’s not and can’t be, rather than making himself an idiot, kissing Gaston butt, sinning praise and commending him for keeping a non-profit thing flying, he would engage Gaston in negotiations to get him to buy Dominica water rather than him importing water from Trinidad.
That is Roosevelt’s history: anytime another Caribbean nation government takes any business from Dominica, the moron, gets happy, falls on his corrupted knees and supports the nation that takes away from Dominica.
We experienced that when Mia of Barbados took Roos University School of Medicine from under his corrupted nose.
When Dominican showed their displeasure about it the dumb bit of scum told Dominicans do not say anything about Mia and Barbados about it!
Roosevelt should not be a prime minister of dog feces never mind a country.
Long after Ross left Dominica, same Gaston said he was cutting the Stu: will continue.
praise for what? birds of a feather….look PM….get ppl to work in this country create employment and stop this nonsense….stop giving ppl to live in free….those who can pay let them pay….y should some grind their teeth in the banks to build homes and others live free ?because they singing your party song? oh bunch of no brain ministers…
75% of Liat according to the agreement is owned by Air Peace so basically Liat is an Air Peace airlines now, why for the love of God, do you want people to invest in a majority owned foreign company shoveling tax payers’ dollars into LIAT ???? Word on the street is Liat is the only airline which ships Dominica Post Office mail overseas for MONTHS now people cannot ship packages and letters outside of Dominica using the post office!
Why doesn’t Skerrit invest more in Domlec and Dowasco so that people can have a more reliable electricity and water supply?
You opening your big mouth with a resounding Yes to Gaston, while you issue weekly load shedding misery schedules to your country.
Does that make any sense to any right thinking person?
There goes Skerrit again pandering to his twin Mr. Brown. Why does government still believe they can successfully get into the airline business? Free rides for the regional cabalist? Instead they should be focusing on creating the proper environment where private citizens feel comfortable to dive into such a business.
Dominicans should say Hell No to using our hard earned tax money to prop up LIAT again.
Gaston and Starboy of Stupidity are two peas in a pod. Both are uncouth, bombastic, dictatorial and the two most inept rulers in the entire Caribbean region.
Gaston has depleted the treasury of Antigua & Barbuda of revenue. Starboy of Stupidity have done the same with Dominica. Public workers are often deprived of their weekly and monthly wages/salaries, the same thing obtains in Dominica. Both have their unqualified wives in parliament doing nothing but collecting a stout monthly salary with perks. What I have mentioned is barely touching the surface.
LIAT had a monopoly in the sub-region. Millions of dollars were pumped into this airline multiple times to keep it financially viable. It was like throwing pearls to swine. Trying to revive LIAT is like giving a cadaver CPR.