{"id":227325,"date":"2019-06-18T10:57:38","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T14:57:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/?p=227325"},"modified":"2019-06-18T10:57:38","modified_gmt":"2019-06-18T14:57:38","slug":"skerrit-says-international-airport-is-not-to-be-rushed-promises-firm-decision-this-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/homepage\/news\/skerrit-says-international-airport-is-not-to-be-rushed-promises-firm-decision-this-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Skerrit says international airport is not to be rushed; promises firm decision this year"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Skerrit speaks at launch of Fidel Grant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said that he has five “solid” proposals from a number of firms for the construction of the much-talked-about international airport.<\/p>\n

He was speaking at a Dominica Labour Party (DLP) launch of one of its candidates in Wesley on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Skerrit said negotiations are underway “for the best deal” with firms from China, India, Dubai, two multilateral agencies and independent developers in Europe and the Americas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I can share with you this evening, at least five solid proposals that I have in my armour for the design, finance, construction and operation of an international airport for Dominica,\u201d the prime minister stated.<\/p>\n

He said the government was negotiating with those entities “because we need to ensure that, that which we enter into today can be maintained by us tomorrow and the next week.”<\/p>\n

Skerrit said his conversations with countries in similar situations across the region and beyond has revealed what he already knows – that an international airport is nothing to be rushed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe decision that we are about to take on the issue of the construction and provision of an international airport is one of the most complex we have had to take as a government, but we shall do it and we shall do it correctly, \u201che stated.<\/p>\n

The prime minister maintained that as “a prudent and responsible government,” he will not “rush the brush and spill [the] beans. However, he gave the assurance that, \u201cWe shall take that decision in this year of our Lord 2019; a firm decision shall be taken on the construction of the international airport in Dominica.\u201d<\/p>\n

Skerrit said that he wants an international airport as much as any Dominican but he is not seeking a white elephant as the physical infrastructure is the easiest part of providing an international airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want the best for Dominica and I want to ensure that what we get is a product that we can be proud of and an airport that we can afford to maintain in pristine condition and which would benefit frequent, regular, international airline use,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

He reiterated, having made that point before, that his government has the money to pay property owners as soon as negotiations are finalized and reminded that the World Bank is providing his government with financial support to access some of the human resource that is required for the process of constructing the international airport.<\/p>\n

Skerrit once again questioned the ability of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) to secure financing for their proposed international airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to know this evening with whom is the other side in discussion about the international airport. I want to know who their prospects are. I want to know how the proposed airport will be financed and what would be asked of tax payers in Dominica in the short, medium and long-term?\u201d<\/p>\n

He assured his supporters that none of the proposals his government currently has makes any demands of the workers of this country.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have made it clear to all and sundry that I do not intend on imposing any new taxes on Dominicans at any time,\u201d Skerrit remarked.<\/p>\n

He said the international airport to be constructed by the DLP will be located in the Wesley constituency.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A section of the DLP crowd at the launch of Fidel Grant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has said that he has five “solid” proposals from a number of firms for the construction of the much-talked-about international airport. 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