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10. FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012. THE VINCENTIAN
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Remembering the Where wrong is right, coalition of the willing and right is wrong (Excerpt from the 2012 budget address) (ii)
The Genesis For fifty or more years, successive policy-makers promised to build an international airport on St. Vincent, but never got beyond the stage of repeated studies. My government was resolute in its determination to build the international airport. We analysed the studies and updated the most relevant one. From these analyses, my government decided on the basis of technical, financial, environmental, and developmental factors to opt for the site at Argyle. In late 2004, my government caused the incorporation of a wholly state-owned enterprise, the International Airport Development Company (IADC), charged with two central mandates: First, to spearhead and coordinate all matters relating to the financing and construction of the airport; and secondly, to arrange, in tandem with other State entities, for the effective management of the airport upon completion. On August 08, 2005, I formally announced my government’s decision to build an international airport at Argyle. Central to the way forward was my government’s identification of a bundle of assets possessed by St. Vincent and the Grenadines to be utilised in the financing and construction of the international airport. These assets include: The land on which to build the airport, roughly four hundred acres in private hands; lands owned by the State throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which over time, would be sold to assist, primarily, in the payment of the acquisition cost of the privatelyowned lands and built properties; the ownership of other assets by the State which would be sold or leveraged to contribute to the cost of constructing the international airport; technical, managerial, and other skilled manpower to be harnessed, in conjunction with supportive or additional manpower skills from other countries, to build the airport; the intangible but real assets of sovereignty and independence to be utilised so as to put in place a veritable “Coalition of the Willing” to build the airport; the political and administrative leadership which were up to the tasks at hand; and last, but by no means least, the enthusiastic support for the project by the overwhelming majority of Vincentians at home and abroad.
2011, the IADC has paid EC $50.43 million to 125 owners of built properties at Argyle. A sum of EC $5.7 million remains outstanding for one reason or another, for seven built properties. In respect of the vacant land parcels, there are 370, but deeds have been presented to IADC for only 305. Thus far, the IADC has paid 131 land-owners the sum of EC $22.8 million, leaving an estimated sum of $25.2 million for 174 land-owners. The IADC is currently addressing the issue of these outstanding payments. On the Earth and Site Works component of the Project, the grant components of Cuba and Venezuela amount thus far (November 30, 2011), to approximately US $112 million (US $102 million for the earth works, plus US $10 million for designs and preliminary studies). The grants from Cuba and Venezuela have been mostly in kind, in the form of technical expertise, manpower and machinery. In addition to Cuba and Venezuela, the following specific contributions have been made: US $10 million from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in August 2008; Austria provided part payment of EC $502,000 for three (3) compactors; Iran donated US $2 million; Libya gave US $1 million; and Mexico did the Airport Master Plan free of cost. The earthworks component of the project is valued at EC $279 million. Two-thirds of the earthworks are now completed at a value of EC $180 million. However, IADC has spent EC $28 million (exclusive of interest costs), mainly in earth works. The third component of the project, that is, Runway, Apron and Taxiways, has an estimated cost of US $16.7 million or EC $45.1 million. My government, on behalf of the IADC had made an application for precisely that sum from the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF). Unfortunately, due to the unavailability of a sufficiency of funds in the CDF, and their funding rules in respect of the maximum funding of a project in the relevant funding cycle, we secured a sum of US $4.2 million in grant and loan funds from CDF. The fourth component, - the Terminal The Coalition of the willing Clearly, it was not possible to finance Building and other Landside Facilities, consists of eight parts, four of which are this project in the usual way of a done by OECC of Taiwan and for sovereign debt from a single source or a being funding is already available, consortium of banks and other financial which namely: the passenger terminal institutions as was done by the former building; the electrical sub-station; the NDP administration with the Ottley signage (internal and external); and all Hall project. The estimated cost of relevant preliminaries. building the international airport is The four other parts of this some five times the budgeted cost of the component are the Cargo Terminal Ottley Hall project. A huge sovereign Building estimated to cost US $2.7 debt of at least one-half of a billion million; the Fire and Rescue Services dollars or more would have choked St. budgeted to cost US $1.03 million; the Vincent and the Grenadines, even if it Control Tower, US $0.96 million; and were possible to effect the borrowings. Site Works, Roads, Draining and Similarly, no one or two international Parkway, estimated to cost US $9.57 financial institutions such as the World million. Bank or a grant source such as the The fifth component of the airport European Union would finance anything project, Project Management, has this grand in a small country like St. incurred expenses of EC $40 million, Vincent and the Grenadines. Indeed, thus far, between September 2005 and entities such as the World Bank and the October 31, 2011. This expenditure European Union were simply not includes EC $10 million in interest interested. At the same time, too, no expense on the bridging loans. one or two countries would assume a Thus far, the contribution of the financing of such a magnitude, even if government and public enterprises to the international airport project is as they were minded to help. follows: Land Sales, EC $26 million; The genius of the creative path fashioned to construct the international Grants from the Government totaling EC $48.5 million (EC $13.5 million from airport is that it identified discrete first ALBA Loan; EC $15 million from components to be financed in its own second ALBA Loan; $20 million from special way from the “Coalition of the the sale of the 51-percent share of Willing” which swiftly metamorphosed into a “Compact of the Committed”. The NCB); NIS loan of EC $40 million, wellmajor components of the project are: (i) secured by lands transferred from IADC to NPL, and guaranteed by the Site Acquisition; (2) Earth and Site Government; EC $30 million from First Works; (3) Runway, Apron and Caribbean International Bank (FCIB) to Taxiways; (4) Terminal Building and IADC, on which $6 million remains other Landside Facilities; and (5) outstanding to be paid by July 20, 2012; Project Management. and EC $31 million in soft loans from Petro Caribe to IADC, $2 million of The Financing activities which has been repaid by IADC, thus Mr. Speaker, as at November 15, far.
WE OUGHT to love our dear ones unconditionally, but also be able to rebuke and correct them when they are wrong, and call a spade a spade. The need to defend them at all cost, sweeping everything else under the carpet, does not help anybody. In fact, in drives them into further decadence. How many stories have we heard of people ending up in a bad place, and blaming their parents for not correcting them when they were children. We show love by being frank and honest, but in a loving way.
states that there were double barricades because the security had been heightened in that month due to increased threats on the Israelis. Ambassador Gonsalves said that he and others had been walking through The Prime Minister’s report the barricade for years, with no obstruction from the police. The story was broken by the Prime Therefore, what was the significance Minister that Ambassador Gonsalves of the barricade, and who determined was handcuffed and arrested by a New that significance? York policeman. He outlined the details If one is allowed to break a law or of what he was told happened and the rule for a number of years, does that course of action to be taken, including make the action right? putting together a legal team. Also that When the policeman was making the he had informed the Leader of the arrest, did he know he was arresting an Opposition of the situation. ambassador? When did the policeman know that The Opposition’s position Gonsalves was an ambassador, and why not before then? The Leader of the Opposition made a Had the policeman known that statement to the effect that he thought Gonsalves was an ambassador, would that disproportionate force was used by he have arrested him? the policeman towards the Ambassador, What was the role of the internal and that was inappropriate. He security in the whole ordeal? Did they however, felt that the Ambassador step in to prevent the arrest? should not have stepped between the Is the lobby of the building SVG’s police barricade, and should have shown territory, as has been touted by some? his ID, when requested to do so by the Why was a team of lawyers being policeman. He felt that in this way, the engaged, if not to a view of possible unfortunate incident could have been legal action? avoided. Further, that his party did not support any legal action to be taken Backtracking against the US, but advised that instead a meeting with the relevant There was a fast backtracking on authorities in the US with a view to an taking legal action, since Ambassador amicable settlement. In other words, he Gonsalves was informed that any such was advising to use diplomacy to settle action will automatically remove his diplomatic differences. diplomatic immunity, and that he in The Leader of the Opposition stated turn could be charged with disorderly that the NDP will not want to conduct (crossing a police barricade and compromise the integrity and resisting arrest?). Instead of admitting inviolability of Vincentian diplomats as this, Eustace is being ridiculed for not guaranteed under the Vienna making the distinction between the US Convention, hoping that they will government and the N Y Police adhere to the spirit of the Convention, Department, and a denial that there and expected that host nations of our was any such consideration. missions and embassies would also adhere vigorously to the terms of the The visit Convention. Since then, the US Ambassador to The Leader also expressed his the UN, Susan Rice visited Ambassador opinion that the irony was that, whilst Gonsalves stating the obvious, that the complaining about the treatment of the incident was regrettable. Instead of Ambassador by the NYPD in the USA, taking that for what it means, the the same Administration had mouthpieces are on radio stating that it sanctioned the battery and assault by is an acceptance of blame by the US. Vincentian policemen of What nonsense!! Why should we expect Parliamentarians on Vincentian soil. the US government to accept blame for the NYPD, when our PM has been at The Disrespectful ULP great pains to distinguish the difference between the government and the police Since that statement, the Leader of department? the Opposition has been disrespected in Oh, what a tangled web we weave, the most verbally abusive manner, not when others we try to deceive. only by the paid mouthpieces of the ULP, by the PM himself. Undiplomatic Probably it was the last statement by the Leader concerning the March 2011 Ambassador Gonsalves in the incident in the Parliament of St Vincent meantime has been disparaging the and the Grenadines which really NYPD, stating that some policemen are touched a nerve. The Speaker of the not trained. He mocked the fact that House then, outside of his authority, policemen visiting the scene did not ordered policemen to “forcibly” remove know what the diplomatic ID looked the members of the Opposition from like and did not know the term which Parliament. Opposition was used to address an ambassador. Is Parliamentarians were pushed down this becoming of a diplomat, especially the stairs, some of them sustaining in light of this ongoing incident? One injuries. needs to be gracious sometimes, no The arguments in the current matter how obvious others weaknesses incident have centred on not only who may be. He should take a page from was wrong and who was right, between Ambassador Rice’s book. She was very Gonsalves and the policeman, but diplomatic. mainly on who are backward, unpatriotic, stupid, dumb, divisive, The aftermath have plantation mentality.... to name a The NDP also holds the position that few descriptions. the incident is regrettable. Not only the incident in itself, but the ugliness that Questions to be answered came out of it. Vincentians were once again fed a The NYPD story is somewhat plethora of misleading statements, a different from that of the Ambassador’s. display of disrespect, warped logic, and Whereas the Ambassador said that the once again an attempt to convince us barricades were not in use, the NYPD that wrong is right and right is wrong.