Grenadian Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell at the just concluded budget debate said that Grenada has spent millions of dollars giving Liat grant money, money that the airline does not have to repay.
Mitchell in addressing the situation regarding Liat and Grenada, said around the year 2000 when oil prices were high and Trinidad was giving support base on the excess resources they had, each of the islands uses to share in the benefit of those resources, “they got millions of dollars” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said at that time there were a 42 million dollars which was going to be shared among the islands, however, the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines said Liat is in trouble lets us forego and give liat the money.
The Grenadian PM said the money was given to Liat, or most of it, in 6 months’ time liat came back again broke, “we went to CDB as individual governments, millions of dollars, Liat traveling full and can’t make profit”.
Mitchell said the Prime Ministers of St Lucia and St Kitts, said they are all fed up, just funding an operation which is running like a private business with governments support, and no responsibility of protecting the citizens of the islands.
“And Brother Ralph always calling me and wants money for Liat, he putting into Liat all that St Vincent does not even have”.
Mitchell said Gonsalves was cursing Liat a few months ago saying that he is tired, “ah say you tired now, ah said, well reach way Grenada reach”. But you know what the result was? Cut flights to Grenada Mitchell lamented.
