REAL NEWS- Prime Minister Gaston Browne has revealed that Antigua Airways has been listed as a Citizenship by Investment (CIP) Project, although he has failed to say, directly, that the airline has been duly registered in Nigeria.
Asked how much money was used to capitalize Antigua Airways, Browne told the Lower House, last week, that the listing includes 10 CIP files, which – when subscribed – would allot 20 per cent of the airline’s shares to the Government.
He said the airline service would start as a charter that connects Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean to Africa – with some relationship with LIAT when the carrier becomes operational under the 2020 brand.
Asked by Barbuda MP Trevor Walker whether the investor – identified only as Marvelous Mike – has any prior experience in the airline industry, Browne said the company will be engaged in what is called a wet lease.
Accordingly, all that is required is for the investor to have the financial resources to lease the planes and pay supporting personnel, he added. Browne also claimed that LIAT has been providing technical support to the company.
Meanwhile, although he would not say whether the company was registered in Nigeria, Browne was adamant that Antigua Airways is duly registered here.
Two weeks ago, United Progressive Party Senator Damani Tabor revealed that Antigua Airways and Marvelous Mike Press Ltd. were not registered in Nigeria.
According to Tabor, the parent company was first registered on July 24, 2006, but its status, at the time, was inactive. Meanwhile, the airline was then under registration.
The Cabinet Notes of Wednesday, July 20, indicated that Antigua Airways was being financed by wealthy Africans and would soon be permitted to operate flights from West Africa directly to Antigua.
Reportedly the route would be between the African continent, the Caribbean and the Americas with a tagline “Connecting the Caribbean with Africa and the Americas.”
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SMH .. Antigua this is a bad idea if you ever had one. How can the government just make these decisions on their own. The prime minister at that.. it is NOT his country. He is only the elected leader and HE IS A PUBLIC SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE.
This Nigerian airlines is a BAD IDEA and will tarnish Antiguas name ..
Mark my words !
This is not a bad idea. It it a TERRIBLE idea. Gaston and ALP are losing the plot. They are coming up with terrible ideas now. If this airline ever gets off the ground, it will quickly fall apart and disappear leaving us looking stupid. Please do not do this.
Wow. Only in Antigua. There have been numerous antiguans over the past ten years trying to start aviation companies with absolutely no support from government. Most failed. Government can’t sort liat out. Currently an aircraft maintenance organization and helicopter company both trying to get approval for 3 years and nothing but red tape. But hey let’s give cip money to these guys. They seem legit. Only allow companies that pay direct to bank account. Lol. This should turn out well. I’ll grab the popcorn!
Gaston Browne , three names: Peter Virdee, Saab Moran, Xiao Moran. These are your investors who are now in jail.
What is the matter with you? Can’t you see that you are once again you are being duped?
Where is your common sense?
BUT WAIT A MINUTE PARTNER I WONDER IF THERE IS MORE TO THIS BECAUSE MAGIC MIKE HAS A PRINTING COMPANY AND HE IS COMING BEFORE ELECTIONS SO THE QUESTION I WANT TO ASK IS IF HE WILL BE PRINTING THE BALLOT PAPERS FOR THE ELECTION.
Printing Cash more like….LOL
ONDCP / IMMIGRATION. / ECCAA. Please help us all.
Detailed forensic scrutiny of Magic Mike’s Paper Plane company urgently required.
Dig and Dig some more.
This smelling very off on both sides of the Atlantic.
This crackhead government needs to come off the drugs and get some common sense. This is not a good idea.
So why not use the same CIP funds to instead get LIAT up and fully running. You would rather invest our money with some possibly shady characters, rather than your own people. Even some of your cabinet colleagues are not in agreement with this, but are cowards and afraid to stand up to you. But rest assured that when this blows up in your face and it will, that it will surely be the end of your political career.
P.S. I trust that when this charter flight eventually gets here that Customs and Immigration will not be hampered from doing their jobs. I trust that no one or any packages will be simply ushered through as if they are diplomats.
Has this guy ever come up with anything that makes sense to anyone with a sixth grade education? They are already up to their ears with LIAT and this man wants to tie us up with some questionable entity? This guy continues to wreak havoc with the ALP election playbook. They are going to need a new one when he is done. If we have to prop any alleged investor up, another failed project is underway. The world laughs at us.
THIS IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER GASTON CLOWNE SPECIAL! Watch how this blows up in all of our faces. Seems Gaston has gone the way of Denzil Douglas at the end of his tenure as PM and has lost touch with reality.
I really think that there needs to be greater checks and balances and authorization regarding how the government spends our tax dollars. I’m sick and tired of hearing after the fact that the government has invested in such and such a project without any public knowledge or consultation. This goes for whichever party is in power, ALBP, UPP or DNA. And if we don’t already, we need to have some sort of recall or by-election mechanism in place to remove Ministers who are not acting in the best interest of the country. We should not have to wait 5 years to remove ministers who we are not satisfied with. These people have too much unbridled power.
So if it only do one charter we get back the passports?
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