Antigua and Barbuda will not be represented at tomorrow’s special conference of Caribbean Community Leaders where Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley is to hand over the chairmanship of the 15-member regional grouping.
According to CMC report the Antigua and Barbuda’s decision is linked to efforts to liquidate the financially strapped regional airline, LIAT, which is headquartered in St. John’s.
The shareholder governments of LIAT are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
On his Facebook page yesterday Prime Minister Browne said there are some regional leaders who see LIAT, as a “predator” and they are determined to keep their knees on its neck to prevent its regeneration.
But the outgoing CARICOM Chairman, Mia Mottley says governments of the region are plotting a new course to stimulate intra-regional travel.’
Ms. Mottley said yesterday the plan includes a review of taxes blamed for the high cost of intra regional travel.
But Prime Minister Browne wrote that there is insularity hidden in intellectual subterfuge in the region.
He said if is allowed to continue unabated, the CARICOM and organisation of eastern Caribbean states integration institutions shall wither and die”.
He later said there is a conspiracy by a few regional leaders to stymie the resurgence of LIAT, as a new entity to provide air connectivity for the Caribbean people and to move tourists within the region.
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Good decision Mr. Prime Minister. Let us begin to look for Antigua. Some people only know about ‘Regional Integration’ when the are drinking the sweet. Let those caribbean leaders who jealous Antigua & Barbuda go to hell.
Brethren you need to admit to your true feelings. Recall pointing out your anti caricom leanings and you denied it. Look we having an argument but we must not forget we are family. This (argument) too shall past
I hope this nonsensical comment is not from the person I know who is called BEEF. Not going to the meeting will achieve nothing. Mia Motley and Ralph Gonsalves have already outmanoeuvred Gaston Brown and LIAT has been liquidated. They have also moved quite hastily to find a replacement for LIAT. I would really like to know how the geniuses in Antigua and Barbuda will address this problem because trying to resuscitate LIAT as solely an Antiguan and Barbudan entity will not succeed. I await the unbridled competition and chaos in the regional travel market. Antigua and Barbuda should have bought LIAT’s share owned by Barbados when the opportunity presented itself, but our Prime Minister was all talk then and no action.
It may have been one time that I agreed with the PM not to buy Barbados shares. LIAT needed an infusion of capital. How was giving money to Barbados going to help the capitalization of LIAT? Addition money would have to be found to invest in LIAT. Now that Liat is bankrupt, Antigua can probably acquire all the shares for $1.
Yes Mr PM, they need us more than how we need them, they’ve been using Antigua and Barbuda as a Money Gramm’s and Western Union’s. Now let’s think Country first, get our immigration in order and start putting the people of this Country first
Serve Antigua right. Didn’t take a genius to see we were not benefitting from CARICOM as much as others but we love foreign too much over our own. We have no regional enterprise here compared to others. Everyone looks out for themselves and their people. Time for us to do the same. Caribbean Integeationmy ass.
I don’t blame them. I blame us. Mismanagement of our resources by all governments spending all the money , not taking opportunities presented dye to badmindedness , lack of vision or because no cutback. Start thinking. We don’t need more hotels to clean people’s shit and rooms. We need centers of excellence. I pray They do not destroy the opportunity of the blue economy . I know Barbados and Grenada won’t and we will be left in the wings again. Stupid leadership all around
Yes I am passed off.
When will they have your funeral (passed off)?
Well done The most visionary and forthright Caribbean Leader… Stay laser focus and strident…
@Columbo. Are you sane? The other leaders are walking all over him and his only response is bravado. He has no plan!
You declare yourself an integrationist, please reconsider your decision to not attend a Caricom Heads of Govt. /Leaders meeting to thank the outgoing Chair and welcome the new Chair .. courtesies extended to you during your chairmanship of Caricom.
This also looks to me like a precursor to not attending follow up meetings, some of which may include the LIAT matter.
Is this an excuse to work around
Antigua? Then say that they did not come to the table?
So much for mature political leadership. Take his ball and go home if he does not get his way. Childish behavior.
Yep.
Toddler tantrum I suppose
@Beef. We are the ones going to hell. Open your eyes!
When will PM Browne realize that you can be a strong and decisive leader without been condescending, derogatory and belligerent to those with whom he is not in agreement. His tone and rhetoric is causing many issues to become personal when they need not be. You can be strong, assertive and diplomatic all at the same time. You no need fu cuss out ebry smaddy yuh no gree wit.
Exactly. And then give way Antigua to Calvin Ayre and the Chinese. Go UN and cuss off America . Go IMF and cuss dem too. Owe evebody and cuss dem. What a guy!
He already curse off IMF. You forget? Right at Sandals. The question is not who he has cursed off but who he HAS NOT cursed off. Not sure there is anyone left for him to abuse.
When he curses off all those leaders and institutions it is we the poor Antiguans who will suffer not him. Even if he is voted out it will be of no real consequence to him because he is already rich, and likes to remind us all the time.
Diplomacy. His way
The PM is right.
Not a suprising position by PM brown. His refusal of a loan from China in order to apease the US and his U turn on his covid19 entry policy are indications that PM Brown has become an uncle Tom. Does PM Brown think he can intimidate Caricom leaders into letting him have his way as to how regional air travel should be structured? If that is his thought process he better think again as all the other leaders like PM Brown have the interest of their countries to protect. Not going to the meeting is childish and Vere Bird is turning in his grave.
It would have been better to go to the table and put your position forward when necessary.
Taking on a childish war with the other more seasoned campaigners in the arena is probably not going to be a strong place to start for Antigua.
The PM got outsmarted. When Barbados was unsuccessful in getting Liat headquarters moved to Barbados they had no interest in the airline thereafter and began working on a new solution.
@Wadadli. You are right and now we are trying to catch the bolted horse. Good luck with that. As an Antiguan I feel it but I knew we were going nowhere with this ‘self enrichment’ govt.
Just imagine all BLACK LEADERS and it would appear they do not get along.In my opinion they would lined up for a good photo op.Deep down there seems to be a deep dark hatred for the TAP DAWG.The things you say towards others.Sometimes it would come back and bite you in your rear end.So TAP DAWG,let your words be soft and sweet just in case you have to eat them.You would not want the taste of gall.
I think that Prime Minister Browne is very correct in not attending the impromptu CARICOM Summit. We have very urgent work for him to do at home concerning LIAT.
Antigua and Barbuda is not a CARICOM colony and must not allow itself to become one. Antigua and Barbuda is an independent country, at least up to now. To Hell With CARICOM. Long Live the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
There must be no liquidation of LIAT. This is a case where the Majority Shareholder is seeking to Oppress the Minority. There are likely legal remedies in a Court of law. But, the Trump card that Antigua and Barbuda holds is the fact that LIAT 1974 LTD is an Antkua and Barbuda registered Company. So, the legal work has to start here.
I think all efforts must be made to ensure that the future Ownership of LIAT 1974 Ltd resides in the OECS. This is important in order to guarantee the future Independence of the OECS Subregion, and not allow it to become a Colony of CARICOM. More immediate than that, the Antigua and Barbuda Government must must put our LIAT workers back to work without further delay.
As a first, and urgent, step forward our Government must, if possible, compulsorily acquire Barbados Shares in LIAT 1974 LTD, without delay. LIAT may need to omit Barbados as a destination until all outstanding matters are settled.
LIAT 1974 LTD can be effectively, and successfully, financially .restructured. There will be some redundancies. That’s inevitable. However, that will be better than liquidating and sending home all the workers. The Restructured LIAT must own some property like Head Office and Other building. There should be a greater preference for owning planes rather than leasing. Such changes will help to create a Depreciation Pool that will reduce Corporate Tax Liability, thereby helping to accumulate and conserve a cash reserve. Let the action begin.
@Roy. Too little, too late. The die is already cast.
The Hon. PM is right on track and a firm stance needs to be taken. Sadly, at the intellectual level, Antigua is reaping the rewards of opening its doors too easily to our Caribbean neighbour’s who over the years have repaid our generosity with haughty contempt and unmasked hate. Time to get serious and redefine our mission and our actions going forward. We already know from our history that many of our so-called leaders have absolutely no interest in creating a CARICOM community. They are all about self interests. Time to break away from that mold. Let the uncle Tom’s continue to play the role of US stooges so that it’s international lynch pins like the IMF could pat them on the back and continue to exploit them with their filthy lucre. They all cowered in fear as our PM man fully put the IMF in their place. Shocking!!! This island of ours is blessed. Most of the US have no interest in traveling south for any reason at all so chances are that few Antigua born Antiguans would ever need to book a flight on St. Vincent’s one Caribbean transport. Mr PM, great ideas and actions have been bourne and forged from adversity. Real Antiguans are NOT afraid of adversity. We are the Phoenix of the Caribbean, like it or not.
@Anon. They did not ask us to come, we are just blind and foolish and now reaping what we sowed. Who wont hear will feel; we are doomed as a country.
@Wadadli. You are right and now we are trying to catch the bolted horse. Good luck with that. As an Antiguan I feel it but I knew we were going nowhere with this ‘self enrichment’ govt.
I read all this notifications and nobody try to give a solution how to solve the problem. All we do is name calling and all the other adjectives. There hundreds of people life at stake. At least 1500 families will lose an income and all some of can do is curse the pm. He will not go hungry if liat 74 don’t start back up. So people before we cursed and carry on find a solution for the 1500 plus families that will suffer this lost thanks.
1 )Tourism is most Islands source of income.
2) Liat plays and important part in moving tourists between islands.
3) Every island should be subsidizing Liat because it is important to us.
Why is this a problem? It is problem because is wrong with us black people, we cannot work together on anything. Unity is strength.
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