SOURCE: Caribbean News Service (CNS) — Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has accused fellow Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, of deliberate attempts to block Antigua-based regional carrier LIAT.
On Saturday LIAT said it was forced to suspend services to two of its previously announced destinations while it awaits the approval from the relevant authorities in Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines, two former shareholder governments of the financially-strapped airline.
“LIAT will succeed, notwithstanding the artificial impediments that these countries are creating,” Browne said in response to the development.
“In fact, it’s an extremely unfortunate development in which these impediments are being developed, nothwiting the fact that LIAT has valid flight approvals to fly to those countries. LIAT is not a new carrier. LIAT is a legacy carrier that has been servicing these countries for decades.”
LIAT, which is now under Administration, had late last month announced the resumption of flights five days a week to seven destinations across its network.
The seven destinations are: Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts, and St Vincent. LIAT said that the limited schedule of flights will return connectivity to these destinations, which were impacted by the airline’s suspension of commercial services in March due to financial problems and the COVID-19 pandemic that forced many Caribbean countries to shut down their borders.
LIAT said prior to its suspension of services, it had been operating to Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines “on valid flight approvals, which have not expired,” adding “ LIAT operated a scheduled flight to Barbados on Monday, Nov. 30.
Prime Minister Browne is adamant that LIAT is being singled out by Barbados and St. Vincent.
“The irony is, there were no such requirements for other carriers. All of the other airlines that resumed services to those countries, they had no such requirement so the question is why are they discriminating against LIAT,” he said.
“LIAT is a regional institution within the OECS and the broader CARICOM and it should be given national treatment; not to be treated as some stepchild, but to be embraced as a regional carrier, and if anything, should be given preference, not to be discriminated against.
“If they were to seek to sustain this type of behaviour then clearly it will be a restraining of trade and I presume that the Administrator would want to consider maybe taking them to the Caribbean Court of Justice in its original jurisdiction. So it is a position that cannot be sustained,” Browne added.
According to Prime Minister Browne the countries in question have also reportedly asked LIAT to make pre-payments for landing fees, but he said this is an unfair request given that other carriers have not been asked to do the same.
“I want to know who has this type of gumption. Which group of individuals has this type of gumption to take this type of policy decision in order to discriminate against LIAT, recognizing that we all have treaty obligations as enshrined in the CARICOM Treaty as well as the OECS Treaty,” Browne said.
“It is really a position that cannot be sustained and I would recommend that they review this position soonest and to allow LIAT to fly into their destinations as it would have done for the last several decades.”
5 responses to “Antigua PM accuses Barbados and St. Vincent of creating ‘artificial impediments’ for LIAT”
I think both Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are within their legal rights to make what ever decision they want to make with respect to LIAT. It is their country, and they make the rules.
It is true, as you have said, that you have unexpired flight approvals, but a lot of things have happened in the interim: LIAT ceased flying for a while; they believe LIAT is bankrupt; LIAT does not have a Board of Directors; it has an Administrator, and, consequently, may have certain responsibilities to the Court that other operating airlines don’t have. So, LIAT is now a special case. I Don’t really see how an airline can be under Administration, and operating just like any other airline run by a Board of Directors. Maybe you believe those two (2) countries owe something to Antigua and Barbuda because of OECS, CARICOM etc. Maybe they do.
But, remember the last time, the arguments got a bit heated. Now, their electorates would be watching closely to see what they do, and how they do it. So, that’s where diplomacy has to kick in. Your public statements can create embarrassment for the other leaders, which may cause them to pay a political cost.
You should not think that because you are the Prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda that the Prime Ministers of those other nations will leap when you say come. If you ever lived in Barbados, as I did as a student in the 1980’s, you would know that the Prime Minister of Barbados is very highly regarded in her own country. And, if you cause her any embarrassment, whether intentionally or not, she may have to pay a high political price, unless she returns the favor to you.
So, my Prime Minister, like some one admonished you last time, please calm down and be more diplomatic when responding to the machinations of your fellow prime ministers.
Bullshit. There are all members of Caricom which is governed by rules. St Vincent is a member of the OECS and a company registered in another OECS territory has full rights and access to that market like any local Vincentian company. Please read and educate yourself.
I have done a lot of reading over the past sixty (60) years. Besides, I have actually studied and wrote essays on the Regional Integration Movement as a student at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in the 1980’S.
I am a social scientist, and would know far more about the subject than you. Besides, I have studied Company Law at UWI for three (3) years, including legal reasoning. LIAT is presently operating under Court Supervision, and we know that LIAT has serious financial challenges.
All I am saying is that the Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines may well have legal backing for the stance they are taking. LIAT did leave the market for a period of time. All it is quite reasonable that those countries would have taken alternative steps to fill the LIAT void in the during the interim period. You cannot be reasonable to expect that those countries would have just sat and wait until when ever LIAT was ready.
If LIAT were to take its case to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), as suggested, I have no doubt that Barbados and St. Vincent and the Grenadines would win their case.
In my view, all that is really necessary, in this case, is for the relevant parties to negotiate with each other in good faith, and in a mature and respectful manner, and avoid making incendiary public statements. And, I think, such an approach offers the best chance for a viable solution.
Many persnsons only go to Barbados because of LIAT transit routes and the Embassy. Barbados had more shares, Antigua had more workers but, LIAT generated the most revenue for Grantly Adams Int. At the end of the it’s all about $$$.
Prime Minister Mia Motley of Barbados is a new prime Minister, a female, and only assumed office on 25th May, 2018.
She had nothing to do with Barbados buying shares in LIAT, and just don’t want to have anything to do with LIAT’S mess. Her party, the Barbados Labor Party, was in the political wilderness for the past ten (10) years, i.e. in the opposition. So, hope you can now have a better appreciation, and, maybe, have some sympathy for Prime Minister Mia Motley.
She will also be facing her first General Election for reelection as Prime Minister within the next two and a half years. She is the first female prime minister of Barbados.