Caribbean Times 100th Issue - Friday 17th February 2017
Caribbean Times 100th Issue - Friday 17th February 2017
Caribbean Times 100th Issue - Friday 17th February 2017
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<strong>Friday</strong> <strong>17th</strong> <strong>February</strong> <strong>2017</strong> c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 7<br />
Call for more support for LIAT<br />
Prime Minister, Hon. Gaston<br />
Browne, has called on<br />
his <strong>Caribbean</strong> Community<br />
(CARICOM) colleagues to<br />
‘step up to the plate’ and to<br />
contribute towards the continued<br />
operations of LIAT.<br />
Speaking at the CAR-<br />
ICOM 28th Intercessional<br />
Meeting in Guyana on Thursday,<br />
PM Browne noted that<br />
the Antigua-based regional<br />
airline was a ‘very important<br />
institution’ that is critical to<br />
the integration movement.<br />
He said LIAT must be operated<br />
on the basis of ‘shared<br />
benefits and shared burden’<br />
as he urged his colleagues to<br />
contribute to the upkeep of<br />
the airline. “Some countries<br />
continue to make excuses as<br />
to why they should not share<br />
in the burden of LIAT. Any<br />
number of us can find excuses<br />
as to why we do not wish to<br />
support LIAT. However, we<br />
have to consider that LIAT is<br />
a very important institution to<br />
the integration movement,”<br />
he emphasized.<br />
Noting that the airline is<br />
reported to have moved one<br />
million passengers last year,<br />
the prime minister said LIAT<br />
is in his view ‘the most important’<br />
institution in the<br />
OECS as moving people is a<br />
critical activity. He therefore<br />
called on his colleague heads<br />
of government to become active<br />
participants by contributing<br />
financially to ensure the<br />
viability and to maintain the<br />
stability of the airline.<br />
Support local farmers<br />
The Ministry of Agriculture Lands Fisheries<br />
and Barbuda Affairs would like to take this<br />
opportunity to inform importers of vegetables<br />
as well as the general public that there is currently<br />
a surplus of cassava in the country at<br />
this time. This supply is projected to last until<br />
the end of April.<br />
Sweet Potatoes are currently at levels<br />
which can supply the weekly needs and this<br />
supply is expected to last until June of this<br />
year.<br />
Pumpkins are available in sufficient quantiles<br />
to meet current demand. As assessment<br />
is currently being done to determine how long<br />
this supply will last. There is currently a good<br />
supply of tomatoes on the local market and<br />
quantities are expected to increases significantly<br />
over the next four weeks. The ministry<br />
is therefore encouraging suppliers and consumers<br />
to support the local farmers.