ST KITTS-Facing stiff criticisms from Barbados Prime Minister Freundel Stuart on the REDjet issue, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has just as stoutly maintained that the safety of T&T nationals came first.
"Safety first, is what we're saying, safety first...," Persad-Bissessar said Sunday afternoon as she prepared to leave the 32nd Caricom Summit. During the summit, Persad-Bissessar presented regional leaders with a package of T&T proposals related to energy, agriculture. On Saturday, T&T shouldered another Caricom responsibility by agreeing to be home base for the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CPHA) which co-ordinates regional public health bodies and deals with chronic disease issues and HIV-AIDS matters. CPHA will operate with additional financing from the European Union. Despite offering regional concessions, T&T has come in for strong criticism from Barbados on the REDjet issue.
Barbadian PM Freundel Stuart said his country had tested REDjet and certified its safety, yet was being "second guessed" on it. Stuart said Barbados did not second-guess "other people's" certification of their aircraft. He said he had made that clear at the summit. He said there had been a meeting of the civil aviation authorities of both countries on the issue. Stuart said if that was the way the REDjet issue was going to be handled, he simply wanted "to know the rules" and how people were "playing the game." Stuart said he "could play the game as well as they could play it." Persad-Bissessar, at her subsequent media briefing, denied T&T's safety concerns were a "red herring" excuse in the REDjet issue. She added: "We've raised safety concerns and we're of the view that the safety of our nationals is paramount." "If flags have been raised on such safety issues, we're of the view that this should be dealt with before we go forward with the matter."
Persad-Bissessar reiterated that a suggestion was made for aviation authorities in the three states involved-T&T, Jamaica and Barbados-to examine safety concerns. She said she had to take the matter to Cabinet for discussion. T&T also has concerns about predatory pricing in the situation, she added. "But it's safety first is what we're saying-safety first," she added. Persad-Bissessar, who said the summit was a success, said no decision was taken on her proposal for a fast ferry linking T&T and the Eastern Caribbean. She said she had received positive feedback on the private sector project which could be implemented without investment by Governments, save for provision of port and related services. She said the project could generate jobs and revenue for states which used it. Persad-Bissessar said energy costs, one of the major concerns about the project, could be dealt with, via use of gas turbines. "Therefore so far, this looks like a win-win situation," she said. Persad-Bissessar said there was also a proposal for flights from Toronto to enter St Kitts and T&T. In addition, the National Aids Coordinating Council. which was attached to the Prime Minister's Office, will be restructured and should benefit from the locating of the new Caribbean Public Health Agency (CPHA) in T&T. The next Caricom summit will be hosted by Suriname's President Desi Bouterse, the secretariat said.