MARTIN GEORGE ON AIRPORT

CCNTV6

Head of the Tobago Business Chamber Martin George is tonight calling on the government to come clean and show the books on the ANR Robinson International Airport expansion project. This comes following revelations of cost overruns levelled on the project by Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. More in this Elizabeth Williams report.

Transcript

00:00We recently had the proclamation of the public procurement legislation and the

00:05whole purpose and reason and rationale behind that was so that we could try to

00:10avoid scenarios such as this. So therefore it would be a show of good

00:16faith by the government to basically come forth, answer the allegations, show

00:22what has actually happened and if it is that they are able to disprove the

00:27allegations then please do so.

00:29Mr. George is asking for

00:31accountability for possible cost overruns.

00:34You don't want it to end up being a big

00:37expensive white elephant which has the capacity I am told of maybe up to 3

00:42million passengers a year when in reality even Piaco doesn't do numbers

00:49like that. So you know you ask yourself you know where is the justification if

00:55it is that there were these massive cost overruns and this profligate spending

01:01that is being alleged.

01:03George said the country must not forget the Piaco

01:07International Airport scandal.

01:09We all recall the Piaco Airport scandal and the

01:12fallout from that and you know there were actually criminal charges laid

01:17against persons, several you know corporations were also charged, there

01:22were charges running from here all the way up to Florida, you know persons were

01:27charged and got before the court, persons served time. So therefore we have to now

01:33be as diligent and scrupulous and vigilant with the Tobago Airport project.

01:40He said citizens must hold public officials accountable even if it means

01:45criminal charges be laid in the matter.

01:48We the citizens have to start holding our

01:51public officials accountable for their actions and inactions especially when it

01:57comes to any wastage or alleged wastage of public funds and there must be that

02:04call for you know explanation as to what has been done or what has not been done

02:10in these circumstances.

02:12Elizabeth Williams TV6 News

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