Government not turning its back on REDjet

Government is not about to turn its back on this country’s nationally designated airline REDjet, treating it as “some cast-off child”.

However, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart says that his Government has to ensure that all the I’s are dotted and T’s crossed before any steps are taken to invest taxpayers’ money in the private sector company. He said it is imperative that Government determine that the company is following all the rules and this country can truly realise value for money at the end of the day.

The Prime Minister made the comments during a wide-ranging address to those attending a meeting of the St. Lucy branch of the Democratic Labour Party in Pie Corner last night, where he touched on several issues including the effect of the recession on Barbados and the wider world, CLICO and the closure of Almond Beach Village.

Speaking more about REDjet, which suspended operations in March of this year citing concerns about the heavy subsidies that other airlines serving the region receive, Stuart said that he has asked the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Darcy Boyce, to secure a copy of the company’s balance sheet so that they can see what has gone on in the company to date. He added that after this is done, they will be able to determine what should go on in the company in the future.

“It is a nationally designated airline and Barbados is not going to resile from that. The movement of visitors through the Caribbean increased during the time that REDjet was in the air and we have no particular interest in frustrating that.

“Barbados has a vested interest in ensuring that people from other parts of the Caribbean visit this country. Our largest source market for tourism is Britain, our second largest is the United States and our third largest is CARICOM, so we
have a vested interest in people being able to get here and get here at economical rates,” he told the gathering.

With that in mind, he noted that this country pays a few million dollars yearly to American Airlines to get that carrier to bring passengers from the United States to Barbados and vice versa, and as such, he maintained, Government cannot in good conscience support American Airlines which does not belong to us, and turn its back on REDjet.

Source:  http://www.barbadosadvocate.com