No funds for LIAT – St Lucia PM

(Barbados Nation) Barbadian taxpayers can continue to fund LIAT, but St Lucian Prime Minister Allen Chastanet says not a dollar from his country is going into the cash-strapped regional airline.

Moreover, some of his colleagues in CARICOM might not like it, but Chastanet told the DAILY NATION he wanted to send the current LIAT board of directors packing, replacing them with people more savvy in the industry. Charging that there was too much political meddling in the regional airline, Chastanet, a consistent critic of LIAT, said in a recent interview it was time shareholder governments took their hands off the carrier and allowed it to operate on a strictly commercial basis.

Staying true to his word when he was in opposition, CARICOM’s newest leader said his position in office would remain the same – there will be no funding of the airline by St Lucian taxpayers.