Grenada is set to benefit from newly approved World Bank financing which, according to the institution, seeks to “enhance regional connectivity by improving the safety of air transport and the resilience of airport infrastructure to natural disasters.”
The World Bank has disclosed that International Development Association (IDA) financing of US$17 million has been approved for Grenada. Dominica, St Lucia and Haiti are listed as the other beneficiaries for the series of Caribbean Regional Air Transport Connectivity Projects.
The Grenada project, according to a World Bank press release, “will support increased safety and efficiency of airport operations and navigation, make climate resilience improvements, and strengthen the country’s capacity in civil aviation and airport management. This includes installation of air navigation and safety equipment at the main international airport, construction of a runway end safety area, and a resilient air cargo facility, and preparation of an aviation sector strategic plan.”
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, has welcomed the approval of the financing for the airport project, attributing the concessionary terms to government’s management of the economy in recent years.
He said, “The Ministries of Finance, Infrastructure Development and Civil Aviation and the Grenada Airports Authority worked diligently with the World Bank to secure the funding for this project. As with other IDA funds, this loan is granted on concessionary terms and will therefore allow us to pursue the much-needed improvement of the international airport without placing undue pressure on Grenada’s debt obligations.”
The World Bank funded project is one of two to be undertaken at the airport and will be concurrently implemented by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development & Implementation.
The overall scope of work for both projects will include resurfacing of the runway and turning pad, construction of a bypass road and an administration and emergency centre, procurement of a new air traffic management system, installation of an Instrument Landing System and an X-ray screening machine, training for air traffic controllers and fire rescue staff among others.
Minister for Infrastructure Development, Honourable Gregory Bowen, said collectively the 2 projects will bring tremendous benefit. He said, “The resurfacing of the runway and the installation of various safety features will significantly enhance overall safety at the airport, ensuring Grenada’s compliance with international standards and the continued operation of the airport.”
With the approval of financing, the next steps will include signing of the financing agreement, project design works and selection of a contractor.
Office of the Prime Minister
the Airport needs serious improvement and there is no country on earth that don’t have death in their economy. The bigger a country in land mass size the bigger the deaths and I never see that as a problem . The problem is being able to live with things that you cannot live without.
In early times Grenada airport was so great that bigger countries and others had dislike our development and now the cost of building an airport like the Maurice Bishop International Airport back then could of possibly I guest about 100 million. Now, in this modern time the next air port should be occupying almost the the whole west coast together with Grenada West course harbor with hotel accommodations like islands in the sea connected to all the mountain lands of the different parishes from low as sea level with the harbor that can contain more than 100 cruse ships , high rise buildings from the ocean to the mountain tops of St. Georges to St. Patrick’s and straight high ways to break down traffic congestion without destroying any beaches that will be used to access rooms on the water plus large sea marine of under water aquariums enough kilometers long to conserve and mass bread all species that can live in those environment engineered for world tourist attraction and all other means of development . This is a project that can pay its self even before it is finished .
Such a project cost about 300 trillion U.S dollars and takes about 25 to 30 years with about 300 engineers and and two hundred thousand normal other workers to finish . The Lavera Pond project is a baby project compare to such a huge project . We are talking about converting many beaches on the west of Grenada into indoor beaches with sporting, recreation , air port , sea port divided into cities of different states . Imagine sitting on the sea shore and watching small boats taking people to their rooms and with fishing boats and yacht behind then on a straight road high in the sky is the harbor for large ships broken down in step stages and room for guesses for more than 500,000 people and going back to the land from the ground with high rise buildings standing taller than 119 10 in Grana tang St. Andrew’s. Guesses will be standing up there and looking down at two to three large cities on grenada west coast .
For sure it sounds impossible but that is the future of Grenada ahead of death in the future and bein able to rise above death , this is what it cost to rise above povity and slavery. This cost more than financial death but if you want to survive and be at the top an make it happened , do it.
Bro that is a fantastic dream but have you manufactured into that dream the climate condition if Grenada and the surrounding islands.? Oh its a beautiful Dream.
Please keep your country, for the people who are related to it by blood and who have generations around the world,who may need to return, or even be sent there because that’s where their parents were born.see what’s happening in UK and America.
Here, here i second this motion.
Free money eh.
And when Morris Bishop asked the USA for money and got denied then he asked Cuba who has helped them in the pass, they made propaganda that Grenada had American students hostage at the University of the West Indies, and so they send the USA army to Grenada to take out Morris Bishop yes.
He was asking for money to build up the country via factories and infrastructure to help export their natural resources of produce etc.
Know y’all history!
THIS, right here is an plan to prepare Grenada to be stripped of its resources wild in debt.
Because what’s go happen?
Bigger airport to help bring and build someone else’s factory and infrastructure. The people of Grenada are going to end up working for the Chinese or whichever other nation is behind this.
Y’all need to learn from Jamaica, their airlines were the first thing they sold. Air Jamaica. If they own your ports you don’t own your door step.
Bravo , well said
Education yes education, but will grenadians ever learn that the imf and world banks of this world gives you nothing for nothing, for in the end its all boils donw to who pays the piper calls the tune as we can see with projects like the Silver Sands and the destruction of our mangroves and environmental yet nothing is said about building a modern hospital to care for our citizens.
Nonsense
They need better health care system in the Caribbean. That’s what they need now
He needs the loans to fund his scotch and cigars. Can’t run the government without that.
They need to consider a termax that connect to the terminal. In this modern times why do we still have to come off the aircraft and walk out in the hot sun. Why do we have to stand outside to go through processing on return flights? We need better accessibility for the elderly who are unable to walk as the wheelchair assistant don’t even want to come up to the aircraft to collect the elderly some of which could barely walk. They want them to walk down the plank to the sit in a wheelchair. You practically have to beg them to come up and get the elderly. Lets do this right and modernize the airport. These leaders travel all over and see the accommodations other airport have. Use this funds wisely.
John Thomas, you are a smart individual! You should be the next Prime minister! I’ll vote for you!
Brother as there is an uptick in air travel to Grenada, don’t you think the time is fitting for airport improvements especially having a taxi way? I track flights since I’m retired I’ve been tracking flights, and one Saturday whilst there was 6 flights on the ground there 2 others heading point saline, one had circle until 2 left,. We have to have foresight and look to the future
When is this guy who calls himself Dr. going to stop burdening us and hundreds of generations to come with foolish debt that we will never be able to pay back.
This useless, ridiculous debts that he is taking, on every two weeks, is not intended to help us.
Why doesn’t he go in to debt so as to build factories and industries to produce goods and services that are needed by us and people around the world?
This nonsense is becoming unbearable for us, Indigenous Grenadians. Not because some entity decide to give you a loan, you have to take it. The first question you should be asking yourself why you? What is the catch?
The World Bank and IMF don’t come looking to give you loans to be nice to you. They plan is to put us in a revolving door of debt. And, our great Dr. is too happy to throw away our children’s future with these senseless and foolish debts.
Please keep your country, for those who are living and born there, as well as those who are related to the country by blood. They may need to return and they can also help further the development of the country, with anything they have no matter how small. See what’s happening in the UK and America…they maybe sent away back to their parents country.
Bro he was sent to Grenada all thoes years ago by thoes who is now pulling the strings to do what he is doing to make Grenada and its people a dependency on the world and Imf Banks and as for the building of manufacturing plants and enhancing our agriculture industry or even building a modern fully functional hospital for grenadians sad to say are not on his agenda , for it is clear that everything that the late Bro.Maurice Bishop has achieved in Grenada it is clear that there is an agenda in place to eradicate and return Grenada to the dependency pnce again i say the Imf and world banks.