Prime Minister, Dr the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, says the upgrade and rehabilitation of the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA) is critical to the further development of Grenada, particularly as the country seeks to position itself for the anticipated recovery in the tourism sector.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, questions have been asked about the timing of the project. At the ground-breaking ceremony for the project on Wednesday, Dr Mitchell said, “This is a necessary investment and the timing is right. The provision of the most modern and technologically advanced facility is crucial for the tourism industry specifically, and generally, for the economic growth and development of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.”
The Prime Minister further stated that, “As a Government, we are duty-bound to provide safe, secure, efficient and world-class airport facilities and services that are consistent with international standards and which will in fact, support the economic development of our country. This is a responsibility we do not take lightly and it is in fact included in the mission statement of the Grenada Airports Authority.”
The Prime Minister cited the airport upgrade as a major project under the Public Sector Investment Programme, and noted too, that the country’s development thrusts must be spurred by a combination of public and private sector projects.
He said, “As we move forward, the growth of the country and its economy, is crucial for the provision of jobs and improving the lives of people. We are happy with the level of development we are seeing in both the public and private sectors and we expect to see some excellent opportunities for growth and development in 2021 and onwards.”
The airport upgrade and rehabilitation project is funded through a concessional loan from the People’s Republic of China, the first loan that Grenada has taken from China. The Prime Minister is confident that Grenada will be able to repay its loans and as such, there is no basis for the speculation that the airport will fall into China’s hands.
Dr Mitchell said, “The data shows that for the last 6 years, this Government has managed the country’s economy and fiscal affairs, most optimally, compared with any other Government, including past NNP governments. That is a fact, the data shows it and numbers don’t lie. We should have been far more worried in 2012 when the debt to GDP ratio was very high but now that ratio is just over 60%, therefore the additional loan is not a reason for concern.
Ambassador Zhao Yonchen of the People’s Republic of China also addressed this issue in his remarks and he too, expressed confidence that Grenada will be able to service its loan.
Minister for Infrastructure Development, Senator the Honourable Norland Cox outlined the general objectives of the rehabilitation project which include improving the landing and takeoff conditions for aircraft, lower airport operating costs for passengers and cargo and increased passenger comfort and convenience.
Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister, Honourable Clarice Modeste-Curwen, in her remarks, also underscored the importance of the airport upgrade project saying it is necessary for the maintenance of safety standards, the further development of tourism, and facilitating more efficient cargo operations.
Coincidentally, the ground-breaking ceremony for the airport upgrade project was held on the 36th anniversary of the official opening of the then Point Salines International Airport, later renamed in honour of the country’s revolutionary leader, Maurice Bishop.
GIS
China have their fingers in most countries, supplying second rate vehicles and products fpr spices
When Grenada is unable to pay back this loan to China for the development of the airport,
Who will then have control over it?
China is becoming a global leader if not already so, you think they will just bow down when their aren’t getting there money back, wakey wakey!!!!!!
Such a beautiful island, such a shame Grenadians won’t go the extra mile for their island in the sun.
Instead yall gonna let outsiders take over Maurice Bishop International………… what will be next?
Trading for spice? more like trading to take control of the island.
listen. just shut it man! Grenada is a poor country! we can only keep depending on foreign countries because we are too much of a poor country. I dont care if it is the chinese! the ariport needs upgrading! it’s been about 40+ years since the airport was built, 16 years since the runway was last resurfaced. I WANT TO SEE IF THE AMERICANS WILL DO THIS. AMERICA DO NOTHING BUT BRAINWASH US WITH PROPAGANDS. You Grenadians need to be grateful for what we have and get! China wants to help develop black countries because we are so poor we dont have infrastructure to get our countries up and running. Something you black people need to change is your mentality. Jobs are being created! This will increase air traffic! We will have a better and modern ariport! Government has no money to help fix these things because they are broke! No one pays taxes and no one is willing to help this country going.
THEY ARE NOT TAKING OVER THE COUNTRY MY GOD! IS THAT SOMETHING YOU PEOPLE ARE TO DEAF AND BLIND TO HEAR AND SEE! The Government will pay back only if you people can pay your taxes! The airport needs upgrading and thanks to China its already being upgraded! Stop saying the Chinese are taking over! The problem is that Grenada needs fair trade! All countries in the world need equal and fair training with Grenada! Chinese not taking over. The Government will pay back the loan! Stop saying that the worst will come.
John thomas,whatever your name is.
What school did you attend????
thank you my friend. propagandists are very un educated.
This is what happens when we dont want to work and want money. this is what happens when we dont want to pay taxes and want money. this is what happens when we dont educate ourselves but want money. what do you expect. no one can help us but only ourselves. if we would just stop being so dumb and lazy we can develop this country ourselves. that is how china became who they were. that is how america became who they were. WE NEED TO WORK HARD AND GET AN EDUCATION. WE DONT NEED RESOURCES BUT HARD WORK. WHEN CHINA SEES ON DORMANT ON OUR LANDS THEY SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE OVER AND START TO GET US UP AND WORKING AGAIN. THEY WILL EVENTUALLY PUT THIS COUNTRY UP AND RUNNING AGAIN. IF NO ONE IS GOING TO DEVELOP THIS COUNTRY WHO WILL???? probably the chinese!
The Airport needs to be upgraded PERIOD
You people should remember when any one of us die we Will Never Take Grenada with Us you die and leave every single thing right here so Stop with this Madness about they are taking over.. There are Countries that are more prosperous lend a helping hand Rich international countries get loans from each other regularly go and do your home work …the airport is in ruins its shabby its requires A LOT OF UPGRADES its so behind the times its pityful and laughable. Stop complaining when no average citizen of Grenada will ever ever be able to assist financially or otherwise period….
thank you so much! they will never understand.
It is interesting to see this bunch of jokers hiding behind hard-hats and face masks after they gave away our airport to the Chinese under the pretense of a loan that we will never be able to pay back and for unnecessary upgrades in these difficult times. Some people say it may be all to do with quid pro quo.
Whatever it is, they should show their faces, stand by their work, and explain to Native Grenadians why they are selling us dogs that cannot and will never hunt.
Native Grenadians will rather have a modest, functional airport that belong us than a fancy one that belong to the Chinese, period.
ya primetive third world country airport. no wonder why there is nothing so good and modern about grenada. go in jamaica and trinidad and they have airports better than us. you have primitive third world country mind. thats why you think we happy with the old airport we have now. china or not it needs upgrading.
For all the people who want to overthrow keith mitchell just because of some chinese trying to help get our country up and going. If it wasn’t for him we would be driving on unpaved dirt roads. We would be making $100 a month like back then and we would be blind like a bat because we wouldnt have street lights. CMON WE SHOULDN’T BE ANGRY BUT BE GRATFEUL FOR WHAT THIS GOVERNMENT HAS DONE. UNFORTUNATELY BLACK DEMOCRACY HAD GOT OUT OF CONTROL. WE NEED TO END BLACK DEMOCRACY IN GRENADA AND GO BACK TO THE OLD WAYS WHERE THERE WOULD BE DICTATORSHIP. At the end of the day Grenadians are some selfish worthless people. We contribute nothing to development of our country but all we do is complain complain and complain. I WANT TO SEE WHAT THE PROPAGANDISTS WILL DO WHEN WE PUT THEM IN OFFICE TO RUN THE COUNTRY. LOOKING FORWARDS TO SEE WHAT THIS COUNTRY TURNS OUT TO BE WHEN THIS SITUATION ABOUT CHINA GETS TOO OUT OF HAND. We are not patriotic enough, we are not educated enough and we are lacking unity and true leader ship.
THE ONLY THING THAT WILL BRING THIS COUNTRY OUT OF POVERTY IS HARD WORK AND TRUE LEADERSHIP AND THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE BY GRENDIANS THEMSELVES. LETS NOT WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT AND THEN COMPLAIN ABOUT THE WAY THINGS ARE. If we want to save our enviroments and beaches STOP THROWING AND DUMPING YOUR TRASH AND GARBAGE.
I am not against china because what they are doing is what no other country would do. WE WANT TO BUILD THIS COUNTRY OURSELVES BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE STILL POOR CANT CREATE WEALTH AND CANT FIND A WAY OR SOLUTION TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE BUT COMPLAIN. I want to see when propagandists go in office if we will be driving nice cars and living in nice homes having the best income rate higher than ever.
CHINA IS DOING GREAT AND GOD BLESS THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR THEIR EFFORTS AND HARD WORK IN TERMS OF UPGRADING AND REHABILITATING THIS AIRPORT. THEY ARE DOING THAT NOT ONE GRENADIAN CAN DO IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS. LEARN FROM THE CHINESE! HARD WORK AND CHEAP LABOR! THAT IS WHAT WILL DEVELOP THIS COUNTRY FORGET ABOUT THE MONEY ANDE SAYING ABOUT SLAVERY. JUST WAKE UP AND WORK HARD! If you dont go out there as grenadians and find the gold first! The chinese will take it before you! LETS DEVLOP THIS COUNTRY TOGETHER!
Fella, what planet did you come from? Do you even live in the real world?
Our so-called government and China are playing a real-live monopoly with Native Grenadians and you are there talking about “help” and “development”? All I can see is China getting rich of our back while we get a few plastic back of plastic food when all is said and done. No benefits for us!
you are not no native Grenadians. look at you your so un educated to not see that the Amerindian people and the Tainos are the Natives of Grenada not us Black African Grenadians of African descent through slavery. That you love the White man so much you are Blind to see that they came and killed out every single person of the Native population of the Americas something worst than what you guys think china will do. No benefit? So you are saying Construction Jobs, Better more modern Airport for the Country and serious air traffic increase would be no Benefit to Grenadians? Oh yeah and one more thing. Probably if you pay your taxes towards the Government they will be able to pay back for this loan. Go back to school and educate yourself. WE ARE NOT NATIVE GRENADIANS! GIVE BACK LANDS TO THE AMERINDIANS!!!!
Grenadians. We cant even develop the country ourselves. The most we can do is build up a ply house that will fall apart in weeks to come because we are so poorly educated and small minded. Stop buying into this hate propaganda! When the Chinese leave Grenada and we are left by ourselves to Develop this country who will do it? Obviously not the government because everyone demands government for more money and no one is willing to pay a single cent in taxes? My question for the propagandists is, Will you upgrade the Airport yourselves??? Will you build homes for the poor yourselves????? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO PROVE THAT YOU HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR COUNTRY APART FROM SPREADING HATE.
I am going to be Honest with you black Grenadians. WHEN WE CANT DEVELOP THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY OURSELVES. THE CHINESE SEE IT AS A OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND TAKE OVER THE DEVELOPMENT! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DONT WANT TO WORK. WHEN WE DONT WANT TO BUILD ROADS. WHEN WE DONT WANT PAY TAXES AND WHEN WE DONT WANT NOT ONE SIGNLE THING TO DO WITH GRENADA EXEPT FOR PARTING AND EATING KFC FRY CHICKEN.
Let me be honest with you. This country has come a very long way and not only through the NNP and the Revolution but also for foreign investment. If it wasn’t for the White Americans we would have never had the Largest University and Medical school in the Caribbean. If it wasn’t for the Chinese we wouldn’t be celebrating independence day and sports in the Cricket and Athletic Stadiums. It is only until now in 2020 that we feel we should buy into what is called HATE PROPAGANDA WHICH IS SUPPOSE TO OVERTHROW THIS NNP GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF SOME JEALOUS BAD MINDED PEOPLE
I disagree with all the hate and your hate comments and propaganda has now been revoked and dismissed.
Fortunately we have some very educated people that come to realization that the airport upgrade will benefit us alot in terms of development and management of air traffic coming to and from Grenada.
SO PEOPLE PLEASE STOP BUYING INTO SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT SUCH AS CHINA/GRENADA PROPAGANDA. DO YOUR RESEARCH AND SEARCH FOR THE TRUE FACTS BEFORE YOU BUY INTO IT. We will wait for the Airport to fall apart as Grenadians and by then when we beg the Chinese to come back it will be too late. IF YOU WANT CHINA TO LEAVE DEVELOP THE COUNTRY YOURSELVES AND DONT WAIT FOR IT TO JUST FALL APART. OPEN BUSINESSES MORE SCHOOL AND OPEN LOCAL HOTELS LIKE THE ROYSTON HOPKIN AND DONT JUST SIT THERE AT THE END OF THE DAY COMPLAINING AND DEMONSTRATING HATE.
IMA GIVE YALL GRENDIANS SOME SMOKE TODAY!!! SHUT IT WITH THE BULLSHIT!!!!!! IF THE CHINESE ARE GOING TO LEAVE GRENADA AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO BE DONE WHO WILL DO IT??? GRENDIANS STOP SPREADING HATE PROPAGANDA TOWARDS THE GOVENRMENT OF GRENADA AND CHINA. IF THE CHINESE DONT DO CERTAIN STUFF WHO WILL???? WE CANT EVEN DEVELOP THE COUNTRY OURSELVES!!! INSTEAD WE ARE LAZY COMPLAINING BLACK PEOPLE NOT WILLING TO PAY ONE DOLLAR IN TAXES TOWARDS THE GOVERNMENT SO THAT THEY CAN FIX ROADS AND IMPORVE HEALTHCARE. ALL WE DO IS COMPLAIN AND DEMAND THE GOVENRMENT FOR MORE MONEY WITHOUT HARD WORK. ALL GRENADIANS DO IS COMPLAIN AND SPREAD HATE PROPAGANDA. AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN NO ONE PAYS ATTENTION AND DOES UPRAGDING TO THE AIRPORT WHO WILL???? I WANT ALL OF YOU PEOPLE TO ANSWER MY QUESTION WHOO WILL????????? NO ONE CANT ANSWER BECAUSE NO ONE PAYING TAXES AND EVERYONE JUST MAKES DEMANDS DEMANDS DEMANDS OFF OF THE GOVENRMENT. SHUT IT WITH THE CHINADA BULLSHIT. EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT THE GOVERNMENT AND CHINA IS DOING BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. WHEN THE INFRASTURCTURE OF THIS COUNTRY FALLS APART EVERYONE WILL BE BEGGIN TO CHINA ON THEIR DAMN KNEES FOR HELP. THAT IS THE BLACK MENTALITY AND THAT IS HOW IT WILL ALWAYS BE. EDUCATE YOURSELVES AND DO RESEARCH FOR FACTS AND TRUTH BEFORE SPREADING HATE. THE TRUTH AND FACTS ABOUT BLACK GOVERNMENT OPPOSING GRENADIANS ARE HERE. WE NEED COMMUNISM. PEOPLE SHOULDNT HAVE CONTROL OVER THE GOVERNMENT. IT IS NOT RIGHT!