Construction of New Terminal Ahead of Schedule

Construction of the new airport terminal at the VC Bird International Airport is progressing ahead of schedule and Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Baldwin Spencer, Ambassador to China David Shoul as well as Tourism Minister Hon. John Maginley are all elated at revelation made on Thursday.

Addressing the media nine months after the start of the project, Prime Minister Spencer said he was both “satisfied” and “overwhelmingly impressed” at the considerable progress made on the project in such short time.

Ambassador Shoul estimates that the project is at least one month ahead of schedule and is expected to be completed by December 2013. The Prime Minister told Caribarena government would now be moving to have the documents governing this, yet another, Chinese loan agreement tabled in Parliament at the earliest convenience.

Government and private individuals from across the country had long made inquiries as to why the government had opted not to take this agreement, like that of the Wadadli Power Plant, before Parliament prior to commencing operations.

But the Prime Minister continues to maintain that his government, according to law, can borrow more than $300 million without parliamentary consent.

No estimated figures on how much money was expended so far could be provided but Ambassador Shoul and senior airport officials did speculate that only the initial draw down of cash from the Chinese funding bank has been collected.

Questions about whether the project had changed contractors at any time during its lifespan were responded to in the negative with all assurances pointing to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as the single builder.

The PM said considering the progress and successes so far of this project, government is “contemplating” expanding the initiative in both east and westward directions.

Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister John Maginley said he has taken quite a few opportunities to examine the progress of the construction and he was indeed pleased with the progress as well as the proposition for expansion.

Maginley pointed to the obvious implications that the new and modern terminal would have on the local tourism industry as well as Antigua’s overall image as being the hub of the Caribbean.