China’s Ambassador to Antigua & Barbuda Liu Hanming, left, and Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture John Maginley sign the Framework Agreement on the Provision of Concessional Loan for the new terminal building at VC Bird International Airport.
Antigua & Barbuda is to receive in the region of US $50 million (EC $135 million) in financial assistance from China.
Agreements to this effect were signed Friday morning between representatives of the two countries at the Office of The Prime Minister.
The airport concessional loan agreement will result in the construction of a new terminal at V C Bird International Airport at a cost of US $45 million, while the other agreement is for US $4.54 million for community assistance.
Construction of the new airport terminal is expected to start in June and end three years later.
This agreement was co-signed by Tourism and Aviation Minister John Maginley, and he said consultations are ongoing with industry partners on the proposed changes.
“The Chinese technical team has been working with our technical team. We sent a team to Miami to work with the Miami International Airport, (and) we also had American Airlines and British Airways and Virgin and all our airline partners look at the drawings. A lot of lessons have been learnt in the past about not letting the operators involved have a say,” said Maginley.
Finance and Economy Minister Harold Lovell signed the Agreement on Economic and Technical Co-operation for US $4.54 million in assistance.
“The agreement that I signed was for a grant that will be used for community development projects primarily which will be a way for us to empower communities to provide better infrastructural works for communities and at the same time provide employment,” said Lovell.
Antigua & Barbuda and China also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the strengthening of bilateral scientific and technological co-operation, and an agreement for the donation of computers by the Chinese Government that will form part of this country’s “one-laptop-per-child” initiative.
On Saturday, it was announced the donation would be 500 laptop computers towards the One Laptop per Child Policy in secondary schools.
The agreement to provide the computers comes on the heels of a donation of 20 laptops to Antigua Girls’ High School on Friday during a visit by the high-level Chinese delegation.
Friday morning’s signing formed part of a two-day visit to the island by the Chinese delegation led by China’s most powerful female politician, State Councilor Madame Liu Yandong.
On Saturday the two nations observed the 28th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the twin-island state and the Asian country.
(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)
What does China get in exchange for this aid? Look at the Multicultural Center – poorly constructed and not of much use. Is this how the international aiport will be in a few years time. Understand that lending is drying up world wide – but would really like to know what has been promised- will my children’s children be Antiguan or Chinantiguan?
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