Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley says REDjet is unable to fly into T&T because of irresponsible action by officials of the T&T Government. Rowley said the issue of REDjet being allowed to land in T&T had become a Caricom issue. The airline was granted permission to land in Barbados but not in T&T. The issue was raised at the Caricom Heads of Government Meeting in St Kitts over the weekend. Speaking at a news conference at his Charles Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, Rowley said Barbados now had a problem with T&T "and there is some element of hostility in there." He said the T&T Government had not spoken clearly on this matter. "It's been all confusion on a matter that if properly handled should have been simple and straight forward," Rowley said.
He said the problem was the result of ministerial statements that were made out of turn. "We now have a spat between T&T and Barbados, where in T&T there are issues of safety and in Barbados they are saying we have certified it and you are not accepting our level of expertise," Rowley added. He said that problem could have been avoided if the PP Government was not trying to score political points 24 hours a day. "It was ministerial talking out of turn on this application that set this off on the wrong foot in the beginning. It has now become a Caricom problem," Rowley insisted. Earlier Rowley said Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar also spoke out of turn when she announced a proposal to establish a regional sea transport service for Caricom nationals.
He said that should not have been announced before deliberations on the proposals were completed
He said Persad-Bissessar was simply making public relations statements in St Kitts. "It was a little premature," he said. Rowley also criticised the Prime Minister for not attending a Caricom meeting on the Single Market and Economy recently, opting to stay at home and party. He added: "It is not something you could just come off a plane and hand Caricom. You are not serious about Caricom. These are the kinds of things that belittle Caricom. "Every time there is a Heads of Govt meeting you get things said and done which call into question the seriousness of our attempt to make the region one economic unit."