Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has strongly defended his administration’s decision to chart a new course for the rehabilitation of the Hewanorra International Airport (HIA), insisting that the previous model pursued by the former government was neither sustainable nor accountable.
Speaking at the most recent pre-cabinet press briefing, Pierre addressed persistent criticism over his government’s decision to reevaluate the approach taken by the former United Workers Party administration, which had initiated preliminary works on the HIA terminal project.
“I make absolutely no apologies for that,” Prime Minister Pierre declared. “I’m saying in my good conscience and in the conscience of the members of the Cabinet because it wasn’t my own decision and in the conscience of several consultants, we could not, we could not follow the model that was in place for HIA.”
Pierre emphasised that independent experts had raised serious concerns about the financial and procedural sustainability of the initial plans and that his administration was compelled to take corrective action to safeguard public resources.
“We are going to construct the Hewanorra International Airport terminal building. We’re going to,” he affirmed. “We are in the process of, but it’s going to be done in a sustainable way, it’s going to be done in an accountable way.”
The HIA project has long been a topic of political contention, with critics accusing the Pierre-led administration of stalling progress. However, Pierre remains resolute that the revised approach is in the country’s best long-term interest.
