Press Release Emanating from the Office of the United Workers Party Political Leader

1.
Chairman: Mr. Ezechiel » Political Leader: Mr. Allen Chastanet » General Secretary: Mr. Oswald Augustin
Upstairs AF Valmont,
Rodney Bay, Gros Islet,
P.O. Box RB 2497,
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Allen Chastanet - 722-4200
UWP ISSUES CALL FOR LIAT TO BE OVER-­HAULED
Castries, Saint Lucia September 25, 2013 The United Workers Party has been following,
very closely, recent developments in the regional airline, LIAT. The Party is extremely
concerned over the silence of Minister of Tourism, Hon. Lorne Theophilus and Minister of Civil
Aviation, Hon. Alva Baptiste regarding the deteriorating and sub-standard service which the
airline has been providing to Saint Lucian travelers over the past weeks.
The operations of LIAT are critical to the tourism industry and the overall business market of
Saint Lucia; notwithstanding, our dependency on LIAT for the delivery of professional and
efficient service. Despite the fact that LIAT operates as a monopoly, the Airline continues to
burden regional Governments financially and has consistently fallen short from the required
standards which the market demands. Saint Lucians have over-extended their patience and
tolerance with LIAT without the commensurate improvements from the Airline in its services.
We are suspicious that decreased flights and increasing fares to Saint Lucia by the Airline is a
deliberate attempt at coercing the Government to meet their demands. The United Workers
Party is concerned that the Government of Saint Lucia may be yielding to the existing pressures
and may have decided to invest Millions of dollars in the beleaguered Airline.
UWP Leader, Allen Chastanet, in commenting on the suggestion that the Government of Saint
Lucia may be seeking to invest Millions in LIAT, stated the following:
Administration to exercise prudence in ensuring that the use of tax-payers monies should only
be applied towards financially successful ventures. At this stage we are not convinced that

2.
Chairman: Mr. Ezechiel » Political Leader: Mr. Allen Chastanet » General Secretary: Mr. Oswald Augustin
According to Mr. Chastanet, cal to the St Lucian and
Caribbean economies; it requires a more competitive environment which will enable the input
of fresh ideas and initiatives to ensure survival and growth of the region. We must be prepared
to put in place new minds and persons with
Mr. Chastanet also issued a call for the Heads of Government of Caricom to review the tenure of
the Chairman of Caricom Aviation and Transportation Sub-Committee. The UWP Political
Leader supports the calls from around the region for both the current Chairman of LIAT and
Chairman of Caricom Aviation and Transportation Sub-Committee to tender their resignations.
This is a necessary step to ensure a more objective approach to find immediate solutions for a
viable regional aviation industry.
The UWP wants to commend the staff of LIAT and to state that we sympathize with them as
they are forced to operate in very trying and tenuous conditions. The region cannot continue to
be saddled with an Airline which is unable to generate profit and continues to fall short of basic
standards. We therefore advise that the Government of Saint Lucia act with extreme caution as
relates to investing in LIAT.
Ends/
Attch. Copy of a Sept 13th
Letter from Dominican Hotelier, Gregor Nassief to Four Regional Prime Ministers