As plans continue for the construction of the Wallblake Airport expansion project, the local media have been told that efforts were being made to raise sixteen million US dollars in loans from the commercial banks on the island towards the financing of the project.

This was disclosed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Kenn Banks, at a press briefing on Wednesday January 22 at which the Airport Project Manager, Fritz Smith, also spoke. Mr. Banks said funds were not readily available from such sources as the European Union and the Caribbean Development Bank which had certain time-consuming loan guidelines to follow. It would further delay the project to go through that process, he stated.
Mr. Smith said it might be possible to bring forward the date for the completion of the work. It was earlier estimated that the project should be operational by September 2004, but Smith said the British consultants, Scott-Wilson Kirkpatrick, had reviewed their programme and it might be possible to complete the work before that date.
There are several matters surrounding the airport project which will be further discussed at a meeting in London late next month. Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Osbourne Fleming, will be part of the Anguilla delegation. The other members will be Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, Permanent Secretary for Economic Development, Marcel Fahie and Project Manager, Fritz Smith.

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