Golding
OPPOSITION LEADER Bruce Golding says the Opposition will not support any motion seeking parliamentary approval for loans to Air Jamaica until the Government provides a full report on the status and direction of the national airline.
Mr. Golding was responding to the tabling of a resolution in Parliament on Wednesday by Fitz Jackson, state minister in the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
The resolution seeks parliamentary approval for a US$200 million loan, which Air Jamaica raised on the international capital market on Tuesday.
But on Thursday Mr. Golding told The Gleaner that he had tabled a resolution in Parliament last May, requesting a full status report on Air Jamaica, which has yet to be debated.
He noted that if the resolution brought by Minister Jackson is mentioned before his resolution, then the Opposition would "raise serious concerns" about the loan.
Mr. Golding said the Opposition did not want to sanction actions by the Government to pump more money into a company that is not viable and as such was seeking a business proposal for the next five to 10 years.
"We need to be satisfied that we have a credible plan," the Opposition Leader said.
Mr. Golding's comments came a day after Pearnel Charles, Opposition spokesman on transport, called for the Government to sack the current management of Air Jamaica.
According to Mr. Charles, during the six months since control of Air Jamaica was transferred to the Government from the Gordon 'Butch' Stewart-led Air Jamaica Acquisition Group (AJAG), the airline has lost twice the amount of money lost under its former managers.
Mr. Charles also said, during his contribution to the 2005/2006 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, that passenger loads have dramatically declined from 51 per cent to 27 per cent.
"The Minister of Finance must remove the current management and recruit seasoned and experienced aviation professionals to rescue the airline, " Mr. Charles said.
He argued that failure to accept his proposal would lead to the closure of the airline.
-R.H.
