KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (CMC):

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has slammed regional carrier LIAT for what he describes as its "sloppy" service and says it is time the airline does something about it.

Gonsalves, whose administration is one of the airline's main shareholder governments, said his stout defence of LIAT's strategic position must not be taken to mean that he would not be critical of the island-hopping carrier's faults.

"Persons must not confuse my defence and support of LIAT from a strategic standpoint and assume ... that I will be defending LIAT with sloppy service," Gonsalves said.

He said he had spoken to LIAT Chairman Jean Holder as well as St. Vincent and the Grenadines' representative on the airline's board of directors, Isaac Solomon, and made it clear "that I want to see an improvement of service".