KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is leading a 10-member delegation to Saudi Arabia, with Kingston signing several schools, health, housing, and other governmental infrastructure agreements.
Gonsalves, who will join Caribbean Community (CARICOM) colleagues in participating in the first-ever Saudi Arabia-CARICOM summit, scheduled for Thursday, said that the event will focus on fostering investment and trade, particularly in critical sectors such as infrastructure, hospitality, energy, climate change, and environmental sustainability.
“As you know, several of us have been building these relations, and you know we have already signed a US$16 million agreement … 20 years, two percent fixed interest rate, which is quite low to do some health facilities,” Gonsalves said.
Gonsalves said the centerpiece of the US$16 million agreement would be a modern health center in South Rivers.
“We have paid for the land where we want to do it; the design process has commenced for that,” he said, adding that construction can begin somewhere by the middle of next year.
“Because the design has to be done, it has to go out to tender, international tender, and the like to get the contractor.”
Gonsalves said funds would also be used to repair other health clinics across the island and educational, cultural, artistic, and production hubs in three locations.
“That’s consisting of the US$16 million. But that was just the first,” Gonsalves said, adding,” We have sent in other projects, and I’m going to sign about those projects.”
Gonsalves told reporters he also intends to travel to Qatar “for a day or two since I’m in the neighborhood.
“Because I have made an application from the Qatari Fund for certain resources, including, very importantly, to build a science, technology, and innovation lab to enhance the work of the Community College and the global campus of the University of the West Indies. I have the land earmarked already, going up the Frenches area, just behind the University of the West Indies,” Gonsalves said.
“Again, we have been building relations with Qatar for some time. We have gotten some links to do some work. I am trying to organize that to see if I can get some work done so that I don’t have to go another time,” he added.
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