 Prime Minister Hon. Alan Shastney spoke at Monday's Cabinet press briefing about the importance and significance of the Huronora International Airport Redevelopment Project and the economic activity it will create. The construction of the world-class facilities expected to employ hundreds of solutions. The Prime Minister's statements come as Slasper's management and other stakeholders have finalized critical conditions for the commencement of the HIA redevelopment project. In terms of the project starting right now, we're very excited. It's taken a long time to get to this place to get all the financing secured. It has been secured. There's over $88 million currently in the lockbox as we speak, so it means that the bankers are very secure in knowing that even if COVID continues and there's a continuing dampening on arrivals, there's certainly enough monies in the lockbox to carry the existing loans for at least three years without getting any new traffic. But to commence the project now is a feat in itself and very exciting, but certainly with COVID and the need to be able to have other economic activity on the ground, obviously it's very meaningful. The project preparation has been ongoing on the 28 acres of land airmark for the project from since February 2020 and the south of the island can look out for a new harm of activity as the project enters phase 2 of work. According to the Prime Minister, this project is a total overhaul of what currently exists and the expansion will also include mitigation efforts against flooding, runway safety and resilience and contingent emergency response. The World Bank has come in with a $45 million U.S. loan, very concessionary loan, 40 years, a 10-year moratorium at a half a percent interest and that is to review the flood problems in that area and also to deal with the resurfacing of the runway and to put in the navigational lighting equipment for the airport facilities. Prime Minister Shasne stated that this project is a major accomplishment considering the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic. This, he says, is a unique opportunity for St. Lucia to work and expand our capacity as a country. This is really good news for St. Lucia. One, the immediacy of the jobs that it's going to create, but two, at the end of the project, we would have significantly improved the capacity of the country and we now know that COVID is not going to be here forever. The government of St. Lucia through the St. Lucia and Seaport Authority commissioned and received a master plan for the redesign and development of the Hironora International Airport into a modern facility catering to the growing demands of the travel industry. Construction for the HIA redevelopment project is undertaken by Taiwan-based Overseas Engineering and Construction Company, OECC, with project management, engineering and oversight by Miami-based CBRE HEERY. For more information on the latest developments, visit HIAproject.com. Reporting for the Office of the Prime Minister, I am Danielle Dubois.