ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

ANTIGUA AND Barbuda will have to find a further US$22 million to complete the country's preparation for Cricket World Cup 2007, the country's Minister of Finance and the Economy Dr Errol Cort has announced.

Cort said the government has spent about US$14 million to date on infrastructure development around the new Sir Vivian Richards stadium, which is being built and funded to the tune of about US$21 million by the People's Republic of China.

But he said the Antiguan government needs more money for road works, landscaping and overlay for the stadium to meet the November 2006 deadline, which requires that the stadium and ancillary infrastructure are completed.

He said in hindsight, maybe the Caribbean should be having second thoughts on its decision to take on the hosting of Cricket World Cup. "You speak to any of the finance ministers throughout the region and they will indicate a similar challenge," Cort said.

"I've certainly heard in many (discussions) the view echoed that in hindsight, perhaps the Caribbean should not have volunteered to host Cricket World Cup and I can say the experiences here in Antigua and Barbuda, in terms of the expenditure, are the same throughout the region."

Cort said the Antiguan government will have to be proactive to ensure that it maximises the potential benefits to be derived from hosting Super Eight matches next March.

He said the ministries of tourism and sports will have to work together after Cricket World Cup to ensure the country benefit.

"So the challenge is going to be, to find creative ways to make sure that we maximise our investments, because it would be a tragedy if we spent all those millions and millions of dollars to create such a magnificent facility and then after the World Cup the facility becomes useless ..." Cort added.