Shareholder governments may have to foot a US$55 million bill to effect the closure of regional carrier LIAT. Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur on Friday said that figure was being used as the "outer limit" that would be needed to pay severance and other associated costs to staff who might be affected by the LIAT/Caribbean Star merger and to pay outstanding creditors of the debt-ridden airline. He said discussions were at a "delicate stage" with the Canadian government with regards to a US$37 million LIAT debt to a Canadian entity. Mr. Arthur said and once these talks were successful the airline would go a long way towards liquidating a significant portion of its debt. He added that the Antigua government was seeking a US$20 million loan from the Venezuelan government which would go towards the airline's winding down operation bill. He gave staff and the general public the assurance that while the shareholder governments would do everything to seek to reduce the costs of closing the airline, they would not do anything to jeopardise the rights of staffers. Reprinted from radioja.com