Mr Clifford gave this information amongst Legislators on 3 August 2006 in Finance Committee when he said, "We need to fit out the building in two or three phases. The first phase will begin shortly, with completion scheduled for December this year. Moving in will be done on a phased basis."

Mr Clifford's comment on the additional cost for refurbishing the building is, admittedly, balanced by the fact that the airline paid only half price for the building - US$2.85 million, instead of the US$4.395 million it was valued at.

However, even in light of this saving, the Legislative opposition asked Mr Clifford about the renovation sum.

The question came from Leader of the Opposition, McKeeva Bush, and Mr Clifford responded, "I don't have a definitive cost," even though Mr Clifford also disclosed that there was an amount budgeted for the repairs.

Mr Clifford however said he would not want to make that sum budgeted known to the public because "we are going to be sending out RFP's (requests for proposals) soon and I don't want to tell contractors what is in the budget."

Mr Clifford however agreed to discuss the matter "privately" with Mr Bush.

Financial Secretary, Honourable Kenneth Jefferson, had raised the matter of the CAL purchase of Sammy's Inn earlier that day in the Legislative Assembly when the Government tabled Supplementary Annual Plan and Estimates and was seeking formal approval to make two adjustments to the 2006/7 Budget - one of the adjustments being, an CI$2,394,000 equity injection into CAL as reimbursement to the airline for the sum it paid for the Sammy's Inn property.

Before legislators agreed to hand over the money to CAL however, issues ranging from the effect the additional expenditure would have on the 2006/7 budget, to details on the building, were discussed.

Also speaking about the renovations, Opposition West Bay Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Cline Glidden, asked if the renovations would require further capital injection from the Government, or would CAL be able to handle the renovations on its own.

Mr Clifford again was not definitive but said, "I believe that in the next year or two" that will happen.

Mr Clifford had made the announcement of the airline's purchase of the Sammy's Inn building only four days prior - on 31 July 2006 in a Legislative Assembly meeting.

At that time it was disclosed that, after 38 years in operation, CAL would be able to put an end to office lease and rental arrangements and, begin building equity in its own piece of property.

Speaking on 3 August Mr Jefferson said that making the equity injection into Cayman Airways would make "no change to revenue and expenditure" items in the 2006/7 Budget "and so, the Budget continues to forecast a net surplus of $32.5 million and this shows compliance with principles of financial management."

Mr Clifford presented items to further support CAL's purchase of the building and the Government's capital injection into the airline.

He said that the airline was currently operating out of seven different locations, and, at four of these locations, the space was inadequate.

He said that the Administration offices now occupied 3000 square feet when they needed 9000; the Reservation and Ticketing Office was in 2,890 square feet of space when they required 4000 square feet; Cayman Express was utilising 800 square feet when they really needed 1000; and, Flight Operations also required more space than was now available to it at its current location.

Mr Clifford said that all the seven locations combined, provided the airline with only 8500 square feet, when what was required was 16,600 square feet.

Mr Clifford revealed that the Sammy's in building would provide 19,000 square feet of space.

To further substantiate the purchase Mr Clifford said that if the airline had to lease the amount of space it required, it would cost some $31,500 per month.

He balanced this by saying that CAL's monthly payment on the loan for the purchase of the property would be only $27,000.

He added that current lease arrangements were costing the airline $16,175 per month, and providing less than half the space needed - and, at the same time, operational efficiencies were disappearing with the scattered locations.

Mr Clifford also revealed that a Building Survey had been conducted from which the building was deemed suitable for "change of use" to offices for the airline.

It was also disclosed that of all the seven current locations, probably only one - the 100 square foot warehouse for files and general storage - would remain where it currently is.