Thursday, December 5, 2013
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie says he is close to a resolution in negotiations for the majority stake in the Bahamas Telecommunication’s Company Ltd.
Speaking to Parliamentarians yesterday, Mr Christie explained that he met with BTC’s parent company Cable and Wireless during his stop in London while out of the country on an 11-day trip.
“I am confident that we are close to a resolution,” Mr Christie said, “and further positive initiatives by Cable and Wireless which we discussed and which will positively impact employment, the economy, sports and the arts.
“We also continued to discuss options on how Bahamians can be beneficiaries of the majority interests of BTC. We have agreed that there need not be any further discussion at our level as all the relevant issues have been discussed. The matter should be finalised by the Committee appointed to conduct negotiations with BTC,” he said.
“I took the opportunity in London to meet with Mr Tony Rice, outgoing Chairman of Cable and Wireless, and Mr Phil Bentley incoming Chairman. The meeting was in part a courtesy call to introduce Mr Bentley.”
BTC was sold to CWC in 2011 under the previous Ingraham administration. The company is 49 per cent owned by the public and 51 per cent controlled by CWC.
Unsuccessful attempts were made to contact Franklyn Wilson, head of the government appointed committee to negotiate the take back of the majority shares.
In October, Mr Christie admitted that the discussions were in a state of uncertainty with the announcement that Tony Rice, CWC’s outgoing CEO had tendered his resignation.
“It may stop negotiations and we have to determine whether the negotiations had some implications to what happened to him.”
Mr Bentley is the former managing director of British Gas in the United Kingdom.
Comments
John says...
Hope when they take this country back from these parinahas the government would allow phone card and top up vendors to make an honest living again.
Posted 5 December 2013, 6:57 p.m. Suggest removal
banker says...
OK, I will bite. I would bet money that The Bahamas never gets a majority back. This is more of the Christie shuffle. If there were news, Frankie the Snake would be on the front page like white on rice.
Posted 5 December 2013, 8:32 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
One of the reasons why this country has a "D' average is so they don't have to read the crap posted in some of these sites. Every effort by the government has to have an undisclosed motive?
Posted 6 December 2013, 5:52 a.m. Suggest removal
JohnDoe says...
The reason why we have a "D" average is that too many of us take pride in our ignorance as if it is some sort of badge of honour. If mommy, daddy, our role models and our politicians think ignorance, or what I call conscious incompetence, is cute then why would our children think any different.
Posted 6 December 2013, 9:08 a.m. Suggest removal
bismark says...
it is already sold,simple,nobody is going to give back profitable shares,lets get on with trying to build this economy,instead of you running on with this B.T.C shit,election done over,get to work you tried and you failed move on.
Posted 5 December 2013, 10:07 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
Actually if I was in government I would be seeking to have the Cable and Wireless contract recinded and have that company thrown out of the Bahamas. Yea they may be saving us a few pennies on cell phone calls but they did it at the expense of the Bahamian people. This company is exporting millions of dollars out of the country annually, using BTC as a cash cow, and don't want to pay Bahamians for an honest days pay. Jeff Houston, the blue eyed you know what!!! But they have a team called the blue devils in basketball.
Posted 6 December 2013, 5:57 a.m. Suggest removal
Tarzan says...
Yes, John, we need to keep in mind the wonderful benefits our country derives from our ownership of BEC. Nasty businessmen focus on profit, and providing service to meet the competition, while our government owned enterprises are models of efficiency, focused only on public service without doubt. Put BTC back in public hands. We can all be using cans and string for making calls in a very few years.
Posted 6 December 2013, 10:04 a.m. Suggest removal
Honestman says...
Lord save us!
Posted 5 December 2013, 10:19 p.m. Suggest removal
banker says...
He ain't listening. The handcart to Hell is picking up speed.
Posted 6 December 2013, 10:39 a.m. Suggest removal
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