By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

GEOFF Houston, BTC Chief yesterday insisted that he is not worried about ongoing majority share take back negotiations, but with ensuring that the company’s day-to-day operations run smoothly.

While the chief executive officer remained tight-lipped on how the talks were playing out, he said CWC and the government would ultimately determine the way forward.  

Rather than focus on Mr Christie’s campaign promise to acquire an additional two per cent stake in the

company, Mr Houston said he is determined to prepare BTC for future competition.

And neither does he have any reservations about Prime Minister Perry Christie’s consideration to appoint axed former BTC CEO Leon Williams as a director for the government on the board of the company.  Mr Houston said officials would work with whomever the government appointed to the position. Williams was fired from BTC in 2008.

Mr Houston was responding to questions fielded by the media during an advanced Toastmasters club 7108 meeting at Luciano’s on East Bay Street. He was invited to present BTC’s progress and future plans for its thousands of customers.

“I’ve got a lot more to worry about,” he said, “in the day-to-day operations of BTC and continuing the transformation, than to be worrying about a shareholder discussion.

“To be honest that doesn’t keep me awake at night. What keeps me awake at night is getting the technology right, getting the service right, helping my people transform the business. Those are my priorities really.

“I think it’s important that I make the distinction that I represent the management team at BTC and our objective is to look after the best interest of BTC’s day-to-day operations. The shareholders will continue to have their conversations and discussions.”

Since Mr Christie announced on Tuesday that his administration will not, this year, be able to follow through with promises to give the public 51 per cent ownership at BTC, what the government contends to do next has sparked public speculation. Especially since Bahamians will have to wait until around 2015/2016 to see if those plans will bear fruit.

However, Mr Christie’s new position on the matter does not bode well with FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis.

Dr Minnis told reporters that is was clear from the onset that Mr Christie had sold Bahamians a dream that was impossible.

He said: “It is an excuse to say that we don’t have the funds at this time to negotiate the 2 per cent when he knew he couldn’t do it in the first place. Now he is using this cop out so that the Bahamian people would feel that the Prime Minister is not getting this because he doesn’t have the funds.

“He was wrong to have led the Bahamian people down this dark alley that he knew he would not be able to accomplish.”