By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE re-engagement of global public relations firm Weber Shandwick will cost taxpayers $600,000, The Tribune has learned.

A senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, yesterday confirmed the contract’s value, and said that the contract period was around nine months.

However, the official noted that there was a possibility it would be renewed for a longer period.

Weber Shandwick was dropped in 2013 by the former Progressive Liberal Party administration after an 18-year long run with the Ministry of Tourism.

The PR firm was reportedly re-engaged by the Ministry of Tourism in recent weeks; however, Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar has declined comment on the matter.

The Weber Shandwick contract follows the termination of at least 27 employees from the Ministry of Tourism.

On Friday, the Ministry of Tourism confirmed that 16 employees were terminated – 13 from New Providence, and three from Bimini.

Redundancies in its Grand Bahama office earlier this month affected 11 persons.

In July, 12 persons were recalled to Nassau after the ministry amalgamated its Washington, DC, and Los Angeles offices with New York and Houston. It was not made clear whether those persons were retained or terminated.

Reacting to the reports on Weber Shandwick last week, former Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said it was unfortunate the Minnis administration would prefer to spend millions creating employment overseas.

He noted that the government saved $3.5m in agency fees and commissions in 2016.

As he defended the capacity of the ministry’s in-house public relations team, at the time, Mr Wilchcombe underscored that the cadre of young professionals at the Ministry of Tourism must not be overlooked or shunned.