Overseas staff savings net $1m

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

TWELVE “non-essential” persons have been recalled from tourism offices in the United States, according to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar, who said the move will save the government $1m annually.

Speaking to The Tribune, Mr D’Aguilar said the Washington and Los Angeles offices have been “amalgamated” into the New York and Houston offices respectively. He said the market has changed and the government cannot do business as usual.

“Okay, so let’s be clear, the offices have not been closed, they have been amalgamated into other offices,” Mr D’Aguilar said. “When we came in, it was my mandate to look throughout the system and see where it is we can save money. So in the United States, we have recalled 12 persons we considered to be non-essential.

“What they were doing can be done here at a cheaper rate because we will not have to pay for housing and travel. So those persons are being brought back to Nassau. We haven’t looked at the offices outside of the US yet but in the US, there was a review and this is what happened. “We reviewed the functions of those persons and then considered our mandate, which is to sell the Bahamas and grow stop over visitors and some persons did not fit into what we need.”

Mr D’Aguilar said the model of tourism has changed therefore the Ministry of Tourism cannot continue to “maintain the status quo.”

“In some instances we had to decide the purpose of these offices, we know what they did in the past, but what is the purpose now. We had to make tough decisions,” he said.

“In the past, we were dealing with travel agents. Persons used agents to book trips and so we had relationships with agents but that model has changed. People purchase their vacations online and so if you are going to market the nation, you do not need to physically have those persons in the US. Times are changing so we cannot maintain the status quo, we cannot spend the people’s money frivolously. Now with this move, we can save on allowances.”

In an earlier interview with Tribune Business, Mr D’Aguilar warned that there will be “some casualties” and Bahamians will have to suffer “some pain before gain” as the Minnis administration tries to combat the growing fiscal crisis.

He said the government has no choice but to “right size the ship” following the Christie administration’s “orgy of spending” prior to the May 10 general election.

Comments

OMG says...

Sorry for those involved but the blame for the bloated civil staffing and by extension cost to the country must lay firmly in the lap of the PLP who hired all the party followers on a whim.

Posted 18 July 2017, 2:53 p.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

The FNM has the power. given to them by the majority they are free to do what ever they wish.
the end results of their actions will be a different story,

Posted 18 July 2017, 3:07 p.m. Suggest removal

pileit says...

you really talkin just to hear yourself talk, we all know what you are and what barnacled, twisted viewpoint you represent, and we wholly despise it. BE GONE!

Posted 18 July 2017, 3:20 p.m. Suggest removal

aftica says...

Chill Birdie - reds only in office a few months. Took yellows 5 years to get us in the deplorable mess we now find ourselves in. Rumor is that you are really Bradley Roberts or Fred Mitchell - what you say to that Birdie?

Posted 18 July 2017, 9:19 p.m. Suggest removal

MassExodus says...

Birdie carry ya ass

Posted 18 July 2017, 9:21 p.m. Suggest removal

Well_mudda_take_sic says...

Someone please tell the yapping poodle a million dollars annually in cost savings is a mere drop in our very large bucket of wasteful expenditures. D'Aguilar must now get out there and find some relatively significant savings for the people, i.e. real large savings that we can all be happy will put at least a meaningful dent in our growing national debt. A million dollars a year is nothing to talk about when we are still borrowing hundreds of millions of dollars a year to spend on wasteful things throughout our government departments, agencies and corporations.

Posted 18 July 2017, 4:24 p.m. Suggest removal

OMG says...

A million more than the PLP would have saved-and remember the national debt was put in place by the PLP.

Posted 18 July 2017, 6:33 p.m. Suggest removal

MassExodus says...

What a piece of shit you are Well_mudda_take_sic. Where were you being critical when it was the PLP, NEVER announcing reductions, or savings and getting us continually downgraded. You on here saying to make some significant savings??? You need to carry your corrupt PLP ass of this site.

Posted 18 July 2017, 9:24 p.m. Suggest removal

Reality_Check says...

Come on @Banker...surely you can do better than this.

Posted 19 July 2017, 12:04 p.m. Suggest removal

licks2 says...

Bran. . .stop sounding so silly. . .

Posted 19 July 2017, 11:43 a.m. Suggest removal

Reality_Check says...

@licks2: Yes, you should indeed eat more bran....it's not only good for your digestive track but also your long term health.

Posted 19 July 2017, 12:06 p.m. Suggest removal

Islandboy242242 says...

I think if you're able to make changes 1 million $$ at a time that's pretty good. Do the same in all the different ministries and boards, truly cutting the fat and who knows where you can end up. Good progress and something that probably should've been done 5+ yrs ago but someone had to do it.

Posted 18 July 2017, 4:47 p.m. Suggest removal

birdiestrachan says...

What about the people and the families involved do they matter??

Posted 18 July 2017, 5:11 p.m. Suggest removal

DontAssume says...

I’m truly disgusted by a great deal that is posted here…because of the political BS that is spewed. What about the families? Are you CRAZY!? A plan is enacted to save 1, 000,000/yr which when really scrutinized is an average $ 83, 333/yr to 12 individuals which are comprised of perks—because those 12 nonessential positions came with darn benefits on top of salaries. What about those families? What about the families/individuals presently suffering hardship in this country, and if the economic landscape is not corrected, will be facing worst in the future? This country is in trouble and all the majority of you do is post your politically-affiliated BS (and do so trying to appear impartial/caring for this country); I can care less about party, we need active and sustainable solutions.

Posted 18 July 2017, 8:32 p.m. Suggest removal

MassExodus says...

Birdie they were non-essential. The government is to serve the people of the Bahamas not birdiestrachan the PLP, their cronnies, lovers, and friends. They need to find other jobs obviously. Get a clue you corrupt douche birdie.

Posted 18 July 2017, 9:26 p.m. Suggest removal

MassExodus says...

and Birdie if you actually read the article they are being kept in their same roles not terminated, just operating in Nassau. Get a life and actually read before you put some dumb ass idea on the internet.

Posted 18 July 2017, 9:28 p.m. Suggest removal

OMG says...

Funny you should be so concerned Birdie, I know of cases where government jobs were never advertised and simply passed down from Mother to daughter. PLP family of course. What about the FNM daughters and or families, did they matter ???

Posted 19 July 2017, 8:05 a.m. Suggest removal

Naughtydread says...

Birdie I know your vocabulary is not the best, but amalgamated means to be combined so these people did not lose their jobs they were just transferred into a single entity. I don't understand why the PLP continues this culture of jobs programs hiring 50 people to do the job of 1 person. The amount of money we Bahamians pay in government salaries is unbelievable and we get zero value back.

Posted 19 July 2017, 10:51 a.m. Suggest removal

realfreethinker says...

birdie can you carry your big cut. Just go away

Posted 19 July 2017, 12:35 p.m. Suggest removal

John says...

Government should proceed cautiously on any decision that involves the loss of jobs. The Bahamian economy is so depressed and so fragile at present the last thing that needs to happen is more unemployment or more businesses shutting down. There are only a few businesses that are making a profit right now and efforts should be to grow the economy

Posted 19 July 2017, 2:55 a.m. Suggest removal

baldbeardedbahamian says...

the country has far too many fiscal parasites working as civil servants. they are sucking the lifeblood from our economy and contributing little or nothing. the government needs to get rid of as many as possible before they cause the financial collapse of our fragile economy.

Posted 19 July 2017, 10:31 a.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

DD needs to ask Joy and Tommy what in the hell they were doing for the past five years under Obie?????? .......... They get paid six-figures and nothing much was achieved ...... Without stop-overs, we are wasting time relying on tourism as our Number 1 industry ....... Do not blame the underlings for having a good time at our expense while the bosses seem to be do-nothings

Posted 19 July 2017, 11:26 a.m. Suggest removal

Log in to comment