By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie said officials are in discussions with foreign entities on how to improve the performance of cash strapped Bahamasair.
Since hinting last October that the government was seriously considering privatisation, Mr Christie said there were a number of applications from representatives with an interest in some form of partnership with the airline.
He spoke of the administration’s intentions on Friday.
“Since that speech,” he said, “I have spoken with the Trinidadian government with discussions to be held between Bahamasair and Caribbean Airways that flies internationally.”
“Really with a view to seeing whether there are any advantages to Caribbean Air stopping into New Providence as a hub. Whether on the way to Europe or on their way to different points of the United States of America so that’s in train.
“Secondly we have meetings with the people who are flying into Freeport using their own 737s to open the Reef Hotel Sun Wing. And when the Canadian market sort of dissipates for the summer we have added flights from about eight cities using a wet lease Bahamasair 737. So Bahamasair will be coming from eight cities into Grand Bahama.
“We’ve had another number of applications from people who heard the speech and who are now making representation that they would wish to either enter into a relationship with Bahamasair in some form or the other or some form of partnership or collaborative marketing arrangements. Those are matters that are in train and we will just have to keep you informed of whatever progress.”
Mr Christie reiterated that the government is continuing it’s efforts to decrease the amount of subsidies it awards to Bahamasair. Assistance to Bahamasair has come at a cost of around $500 million over the years.
“I think it’s fair that what we have done is we are making a good faith effort in looking at all of the areas where the government is losing money with a view to seeing what improvements we can make to reduce to a bare minimum the subsidies that we have been dragged into on an increasing basis.
“It becomes more and more a dominant feature in our budget and so this time around as a government we have brought focus to trying to minimise the negative impact of subsidies. Particularly where we believe we are able to introduce a new paradigm,” he said.
Comments
TalRussell 10 years, 2 months ago
PM if you stop the $500 ( try in the billions be more realistic) and climbing wasted millions of taxpayers money you can immediately bring a sudden halt to the abuses going on at Bahamasair. Let this be a lesson for any government of Bahamaland to get the hell out of the government providing financial subsidiaries to anyone or any foreign or local entity or corporation. It's amazing how excess automatically stops when there are no taxpayers hard-earned monies to support their mismanagement and greed.
hj 10 years, 2 months ago
For starters stop hiring your sweethearts and your political cronies.. Not that this will stop the financial bleeding but maybe it will slow it down a little bit. I doubt it will happen though. For years politicians have viewed Bahamasair as their personal airline. Newsflash!!! As money quickly runs out you will have an even bigger problem in your hands. What to do with the unemployed Bahamasair workers.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 2 months ago
Consult with me. SELL IT.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 2 months ago
I'm going to demand 250k, I think it's only fair for all the time and effort I put into research and preparation of the management report
ohdrap4 10 years, 2 months ago
PLP: We believe in bahamians.
We believe in foreign consultants.
ERGO, the foreign consultants are bahamians.
concernedcitizen 10 years, 2 months ago
Don,t you realize why they use foreign consultants ,they can trust them to give a kickback in US currency out of the country ..Even if a Bahamian firm promises a kick back they rarely kick back the proper amount ,,PGC THEM KNOW ,WE GOT BAD WAYS AND WE DON, PAY ..
sheeprunner12 10 years, 2 months ago
Its been that way from Sir Stafford Sands & Co dem.....................
We are pirates, buccaneers or at best privateers
Remember a guy named Sir Henry Morgan??????????
Sir Roland Symonette Sir Lynden Pindling Sir Hubert Ingraham Sir Perry Christie next??????????????????????????????????
bahamasoapmama 10 years, 2 months ago
Get rid of it. Don't sell the company, sell the assets to the other airlines and let them hire the worthy and the slack ones will have to be on their own. And then put a ban on the name Bahamasair. That name should NEVER be heard again.
At the ticket counter in Freeport you will see one person working and six people milling about just getting paid. They will hold up flights because some big shot is running late (sometimes for HOURS), they hire useless, unqualified, lazy people and they are shocked its not working! Jokes.
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