The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

CABINET Ministers are currently deliberating over recommendations made regarding the restructure of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis has confirmed.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, Mr Davis, who is also the Minister of Works, was unable to say when the Christie administration would wrap up its discussions. However he said that a public announcement would only be made when ministers have had sufficient time to consider the direction the government is to take with BEC.

“The recommendations are before Cabinet right now,” Mr Davis said, “and ministers are considering them. As soon as I am satisfied that ministers have had adequate time to deliberate I will give an update.”

As the government remains tight-lipped on the matter, the Bahamian public awaits official word over whether BEC is to remain unified or be divided into separate operations. And which entities, if any, have been chosen to spearhead BEC’s restructuring.

Nearly a month ago, Mr Davis told reporters outside the House of Assembly that officials would make a decision within the next two or three weeks. He assured the media that there would be a public update at that time.

He further suggested at the time that the government could make a decision against submitted tenders. Mr Davis said the Christie administration could opt to restructure BEC on its own, despite months of scaling through proposals to find suitable entities.

He said: “We (are) going to look at all of the proposals and we will determine whether or not we will go either route. Because all options are still open to the government.

“At the end of this exercise, it might very well be that none of the tenderers have met the expectations of what the government would wish. In that light it would all go away, then we would have to fall back on trying to do it ourselves and finding a better means of doing it.”

In January Mr Davis told reporters that there were no Bahamian companies in the running for BEC’s restructuring. He did, however, confirm that there were five remaining bidders.