BREAKING UPDATE ON THE C & W DEAL to purchase 51% of BTC
Nassau, Bahamas – Here’s a summary of events-January,2009 the government commits to selling 51% of BTC:
1-In July, 2009 interested parties submitted their registration forms along with a $25,ooo.oo.US dollar cheque.
2-14,August,2009 is the deadline date.Cable&Wireless DOES NOT APPLY.
3-During December,2009/January,2010 Mr. DAVID SHAW, CEO OF CABLE & WIRELESS APPROACHES THE PRIVATIZATION COMMITTEE SOME 5 TO 6 MONTHS AFTER THE CLOSING DEADLINE.
4-By May, 2010 the TRIBUNE is calling CABLE & WIRELESS A SERIOUS BIDDER/PLAYER in the privatisation process.However Minister LAING is “NOT AWARE” that Cable & Wireless is one of the bidders.
5-July, 2010 Mr. JULIAN FRANCIS AND THE COMMITTEE REJECTS THE LAST 2 APPLICANTS WHICH INCLUDES A BAHAMIAN PARTNERSHIP [CFAL & ATLANTIC TELE-NETWORK]. Mr. Francis claims this is when they started to negotiate with C&W.
6 – Government signs MOU with C&W ON 02.12.2010
QUESTIONS TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE PRIVATIZATION COMMITTEE
My questions to the government are as follows-:
1 – We are aware that Cable & Wireless DID NOT meet the August 14th ,2010 deadline but approached the government some 6 months later, can the government show the registration form along with the US dollar $25,000.00 cheque so that we can confirmed the exact date C &W APPLIED?
2 – Who accepted the VERY LATE registration and cheque from C&W?
3 – Up to the 16.05.2010 Minister LAING CLAIMED that he was “NOT AWARE” THAT C&W was a part of the bidding process, so WHO gave permission for C & W TO BECOME A PART OF THE BIDDING PROCESS?
4- Was the Bahamian GROUP [CFAL] IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ATLANTIC TELE-NETWORK AFFORDED THE SAME FAVOUR AS C & W? IF THE ANSWER IS NO, WHY WASN’T CFAL, A BAHAMIAN GROUP ALLOWED TO AMEND THEIR PROPOSAL?
5 – Finally,who are the lawyers, accountants and persons representing C&W INTEREST IN THE BAHAMAS AND WHAT FEES {MONEY/SHARES} ARE THEY BEING PAID? C & W WILL HAVE TO DECLARE THEM ANY WAY.
WE SMELL ANOTHER COURT BATTLE WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS! And here are questions no member of the WUTLESS MEDIA IN THE BAHAMAS have the gull to ask.
All still one in the same, PLP/FNM we aint stand a chance they are twins siamese at that
Hey Charles, both you and Gerard are full of ****. The NDP-if they are able to field five candidates, for a forty seat parliament, all of them will not even get their $400 deposits back. A candidate must receive at least 17% of the eligible votes cast in the constituency; neither of them will get 1% and I am including the leader. Mr. Wells. They have some talent but its misplaced. What they should do is bring that talent into the PLP where it can really benefit the Bahamian people but they are not interested in the people’s interest they are interested in leading only. Paul Moss is a typical example; he ran for the leadership position and lost so he left the party. He tried to take over the NDP and when he couldn’t do that he left them. I was told that when the CDR tried to get all the odd political groupings together to run as a unit against the FNM and PLP, they couldn’t get the BDM on board because Cassius Stuart’s first question was, “Who is going to be leader.” They all want to lead and that’s the bottom line. I am told, as well, that when the CDR proposed to disband and return to the PLP both Charles Maynard and Fenton Neymour wanted to know how many ministeries the PLP was willing to give them. When they were told that the return was with no strings attached they bolted and made a deal with the Devil (Hubert Ingraham)for the ministries they now have. Was it about the interest of the Bahamian people? Hell no; it was for their own interest. Peter is no different from Paul; they are all little tin gods trying to get as much for themselves as they can.
Truth we warn you BP is NOT putting up with profanity this year. TRY IT AGAIN AND WATCH WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOUR COMMENTARY.
BP
Could some please inform the government of another company with the technology to upgrade BTC as soon as possible I don’t know about all the noise but i tied paying .40cents a minute during the daytime, why won’t BTC reduce the daytime rates? [this is what I’d like for the PM to answer.]
Alfreda, you are buying into the misconception of the gov, that they need to sell BTC to a company who has the technology, where in the long run, they will reduce rates.
Fact is, BTC has already dropped its rates before not only on cell phones, but on internet services as well.
There is nothing stopping BTC from lowering rates RIGHT NOW if they want to. The only question is why wont URCA sign off on it? And when you look at the history of the people running URCA (former C&W executives) you would understand that this entire thing was a very calculated setup from the get go.
VOTE DEM OUT AND KEEP PERRY DEM OUT…..VOTE NDP OR NOTHING
Sounds like a plan!
On a serious note, I don’t know if I would vote for NDP! Do you think McCartney stands a chance? Does he have enough support and experience? If we vote out the FNM, and put in the PLP, we are back to the same ole foolishness. If we are truly disgusted with the existing parties, then we need to think of a replacement. What are we looking for in leadership? I know accountability should be the first thing on the list! How do we hold them accountable? Public polls(with the laws of the land supporting them? It would be interesting to hear what people have to say on this matter.
BP, you seem more concerned of the timeline of events that allowed C&W to take part in the bidding process, rather than the best fit to bring the standard of communication in the Bahamas up to standard with the rest of the world. I say that on the fact that i am sure that there are many Bahamians who do not care what is the Nationality of the owner, but the benefit of the company to BTC. I have been reading many of your articles and i notice that you are very selective in which articles you print. For instance, you wrote an article about the fall in the C&W share price, but you forgot to mention that the fall was not due to bad business practices, but due to the decision of the British Government to reduce cost at the peak of the Global Economic down turn.
Guy, what should trouble you more than anything is the obvious fact that the process was subverted and even if the government does sell the 51% stake to C&W, it will most likly go to the courts.
the gov cant set up a system and then subvert its own system. C&W was a Johnny come lately and should have been told that they can no longer put in a bid for BTC as the deadline had passed.
The fact that they allowed C&W to tender a bid after the fact should tell you right off the bat that obviously something isnt right! How it went down is what gov seems so secretive about!
And so Guy we break the law by jacking up the process to privatization? GIVE US A BREAK!
bp
When someone breaks into your house one of the first things you do is try to figure out how they got in, the first place and then try to secure your home so it so it won’t happen again……
BP, this is about the second or third time you have run this same story. Are you really reporting, or trying to make us believe.
He can answer it… The question is will he? We all know that we are the servants of the Politicians. They don’t work for us. That would be in a real world. Obviously we aren’t there yet.
Serious concerns go unanswered, or answered with laughter. We will get serious on day. One day there will be good Governance in this Country.
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