The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A former Cabinet minister in the Ingraham administration yesterday encouraged the Government to proceed with creating a select committee to probe the 2011 Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) privatisation, arguing that reviewing government decisions should become “common practice”.

Phenton Neymour, former minister of state for the environment and a vocal proponent of the deal, told Tribune Business: “In regards to the select committee, I encourage the Government to proceed with it.

“If it is fairly conducted, I believe it will increase transparency and improve democracy. It would also set a minimum mark for governance going forward. I would like this to be done more often.”

Shane Gibson, minister of labour and national insurance, moved a parliamentary motion on Monday to create a select committee that will probe the BTC privatisation. 

He described the committee as “critical” to determining the financial merits of a deal that saw a 51 per cent majority BTC stake sold to Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) for around $206 million.

Mr Neymour told Tribune Business: “I would like to see legislators work in committee more often and conduct a review of government’s performance, and for these committees to also improve accountability to the Bahamian people.

“The Bahamian people, in my view, should expect more select committees. I say this because when the Government changes next year there are many decisions made over the last four-and-a-half years that will require review, issues such as BAMSI, the BEC management agreement, Baha Mar, Road Traffic and its lost revenues, the Renew Bahamas contract, Stellar Waste and the LOI, waste disposal and the trucking contracts that were awarded.”

He added: “I encourage them. Let us make this a common practice for us to review government decisions. Let the MPs earn their money.

“I encourage them to do it fairly. I want them to reveal everything that the Government received, not just the money but the services that BTC provided before the sale and what they provide now. Let’s not just look at the money part but the services provided before and after the sale.

“I don’t think that the FNM has anything to hide. It’s something I think the FNM should take a more aggressive approach to informing the public on why the decision was made to sell BTC. I have told many others that when I go to my grave, that with the facts presented to me at that time, I made the right decision.”