The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie yesterday described his meeting with the London-based chief executive of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company's (BTC) majority shareholder on Monday as "very cordial", stating he had reaffirmed his administration's position of seeking to regain the majority equity interest .

Tony Rice, Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) chief, met with the Prime Minister privately on Monday.

Speaking on the steps of the Churchill Building following a Cabinet meeting, Mr Christie said: "I had a very private meeting where I discussed the approach of the Government, reaffirmed the Government's commitment to faithfully pursue by all lawful means the attainment of the majority interest of the company.

"They took their position, and we had a very cordial discussion, as it ought to have been, where we discussed other matters. It just so happens that while we were talking the greatest collapse that I'm aware of ever of communications services took place, for which we are expecting a report."

Mr Christie added: "We had a good discussion. We discussed in the context that they have the management of the company, that they have to serve the best interest of the country, that we will set up a process that will enable us to put our respective positions on the table and arrive at a conclusion in a reasonable time.

"They are probably the most experienced communications company in the world, so they know governments. They would have seen and noted that we took a position on the sale of the majority interest of BTC. They would have seen us speak to that during the campaign, and they would have seen us ask the Bahamian people to vote for us on that basis, and so they do understand the moral implications of that.

"That is that there is considerable moral authority to pursue our interest, as so declared, to a conclusion. I said that whatever we do we are not going to disturb the operations, or even the value, of the company by any kind of acrimonious discussion and debate. We had a very cordial meting and discussion, and I asked them to give me a full report on BTC's operation to date, including explanations for what took place."

Mr Christie has himself taken responsibility for the Government's relations with BTC, placing that within the Office of the Prime Minister's portfolio. While in Opposition, the PLP opposed both BTC's privatisation and sale of the 51 per cent controlling equity interest to CWC's Caribbean regional affiliate, LIME.