By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
DEPUTY Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday that it may cost between $50m and $500m to overhaul the Bahamas Electricity Corporation.
His comment came as a government task force continues its assessment of an American company in Philadelphia that is on the short list of companies that may be selected to restructure BEC.
Mr Davis did not divulge who would be expected to bear the brunt of the cost for overhauling BEC.
He said: “I don’t want to speak about numbers at this time because it will depend on the kind of structure and management arrangement that we have which will dictate the amount of funds that we need, so I don’t want to speculate. The range is from anywhere from $50m and $500m.”
Mr Davis hopes to get a report from the BEC task force within the next week-and-a-half before giving an update to Cabinet.
He said: “We’re hoping to be able to complete the exercise and identify someone by the end of this month, negotiate with them through the course of November and December and hopefully if the negotiations are not too protracted, we can arrive at arrangement that is suitable and beneficial to the Bahamian people in order to be online with them by January.”
Last year, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced his government’s plan to divide BEC into two separate entities. He said the intent was to have one company run the transmission, distribution and customer billing while another offers power generation.
The government was expected to select preferred bidders for BEC by November of last year. That deadline, however, was later postponed until the ending of August of this year.
The move to restructure BEC comes amid high concerns over the performance of the corporation, especially after a summer of blackouts.
It is expected that restructuring BEC will also result in lower costs of electricity.
Comments
GrassRoot 10 years, 2 months ago
how about between 50 Mio and 1000 Mio? Assuming the 50 Mio are to purchase outdated equipment and the rest goes to corrupt politicians, unions and managers. Beyond that we need about 250 Mio to clean up the oil spills and environmental screw ups and 50 Mio to purchase fuel. Suggest we increase VAT to cover for all that.
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 2 months ago
I agree! 1000 million billion!
Greentea 10 years, 2 months ago
Davis crazy. 50 million can't do anything so these numbers are absolutely meaningless. Just get the right company in to do the job correctly and have the government step away from energy except to exempt alternative energy equipment from VAT/Customs etc.
Mayaguana34 10 years, 2 months ago
50M-500M? Gives me confidence that the plans to reduce energy costs are nearing completion. #FML - This answer means that you do not have a clue
Emac 10 years, 2 months ago
Use some a dat funds from bamsi man!
concernedcitizen 10 years, 2 months ago
the deal was the companies bidding were going to build ,own and operate the plant and guarantee us a reasonable rate ,,i guess the 'boys" can,t get enough unless it comes out of our treasury and burns Frankies bunker c fuel ,,for goodness sake let a foreign firm build and run it .iIN 40 YRS WE HAVE PROVEN WE CAN NOT DELIVER RELIABLE POWER AT A REASONABLE RATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
proudloudandfnm 10 years, 2 months ago
Das a range hey?!?!? 50 to 500 million? We are being governed by morons....
SP 10 years, 2 months ago
It totally unfair to compare morons with these professional pirates.
Brave Davis has obviously either begun to believe his own Treasury purging fantasies or think Bahamians are REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, STUPID to make such an absolutely ludicrous statement.
Nobody anywhere can be remotely brain dead enough to accept a $50 to $500 million cost variation for anything.
This man is extremely dangerous and MUST NOT under any circumstances be intrusted with anything to do with finances of our country at any level whatsoever.
ChaosObserver 10 years, 2 months ago
that quote of "....between $50m and $500m to overhaul the Bahamas Electricity Corporation" is dependent on how many politicians want to partake in taking monies from the project....thus the wide range of monies.....damn. Usually people, when giving quotes say "between $50M and 65M"....not "50m and 500m"! absurd! corrupt! stupid! Ignorant! Thieves!
TalRussell 10 years, 2 months ago
Move over Pot cake BEC Chairman your knack stupidly crafted statements have been replaced by the DPM's. Comrades if this statement by the DPM will not shock you, then what in hell could possibly do the job on you? Governments are all the same mattering not colour party's t shirts. They are all same way when it comes to careless spending taxpayers hard earned monies. Any ass can draw up something and call it a budget where costs are projected range nywhere from $50 to $500 million. You couldn't possibly make this stuff up even if you hired best comedy writers money can buy?
SP 10 years, 2 months ago
The team from OAS government corruption watchdog group must be salivating at the mouth with the ongoing shenanigans of Bahamas government.
They must also be totally baffled as to where to start in this entrenched cesspool of decades old political corruption!
IDB and U.S. commerce & intelligence branch at the U.S. Embassy micro film labs must be busting at the seams with nefarious information on the PLP and FNM.
digimagination 10 years, 2 months ago
Mouth now bigger than his ego. This man is a complete and utter embarrassment to this country.
Hogfish 10 years, 2 months ago
'sticky fingers' davis standing in front of his yella cabinet fellas: . he says: "dis here bec ting ga cost only 50mil, but i need me one nex $50mil for my consultancy, and one next $50mil to furninsh the house i tief from dat cuban woman.
"Yo'll could split the rest, but remember to keep a couple grand to pay for some new yella t-shirts to feed them dum niggas in 2017!"
"oh and also don't forget i still wan me a raise so i dont got to be 'tempted' .... "
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