By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE re-engagement of global public relations firm Weber Shandwick will cost taxpayers $600,000, The Tribune has learned.
A senior official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, yesterday confirmed the contract’s value, and said that the contract period was around nine months.
However, the official noted that there was a possibility it would be renewed for a longer period.
Weber Shandwick was dropped in 2013 by the former Progressive Liberal Party administration after an 18-year long run with the Ministry of Tourism.
The PR firm was reportedly re-engaged by the Ministry of Tourism in recent weeks; however, Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar has declined comment on the matter.
The Weber Shandwick contract follows the termination of at least 27 employees from the Ministry of Tourism.
On Friday, the Ministry of Tourism confirmed that 16 employees were terminated – 13 from New Providence, and three from Bimini.
Redundancies in its Grand Bahama office earlier this month affected 11 persons.
In July, 12 persons were recalled to Nassau after the ministry amalgamated its Washington, DC, and Los Angeles offices with New York and Houston. It was not made clear whether those persons were retained or terminated.
Reacting to the reports on Weber Shandwick last week, former Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said it was unfortunate the Minnis administration would prefer to spend millions creating employment overseas.
He noted that the government saved $3.5m in agency fees and commissions in 2016.
As he defended the capacity of the ministry’s in-house public relations team, at the time, Mr Wilchcombe underscored that the cadre of young professionals at the Ministry of Tourism must not be overlooked or shunned.
Comments
birdiestrachan 7 years, 2 months ago
it is all right it is the peoples time.
BahamasForBahamians 7 years, 2 months ago
Peoples time: hahaha.
Lets get this straight and put into perspective - we fired 10-15 Bahamians from the MOT on the premise that the ministry is now on a cost-savings mode as they implement austerity measures.
However the poodle, 'Denuncio' as Rodney Moncur would call him, can rationalize spending $600,000 to a non-bahamian firm for marketing?
Woah! Lets hear the FNM apologists spin this one around?
Is this government sending a message that Bahamians are incapable of marketing their own country? even worst, are they saying we are unable to do so in a 21st century environment when almost all marketing agreements can be electronically conducted?
Wow just Wow! This guy is shaping up to be worst than Vanderpool 'the thief' Wallace.
First you tax Air B n B - discouraging stop-over visitors from viewing this as an affordable destination with alternate vacation rentals now this?
No wonder people have become dissatisfied with the FNM within 100 days.
banker 7 years, 2 months ago
Wow, another identity for mudda -- you must have a whole pile of email addresses. The "reality" is that "poodle" gave you away.
concernedcitizen 7 years, 2 months ago
Because the firm in question is a billion dollar firm w tens of millions of dollars in programs and analytical data w global contacts .Not Obies friends and lovers living off the tax payers dime abroad playing like they know what they are doing .
thephoenix562 7 years, 2 months ago
Agreed.
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