Tourism Minister Dionisio D‘Aguilar speaks in the House of Assembly. Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune staff
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Minnis administration is in the process of terminating executives and paying them out of their hefty contracts at the Gaming Board, Tourism Minister Dionisio D‘Aguilar confirmed, revealing there have been no audited financials since 2015 and infighting is common practice at the “dysfunctional” organisation.
Mr D’Aguilar, who has the Gaming Board in his portfolio, told Parliament yesterday, when he became minister there were four individuals each being paid more than $200,000 a year after their pay, bonuses, gratuities and allowances were factored in.
These salaries and those of other senior level employees placed the Gaming Board’s budget for payroll at well over a million dollars a year.
He said when anyone states public officers are underpaid, the Gaming Board is not a government entity fitting into this category.
“There was one individual taking home in excess of $150,000 and there were numerous other senior executives earning between $80,000 and $100,000 per annum,” Mr D’Aguilar said during continued contributions from MPs thanking Governor General Dame Marguerite Pindling for delivering the Speech from the Throne in May. “And shortly before and shortly after the general election, the previous board and management were conducting a salary review and proposing some new salary scales which were eye popping only because I am a Cabinet minister and I make $71,000.
“The secretary was to make $192,500. The deputy secretary was to make $121,000. And the next category of seven executives was to make $110,000.”
He continued: “And one would think that with all that compensation being splashed about it would be the best run, well-oiled armed of the state. But there have been no audited financials since 30 June 2015 and I found it to be a very dysfunctional organisation with lots of infighting among its senior executives and delivering its services at much the same speed as the rest of the civil service.”
Just last week, John Bain, the chief financial officer at the Gaming Board was terminated, The Tribune understands.
According to sources close to the matter, Mr Bain’s position “was brought to an end under the terms of his contract.”
Last month, Gaming Board Secretary Verdant Scott was directed to take a vacation as the regulatory body prepared to issue a request for proposals for a forensic audit. The audit, which The Tribune understands has not yet started, will also investigate the board’s decision to award bonuses and increased salaries. One reported bonus was awarded as a result of the completion of Baha Mar’s casino licence.
According to a source, there is currently no review of Baha Mar’s casino licence despite the hefty bonuses.
Baha Mar received government approvals for its gaming licence in April.
Former Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe at the time said the approvals for a gaming licence and associated certificates of suitability were granted after a comprehensive probity investigation and on the recommendation of the Gaming Board.
He noted there were no written comments or objections from the public within the designated 21-day period after the application was advertised, in compliance with requirements of the Gaming Act 2014.
The gaming application was submitted by Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE) subsidiary Sky Warrior Bahamas Ltd, trading as Baha Mar.
Comments
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrades! The PLP as a political force is structured for even greater failure once the same people in the news come convention time - are elected to lead the party.
It's highly doubtful that much will improve the lots of either of the two considered main political parties on the scene today - sufficiently enough walk into the 2022 General Election with a solid block of voters. Both parties are in serious trouble with the youth electorate.
OMG 7 years, 1 month ago
Well done Minister. These gravy trains have to stop for overpaid under performing individuals/
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 1 month ago
The yapping little white-haired poodle failed to inform us of the following:
1) The individual(s) who authorized and will be held responsible and accountable for the exorbitant salaries and bonuses the Gaming Board was paying its executives and other employees;
2) The total cost of terminating the Gaming Board executives and paying them out of their hefty contracts; and
3) The much lower range of salaries and bonuses that the Minnis-led government proposes to pay to the new replacement executives.
It seems the entire Cabinet has forgotten Minnis's often repeated election campaign promise that his government would set the gold standard in transparency. Well, by very deliberately not informing us of the three key things identified above by me, the yapping little white-haired poodle has failed to provide the "sunshine" we were promised over and over again by Minnis!
TalRussell 7 years, 1 month ago
Comrades! Indeed, why not release what the new pool red shirts gaming board executives will earn? Why should the public's purse - replace old Twiddle thumbs with new Twiddle thumbs?
Disclosure how much has it done cost the public's purse to send people home - accompanied by severance packages and lifetime pensions and benefits - including BahamaCARE health benefits?
Sickened 7 years, 1 month ago
Why do these politicians yap so f'in much in parliament? All they do is tell f'in stories. WHERE IS THE LEGISLATION FOR FUCK'S SAKE???? Get on with it or get the fuck out!!!
Tarzan 7 years, 1 month ago
This reply is to Mudda, Tal and Sickened, all three: What perfectly stupid comments.
CatIslandBoy 7 years, 1 month ago
@Tarzan. You are right on point! I couldn't have said it as eloquently.
Reality_Check 7 years, 1 month ago
None other than the very corrupt Obie Wilchcombe was the Minister Responsible for Gaming
And Wilchcombe's hanadsomely rewarded cohorts at the Gaming Board, all appointed by Christie, included the following:
Board Members (Directors):
Ms Terah Rahming - Chairman - Joined 2012 - Is a CPA working for Weiser Asset Management Limited, a small boutique firm.
Mr Myles Laroda
Ms Ginger Moxey - Joined 2014 - Previously a VP of The Grand Bahama Port Authority
Secretary and Deputy Secretary:
Mr Verdant R Scott - Secretary - Appointed 2013 - Previously a police officer in our RBPF.
Ms Bridgette M Outten - Deputy Secretary - Appointed 2013 - An attorney.
Kenyatta Gibson and Marie Ferreira have since been appointed Chairman and Deputy Chairman, respectively, of the Gaming Board. And wouldn't we like to know how much these two are being paid compared to their predecessors?!
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 1 month ago
Kenyatta Gibson of all people as Chairman of the Gaming Board!!!
Minnis definitely needs to have his head examined - he has made way too many most disappointing appointments that will neither serve him nor the people well.
sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago
There are no casinos worth keeping open today ......... and the webshops are still on thin ice ....... If the government is propping up the casinos to keep them open ..... how can these appointed stooges, take the Peoples' money without guilt?????? ...... Shut it down!!!!!!!! and let the Ministry of Finance or Trade & Investment to manage this tiny unproductive Department
SP 7 years, 1 month ago
Tourism Minister Dionisio D‘Aguilar is on the right track with his focus to increasing GDP by targeting a larger % of cruise passenger spend and encouraging Bahamians to get into the shore excursion business.
D‘Aguilar confirmed Aruba's(?) cruise passenger spend is more than $400.00 above that of the Bahamas!
What he should also do to is assist potential local investors to identify available opportunities in the resort shore excursion business, and there is no need to reinvent the wheel to do so. Simply study what Aruba and other high yielding resort spend destinations are offering and duplicate those businesses in the Bahamas.
Example, Aruba offers no less than 13 live dinner shows. The Bahamas has none!
https://www.visitaruba.com/things-to-do…
Looking back to when the Bahamas was a "real" sun fun resort destination and what we offered then, would be the first step, while simultaneously looking at Aruba and other's resort activities, for instance, is the simplest solution to finding our way bay to relevance as a sun fun resort destination.
The Bahamas has a LOT of work to do to regain a solid position in the resort destination business after decades of failed leadership and neglect in the tourism sector. The good news is, we have done it before, already have the passenger volume, and we have an absolutely awesome opportunity to "cherry pick" shore excursions that have proven most successful from competing regional destinations and implementing them here.
happyfly 7 years, 1 month ago
If the gaming boards total budget for payroll was roughly a million a year and these few people were getting upwards of $800,000 of it ? Sure did pay to be a PLP crony versus every other poor sucker thinking they getting a decent cut of the pie
happyfly 7 years, 1 month ago
If the gaming boards total budget for payroll was roughly a million a year and these few people were getting $800,000 of it ? Sure did pay to be a PLP crony versus every other poor sucker thinking they getting a decent cut of the pie
sheeprunner12 7 years, 1 month ago
Do the 4 present casinos produce any gross revenue to the Treasury at this time??????
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