By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Chief Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Office of the Prime Minister clarified that police confiscated a plane that will be repurposed for official government use and refurbished for $2.5m.
Before the recent budget exercise ended in the House of Assembly last Monday, members of the opposition asked for details about a line item in the Ministry of Finance’s capital expenditure budget concerning $2.5m for a plane.
Leon Lundy, a minister of state in the prime minister’s office, said the funds were for “the procurement of an aircraft to facilitate travel of government personnel throughout the Family Islands.”
When East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson asked for clarity “on whether the government is buying an aircraft to travel to the Family Islands,” Mr Lundy said details would “follow in short order” and added: “That’s what specifically that $2.5m is allocated for.”
Yesterday, OPM said procuring the plane was a cost-saving measure to reduce the government’s monthly expenses.
“In certain cases, technical teams and officials currently face delays of two to three days when discharging government services on remote Family Islands while waiting for commercial flights to return to Nassau,” OPM said.
“These delays result in increased lodging fees and per diems. By using the repurposed aircraft, the government can avoid these additional costs and improve the efficiency of its operations.”
OPM said air travel remains the most effective means of transportation and that the country must adopt creative solutions to logistical challenges.
“One such solution is repurposing seized assets and making them safely usable,” OPM added. “The Royal Bahamas Police Force will also maintain, operate, and utilise the aircraft, ensuring its safety and reliability for government travel needs.”
Nonetheless, FNM leader Michael Pintard said it was worrisome the government had no details about the plane on Monday, but could release a statement “saying something fundamentally different.”
“It’s clear that they have to get their story straight,” he said. “It was represented to be funds for the purchase of an airline and they failed to disclose at that time that it was confiscated. The public had the clear impression that it was purchased.”
FNM deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright criticised the Davis administration for what he called “a lack of fiscal prudence,” saying the funds could have been used for more press- ing issues.
“Bahamians are quite disturbed that such an allocation was determined when there are so many other budgetary needs in other ministries such as social services, education, national security and others,” he said. “Why not an aircraft to assist with ambulatory services for emergency patient travel from Family Islands to the capital?”
Comments
Dawes 1 week ago
So now its a confiscated plane, but no one in the house knew about it. They are making this up as they go along. Using what sounds good at the time in the hope it shuts the public up. They don't care if the excuse they use today is completely different from the one they used last week, as all they care about is killing the story. And the fact is it normally succeeds. They know all they have to do is have a party and get the PM to do a dance and then we don't care. So this on us. Alos can the news maybe one day do some investigation into these stories instead of just writing what the spokesperson said (like what make of plane, when confiscated, what would we get if we sold it at auction?, how will it benefit us if we have it ?).
mandela 1 week ago
What difference does it make? The PLP will use it now while in power, and the COI or the FNM will use it when/ if they are in power. I guarantee that if any of the latter becomes the government they will be propt right up in this same plane using it for the same purpose.
ExposedU2C 1 week ago
Dawes is right. It makes a big difference. All such assets seized and/or confiscated by government from a private business or individual are required by law to be disposed of by means of a public auction (to the highest bidder) for the benefit of the public purse, i.e. all the Bahamian people. Therefore the government should have had this particular asset appraised for the setting of a reserve price and then giving notice of a public auction.
No government under our laws is legally entitled to have any seized and/or confiscated asset "re-purposed" for its own use. Our laws impose a fiduciary duty on the government to maximise the value obtained for the public treasury from the auctioning of all such assets.
It seems our very corrupt PM was not satisfied with his latest toy he purchased at the taxpayers' expense, i.e. his outrageously expensive new fully loaded BMW. Now he wants a another outrageously costly toy ....... a private plane fully renovated to his ridiculously expensive taste. The corruption here at great expense to the taxpayers is of the shameless illegal "in-your-face" kind!
Why hasn't Pintard bothered to make these important points known to the public? Is it because Hubiggity and Brent Symonette like the idea of government having a private plane that they too will be able to fly around the country in if the FNM is fortunate enough to win the next general election? Is Pintard and his dinosaur political advisers no better than corrupt Davis? What's going on here?
hrysippus 1 week ago
And in strange coincidence the country has an election pending. Some may recall the adverse publicity surrounding the then incumbent government's use of the state owned airline to campaign . There will be no oversight on the use of this particular government owned aircraft by government ministers and election campaigners, or so it would seem based on past performance of the individuals concerned.
newcitizen 1 week ago
Wait, what is the $2.5M for if the plane was confiscated?
ExposedU2C 6 days, 22 hours ago
Answer: To install a solid gold toilet seat in its aft restroom for Stumpy Davis to plant his royal tush on when he needs to take a dump while inflight to Cat Island to campaign.
newcitizen 6 days, 23 hours ago
Per diem for government officials for travel within the Bahamas is $70 per day and finding accommodations would add another $200. $270 total expense to the government.
With $2,500,000 spent on this plane (which didn't cost the government any money to obtain) equates to just under 9,260 days of out island travel expense at $270 a day.
This is on top of the fact that the plane will cost more to fly than the costs of seats on Bahamas Air.
There are also only 4 (main) airports in this country that don't have daily flights, so not sure how they are stuck all the time on Family Islands.
This is such a stupid waste of money, as always, and their justification only makes it worse.
realfreethinker 6 days, 23 hours ago
You hit the nail on the head. There is no chance that plane can fly cheaper than commercial. The spokesman is a lying piece of shit
ExposedU2C 6 days, 22 hours ago
As is Davis himself!
birdiestrachan 6 days, 21 hours ago
More information on the plane is needed, it could be a good idea some islands are visited once per week the Fnm complain about Vat then increased it 60 % then paid 6point 4 million for drones their heads are empty no vision, over 6 million gone doc said I guess he meant himself could sell them to who, he was against bar mar sale but he could not sell our lucaya
ExposedU2C 6 days, 16 hours ago
ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz........
Dawes 6 days, 2 hours ago
Yawn. Do you not get bored. We all agreed the last administration wasn't good, which is why they were voted out. Now the same is happening here. We can't change what was done. but things that haven't been done can be changed. You for years have gone on about the sale of BTC and how bad it was (we got $210 million for that), and yet now you will sing about how great the sale of BPL is, even though we are getting nothing. You are what is wrong with the country, you only care about your party and not the nation.
birdiestrachan 6 days, 15 hours ago
It is not drones it is DOMES the FNM government spent 6:4 million on 213 domes erected 34 all of that money gone Mr Pintard and those who follow him are hypocrites at least a plane. Will be put to use, doc could not sell our lucaya much less domes what a waste right about now Mr Pintard needs a toggie and boggie to help him I suppose you all were asleep When that happned,
ExposedU2C 5 days, 23 hours ago
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............
John 5 days, 17 hours ago
Hey Boss, De plane, De plane!
Socrates 5 days, 15 hours ago
this is crazy. govt owns loss making bahamasair and onstead of buying tickets you buy a whole plane? there is no way operatimg a plane is cheaper than commercial.
John 5 days, 7 hours ago
Ok class lesson for today; TAKE your right hand and cover your mouth and nose. Adjust your hand so that you can breathe comfortably, but can barely talk. Yes in a muffled voice. This is how DONALD TRzuMP, a convicted felon, will have to campaign for the November Presidential Elections. Still gagged after the trial judge refuses to remove the gag order, even after the trial had ended ( except for sentencing). America, home of the FREE ( slaves included ???) bJune teenth
ExposedU2C 4 days, 22 hours ago
Please get back on your meds.
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