A decision taken by Bahamasair’s Board of Directors to travel free of charge on the national flag carrier was condemned by the Free National Movement on Thursday.
The FNM described the decision as “disgraceful and unconscionable,” noting that the airline’s staff, who are well aware of Bahamasair’s constant cash shortage, have heavily criticised the decision.
However when contacted, Minister of Works and Utilities Bradley Roberts, who has responsibility for the airline, informed the Guardian that he had already reversed the decision.
“The Board of Bahamasair took the decision to travel without charge on behalf of Board business. I have issued instructions for that to be reversed and that a system be put in place where they would pay for their travels and are reimbursed,” Minister Roberts explained.
He went on to say that the Board would be able to exercise its independence as they were mandated to do with very little political interference. “I want them to run Bahamasair like a business and any political input for good and sufficient reason will be made, but other than that if you look at the composition of the Board of Bahamasair, they are very capable men and women and they have been putting very long hours into Bahamasair, and the honorarium they receive is pittance,” he said.
Minister Roberts said for the pass four-and-a-half months those “distinguished” men and women have immersed themselves into the airline’s business to get to understand the airline business, not only here in The Bahamas, but in the Caribbean region, the United States and Europe.
“You can almost with a degree of certainty be able to carry on an intelligent conversation with any and every member of the Bahamasair Board. That is not a rubber stamp Board,” he quipped.
Bahamasair Board Chairman Basil Sands declined to make a statement.
According to the FNM, not only will Bahamasair Board members be entitled to free travel passes, but the staff had been instructed to the effect that airline Board members are never to be placed on the carrier’s standby list.
The release said FNM MP Neko Grant, who is the Opposition’s Shadow Minister with responsibility for Bahamasair, said the decision of free passes for Board members is not only unconscionable, but ridiculous in light of the fact that the national carrier is consistently cash-strapped, and that taxpayers money must be pumped into Bahamasair every single day.
“This announcement about free passes for Bahamasair board members comes at a time when the Prime Minister has announced that the country’s revenue is $60 million behind projected earnings,” Mr. Grant said. “The Free National Movement Government long ago discontinued that practice we met in place whereby Board members were given free passes, because in our view it was simply not right and fair to the Bahamian people who were made to bear the financial burden of Bahamasair,” Mr. Grant explained.
“In Parliament on November 6 the Prime Minister also told the nation that the Government is trying to run a very tight ship and is holding the reins on expenditure with a view to ensuring fiscal prudence,” the Lucaya MP said. “It cannot possibly be fiscal prudence or an example of a tight ship when the national carrier, which has been a financial burden on the taxpayers over three separate government administrations, has now taken a decision which is tantamount to taking away needed revenue.”
Mr. Grant said that what renders the fly-free decision even more ridiculous is the fact that at the same time the PLP Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry with responsibility for Bahamasair publicly stated with regard to the carrier that “the loss of the people’s money will not be tolerated” and that the carrier “must move itself toward economic prosperity.”
“This is another clear example that the Government is chronically inconsistent, has no proper direction or proper plan of operation, and obviously does not even grasp the commonsense equation that when you are short of cash and trying to cut back on expenses, you do not make decisions to deprive your agencies and Public Treasury of cash,” Mr. Grant said.
Further, the MP stated, such a decision to provide free tickets for persons who ought to be privileged to serve the nation is an insult to other Bahamians, at the airline, in the Public Service, and across the board who are constantly being asked to conserve and to be patient with the Government during difficult financial times.
“We in the Free National Movement strongly object to this vulgar and unconscionable decision at Bahamasair, particularly when there are hundreds of Bahamians who suffer great inconvenience and discomfort because of the airline’s inability to operate smoothly,” Mr. Grant said.
Accordingly, Minister Roberts noted that within the next two weeks he will announce the way ahead for Bahamasair. He said it is going to be very profound and it is going to be a course of action that is going take Bahamasair to the next level, and it removes all the baggage that was imposed upon it by the previous administration.
By Keva Lightbourne, The Nassau Guardian
