Gov't, Opposition still at odds over privitisation of telecoms sector

NASSAU (CMC):

The ruling Free National Movement has accused the main opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) of encouraging unrest in The Bahamas as the fallout continues fromthe privatisation of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC).

The British-owned telecommunications giant, Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC), acquired a controlling 51 per cent share of the company and the PLP said that it had received information that the new majority owner of BTC, CWC has given notice to the employees of BTC of its intent to downsize the company to the tune of 600 employees by May of this year.

"If this is true, the government would have failed in protecting the welfare of the employees at BTC during the privatisation exercise.

"This is unwelcomed and unsettling news to the employees of BTC and a source of concern to the PLP, given the tough economic times we live in,"the PLP added.

BTC's chief executive officer Geoff Houston has denied the PLP's statement regarding the number of workers to be sent home.

The ruling party of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, in a statement on Monday, said that having lost the national debate on the BTC privatisation issue and the further liberalisation of the telecommunications sector, the PLP is manufacturing claims about the BTC-CWC partnership.