Bahamians mobilise to block BTC-LIME deal

Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has defended the decision of his administration to sell majority controlling shares of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) to a British company, noting that the public bidding exercise in 2003 and in 2010 resulted in unacceptable offers.

But as he was putting forward his position to lawmakers on Monday, persons opposed to the 51 per cent sale of BTC to Cable and Wireless Communications, Plc (CWC).

And a legislator, Branville McCartney, has reportedly cut ties with the ruling Free National Movement after the party voted in favour of the deal.

In a short statement posted on his Facebook page, McCartney cited "personal convictions" for his resignation from the party, while remaining the representative for the Bamboo Town constituency.

In his presentation to the Parliament, Ingraham said that the BTC now has a partner in CWC.

"The Bahamas will, therefore, enter into a strategic partnership with an international telecoms giant in order to further develop our telecommunications sector."

The final process

Ingraham said that the debate is the final process required for the privatisation of the BTC, which he described as being a "long journey commencing with my party's determination before the 1997 general election to privatise BTC".

Ingraham said that between 1966, the year of BTC's creation, and 1992, it recorded profits of US$125.7 million with the government receiving US$10.56 million in dividend payments.

He said that BTC's earnings for the period 1993 to 2010 totalled US$430.40 million, and that during the same period US$151.40 million was paid to the government in dividends, as compared with US$10.56 million paid between 1966 and 1992.

Ingraham said that the process leading to privatisation had not been hurried or casual.

"Serious time, money and effort has been spent over the past 14 years by Government and its advisers ... to ensure that we got this right," he said. "When it was determined that circumstances did not provide a good deal for The Bahamas, the Government has opted not to proceed."

Ingraham said that there had been two separate occasions when the BTC was taken "to the altar of privatisation" and that "enormous sums" have been spent on the process.

"Great damage will be done to the image and reputation of The Bahamas if, after two attempts, we fail to privatise BTC. We believe, are soundly convinced, that this deal is a good deal and that this hour is the appropriate hour for us to move forward on the privatisation of BTC," the prime minister said.

Protests

But hundreds of protesters, many displaying their political affiliations on T-shirts, marched in the capital denouncing the divestment.

"Fire Ingraham" and "Stop the world and let the FNM off", were some of the protest signs, while others described the sale to CWC as "Epic Fail" and "Politicians vote for Lime: You're Fired".

Protesters also called on the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority to be disbanded.

Trade unions have gone to court trying to stop the deal.

"Whatever we do, we need to combine our efforts," president of the National Congress of Trade Unions of the Bahamas, Jennifer Isaacs Dotson, told reporters.

"We have quite a number of affiliated unions under the NCTUB to support the Committee to Save BTC ... we're all here together and working together in collaboration to say to the government, stop, review and cancel this decision to sell," she said.

The unions maintain that they will continue their protest march until the sale of BTC to CWC is cancelled.

- CMC