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Marlin questions ‘hurried’ cabinet decision to transfer
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Nov 11, 2005 14:13 UTC
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PHILIPSBURG - According to National Alliance (NA) leader and Member of Parliament (MP) William Marlin, the “hurried” decision of the Council of Ministers to transfer the shares of Windward Islands Airways International Winair to St. Maarten is raising “many questions” and might even put the airline and its employees at risk.
“It is not clear why the transfer of shares was hastily done while still no transfer of GEBE shares can take place despite the fact that Democratic Party leader Wescott-Williams said several months ago it was a done deal and that the transfer was a matter of days,” he said following a meeting of Parliament with Winair’s shareholder’s representative State Secretary Erno Labega in Bonaire Tuesday.
“GEBE Chairman Commissioner Roy Marlin had also announced that the transfer would be realised in June. We’re five months later and no transfer, but a hurried decision is taken to transfer Winair’s shares. Why? Is this to cover up for the many promises and many failed attempts to transfer GEBE, or an attempt of DP to show that they are finally getting something done?” said Marlin.
Marlin said one would expect that the Executive Council would have welcomed the cabinet’s decision. Instead, he said, Wescott-Williams, who hails from the same party as Labega, stated that government needed more time and clarity before deciding to accept the shares.
Marlin said that when he asked Labega in the meeting to clarify the matter of the golden shares for Saba and St. Eustatius, the state secretary said there was still no understanding of what exactly this entailed and that it was not outlined yet.
Labega replied negatively to Marlin’s question whether there had been any correspondence with the Executive Council on the issue. He said there had been verbal communication with Wescott-Williams.
Marlin also questioned a statement by Labega that the island “should get the necessary backing.” “I asked what backing. It turns out that there have been talks between management and board of Winair and a local bank about a possible financial injection,” he said.
According to Marlin, Labega told Parliament that one of the reasons the Central Government stopped talking to Bonaire Participatie Maatschappij BPM/Exel was because the company was not living up to the terms of last year’s agreement. “Exel, for example, had to pay NAf. 500,000 to the Winair pilots, but they did not,” Marlin said.
He further wanted to know if the Central Government was considering any action against BPM/Exel. “Because Exel didn’t live up to the agreement, Winair seemingly landed in financial problems once again. Exel should not be allowed to go scot-free while Winair has to pay back some NAf. 300,000 that was withheld for the sale of tickets (of Dutch Antilles Express/BonairExpress, ed.),” he said.
In that context Marlin said he could not understand Labega’s intention when he said that government would return to BPM/Exel some NAf. 1.4 million the company had injected into Winair. This would be done, Labega said, if an investor were found, as part of a deal to take over Winair’s shares.
“This makes no sense,” Marlin said. “Instead of giving back, government should file a claim. It appears as if Exel wanted to use Winair’s assets at the airport, including the land for which St. Maarten not too long ago extended the long lease, to acquire a mortgage. These funds would then be used by Exel to live up to the agreement of the NAf. 3.5 million injection,” he stated.
In concluding, Marlin stated: “Jobs of Winair employees should be protected at all times and affordable airlift between the Windward Islands guaranteed. The hurried decision by the cabinet is not helping in this matter. As a matter of fact, it puts Winair and its employees possibly even more at risk.” He said his faction would closely monitor the developments.
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