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by
peter balroop
Caribbean Airlines’ chief executive officer Peter Davies
could be in receipt of handsome salary and fringe benefits—anywhere
in the region of £50,000 (about $655,000) a month.
This is according to local airline sources, who offered
that figure yesterday, after the Government pointedly ducked
a question concerning the remuneration of Davies, a 56-year-old
British citizen.
The refusal has attracted a stinging accusation that the
Government believes it can spend taxpayers’ money with
impunity.
In a written answer filed in the Lower House on Friday in
response to a question tabled by Caroni East MP Ganga Singh,
the Government refused, on the grounds of confidentiality,
to divulge Davies’ terms of employment.
Singh had demanded that the Government also account to the
Parliament on the remuneration earned by two other expatriates:
Francois Parisseau, Caribbean Airlines’ director of
marketing, and Anne Cole, vice president, human resources.
The answer provided on Friday by Leader of Government Business
Ken Valley indicated the terms, conditions and salary of
the trio “were considered to be of a competitive nature,
and release of this information into the public domain is
considered prejudicial to the airline’s strategic and
competitive position.
“All
of these expatriate employees have confidentiality clauses
in their respective contracts, which impose a shared obligation
on both Caribbean Airlines and themselves to maintain confidentiality
of the contractual terms, conditions and salaries,”
the note said.
“Because
of this fact and the fact that the information is of a competitive
nature, the Government is unable to provide the information
requested.”
Singh was not present during Friday’s sitting. He was
marooned in Tobago because of the sick-out by Tobago Express
pilots.
But yesterday Singh reacted angrily to the Government’s
recalcitrance.
“This
is the kind of clandestine operation that the PNM Government
engages in, using hundreds of millions of taxpayers’
money to fund Caribbean Airlines and yet be unwilling to
tell taxpayers how much they are paying these expatriates,”
he said.
“That
kind of secrecy runs against the grain of all corporate
trends emerging worldwide. All Fortune 500 companies are
proud to tell shareholders the compensation packages of
their CEOs.
“I
asked that question since January of this year…When
did the Government find out about this confidentiality obligation?
“If
this is so, then the taxpayers of this country, who are
now the shareholders of Caribbean Airlines, should put a
stop to millions flowing to the national airline.”
Singh said the Government could attempt to hide the nature
of the exorbitant compensation packages of the trio, but
in the fullness of time the true figures would find their
way into his mailbox.
British Airways made no secret of the pay package of its
CEO, said Singh.
“All
American airlines, like Delta, Continental and United, which
fly to Trinidad, publish the salaries, share options and
other benefits of their senior staff,” said Singh.
Wondering whether the Government was erecting a secrecy
barrier because Davies and his colleagues were expatriates,
Singh declared:
“This
is unacceptable to me as an MP.”
He said the Government was continuing the trend it had set
when it kept secret past deals with Severn Trent, with respect
to WASA, and PowerGen, with respect to T&TEC.
He said he would pursue this matter in the public interest
even as early as Friday’s sitting of the Lower House.
“I
want to call on the chairman of Caribbean Airlines, Arthur
Lok Jack, and the minister who has responsibility for the
airline, Senator Dr Lenny Saith, to come clean to the country
and answer the question and not hide from taxpayers.
“If
we accept what they say, this Government could negotiate
away taxpayers’ money with impunity, and there will
be no redress to the citizens of this country.
“This
is unacceptable, and is an excellent example of PNM mismanagement
of Trinidad and Tobago.”
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