Around 300 Bajan jobs being relocated to Manila

(Trinidad Guardian) Finance Minister Winston Dookeran believes the board of Caribbean Airlines should be dissolved. Dookeran said the board should be “reconstituted with persons with knowledge and competence in the field.” He conveyed his views in a letter to Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar two weeks ago. Dookeran’s letter reads:

“In summary, my views are as follows:

• The board does not have knowledge or competence in the issues pertaining to airline business.

• The board does not have any appreciation for the issues of good corporate governance.

“The commercial stakes are high and the cost of political inaction will be high as well.”

Winston Dookeran

The George Nicholas-chaired board has been mired in controversy since it was appointed last November. Two weeks after assuming office, it fired former chief executive Captain Ian Brunton, indulged in a public rift and reconciliation with line Minister Jack Warner and then began infighting with each other. Warner already has presented a note to Cabinet, compiled by permanent secretary Cheryl Blackman, advising that the board be dissolved. But Cabinet referred the matter to the Finance and General Purposes Committee. On Sunday, the Prime Minister said she was awaiting a report before making a decision on the controversial board.

“It was referred to the Finance and General Purposes Committee and I have not had a report from that Finance Committee,” she told reporters. The T&T Guardian was privy to Dookeran’s letter yesterday, which had a question in the Prime Minister’s handwriting:

The response, signed by Persad-Bissessar on April 15, asked: “Mr Dookeran, do these views represent those of the committee?” Dookeran’s position was conveyed two weeks ago, along with his recommendations as to who the new board should constitute.

His letter read: “For your consideration, I propose that you may wish to ascertain whether the following persons may have an interest in serving on the board:

• Conrad Aleong (an experienced airline executive);

• Michael Dolsingh (an experienced airline executive with clear insight into operations);

• Ian Bertrand (an executive with experience in airline management).

“I suggest that Mr Aleong be made chairman and additional competencies in the field of law, accountancy and corporate governance be included in the reconstituted board.”

Presently, Aleong, a former chief executive of BWIA, acts as adviser to Dookeran at the Ministry of Finance. He also co-authored a “High Level Business Appraisal of CAL”, which was handed to the Minister of Finance on June 18, 2010. Dookeran also suggested a search begins for a new chief executive.