All foreign senior executives working in the Bahamas should have their work permits deferred pending investigations of training programmes, it was claimed last night.
Senator Philip Galanis said all companies should be held to the same standard that the government is imposing on The Tribune. His comments came after government told The Tribune this week that the work permit of managing editor John Marquis would be deferred until it was satisfied a replacement was being trained.
The government's move is thought to have been prompted by a series of highly-critical articles written by Mr Marquis, an Englishman.
But last night, Senator Galanis said Grand Bahama Port Authority and any other companies applying for work permits should be held to the same standard.
Senator Galanis is one of three politicians who Mr Marquis has accused of being part of "an orchestrated onslaught" on the press. The others are Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell and PLP chairman Raynard Rigby.
This week, The Tribune was told the government wanted to be sure that plans were in hand to "Bahamianise" Mr Marquis's position.
Less than three weeks ago, Mr Galanis challenged government to adhere to this same policy of Bahamianisation, calling for an investigation into the work permit of recently appointed Grand Bahama Port Authority chairman, Mr Hannes Babak, an Austrian.
"I could not believe that there was due process in the selection of the replacement for Mr (Julian) Francis," Senator Galanis said in an interview with The Tribune last month.
"I do not recall there being any kind of advertisement or job search made by the Grand Bahama Port Authority to find a Bahamian to replace him."
Yet Senator Galanis's requests were rebuffed when, in response to his call, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchombe told The Tribune: "Lady Henrietta St George and Jack Hayward are the private owners, and they are appointing someone to represent their interest. To what extent do we influence that? It is still their personal subjective interest, and we cannot force upon them a Bahamian or anyone."
However, despite Mr Wilchcombe's comments, the owners of the privately run Tribune are being asked by the immigration department to submit a list indicating the names, nationality, and positions held by its staff.
Yesterday, in reaction to the latest move by the immigration department, Senator Galanis said: "I think the Port Authority ought to be held to the same standard as any other inistitution in this country."
He added that it was not fair for the Grand Bahama Port Authority to be given advantages that other companies did not have.
"There is a need for foreigners to work in this country because there are a number of instances where Bahamians are not qualified to fill those positions," said Senator Galanis yesterday.
"And in ļ¾ those cases. I have absolutely no problem with foreigners being given work permits to work in the country."
However; Senator Galanis said: "Any company that makes it a regular habit of making application to the government for work permits – I am talking about large companies, principally those who employ a number of non-Bahamians – ought to be required by the department of immigration, as a matter of policy, to indicate what their manpower projections are, and government should give a realistic expectation to all work permit holders as to the amount of time that they are going to be allowed to have their work permits renewed.
"Babak ought to have been required to leave the country if he was applying for another work permit, because that was what the policy of the immigration department was. So why was it not required? Because it is the Grand Bahama Port Authority? 1 have no respect for that," said Senator Galanis.
In the Guardian article which led to Senator Galanis's renewed criticism of govermnent's "hands off" approach to the Port Authority's hiring practices, it said: "The decision to 'defer' Mr Marquis' work-permit is directly linked to the question of training Bahamians in certain sectors, including journalism. The Tribune newspaper is to detail its training programme so it can be tested against the needs of the country and how it benefits Bahamians."
Taking note of this latest action by the government agency against The Tribune's most senior journalist, The Guardian said: "There is no doubt Mr Marquis has annoyed certain members of the government."
By MARK HUMES, The Tribune
