Govt somersaults on prior criticisms… The State-owned National Communications Network has asked government for a $20 million bailout to help it meet its financial

NCN headquarters, Georgetown

obligation. At his post-Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, Governance Minister Raphael Trotman told journalists that the request was before cabinet, but could not say if the money requested would be used to assist in the payment of bills and salaries for the more than 160 employees of the radio and television news outlets. NCN currently has several outstanding payments to receive; one in particular from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, which owes the company in excess of $14 million. Trotman said Government was disappointed at the position the State-owned company has found itself in, saying that with a monopolistic position of having the reach, the equipment and direct guaranteed contracts with Government and other entities and agencies, it should have been on a sound financial footing. “We’re quite disappointed with the position that we found and we have since, under the directorship of the Prime Minister, we have agencies give an account for outstanding invoices and bills and in the meantime, Cabinet has been asked…to provide a small amount of bridging finance until accounts receivables are pulled in and we can bring the entity back onto a strong footing,” Minister Trotman explained. Although it has been reportedly making some $500 million annually under the PPP/C Administration, NCN had been seeing its annual budget cut to a mere $1 by the then Opposition A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change  (AFC). The company was then accused of fulfilling the agenda of the then Government.