Innotech pleased with settlement reached with BWA

Innotech Services Limited says it is pleased with the settlement reached with the Barbados Water Authority (BWA).

Weeks after Minister of Energy and Water Resources Wilfred Abrahams announced that BWA had reached an agreement with Innotech, which covered a wide range of areas, Innotech’s Chairman Anthony DaSilva said the deal is one both parties could live with.

“The Government and Innotech Group, as would be normal in these instances, have agreed that these matters are confidential. But safe to say that the Government feels that they have probably not gotten exactly what they wanted, but Innotech has simply not got also what it wanted, but we both got a deal that we could live with,” DaSilva said.

“I think that’s a fair result given both parties looking after their own interest,”

He made the comments while delivering remarks at Hope Plantation, St Lucy today where Government commenced its National Tree Planting project to which Innotech donated BDS$25 000.

“Barbados is our home base and we have been particularly affected with what’s happening in the economy. We have invested a lot in the Government of Barbados, not in a particular administration, but the Government. And that meant obviously that we had to sit with the Government and negotiate a solution to some of these issues.

“I am pleased to say that it has been done. I am not sure that the government or Innotech feels individually that one has taken advantage of the other. And I don’t think that there are any particular hard feelings, it’s just something that had to be done. It’s been done professionally and we have not commented on it up until now,” he added.

While the Chairman did not give details on the deal, at the Ministry’s Christmas luncheon at Halton Plantation, St Philip, on December 13, Abrahams revealed that the deal covered the rental and maintenance of the building that houses BWA at Pine, St Michael, the water tanker trucks, the personal tanks programme and portable desal (desalination) units.

The Minister said that meetings, negotiations and behind the scenes work by staff within the Ministry, BWA, and Government’s external debt negotiator White Oaks, led to the deal being finalised.

DaSilva said Innotech was now at the best place to move forward with Government as a good partner to see economic activity return to Barbados.

The Chairman also indicated that while the public arrive at the conclusion that corporate Barbados appear to be insensitive at times, it must be noted that at the end of the day, businesses have employees and commitments to safeguard.

“So, I am happy with where we are today. It’s a new year. I think we have cleared last year and I am positive that we are now heading in the right direction,” DaSilva said. (AH)