Deficit of Rs 51 million in the NTC: Unions call for a Fact Finding Committee

"There is something fishy." With these words, that employee unions have transit at a press conference this Thursday, April 21, at the office of the Government Teachers Union (GTU), Port Louis, defined the situation precarious which is now the National Transport Company (NTC). They demand the establishment of a "Fact Finding Commitee" to determine the cause of the deficit of Rs 51 million to the corporation.

In a letter to a group of union workers of the NTC shows that the corporation has consistently made profits in the past. They accuse the president of the board of directors of the NTC, Ashwin Dookun and CEO, Robin Soonarane, "to lead the corporation into bankruptcy."

According Wakil Lalloo, president of Industry Workers Union of Bus (UBIW), over the years, the NTC has been to reverse. "If 200 buses are not on our roads before the end of this year we are heading towards chaos," he said. He also made  an appeal to the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Anil Bachoo asking him "not only amend the laws relating to license plates or repair roads, but also to examine the working conditions of employees the NTC”.

Wakil also lashes Lalloo officers of the corporation, which he said provided no improvement since taking office."We have initiated an investigation of the NTC to shed light on the deficit of Rs 51 million, despite the fact that the government has offered a sum of Rs 112 million in 2009," said he.

In this regard Venoo Ramasamy of the Transport Industry Workers Union (Tiwu) claimed that the sum of Rs 112 million offered by the government to be used wisely. He wondered why the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Transportation has never initiated an investigation, although the latest report from the National Remuneration Board (NRB) has shown that the NTC vehicle not less than 82 million passengers per year.

The unionist Deepak Benydin, meanwhile, says he is convinced that the NTC is considering a privatization process."I think everybody is aware of rumors about a possible privatization of the NTC," he said.