Nov 24 - Bus Advertising Contractor “Failing To Deliver For Government” Says GSD
The Opposition says that it was revealed last week, in answers to questions in Parliament by the Shadow spokesman for Transport, Selwyn Figueras, that Big Publications Limited (‘the Company’), which was awarded the bus advertising contract in 2012 following the election of the GSLP/Liberals to Government, “has failed to deliver anywhere near the level of revenue promised by it to the Bus Company.”
According to the Opposition, the Company proposed to generate revenue for the Bus Company, annually, to a maximum level of £122,000. Revenue for last year, says the GSD, “was a meagre £8,473.” The Company was also supported financially, it says, with a loan of £15,000 to cover some of its setup costs.
Big Publications, is, according to the Opposition, a company owned by “three well-known GSLP stalwart supporters” Dennis Cardona, Peter Cabezutto and James Ellul. Mr. Cardona ran the GSLP/Liberals' election campaign in 2011 and Mr. James Ellul is also responsible for the sale of advertising at the Gibraltar Airport.
Selwyn Figueras provided some background to the development: “when Damon Bossino asked Government about the allocation of the contract back in 2012, the Minister for Transport explained that four proposals had been received and that the Big Publications proposal was the one which promised the highest level of revenue to Government and was ‘the most favourable one.’ The Minister must be left wondering who exactly it was that it was favourable to.”
It has also been revealed, says the GSD, that the matter of the payment of revenue by Big Publications to the Bus Company is the subject of a dispute between the parties and that full audited accounts have been requested by the Bus Company.
The GSD considers that this is a matter of “significant public interest” and one which it will continue to probe. A table of the revenue received by the Gibraltar Bus Company in the financial years from 2010 can be found below.
