Mzee Mwanakijiji
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"Besides injecting capital, the government should also think of helping the company with a more serious, competent and committed management team," he said.
10th December 2010
A US firm, Celtic Capital Air Corporation has threatened to sue Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) for breach of contract covering the lease of a Boeing 737 aircraft.
Celtic Capital Air Corporation Managing Director Fabian Bachrach told The Guardian in an exclusive interview that ATCL was dilly-dallying on the replacement of the B737 and the government had also not guaranteed as expected.
He claimed this constituted breach of the terms of the contract, and could result in serious consequences for the ATCL and the government in general.
"We signed an 18-month contract to work with ATCL until July 2011, but some of the terms in the contract seem to be breached by ATCL," Bachrach said, adding that the contract commenced on January 2 this year between his company and ATCL management.
Bachrach said apart from ATCL ignoring to take the aircraft, it had not paid its debts.
"ATCL seems to have decided not to replace the B737, they ran off the runway in Mwanza and they are also not paying their debts," Bachrach claimed.
"The government has also not paid the guarantee they gave us. There will be serious consequences soon," he said without giving details of the consequences.
Recently, the Celtic Capital Air Corporation, which leased the aircraft to the troubled ATCL threatened it would seek an end to the arrangement unless the government took "serious remedial measures".
It specifically mentioned the need to support the national flag carrier with massive capital injections and a competent management team.
Bachrach said he saw no possibility of the cash-strapped ATCL surviving "without a really substantial shot in the arm from the government".
"Besides injecting capital, the government should also think of helping the company with a more serious, competent and committed management team," he said.
"Since our lease agreement with them came into force, we have noticed clear problems and we believe that it will take a lot of effort to keep it afloat".
"The company has huge debts, which cannot be easily paid. Worse still the debt burden keeps piling up as time goes by," he added.
According to Bachrach, ATCL currently is over US$20 million in debt; a burden he said logically meant that the only way to save the company from total collapse was for the government to intervene with a bailout package that might include internal restructuring.
On March this year, Air Tanzania Boeing 737-200 crashed as it was landing at Mwanza airport. The aircraft with registration number 5H-MVZ flying to Mwanza from Dar es Salaam, veered off the runway and got stuck in the middle of the landing strip after experiencing engine failure.
Efforts to get a comment from the Minister for Transport Engineer Omari Nundu, Permanent Secretary Omari Chambo, and ATCL Managing Director William Haji failed.
But recently Minister Nundu officiating at the climax of the Civil Aviation in Dar es Salaam said the government would no longer pump subsidy into the airline.
He said instead the government was keen on getting competent investors to ensure smooth operation of the aviation industry.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
These people they killed ATCL a while ago to pave way for private companies..... like how TTCL is dormant and unable to compete with the cellphone companies inspite of having all the infrastructures..... instead of being half way privatise the all lot if they are incompetent of running a company.... These amateurs am sure they cant even manage a soft drink kiosk
10th december 2010
a us firm, celtic capital air corporation has threatened to sue air tanzania company limited (atcl) for breach of contract covering the lease of a boeing 737 aircraft.
Celtic capital air corporation managing director fabian bachrach told the guardian in an exclusive interview that atcl was dilly-dallying on the replacement of the b737 and the government had also not guaranteed as expected.
He claimed this constituted breach of the terms of the contract, and could result in serious consequences for the atcl and the government in general.
"we signed an 18-month contract to work with atcl until july 2011, but some of the terms in the contract seem to be breached by atcl," bachrach said, adding that the contract commenced on january 2 this year between his company and atcl management.
Bachrach said apart from atcl ignoring to take the aircraft, it had not paid its debts.
"atcl seems to have decided not to replace the b737, they ran off the runway in mwanza and they are also not paying their debts," bachrach claimed.
"the government has also not paid the guarantee they gave us. There will be serious consequences soon," he said without giving details of the consequences.
Recently, the celtic capital air corporation, which leased the aircraft to the troubled atcl threatened it would seek an end to the arrangement unless the government took "serious remedial measures".
It specifically mentioned the need to support the national flag carrier with massive capital injections and a competent management team.
Bachrach said he saw no possibility of the cash-strapped atcl surviving "without a really substantial shot in the arm from the government".
"besides injecting capital, the government should also think of helping the company with a more serious, competent and committed management team," he said.
"since our lease agreement with them came into force, we have noticed clear problems and we believe that it will take a lot of effort to keep it afloat".
"the company has huge debts, which cannot be easily paid. Worse still the debt burden keeps piling up as time goes by," he added.
According to bachrach, atcl currently is over us$20 million in debt; a burden he said logically meant that the only way to save the company from total collapse was for the government to intervene with a bailout package that might include internal restructuring.
On march this year, air tanzania boeing 737-200 crashed as it was landing at mwanza airport. The aircraft with registration number 5h-mvz flying to mwanza from dar es salaam, veered off the runway and got stuck in the middle of the landing strip after experiencing engine failure.
Efforts to get a comment from the minister for transport engineer omari nundu, permanent secretary omari chambo, and atcl managing director william haji failed.
But recently minister nundu officiating at the climax of the civil aviation in dar es salaam said the government would no longer pump subsidy into the airline.
He said instead the government was keen on getting competent investors to ensure smooth operation of the aviation industry.
Source: The guardian
Hata hivyo, ATCL ina kitanzi kingine cha mkataba wa ndege ya kukodi aina ya Air Bus A320, iliyokodiwa mwaka 2007 kwa kampuni ya Wallis Trading Inc kwa mkataba wa miaka sita wakati ndege hiyo ni mbovu.
Taarifa ya serikali inaonyesha kwamba gharama za kuvunja mkataba huo ni dola za Marekani milioni 18.0.
Hadi Machi mwaka huu, ATCL ilikuwa inadaiwa dola za Marekani milioni 15.5 kutokana na malimbikizo ya gharama za kuikodisha Euro milioni 1.6 zitokanazo na matengenezo makubwa na Euro 104,000 kwa ajili ya malipo kwa kampuni iliyosimamia matengenezo ya ndege hiyo.
Kuhusu mazungumzo ya namna ya kulipa deni hilo, Waziri Nundu alisema bado hajapata taarifa za kina kuhusu yanayoendelea ATCL na kwamba akishapata taarifa atajua nini cha kufanya.
Kampuni ya ATCL imekuwa na matumizi makubwa ikilinganishwa na mapato ambapo taarifa ya serikali ya Aprili ilieleza kwamba kwa kipindi cha Julai mwaka jana hadi Machi mwaka huu, mapato yalikuwa ni sh bilioni 7.8 wakati matumizi yalikuwa ni sh bilioni 26 jambo lililosababisha hasara ya sh bilioni 18.
Ni kampuni ya China Sonangol International ya China ambayo ilionyesha nia ya kutaka kuwekeza ATCL lakini ni takribani mwaka mmoja sasa tangu serikali ilipoanza mazungumzo na kampuni hiyo bila muafaka.
Kwa upande wake Mkurugnzi wa ATCL, David Mataka, amesema hatma ya kufufuka kwa Shirika la Ndege nchini (ATCL) linaloelekea kufa itajulikana wiki ijayo baada ya kikao cha pande mbili kati ya Serikali na Uongozi wa Shirika hilo.
Mataka, alisema kwamba matarajio ya Watanzania ya kuona ATCL inaanza kazi kikamilifu ni makubwa, lakini kwa sasa hataweza kuwahakikishia kitu chochote hadi hapo kikao hicho kitapokaa na kutoa maamuzi juu ya shirika hilo.
Alisema, katika mkutano huo ambao utafanyika katikati ya wiki ijayo, utaweza kutoa dira halisi ya shirika hilo kama litaanza kazi na mbia wanayemtarajia ambaye ni Shrika la Ndege la Sonongol linalomilikiwa kati ya nchi ya China na Angola au vinginevyo.
Hata hivyo, Mataka alimshukuru Rais kwa kumteua waziri Nundu kusimamia wizara ya Uchukuzi kwa kuwa ni mtu anayefahamu kwa undani masuala ya usafiri wa anga na shirika hilo kwa ujumla, hivyo anaamini Watanzania wataweza kuona mambo mazuri yakitoka ndani ya kikao hicho.
Alisema wanatarajia kujadili kwa kina mpango wa kulifufua shirika hilo (Master Plan), ambapo uongozi huo umependekeza kuanza kwa kijitegemea zaidi kuliko kusubiri mwekezaji kutoka nje ya nchi.
"Ndani ya mpango huo sitoweza kusema tutaanza na ndege ngapi kubwa, lakini binafsi ningependa tuanze sisi wenyewe na wawekezaji iwe kama kitu cha akiba tu," alisema Mataka.
Akizungumzia harakati walizozifanya za kuhakikisha ATCL inabaki japo kwa mwendo wa kuchechemea, Mataka alieleza mpaka sasa wamebakiwa na ndege mbili tu aina ya Bomberdia-8q300 zenye uwezo wa kubeba abiria 50 kila moja.
Hata hivyo, kati ya ndege hizo, moja imeharibika na imepelekwa nchini Afrika ya Kusini kwa ajili ya matengenezo na ndege iliyobaki inaendelea kutoa huduma katika mikoa ya Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Tabora na Kigoma.
Alisema, katika kipindi hicho kigumu wamejitahidi kuhakikisha ndege hizo zinajiendesha zenyewe, ikiwa ni pamoja na kuwezesha kununua mafuta, chakula pamoja na huduma zingine.
"Huko nyuma huduma hizo tulikuwa tunakopa, lakini kwa sasa tumefikia wakati tumeanza kulipia huduma mbalimbali muhimu katika safari za anga, kwa kweli mpaka tumefikia hapo tunaweza kusema tumejitahidi kiasi," alisema.
Aliongeza kuwa Shirika hilo kwa sasa lina jumla ya wafanyakazi 182 kati ya wafanyakazi zaidi ya 300. Waliobakia wengi wao ni wale wenye utalaam maalum wakiwemo marubani, mafundi pamoja na watu wachache wanaofanya kazi ya utawala.
CHANZO: NIPASHE JUMAPILI