(Trinidad Express) Despite money troubles at cash-strapped Caribbean Airlines (CAL), salaries of top executive managers over the past two years range between TT$36,000 and TT$128,000, documents obtained by the Express have revealed.
The monthly total for the 13 executives amounts to TT$837,765.74.
And now that Finance Minister Larry Howai has fired the CAL board, including its chairman, Rabindra Moonan, the salaries are raising questions about the State-owned airline’s management team and their financial drain on the airline.
Newly-appointed chairman Philip Marshall refused to comment when contacted yesterday on whether these high salaries could be a cause for concern for the new board in light of the airline’s financial troubles.
But an informed source told the Express the new board, which met on Thursday, would be seeking to “apply good governance guidelines in CAL’s operations, since the airline is important to the people of Trinidad and Tobago”.
It was only in mid-May that Howai told the Senate the airline’s losses for 2012 were TT$704 million, while an exclusive Sunday Express story revealed that struggling CAL has also been forced to write off TT$200 million in lost cargo revenue and alleged credit card fraud.
Robert Corbie, chief operating officer and acting chief executive officer (CEO) of Caribbean Airlines, receives a TT$100,000 a month salary, with a further TT$20,000 a month acting CEO allowance and an TT$8,000 car allowance.
A well-placed aviation source said this figure was actually low in comparison to previous foreign CEOs at Caribbean Airlines and its predecessor BWIA and their compensation packages.
Those foreign CEOs enjoyed much better compensation packages, the source said.
Among those receiving hefty pay packages are Colville Carrington, who took up the position of vice-president Maintenance and Engineering, on July 1, 2010, with a salary of TT$72,500 and car allowance of TT$5,000, and Jagmohan Singh, who is currently acting as vice-president Operations, receiving TT$79,571.63, with an acting allowance of TT$11,935.74 and a TT$7,000 a month car allowance.
Singh’s substantive position is executive manager/chief pilot which he assumed from July 1, 2010. His acting position took effect from March 20, 2012.
Another heavy-roller is Charmaine Heslop-DaCosta, vice-president Human Resources whose total package is TT$84,667 a month.
DaCosta, who frequently travels between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, is paid in US dollars while her car allowance is paid in Jamaican currency, the documents revealed.
She assumed her post on July 1, 2010.
The others include:
Deputy chief financial officer Keith Andre Mills–TT$45,000 salary and TT$10,500 responsibility allowance. Mills assumed his post on October 18, 2010, and assumed responsibility for finance in the absence of the CFO from December 2010.
Executive manager Airports, Nirmala Ramai–TT$43,000 salary, and TT$7,000 car allowance. She also assumed office on July 1, 2010.
Executive manager Quality and Air Safety, Mark Garcia, from July 1, 2010–TT$43,355 and TT$7,000 car allowance.
Executive manager, In-flight and Catering, Patricia Ramsey, started position on July 1, 2010-TT$36,129 salary and TT$7,000 car allowance.
Executive manager, Internal Audit, Vashti Swamber, from September 15, 2010–TT$60,000 salary and TT$7,000 car allowance
General counsel and corporate secretary Nalini Lalla, assumed office on July 1, 2011–TT$67,000 salary and TT$7,000 car allowance. She was confirmed as corporate secretary on May 9, 2012.
General manager, Kingston, Clive Forbes, started position on June 1, 2012–Jam$609,000 (TT$47,380.20) and car allowance JAM$97,156.25 (TT$7,403.16)
Substantive position check Airman B737, currently acting as chief pilot, Eugene McShine–TT$61,237. Training allowance TT$573.18 and responsibility allowance TT$6,123.70.
McShine was appointed to act as chief pilot on April 23, 2012, but held his substantive post since April 1, 2011.
