BMDC Says It’s Profitable, But Is It Accountable?

BMDC says it must operate like a business, turning a profit without relying on government support. But how profitable is the marketing board, and when were its finances last independently examined? Administrator Valentin Carillo insists the organization can stand on its own. We pressed him for the figures behind that claim.

 

Valentin Carillo, Administrator, BMDC

“When we came in, it is the first thing we started is the auditing process. As I said, the first year they couldn’t audit, it was a disaster. We have audited two years and this year they are auditing. The auditor has already sent the audit trial. But it is a mandate from our board that we need to be audited, and it is being audited on a yearly basis.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Do you have any figures you can present in terms of annual profitability over the last few years?”

 

Valentin Carillo

“I don’t know if I can present it, because it goes above my pay scale, but we do present it to the board. They sign it off and then it goes to the CEO and then to the minister’s table.”

 

Paul Lopez

“You can’t say hear what the profit is, at least for last year?”

 

Valentin Carillo.

“I would say about, more or less, roughly about a million dollars.”

 

In a subsequent newscast, we will tell you more about BMDC’s operations and how the statutory body has evolved over the last five years.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: