And the chairman isn't suspecting any under the table type deals - like insider training - to have taken place. While he didn't know what Smart's bid was, he accepted that BTL's prices may be too expensive and sympathized with the government - who is working on a reduced budget. Still, he hopes that things were done above board.
Mark Lizarraga, Chairman, BTL
"Well if there is insider trading it would have to be from BTL staff and I think that would be shortsighted on any staff member here, because we have the commitment. They know what security they have working for BTL. Like I said we have excellent rapport with the unions, with our staff and they are all committed and dedicated to BTL. I think that might be overstretching it. I think at this stage today what I can say today is that we know that we are a little expensive, perhaps in certain areas. We know that we are a little heavy, we've been working on that - we've been able to cut 24 million dollars in expenses and renegotiate our cost down by 24 million dollars. That is substantial you know, when we've lost 29 million dollars in sales and yet we are still turning a profit and that could not be done without the support, the buy-in from our staff members. So everybody in the organization has contributed to improving our inefficiency and it will continue."
Reporter
"You know then that your services are more expensive than SMART?"
Mark Lizarraga, Chairman, BTL
"No, I'm saying that if they have gone to SMART it's possible that for those accounts that we have migrated to SMART, that SMART may have given them a better deal than we have. I just hope that SMART is not giving them below cost, I mean that's possible too. You have things that is called loss leaders in business, where I give you something very cheap because I am trying to get some of your business. That's possible as well. I don't know. But I am saying that question you should pose to those departments that migrated and ask them."
