The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with British viral online news and video publisher, UNILAD, to produce an impactful video enticing people to visit the destination.
The desired effect has far exceeded expectations as the video posted on UNILAD’s travel themed Facebook page – UNILAD Adventure – has indeed gone viral, reaching over 2 million views in just a matter of days.
The video commissioned by STB’s Digital Marketing section entitled “Things to do in Seychelles” is just under three minutes. First posted on Facebook on Wednesday October 18, it was an instant hit with over 500,000 views in the first 24 hours, with several thousand shares and comments.
Within 48 hours, the video exceeded the initial one million viewership target and has now surpassed the 2 million view mark, gaining over 26 thousand likes, 15 thousand comments and 14.8 thousand shares in the process.
The STB Chief Executive, Sherin Francis said: “We ensured that the video was as informative as possible, and this is one of the most successful campaigns we have had online. The fact that the video has had over 2 million views, with the highest ever number of engagements have surpassed our expectations. We recognize that doing joint campaigns with renowned social media experts is a sure way of obtaining the much-needed visibility.”
The UNILAD team that produced the video spent 8 days in Seychelles, recording their experiences of things do to while visiting the archipelago, accompanied by STB’s Digital Marketing Executive, Randy Rosalie. The main theme of the video centers on a young couple visiting the different islands, experiencing the various adventure activities available such as zip lining, diving, jet skiing, parasailing, snorkeling, and hiking among others.
As part of its digital marketing strategy for 2018, STB plans to create several viral videos in the coming months, so as to greatly increase visibility online, mainly on social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube, which have billions of followers.
The Director of STB’s Digital Marketing, Vahid Jacob said his section will be working with some of the world’s leading content developers like UNILAD, Lad bible, Condé Nast Traveller among others, as working with videos platforms such as UNILAD enables Seychelles to create amazing content, at a fraction of what it would cost to advertise on major international television networks.
Mr. Jacob said: “It’s a very affordable and interactive way to reach a large audience on the internet through social media sites. This form of marketing appeals primarily to young couples who plan to visit Seychelles for their honeymoon for example.”
The next project lined up is the launch of several 360 destination videos about the destination, which will also be channeled through online media platforms.
To date the UNILAD produced video “Things to do in Seychelles” is the most successful video the Seychelles Tourism Board has created, and the online response has been outstanding, exceeding all expectations.
KUALA LUMPUR: Star Media Group was one of the big winners of the Marketing Excellence Awards 2017.
Its R.AGE team swept three gold awards despite stiff competition from some of the country’s biggest marketing agencies.
R.AGE bagged gold awards for Excellence in Digital Marketing, Excellence in Viral Marketing and Excellence in Social Media Marketing at the award ceremony on Friday.
The awards were given for R.AGE’s investigative documentary campaign Predator In My Phone, which combined video, print, digital media, and on-ground activation to combat child sexual crimes.
Launched in June last year, the campaign’s online videos have racked up millions of views, while its online and on-ground advocacy initiatives contributed to the passing of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 in April.
R.AGE deputy executive editor and producer Ian Yee paid tribute to the young journalists on his team for the win.
“These are young men and women who have sacrificed so much and put their personal safety at risk at times, all in the name of good journalism.
“Even now, after all the awards and accolades, they’re still out there investigating a host of other issues. I hope the Malaysian public will continue to support their work and help them create an even more positive impact, together,” said Yee.
R.AGE has received a total of 15 major accolades since mid-2016, just months after Star Media Group revamped the small youth team into a documentary journalism outfit.
The other awards include the World Young Reader Prize, Asian Media Awards, SOPA Awards, Kajai Award, and the World Digital Media Awards, the latter of which they received two weeks ago at the World Publishing Expo in Berlin, Germany.
“We really have to thank Star Media Group for believing in our work. Not many companies would give a bunch of young journalists the kind of support we’ve received, especially to do investigative, cause-driven journalism.
“It must have been a gamble for the management to green-light our switch to investigative documentaries, but I believe they supported it because we share the same vision of using journalism for the good of the people,” added Yee.
To find out more about R.AGE’s work, go to rage.com.my or facebook.com/thestarRAGE
Former president Barack Obama speaks at a rally in support of Phil Murphy, the Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey in Newark on Oct. 19. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Since leaving the White House in January, former president Barack Obama has turned heads, images of him slipping into a Broadway play with his elder daughter, Malia, and kitesurfing with billionaire Richard Branson in the British Virgin Islands were shared on social media sites.
His next stop: jury duty in Cook County, Ill.
Obama, a constitutional scholar who frequently invokes messages of civic engagement, plans to serve next month, the county’s chief judge told the Chicago Tribune on Friday. Obama owns homes in Washington, D.C., as well as Chicago. He’ll follow in the footsteps of presidential predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, both of whom appeared for jury selection after leaving the White House.
Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans first shared the news with county commissioners during a budget hearing. He later told the Tribune that necessary precautions would be taken to accommodate security and scheduling needs. He did not specify the date or courthouse location Obama will report to in November.
“He made it crystal-clear to me through his representative that he would carry out his public duty as a citizen and resident of this community,” Evans told the Tribune.
A spokesman declined to comment on the former president’s private schedule.
The Tribune reported that other high-profile figures, like Oprah Winfrey, have also reported for jury duty in Cook County. Jurors can be summoned for civil or criminal pools and can be called to any of the county’s courthouses.
“Although it’s not a place where the public can earn a lot of money, it is highly appreciated,” Evans told the Tribune of Obama’s choice to serve. “It’s crucial that our society get the benefit of that kind of commitment.”
Obama skipped jury duty at least once before when in 2010 he was pre-booked with the State of the Union. According to CBS News, the summons were sent to Obama’s former home on the South Side of Chicago, but the president told the county court that he wouldn’t be able to make it.
Obama would not be the first former president to report for jury duty after leaving the Oval Office.
In August 2015, more than six years after the end of his presidency, George W. Bush received his jury duty summon and reported to the George Allen Dallas County Civil Court building. Bush sat through the jury selection panel and, though not picked to serve as a juror, spent about three hours at the court and posed for photos with his fellow jury candidates.
“If the former President can show up for jury duty what excuse do you have? #civicduty” tweeted a spectator.
In March 2003, Bill Clinton became Prospective Juror No. 142 in federal court in Manhattan. The New York Times reported that Clinton, whose name was avoided in the court hearing, was eventually dismissed in the jury selection in a case involving a gang shooting in the Bronx.
While serving as vice president, Joe Biden was called for jury duty in Delaware in January 2011. He too was not chosen as a juror.
Even members of the judicial branch don’t always make the cut.
In April 2015, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. reported for jury duty in Montgomery County, Md., and was being considered for a civil trial in a case involving a car crash. The Washington Post reported that Roberts answered questions about relatives — that his sister was a nurse and his brother-in-law was with Indiana State Police — but said nothing about his day job, which would be listed on a form.
“Roberts was not selected, and left court without comment,” The Post reported.
Spain’s deputy prime minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, will take over the Catalan administration from Madrid.
Photo
Catalonia’s ousted leader, Carles Puigdemont, called on Saturday for Catalans to unite in peaceful “democratic opposition” after the Spanish central government formally took control of the region. Credit
Jordi Bedmar/Generalitat of Catalonia, via European Pressphoto Agency
Dozens of other Catalan officials were expected to be fired, but Enric Millo, the current representative of the central government in Catalonia, told Catalunya Radio on Saturday that he expected Madrid to make “the minimum possible” staff changes.
Mr. Puigdemont, speaking from the Catalan capital, Barcelona, insisted that Mr. Rajoy was removing a democratically elected government.
“These are decisions contrary to the will expressed by the citizens of our country at the ballot boxes,” he said. He added that the central government in Madrid “knows perfectly well that, in a democratic society, it is the Parliaments that choose or remove presidents.”
Madrid also took control of the regional police force and fired the regional police chief, Maj. Josep Lluís Trapero.
So far, there is no indication that Catalan officials will resist their removal. Pere Soler, the ousted director general of the Catalan police force, sent a letter to his officers, expressing regret over his removal and thanking them for their work.
Major Trapero — who is facing possible sedition charges after he was accused of failing to stop protesters last month from encircling national police officers — also wrote to his colleagues. He reminded them that their task was to “guarantee the safety of everybody” in the coming days, should the political crisis spur more unrest.
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Spain’s deputy prime minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, will take over the Catalan administration from Madrid. Credit
Susana Vera/Reuters
As Mr. Puigdemont spoke on Saturday, throngs of Spaniards gathered in central Madrid — many of them waving flags, some wrapped in them — to protest Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence.
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“We are resisting xenophobia,” one man said into a microphone, before shouting: “Long live Catalonia, long live the king, long live Spain.”
The crowd chanted: “Don’t fool us, Catalonia. You are part of Spain.”
Many protesters said that the Madrid government had to enforce its decision to trigger Article 155. Some said that, if necessary, the army should be sent in, though most said it would not come to that.
“They need to apply the law,” said Chema Martinez, 22, who described himself as a patriot and devout Catholic and wore a Spanish flag with the Sacred Heart of Jesus stamped on its center.
“The army is there to defend Spain,” he said. “They should send in the army to Catalonia; that’s what needs to be done.”
At one point, the Spanish national anthem began to play, and many who had been quietly listening as they sat on the curb silently stood up.
Agueda Rivera, 77, tears streaming down her face, said, “I’m crying. I’m crying for my Spain.”
On Friday, Mr. Rajoy announced that new Catalan elections would be held on Dec. 21, the earliest possible date, in an apparent bid to show frustrated Catalans that Madrid wanted to avoid prolonging a constitutional crisis.
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By limiting Madrid’s control over Catalonia to 55 days, analysts said, Mr. Rajoy and his allies were hoping to quickly turn the tables on the separatists, who staged an independence referendum on Oct. 1 that had been declared illegal by Spain’s government and courts.
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“It’s Rajoy’s attempt to regain the democratic initiative, but also a surprisingly risky bet that he can really beat the independence movement,” said Josep Ramoneda, a political columnist and philosopher.
“Whether it works will depend on the level of resistance to Madrid in the coming weeks, which perhaps won’t be that high given that people are exhausted and need a break.”
Albert Rivera, the national leader of Ciudadanos, the party that has been Mr. Rajoy’s main ally in fighting secessionism, told a party conference on Saturday morning, “We will now come out to beat them, but by voting.”
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Opponents and supporters of Catalan independence outside regional government offices in Barcelona on Saturday. Credit
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
The December elections, he said, were an opportunity for “all the Catalans who have been silenced by nationalism,” after opponents of independence mostly boycotted the Oct. 1 referendum.
“We will now claim the right to vote in freedom,” Mr. Rivera added, “to show the world that this is a free and democratic country.”
Vicent Sanchis, the general manager of the Catalan public television station, TV3, said that it remained to be seen how much practical control Mr. Rajoy could exert over Catalan institutions.
“We live in an uncertain moment,” Mr. Sanchis said in his office. “We now have two parallel legitimacies and we still don’t know which one controls the Catalan institutions.”
“The key thing now is to discover what pressure the Madrid government will now exert,” he added. “In the coming days, we’ll find out.”
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Jordi Borda, the deputy director of Catalunya Radio, said a crucial test would come on Monday.
“If the Catalan ministers go to work on Monday and manage to work normally, it will be a strong step towards consolidating what the Catalan parliament voted on yesterday,” Mr. Borda said.
“If Monday is a normal day,” he said, “it will be a victory for the independence movement.”
Spain’s attorney general is expected to take legal action against Mr. Puigdemont and other leading separatists on Monday, possibly on grounds of rebellion, which carries a prison sentence of as long as 30 years.
Joan Queralt, a professor of criminal law at the University of Barcelona, said he expected the attorney general to act forcefully.
“One thing is what the law says and another is how far the government can act,” Professor Queralt said. “I’ve got the feeling that the attorney general will do whatever he wants, just as happens when governments deal with terrorists.”
(WASHINGTON, Oct 27) – A federal grand jury on Friday approved the first charges in the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters.
The indictment was sealed under orders from a federal judge so it was not clear what the charges were or who the target was, the source said, adding that it could be unsealed as early as Monday.
The filing of charges by the grand jury in Washington was first reported on Friday by CNN, which said the target could be taken into custody as soon as Monday.
U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Russia interfered in the election to try to help President Donald Trump defeat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton through a campaign of hacking and releasing embarrassing emails, and disseminating propaganda via social media to discredit her campaign.
Special counsel Robert Mueller, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is investigating whether Trump campaign officials colluded with those Russian efforts.
“If the Special Counsel finds it necessary and appropriate, the Special Counsel is authorized to prosecute federal crimes arising from the investigation of these matters,” Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a May 17 letter appointing Mueller.
Sources familiar with Mueller’s investigation said he has used that broad authority to investigate links between Trump aides and foreign governments as well as possible money laundering, tax evasion and other financial crimes.
Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, declined to comment on Friday.
Trump, a Republican who was elected president last November, has denied allegations that his campaign colluded with Russians and condemned investigations into the matter as “a witch hunt”.
The Kremlin has denied the allegations.
Mueller‘s investigation also includes an effort to determine whether Trump or any of his aides tried to obstruct justice.
The special counsel’s team has conducted interviews with former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, former spokesman Sean Spicer and other current and former White House officials.
In July, FBI agents raided the home in Virginia of Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, whose financial and real estate dealings and prior work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine are being investigated by Mueller‘s team.
Mueller was appointed to lead the investigation a week after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, who was heading a federal probe into possible collusion with Russia.
Trump initially said he fired Comey because his leadership of the FBI was inadequate and hurt morale, but in a later interview with NBC he cited “this Russia thing” as his reason.
SHADOW
The Russia investigation has cast a shadow over Trump’s nine-month-old presidency and widened the partisan rift between Republicans and Democrats.
Republican lawmakers earlier this week launched investigations to examine several of Trump’s longstanding political grievances, including the FBI probe of Hillary Clinton’s emails and her alleged role in a sale of U.S. uranium to a Russian firm.
Mueller‘s team has also investigated Michael Flynn, who was an adviser to Trump’s campaign and later briefly served as his national security adviser.
Flynn was fired from that post in February after misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the extent of his conversations with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak last year.
While he was on Trump’s campaign team, Flynn also had a $600,000 contract from a Turkish businessman to help discredit U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Turkey’s government of instigating a failed coup in July 2016.
Former CIA director James Woolsey, who was also an adviser to the Trump campaign, has alleged that Flynn discussed with the businessman and two Turkish government ministers the idea of covertly spiriting Gulen out of the United States to face charges in Turkey.
Jonathan Franks, a spokesman for Woolsey, said on Friday that Woolsey and his wife have been in communication with the FBI and Mueller‘s team about the claim.
Woolsey and his wife, Nancye Miller, “have responded to every request, whether from the FBI, or, more recently, the Office of the Special Counsel,” Franks said in a statement.
Flynn has previously denied through a spokesperson that such a plan was ever discussed.
Reuters reported on Thursday that Woolsey and his wife last year pitched a $10 million project to the same Turkish businessman who had agreed a smaller contract with Flynn. They did not win a contract.
Bidding for a lobbying or consulting contract with a foreign company or government is not illegal but Flynn came under scrutiny because he waited until March to retroactively register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent for the work he did on the Gulen project.
Taking place a few months after Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League will follow Batman and Wonder Woman recruiting Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg to help protect the world in Superman’s absence and serve as a new beacon of hope to the world. This team’s formation comes not a moment too soon, as they’ll have to thwart the alien invasion led by Steppenwolf. Sent by Darkseid to retrieve the three Mother Boxes that have been hidden on Earth for thousands of years, Steppenwolf and his Parademon army will stop at nothing to fulfill this mission and destroy our world. The movie will also see Superman be resurrected from the dead, though the exact circumstances of his return have thankfully been kept under wraps. Other notable DC characters set to appear in Justice League include Alfred Pennyworth, Lois Lane, Commissioner James Gordon, Hippolyta and more.
The marketing train is hitting full speed for Justice League, and now you can get hyped for it with a brand new music video.
The official « Come Together » track is performed by Gary Clark Jr, and like much of the music from the DC cinematic universe hits it out of the park. The music video features plenty of footage from the anticipated film, and the song has been heavily featured in the Justice League trailer thus far.
The cover of the Beatle’s hit song is a collaboration between Gary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL, the latter of which is no longer working on Justice League. Junkie XL is responsible for several standout tracks in the DC cinematic universe, including that mesmerizing Wonder Woman theme, but earlier this year he was replaced by Danny Elfman.
Junkie XL made it clear that it wasn’t his choice to leave the project, but in his official statement, he wished everyone else well.
“As my mentor Hans Zimmer told me: you haven’t made it in Hollywood as a composer until you get replaced on a project. So I guess I finally graduated this week,” said Junkie XL — real name Tom Holkenberg — via Twitter. “It pains me to leave the project, but a big thanks to Zack for asking me to be part of his vision, and I wish Danny, Joss and Warner Bros. all the best with Justice League.”
Elfman is no stranger to superhero films, having worked on classics like Batman, Batman Returns, Spider-Man, and Spider-Man 2, though many will miss the dynamic and truly unique offerings of Junkie XL.
No word yet on when the Justice League soundtrack is due in stores, but it will likely be in the next few weeks.
As for the film, fans can make their own judgments on if Elfman was the better choice when Justice League hits theaters on November 17.
Justice League currently enjoys a 4.16 out of 5 on ComicBook.com’s anticipation rankings, and you can submit your vote here.
A PROMOTIONAL campaign that turned prejudices about Bradford on their head has seen the University of Bradford nominated for a national marketing award.
“Don’t Go To Bradford” was a campaign released last summer to attract people to come and study in the city. It featured young people listing common criticisms of Bradford made by people from outside the city, such as “it’s boring” and “there’s nothing to do,” before highlighting what the city has to offer to young students, from its nightlife to parks and cultural centres.
The video, which was shared on social media and on the university’s website, was filmed by Revolution Viewing in locations including North Parade, Lister Park, the City Park fountains and the National Media Museum.
Now the video has led to the University being nominated for a Charted Institute of Marketing Northern Award in the Digital Campaign category. The university will be up against the NHS and Widnes Vikings in the category.
A virtual reality tour of the university campus, given to prospective new students across the country, has also been nominated, in the “best use of creative” category, where the university is up against Catapult PR, Newcastle International Airport and Widnes Vikings.
The awards were set up to recognise marketing campaigns in the North of England.
Emma Bridge, Associate Director (Marketing Communications) at the University, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have been shortlisted for the CIM Northern Awards with two of our most successful campaigns this year.
« Our Don’t go to Bradford video has been capturing attention worldwide since its launch last summer and we are so pleased to be shining a positive light on the city with it.
« Our Virtual Experience launched in March this year and the reception to it has been amazing too. We use it across the UK and internationally to give prospective students a glimpse not only at our campus but the city too through virtual reality headsets.”
The awards are held in Manchester on Thursday November 9 and will be presented by TV presenter Andy Crane.
According to a blog from Jeff Gadway, Director of Product Marketing at Vidyard, more than 72% of B2B buyers are watching videos to help them make their buying decisions,
with more than half watching at least 30 minutes of content before they buy, according to Google Research. And, 90% of a customer’s decision to purchase is made before they come into
contact with the sales team, says the report.
Businesses are reacting by using video in their content marketing strategies to build relationships with online audiences. A
2014 report by Demand Metric found that 50% of marketers are producing more than 10 videos per year, and 1 in 3 large companies produce more than 100 videos per year.
Your
team probably tracks things like page views, ebook and whitepaper downloads, and form submissions to qualify and score leads, says the report, but video viewing can be tracked down to the
second. A viewer who watches a video 100% of the way through, or re-watches certain sections is likely more interested than a viewer that only consumed the first few seconds.
A video marketing platform is a complete solution for the entire video content lifecycle, says the report, with everything a video marketing platform can do:
1 Improved hosting, management and distribution
2 Driving engagement, conversation and optimization
3 Measuring results
4 Generating leads and enabling sales
5 Insights
Hosting, Management And Distribution
While YouTube is the second largest search engine on the web, it began as a hosting site for user-generated
video content. Managing a business’ large video catalogue on YouTube can become cumbersome to manage and scale. Plus, there are key B2B markets where YouTube content can be blocked. A video
marketing platform can help with many of these challenges, from ensuring global playback of assets across screens (desktop and mobile), to proving better tools for managing videos across multiple
teams and users.
Driving Engagement, Conversation And Optimization
A video marketing platform can help optimize video content with tools like
A/B testing splash screens for engagement, pushing viewers through the funnel with calls-to-action and email gates, as well as other interactive elements pre-, during, and post-roll.
Measuring Results
According to the report, one of the questions asked of marketers is “Do you get paid on video views or on the revenue
generated by marketing?” The majority of people talked to say, views don’t mean much, but some marketers don’t know any other way. A video marketing platform can help better
understand engagement by identifying how long viewers are watching, and whether they are converting to leads.
Generating Leads And Enabling Sales
In addition to simply tracking video engagement behavior, a video marketing platform can also integrate with other marketing and sales technologies like marketing automation
platforms (MAP) or customer relationship management (CRM) software. By connecting a video marketing platform to your MAP, lead-scoring models can be enhanced by using video engagement data in
campaigns to segment customers based on videos watched.
Summarizing, Gadway says “A video marketing platform provides marketers with valuable insights like who is
watching and which viewers are converting to leads, helping them make better decisions and show ROI. It will also unlock new insights into which content is more effective at engaging and converting
audiences. And lastly, a video marketing platform will show which video assets are generating the most leads, contributing to the most pipeline and closing the most deals.”
Whitefish Energy workers restore damaged lines in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 15. A $300 million contract between the tiny company and Puerto Rico’s electric authority has come under intense scrutiny.
Ramon Espinosa/AP
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Ramon Espinosa/AP
Whitefish Energy workers restore damaged lines in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 15. A $300 million contract between the tiny company and Puerto Rico’s electric authority has come under intense scrutiny.
Ramon Espinosa/AP
Last week, a tiny company in Montana called Whitefish Energy Holdings announced that it had been given a $300 million contract with Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to help restore electricity on the island, which was severely damaged last month by Hurricane Maria. As we reported, that deal was met with surprise and suspicion from many: The project is enormous, and Whitefish is a two-year-old firm that until recently had just two full-time employees.
Much of the controversy that has surrounded the contract has focused on the high rates Whitefish is charging for labor. The contract shows those labor rates are pricey indeed: $240 an hour for a general foreman and $227 for a lineman. The per diems are also expensive: almost $80 a day for meals, and $332 a day for lodging. Employee flights are billed at $1,000 each way.
For subcontractors, the bulk of Whitefish’s workforce, the prices go even higher. A general foreman costs $336 an hour and a lineman, $319.
Usually after huge power outages, electric companies arrange mutual aid agreements with utilities elsewhere to bring in workers to help restore power. But that would most likely have required assurances of payment, and PREPA has been bankrupt since July. So PREPA CEO Ricardo Ramos made a deal with Whitefish, which asked for no such guarantee.
Whitefish then subcontracted with utilities including Jacksonville Electric Authority and Kissimmee Utility Authority to help it with transmission system restoration — the same thing a mutual aid agreement might have arranged at a lower cost. It’s unusual for electrical utilities to work under a contractor.
Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló has ordered an audit of the contract. And yesterday, the chairmen of the House Committee on Natural Resources and its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations instructed Ramos to retain all records related to the Whitefish deal and provide them to Congress.
The contract permits audits, except regarding « the cost and profit elements » of its labor rates — likely a core interest of any auditor.
While PREPA probably has no recourse to demand lower labor rates, the contract states that the power authority can terminate the contract at any time, « for any or no reason, when in PREPA’s judgment such action responds to its best interest. »
If PREPA were to terminate the contract, Whitefish would be compensated for « actual, reasonable, and necessary expenses, including reasonable demobilization costs. » PREPA would retain all documents, data, surveys, maps and property prepared by Whitefish.
But one mystery deepens upon reading the contract: Did FEMA sign off on this?
The contract says that the agency did: « By executing this contract, PREPA hereby represents and warrants that FEMA has reviewed and approved of this Contract, and confirmed that this Contract is in an acceptable form to qualify for funding from FEMA or other U.S. Governmental agencies. »
But on Friday morning, FEMA disputed that. « Any language in any contract between PREPA and Whitefish that states FEMA approved that contract is inaccurate, » the agency said in a statement.
On Monday, FEMA announced it would give $215 million to PREPA for power restoration, as part of more than $500 million in disaster assistance for the island. But FEMA says it has not paid any reimbursement for the Whitefish contract.
« Based on initial review and information from PREPA, FEMA has significant concerns with how PREPA procured this contract and has not confirmed whether the contract prices are reasonable, » the agency said, adding that applicants for FEMA Public Assistance (such as Puerto Rico) that don’t follow its procurement guidelines risk not being reimbursed for their disaster costs.
On that note, one provision of the contract could be costly for PREPA.
Article 29 of the contract states: « Any failure to secure approvals or funding from FEMA or some other source (except due to the Contractor’s sole fault) shall not relieve PREPA from its obligations for payment under this Contract. »
Whitefish defended its work and says it now has 325 workers on the ground in the commonwealth.
« The contract was done in good faith with PREPA, » Whitefish spokesman Ken Luce told MSNBC, The Associated Press reports. « There’s nothing there. »
Ramos, the head of PREPA, toldThe Washington Post that he was « very comfortable with any investigation » by Congress and that he was happy with Whitefish’s work so far.
Rosselló has said he expected to release the initial findings of his office’s audit on Friday.
« If there is no wrongdoing, if it has been done correctly, then we will push forward, » Rosselló said at a newss conference Thursday, according to NBC News. « If there is wrongdoing, in this process or in any process, there will be hell to pay. »
Other highlights from the Whitefish contract:
PREPA has already paid $3.7 million to Whitefish to mobilize personnel and equipment.
The maximum amount to be paid under the contract is $300 million. The contract is for 12 months, with the option for PREPA to add more years.
PREPA may suspend part or all of the work with five days’ notice, though Whitefish can’t be denied the costs and expenses of a suspension.
PREPA can change the services or work to be done within the general scope of the contract, « provided, however, that no changes shall be made … that would render the costs incurred … unallowable or not allowable » by FEMA or any other federal agency.
PREPA may terminate the contract after giving Whitefish 30 days’ notice « for any or no reason, when in PREPA’s judgment such action responds to its best interest. » If PREPA does terminate the contract, Whitefish will be compensated for « actual, reasonable, and necessary expenses, including reasonable demobilization costs. »
If the contract is terminated, Whitefish and PREPA would agree on the amount to be paid. « The amount may include a reasonable allowance for profit on work done. »
PREPA may award other contracts for additional work, and Whitefish must cooperate with the other contractors.
