Tourism and Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb said yesterday that while she tried to give contracts to black-owned companies wherever possible, it only happened on an "ad hoc" basis throughout the rest of Government.

As the Bermuda Employers Council revealed it was writing to Premier Jennifer Smith seeking clarification of Government tendering rules, Ms Webb said she believed "economic empowerment" of blacks, women and other excluded groups should be policy throughout Government.

Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott said on Monday night Ms Webb was talking for herself, not Government, when she said she wanted to give contracts to "people that look like me" - adding that black contractors such as Pro-Active Management Systems at Berkeley won their jobs on merit.

Mr. Scott said construction companies looking for clarification on the tendering process "know it well and clear, colour is not part of it".

Speaking at lunchtime yesterday after the morning session of Cabinet, Ms Webb admitted that black "empowerment" was done on an "ad hoc" basis in Government, but she believed it should be mainstream Government policy.

She said other institutions such as the banks should also be looking at empowering blacks, adding whites had nothing to fear from sharing the benefits of the economy from those traditionally left out.

"Wherever possible we have to look at opportunities to allow those who have never been the beneficiaries in the past to be the beneficiaries" she said.

"(At Telecommunications) it's open, its transparent, they all get a copy of the contracts...and we have websites where (they can see) contracts.

"I don't make the decision who gets the contract, that's not for the Minister, you always have the Civil Servants doing that.

"However, you can set the policy that says 'you are to look at those who have never been the beneficiaries in the past' and that's pretty clear - blacks, women and other groups."

She said the Premier had not spoken to her about the Employers' Council writing to seek clarification on Government policy, saying there wasn't anything for the Premier to talk to her about.

Employers Council president Eddie Saints said on Monday: "We want clarity from the Leader on whether this is Government policy or whether it is just the opinion of one Minister.

"It has ramifications and a lot of employers have been on the phone to me today.

"I believe Minister Webb's intention may have been only to say that Government wants the best for everyone, but the way it was said was inappropriate.

"It does in itself portray racism. That's the impression that comes across, even though it may not have been intended."

Ms Webb said: "The policy is pretty clear. The impression people get is that it is ad hoc and that is somewhat so, and I believe it should be mainstream.

"I can't speak for Alex Scott, but I believe it is something that is taking place in various areas of Government and I believe it should be a mainstream policy of the Government.

"What is not an issue is economically empowering those who have not been a beneficiary of Bermuda's economy. It is a given that it is the role of Government is to ensure those persons get empowered economically.

"In Bermuda we have Bermudians who are fully employed, however we don't have major ownership by blacks or women and if you are looking at shifting the economic paradigm, clearly there is a role for Government to play.

"With respect to my Ministry , what we found was we had preferred vendors only and there was a preferred vendors list on who was given the opportunity to bid on Government contracts.

"The first thing I did was to expand that so that everyone who could possibly bid for a Government contract, could bid.

"What I believe in a Country as wealthy as Bermuda is that the ownership of the economy should be expanded. One role of Government is to ensure that the under-privileged in any area, whether they be those unemployed or those who have the opportunity to own business that that takes place, and yes it is definitely a policy from my standpoint. Nothing to apologise for.

"We need to broaden the base of ownership to ensure more blacks and women become owners. No apologies on that one.

"I don't think people should be worried. They should move beyond race and believe the benefits of the economy should be shared. Nobody is saying ownership should be taken from whites.

"That is not what is being proposed at all. What is being proposed is that the beneficiaries be more reflective of the Bermudian population, and wherever possible, Government should play a role in making that so.

"It is well beyond jobs, it is no longer about jobs. Everyone who wants a job can find a job. It is now about ownership of our Country and we have to move towards whenever possible to ensure Bermudians own the means of production in their Country.

"Economic empowerment should be a given. It should not be any question that you are not looking to economically empower people in every sphere of the society, not just from a Government standpoint, but it should be the policy of the banks, for example, to look at opportunity of economically empowering those who have not been the beneficiaries of their policy.

"Of course they will all argue that that is the case, but if you look around the Country, it just doesn't hold any weight. If you look at who owns the means of production in this Country, it is probably about 95 percent white.

"My policy within the Ministry has always been that wherever possible you should try to partner with those that are reflective of the community at large. I have never, ever had any obstacles or barriers to that.

"That has been my position and those who have tried to get contracts with my Ministry have got that message loud and clear and that has been the case.

"It is true that most of the contracts that have been awarded have still rested with white-owned businesses because they are the majority. That hasn't changed in four years nor will it change in the next 24 years.

"That's just reality, but wherever possible, we need to look at that in Bermuda so that everyone can be a part in sharing in the benefits of the economy.

"I don't know why people think the minute you are going to expand to blacks that means mediocrity and under-performance. It's implied all over the Island, that's just reality."