The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

DNA Leader Branville McCartney yesterday criticised the government for “abandoning” the island of Grand Bahama, further lambasting the Christie administration for giving Grand Bahamians “warped plans and initiatives” that have done nothing to revitalise the island’s economy.

Mr McCartney, in a statement, charged that the government’s “shameful behaviour” and “overtly cold-blooded failures” with Grand Bahama’s economy have contributed to the island’s economy being “far worse off” than it was prior to the last general election.

Mr McCartney said the government’s “vacant promises” caused Grand Bahamians to leave the island “in search of opportunities on (New Providence) and also for opportunities outside of the country.”

Mr McCartney also slammed Prime Minister Perry Christie’s mid-year budget presentation in the House of Assembly earlier this week, saying it was nothing but “quite miserably reformatted and reissued initiatives that never had a chance to materialise when they were first touted” by the PLP years ago, particularly with regard to “anchor investments that were tourism driven.”

Mr McCartney’s statements come almost a month after Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant warned that Grand Bahama had “just about lost its second city status”.

In his contribution to the House of Assembly debate on extending Freeport’s expiring tax incentives for another three months, Mr Grant said the city cannot be allowed to “shrivel and die.” He also said a constructive relationship between the government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority would be required to turn Grand Bahama’s economy around.

“To say that the current administration is a failure on the economy is an understatement,” Mr McCartney said yesterday. “They have failed and abandoned the people of Grand Bahama, quite harshly. Their shameful behaviour and overtly cold-blooded failures, with no clean up whatsoever, are clearly not appreciated in and by their incestuous circle of allies. It’s clear that they see nothing wrong with giving the Bahamian people warped plans and initiatives, as if these plans and initiatives are new and dynamic and would benefit us all as a country.”

He added: “The people who feel hardest the wrath of greed and ineptitude inflicted by this administration must be Grand Bahamians, without question. In the last election Grand Bahamians decided to give the PLP an opportunity to help them get their economy back on track, with Grand Bahama being historically a Free National Movement stronghold.

“But they too are also now far worse off as many Grand Bahamians are leaving the second city, again, in search of opportunities on the main island of New Providence and also for opportunities outside of the country.”

Last month, Mr Christie said he was “greatly encouraged” by the nature of meetings held with international shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the possible outcome of which he said will have a “profound” economic impact on “the future of this country.”

He said government officials held “successful meetings” with MSC representatives in Geneva, Switzerland, which he said will likely result in officials “being able to find the formula to stimulate employment in Grand Bahama and in fact the Bahamas.”

At the time, Mr Christie also said officials held “positive talks” with MSC representatives regarding the expansion of Freeport’s Container Port, as well as the establishment of one of MSC’s training academies in Grand Bahama to expand opportunities for Bahamian crews aboard any of MSC’s vast fleet of ships.

Mr Christie said officials also discussed “other major investments” in Grand Bahama which are expected to be finalised in the near future.