The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net FREEPORT - Acting to remove impediments to businesses, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has announced the government will move to establish a committee to review the Guide to Customs Duty Exemptions and Procedures in Freeport. He noted that certain procedures required by Bahamas Customs in Freeport have become a concern for some businesses. "In 1992, the vast majority of licensees in Freeport were foreign. Also, in those pre-FNM days the Prime Minister had to sign off on Bahamians given a licence to operate businesses in Freeport. We discontinued that within days of coming to office in August, 1992," he said Sunday while in Grand Bahama. Mr Ingraham said since that time the government is not involved at all in the issuance of business licences to Bahamians by the Grand Bahama Port Authority. He noted that today the majority of licensees in Freeport are Bahamians. Mr Ingraham said that as a consequence the local bonded sales economy in Freeport has increased substantially. The Prime Minister said that efforts of the Bahamas Customs to ensure that it collects revenue due and payable to the public purse and to further provide some reasonable certainty as to the procedure to be followed by licencees in making those payments led to the production of the Guide to Customs Duty Exemptions and Procedures in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. He said the Guide has led to various challenges over the years leaving Customs having to find other ways to ensure that legitimate revenue is collected. Mr Ingraham said Customs required businesses to produce C-14A declarations for all their bonded purchases in 2011 as a condition to them receiving their annual Over-the Counter Bond letter from Customs for bonded purchases. "This Customs requirement has led to complaints from some businesses regarding their ability to do business. "We want to facilitate businesses here in Freeport and throughout the Bahamas. "As a consequence of these complaints the recent requirement will be reviewed. I advise that I will move to establish a committee similar to the one that produced the first Guide in Freeport, and will charge that committee to review the guide and make recommendations for its amendments taking into account the current realities that prevail in Freeport. As of Monday you ought to see change in Customs," Mr Ingraham said. Prime Minister Ingraham said the FNM government is also liaising again with the Grand Bahama Port Authority. "We are encouraging and supporting efforts that will lead to a resolution of the problems which have afflicted the company since the sad passing of Edward St George. "Since I last spoke to you Sir Jack Hayward and I had a chance to talk. Now that he is willing to divorce himself from one, Hannes Babak, we can do business. "We had a very productive meeting and we are working together to move Grand Bahama forward. "The Port has some good plans that we wish to encourage and generate economic activity, and the government looks forward to working with the Port to move these and other projects forward," Mr Ingraham said. He noted that the pace of economic recovery on Grand Bahama needs to quicken and gather steam. "I want to acknowledge that our party knows that your economy continues to limp. We are working daily to soften the impact for as many people and families as possible," Mr Ingraham said.