The Tribune

By DANA SMITH

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER for Grand Bahama Michael Darville expressed confidence the government will fulfill its promise to extend Hawksbill Creek Agreement concessions to East and West Grand Bahama.

Originally signed in 1955, the agreement freed businesses and licensees in the area from personal income taxes, corporate profit tax, capital gains tax, death taxes and property taxes until 2015, and excise taxes, stamp duties and most customs duties until 2054.

As promised in the PLP's Charter for Governance, extending the concession to other areas of the island is "very much on the agenda," Dr Darville said, but steps need to be taken to ensure there's no legal liabilities.

"We all understand that it is a complicated issue and the parameters of the agreement will play an integral part," he said. "We have partnered with the Ministry of Legal Affairs to look at all of the parameters with the agreement and when we do move, we will move to make sure there is no legal liability to the government or anyone involved."

The Grand Bahama Minister also responded to a statement by Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant, who, Mr Darville said, "clearly indicated" the government would not be able to extend the concessions across the island.

"I realise also the MP of Central Grand Bahama in his presentation to the Speech from the Throne clearly indicated that it would be something that we will not be able to bring to the Bahamian people or to the residents of Central as well as East Grand Bahama. I totally disagree with him," Mr Darville said.

"We understand the complexities of that statement but we are moving already, laying the groundwork now in order to deliver that what we promised to the people of East and West Grand Bahama before our term in office."

He added: "In Grand Bahama, for a long time, there has been no policing of the implementation of the agreement for years. Grand Bahama has been considered an outpost where the government took a hands-off approach.

"The time has come for us to put the plough to the ground and to ensure that what needs to be accomplished in Grand Bahama must be accomplished and we intend to do that through the Ministry of Grand Bahama by a synergistic approach with all the relevant ministries to have a focus driven approach on how we solve problems in Grand Bahama.

"I have no doubt in my mind that the Ministry of Grand Bahama - it will be a bureaucracy - but it will be a functioning bureaucracy that will be able to accomplish great things in Grand Bahama that has not been accomplished thus far."