The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

MICAL MP V Alfred Gray charged that he would not “ease up” on Mayaguana developers over the lack of progress on the island, almost three years after they signed an agreement with government.

Mr Gray said he was saddened but remained optimistic that the I-Group Management Company would fulfill its obligation to stimulate the island’s economy through the development of 3,000 acres of land conveyed by the government.

Speaking at a tour of the redeveloped airport runway, which is close to completion, Mr Gray said: “The economics of Mayaguana is tied with the agreement that the government signed with the I-Group. It is expected that the I-Group, having had 3,000 acres of land given to them for development, that they would get on with it.

“The agreement was signed almost two and a half years ago for the development of Mayaguana and having to convey 3,000 acres of land by the former administration and nothing happening to date saddens me. It disappoints me.”

He said: “I expect them to do it, the agreement is signed and whatever the government’s obligation is under that agreement, I would want the government to do it, as I would want the I-Group to do the same thing.

“I want to encourage them to stick to the agreement as far as that it is practical and if they do that the people of Mayaguana should see some economic relief in the not too distant tomorrow. I’m going to keep my eyes on it as long as the cords of my political life should lengthen and so I don’t intend to ease up. This is the beginning of what I conceive to be the rest of the future for Mayaguana.”

Mr Gray said once the development is complete, work on the “main component” of the agreement will begin: “It is my hope though that once this development is finished we will see the I-Group getting involved in what the main component of their agreement will be, to have some hotels, be it boutique or otherwise, the redevelopment of Mayaguana, that’s the remit as I understand it.”

The new runway, which was toured by officials over the weekend, is 7,300 feet long, and 100 feet wide, and is expected to be completed within the next two weeks.

Its completion comes 10 months after last April’s accident when three people in a truck were killed while attempting to light the un-lit runway with the vehicle’s headlights. An emergency flight clipped the truck with its wing as it touched down to pick up a patient bound for hospital in Nassau.

In Mayaguana this weekend, Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin said she was satisfied with the progress made to the runway, which will provide increased economic opportunity for the island’s population of 300 - whom she said had been isolated by limited airlift.

Ms Hanna-Martin said: “People want to come home, limited airlift has stifled the vitality of the island. There are people from Mayaguana that live in Nassau, the people can’t come home, getting a doctor here has been challenging, airlift is critical.”