The Tribune

PRIME Minister Christie is disappointed with the US government’s 2014 Investment Climate Statement on the Bahamas, finding that it reflected the opinion of the opposition rather than giving a fair and objective assessment of his government.

We have read the State Department’s report and can find no fault with it. It has correctly pointed out the obvious — the government has been unable to fulfil its election promises. This subject is talked about on the highways and byways of this country by both PLP, FNM and independent Bahamians. Regardless of their political affiliation Bahamians in general are disappointed, many are angry.

Said the State Department report: “The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) returned to power in May 2012 amid ambitious campaign promises of economic and fiscal reform. Proposed initiatives included the creation of 10,000 new jobs, implementation of a national mortgage bailout plan, and returning the majority shares in the national telecom company to state control. Two years later, many of these campaign promises remain unfulfilled. Preliminary figures from the Bahamian Department of Statistics released in April 2014 indicate that economic growth in 2013 fell to just under 0.7 per cent, compared to the IMF projections of 1.9 per cent. The Bahamas continues to struggle with unemployment of 15.4 per cent (down from a decade-high unemployment rate of 16.2 per cent). The Central Bank of The Bahamas reported a 4.1 per cent decline in stopover arrivals (the country’s most profitable source of tourism) in 2013. Sluggish implementation of reforms coupled with growing public debt, a narrow revenue base, and heavy dependence on customs and property taxes led Moody’s to conclude in early 2014 that the prospects for growth in The Bahamas were limited.”

There’s nothing to disagree with in that paragraph. Its quite factual.

However, the point that we think is gnawing away at government politicians is the 2014 World Bank Doing Business Report, which was included in the State Department’s report, and which shows that the Bahamas dropped from 76th in 2013 to 84th in terms of doing business and “underscored the historically problematic issues related to property registration and contract enforcement.” It said that the authors of the report noted “that government interference and lingering corruption have undermined its long-term prospects for broader-based economic expansion.”

This is a subject to which Bahamians can relate because over the years it has been a constant theme of complaint by various levels of businessmen who have brought their issues to The Tribune.

The dealing with Bahamas Telecommunications and government’s contract with Cable and Wireless is certainly nothing about which any government should be proud. The report refers to interference with contracts entered into by previous governments. What happened to Cable and Wireless is certainly no recommendation for a government that hopes to encourage direct foreign investment. If a contract of a previous government is not safe with a new government, then a cautious investor should think twice — possibly three times — before considering such a country for investment.

Acting Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis met with US Chargé d’affaires John Dinkleman to get a “full and frank explanation” for what the Christie government considers an unfair report. Although admitting that this year’s report was a departure from the traditional format, Mr Dinkleman was sticking by his government’s statement.

Investment Minister Khalis Rolle, in defence of the Christie government, claimed that US Embassy officials interfered in Bahamian contracts and procurement processes by lobbying on behalf of two American companies, which later complained about Bahamian government interference.

Mr Rolle can expect a Tribune reporter to contact him to elaborate on this claim. He can also prepare himself to be questioned on a General Electric contract for hospital supplies.

Last week, The Tribune published a letter to the editor, which stated that “talk on the street alleges that General Electric, the American conglomerate that won the bid to supply medical equipment valued at $35m for the new critical care unit at the Princess Margaret Hospital may have reported concerns to the United States government that it was being pressured to deliver the medical equipment through a Bahamian company whose ownership includes a former PLP Minister and a number of PLP cronies.”

Since the US report, we have followed up on this letter and have discovered that General Electric had a contract with a Bahamian company, whose partners apparently were of the wrong political hue. Now that a PLP government is in power another group has emerged with – as the letter writer has alleged –a “former PLP Minister and a number of PLP cronies”. It is claimed that government has been called upon to urge the breaking of the first contract to replace it with the second group. We have been given the names on both sides.

We now want Mr Rolle to either confirm or deny this report and tell the public the facts about this alleged contract and whether the Bahamas government has meddled, and if so, how much. Is this one of the contracts to which the US government refers? If so, it certainly does not look good.

Government is trying to make the public believe that this report was written by disgruntled Bahamians. They can stop right there. The American government, through its embassy, has taken full responsibility for this statement. If the Bahamas has sense it would stop shadow boxing and take this matter seriously. We suggest they follow Haiti, which under President (Michel) Martelly and Prime Minister (Laurent) Lamothe plan to fight corruption in their country with a newly signed anti-corruption law.

“The anti-corruption unit chief Atouriste, said his office has already drafted a bill to protect whistleblowers and to allow journalists and the public to have greater access to government information,” The Heritage Foundation reported. So far we can’t even get a Freedom of Information Act out of our government.

Already Haiti seems to be ahead of us.

In a note just received from an informed friend, we were reminded that when Brian Ross of NBC Nightly News dropped his bombshell on the Pindling government alleging drug smuggling in the eighties, “the PLP had a similar bombastic response about the false nature of the report. Then it emerged that things were worse than we thought — much worse. A comparison can be made between the two periods.

“There is now a clear deterioration in Bahamian-US relations,” he wrote.  “Moreover, through their intelligence assets, both human and signal intelligence the Americans likely have some smoking guns. I think that Christie and several others are sleeping somewhat less easier after the US report, which was unequivocal and direct.”

Our suggestion to the Prime Minister is to take this report seriously. The American statement of taking full ownership of every word, indicates that the US is giving a friendly warning — but they are deadly serious. Bahamians should sit up and take note.