The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) Deputy Chairman Dr Duane Sands is calling on the government to give a “full and clear” account of the process that led to Renew Bahamas, a foreign-owned company, being selected to remediate the New Providence Landfill.

“You would think something of this magnitude, when you’re talking about waste management, would have had some type of public disclosure,” Dr Sands said yesterday.

Questions about the public-private partnership between the government and Renew Bahamas arose again last week after The Tribune reported that maintenance of the city dump has been halted since the private company took over, raising health and environmental concerns among some residents and questions about whether the partnership has been “rushed and botched”.

While Environment and Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett blamed the government for the stoppage of services and claimed that its partnership with the private company has already proved beneficial, Renew Bahamas does not have a website or other trappings associated with a corporate presence and a detailed account of its plans for the landfill have not been disclosed.

A public tender process was not undertaken in selecting the company, despite the magnitude of the job and the fact that between five and six companies over the years have made proposals.

In fact, one Bahamian company invested over $500,000 in consultant fees for the drafting of its proposal.

Ginny McKinney, a principal in Waste Not, described Renew Bahamas’ “secret” takeover of the Landfill as “amazing” over the weekend, noting that her own company had disclosed a detailed proposal for the dump during its bid for the contract and was willing to adjust to the government’s demands.

A representative of another company, Dynamis Energy, emailed The Tribune last week to express dissatisfaction about the process that led to Renew Bahamas’ selection.

“I am part of a company - Dynamis Energy that bid on the “Waste to Energy” to handle the City Dump,” the woman said.  “We sat numerous times in (Philip “Brave”) Davis’ office discussing this situation with him and he knew full well that he was going to take this over.

“The Government did not even have the decency to write a letter to all of the companies that worked hard to submit bids on this project.  Another scandal and lack of transparency where our government is concerned.”

After the last General Election, Renew Bahamas was formed and registered by Davis & Co, the law firm of the Deputy Prime Minister.

This has led some to question whether a conflict of interest existed in the selection of the company and whether other prospective companies were given a fair shot.  

Dr Sands said: “I don’t know if we need to jump to certain conclusions. The question needs to be put directly to the Deputy Prime Minister. He will either be able and willing to deny it or prove that there has been no conflict. The question should be put also to the substantive minister and he can deny it if he so chooses.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with the taxpayers raising these questions. We had similar questions about oil and the cosy relationship between the Prime Minister and deputy and those individuals who would wish to drill for oil in our pristine waters. Even at this time, I am not so sure that the Bahamian patrimony has not been sold for 30 pieces of silver.

“When we talk about transparency and accountability, it simply doesn’t exist with this administration. This is not a whole lot different from the act that overnight and quietly the entire garbage collection has been privatised and that was something that was not discussed.”

Dr Sands said his biggest concern is whether Renew Bahamas is capable of addressing the serious problems facing the city dump.

“My biggest concern is whether indeed the problems facing waste management will be addressed or simply be a cash cow,” he said.

“I am not in the slightest bit surprised by these things. I would encourage the media to continue the work that it is doing. It’s the only way the public’s interest will be protected.”

Dr Sands also questioned why the government chose a company mainly owned by foreigners to remediate the landfill when Bahamian-owned companies made proposals for the job.

“I think the Prime Minister owes it to the Bahamian public to give a full and clear accounting of the process, the choice of vendor and the extent of Bahamian participation, whether through proxy or otherwise because when you think about it, there is an implicit contradiction here,” he said.

“This is the same government that said they believe in Bahamians but at the end of the day there are Bahamians who have put forward extensive recommendations for the management of the dump and yet here we have this ‘Believe in Bahamian’ administration who have obviously not felt that Bahamians are qualified, hence Renew Bahamas for whom the primaries are not Bahamian.

“This theme seems to be playing out over and over and over: y’all go to hell, you’re not entitled to know what we are doing with your money.”

Calls to Mr Davis were not returned yesterday and requests for comment from Mr Dorsett were not acknowledged.