The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

OUTSPOKEN contractor Stephen Wrinkle lamented yesterday that the local construction industry was “stuck in the spin cycle” in the absence of legislative policy that would mandate Bahamian participation in foreign direct investment (FDI) projects.

Pointing to the growing level of Chinese investment, Mr Wrinkle, a former Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) president, questioned whether the government is intentionally dragging its feet on legislation to license and regulate the industry in a bid to attract more development with China Construction America (CCA) or other national corporations.

He argued for the creation of a national policy that would mandate foreign direct investors engage in joint-venture agreements with Bahamian contractors and sub-contractors.

“How are we going to grow if we don’t get opportunities? Where can we get experience if they lock you out of these jobs? If they mandated as a national policy that all contracts must be joint-venture with Bahamian contractors and subcontractors, all the way through, all of those contractors should have a counterpart,” Mr Wrinkle said.

“That is the only way we’re going to climb out of this hole. There’s no valid reason why as a national development plan and FDI policy, Bahamian contractors should not be mandated to be included in the national development of this country. Understanding they need supervisory staff and experts in specified fields even down to foreman, but if you don’t train the Bahamian workforce on these types of projects then it’s not going anywhere. We’re in a washing machine cycle, left in the spin cycle, while the projects move ahead. So the big developers come and say there are no qualified people here, but we can’t develop the talent if there is no opportunity to get it.”

CCA is the general contractor on the shuttered $3.5bn Baha Mar project, and the owner of the $250m downtown resort The Pointe, which is currently under construction. The government’s relationship with the Chinese firm has come under heavy scrutiny, with heightened calls for full disclosure on the concessions extended to secure a deal to remobilise Baha Mar.

Yesterday Mr Wrinkle brushed off concerns that the Chinese firm represented a capacity threat to the local industry, stating that the Chinese were the “flavour of the year” but did not have the monopoly on FDI in the country.

However, he noted that it created an extremely difficult work environment given the stark sociocultural differences and language barrier.

He said: “Unless we have a piece of the action on all these projects, we’re never going to carry this national development plan forward. They’re really not that interested in using Bahamian labour, there is no incentive to do it.

“(Investors) want to come in and build the project to start generating revenue, that’s an understandable position, I can’t fault them but that’s where the government has the responsibility that there is a proportionate amount of Bahamian contractors and personnel, it has to be driven by government. No Bahamian company can go over to the US and undertake a project, period, full stop, the end. You cannot do it as a contractor or a subcontractor, skilled worker without proper credentials.

“We’re past that stage of not having adequate experience, there’s enough experience and qualified people within the industry to form joint-venture relationships with foreign firms. We may not supply all needs but we can fulfil a large portion of requirements that they need. There is a definite disconnect between the National Economic Council and the public. Why don’t they promote participation from Bahamian firms?

“Our national development is based on foreign direct investment capital,” he said, “but when those people come here and the trickle down doesn’t happen, we don’t gain what we should. Once it’s open and operating and they create a few jobs that’s great but there’s a tremendous amount of money that doesn’t trickle down.”