The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE government’s engagement with Bahamas Contractors Association (BCA) officials on The Pointe project remains unsatisfactory, BCA President Leonard Sands said yesterday, claiming the association was not invited to a key stakeholder meeting last week despite four attempts to uncover when the meeting was to be held.

Mr Sands’ discontent contrasted with the feelings of Labour Minister Dion Foulkes who told reporters the government is nearing an agreement on how the BCA will interact with the management of The Pointe going forward.

“I had a very constructive meeting last week with the top management at The Pointe,” Mr Foulkes said. “I also had several conversations with Mr Leonard Sands and I think we are coming to a type of agreement as to how his association will interact with the management at The Pointe. I am discussing with my cabinet colleagues for a holistic approach to how we are going to make sure that the Heads of Agreement, the provisions are enforced.”

Mr Sands, nonetheless, insists The Pointe is in breach of labour ratio requirements in the Heads of Agreement. He said BCA members pressure him continually to advocate for greater inclusion of Bahamian workers on the project.

While the government has acknowledged The Pointe lacks the agreed 70-30 workforce in favour of Bahamian workers, officials say more Bahamians have not yet been hired because of the specialized work required at this stage of the development.

“We were advised that there would be a meeting,” Mr Sands said.

“The date originally was two weeks ago on a Wednesday but the Friday before that Wednesday we got a communication from the Department of Labour that the meeting had been cancelled so we asked when is the meeting if it had been rescheduled? At no point in time were our questions answered. We followed up and asked again. To this date no response to our communications has been received.

‘What’s been interesting is for other matters we called the office and we were advised then that there was a meeting a week ago Monday and we were not there. We were advised that at the meeting there was representation from The Pointe, the chief executive was there, their attorneys, the Minister of Labour, the Director of Labour, everyone except for representation from the BCA. We were advised that they tried to reach us but no one could reach us. But that seems interesting to me since we were corresponding via email and we received no update in that form.”

Mr Sands said the association wants to help the government find ways to accomplish the goals of the Heads of Agreement, “nothing else’.

Regarding last week’s meeting, he said: “I have no idea what was agreed, what was discussed, where the direction of components of labour is heading, what they advised in terms of what they can or cannot do in terms of finding the right people - nothing.”

Mr Sands was once the Free National Movement (FNM) candidate for Bain and Grants town but he withdrew months before the 2017 general election. Yesterday, it appeared Mr Sands was at odds with the Minnis administration with his criticism.

He decried the condition of the male restroom at Potters Cay Dock on a Facebook post over the weekend.

“I make no apologies for this statement that I am about to make,” he said. “The Bahamian people fired the previous government for not doing their jobs. It seems to me that some members in this government cannot do the job…I can personally have this matter fixed in less than seven days. I cannot because this facility is government property. I have no authority.”

Education Minister Jeffrey Lloyd responded under the post.

“Leonard Sands,” Mr Lloyd wrote. “You not talking bout people doing their jobs eh? You, Leonard? You want us –– ME AND YOU –– to go there??? I think a space for critical, unvarnished SELF-EXAMINATION may help you.”

It didn’t end there.

“Yes sir, I have faults,” Mr Sands responded. “Yes sir I may have to look at my inner man introspectively. The only thing that I sought to have done was to have the matter either resolved or somebody to care enough to explain why it hasn’t been resolved.”