The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday said that while he is open to meeting with Compass Point’s owner over his concerns, they need to be addressed in a wider discussion with the private sector.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, indicated his position has softened slightly by signalling a willingness to meet Leigh Rodney along with other resort sector stakeholders given that the issues raised affect everyone “industry wide”.

Speaking before yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Mr D’Aguilar said: “He is insistent on having a meeting and, as a businessman, if you are that insistent on having a meeting I will certainly afford you another meeting if you are so minded.

“There are certain conditions he is imposing on the meeting. We are working through those to allow that meeting to happen. However, as a government minister I don’t want to be dealing with a single operator. Some of his complaints and issues with the ease of doing business are industry-wide.”

Mr D’Aguilar added: “Government has to be widely consultative. I’m encouraging him to come as part of The Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce.

“These are private sector organisations that have this concern. I don’t want to limit myself to having a discussions with one operator; it should come as part of a body that will ensure that those persons are in the room when we have the meeting.”

Mr Rodney earlier this month placed an advert in The Tribune threatening to close Compass Point on the next general election date if the Government fails to implement the ease of doing business reforms he wants. Such a move would leave 60 Bahamian employees out of a job.

He alleged in his advertisement that the Minnis administration was reneging on its promise to make doing business easier in The Bahamas, and that it had failed to act on his request to set up a committee - including himself - to make recommendations for improving existing laws and regulations.

He warned: “If the FNM wins the next election without acting upon the promise they made when they were elected two years ago, the Compass Point owner does not want to continue to do business in this country and will therefore close his business.”

Mr Rodney added that current and past prime ministers, Dr Hubert Minnis and Hubert Ingraham, as well as Mr D’Aguilar were well aware of his concerns.

Tribune Business reported that Mr Rodney’s complaints centre on the hotel licensing process, which he regards as unnecessary and a duplication of effort given that Bahamian resorts also have to pay for Business Licence fees.

He is understood to have been unhappy about the Hotel Licensing Authority’s insistence that certain signage and minor tiling repairs be done at Compass Point, although its chairman, Ethan Adderley, said he ultimately complied with these requirements that are imposed at all Bahamian hotels.

The Compass Point owner is also understood to have wanted to implement specific security arrangements for the resort, particularly for the resort’s parking lot which lies across the road from the West Bay Street resort, and was unhappy at being told to deal exclusively with the Police Staff Association (PSA) - which he regards as a monopoly for this type of work.

And this newspaper was also told he wanted the Road Traffic Department to take action to stop vehicles speeding on the section of West Bay Street directly outside the resort, amid fears that it was only a matter of time before pedestrians were seriously injured in crossing from the parking lot over to the property.

The combination of these concerns, and frustration that the Government appeared not to be taking them and his desires for an improved “ease of doing business” seriously, are thought to have prompted the advertisement - especially since he was being passed between different ministers and agencies, and not receiving any formal responses.