The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Brent Symonette’s resignation from the Minnis cabinet is a net loss to The Bahamas and to the FNM.

Resignations by Symonette from government is not new; he did so twice before while he served in Hubert Ingraham’s government as attorney general, and again in 2001 when he resigned as the chairman of the Nassau Airport Authority; and he chose to sit out the 2012 General Election.

He and Minnis, though in the same party, were never happy campers.

When out of government, Brent Symonette was in the forefront of those in the party who felt Minnis was not up to the task; and he actively sought to have Minnis removed as the Leader of the FNM.

Symonette became a FNM candidate in the 2017 election nearly at the last minute. His appointment to the cabinet reportedly came grudgingly. In effect, he was given a portfolio with little in it except for the Department of Immigration and Financial Services and Investments, though they are regulated by the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Prime Minister.

While in government both he and Minnis continued to trash each other in private. In Symonette’s case, he showed little respect, and in Minnis’ case, he showed contempt. Minnis is not a forgiving man. Ask Hubert Chipman and company.

Sadly, neither Minnis nor Symonette understand you do not need to like each other or be friends with one another to work together in the government. After all, a party, like a government is one big tent under which are included many different personalities.

On the other hand, Symonette’s vast personal business interest is extensive and provides fodder for the opposition even when the company in which his family hold a minority but not a controlling interest, wins a bid for government contracts fairly and honourably. Unlike some others in the PLP, the Symonette family have declared their business interests.

The PLP and its Leader Philip Davis have no grounds on which to complain but that has never stopped Davis or his party.

The PLP prevented Bahamas Hot Mix, from bidding on contract work while the now leader of the opposition was Minister of Public Works.

In the case of the Harrold Road project from the Bethel Avenue and Milo Butler Highway junction to Balliou Hill Road Bahamas Hot Mix won the bid for the works but the government refused to award the contract to the company. Strangely, that company became the subcontractor to the company to which the contract was awarded – Bethel’s Trucking.

Subsequently, however, the same PLP administration granted a $6 million no-bid contract to Bahamas Hot Mix to construct the runway at the international airport in Marsh Harbour.

The PLP government also tried to prevent Bahamas Hot Mix from bidding on the project to develop the Blue Hills Park. That was only prevented because of IDB Rules which requires all IDB funding projects to be transparently open to all qualified bidders.

And, the PLP government discussed renting space in the Town Centre Mall owned by Symonette together with his brother to house the general post office. When after the FNM’s 2017 general election win, the government continued those discussions and concluded an agreement to lease space, the PLP found it unacceptable.

I agree that the optics of Bahamas Hot Mix winning all of the bids for Family Island water works is unfortunate.

The government had previously pre-qualified companies eligible to bid on the CDB Family Island Projects. When the evaluating company recommended awarding all of the contracts to a single company, the government might have instead rejected some bids as it is entitled to do.

I say this in spite of the explanation proferred by the Minister of Works, the Hon. Desmond Bannister. The government is not bound to award all of the contracts for the works to Bahamas Hot Mix. The same thing would apply if it had been another company winning all the bids.

The government might then have offered contracts to other bidders at Bahamas Hot Mix’s price. After all there are many mouths to feed in The Bahamas.

If this was unacceptable to the CDB then another source of funding could and should have been found.

Incidentally, Bahamas Hot Mix lost a $20 million contract at the Lynden Pindling International Airport between 2007 and 2012 because it did not comply fully with the bidding requirements. An American company was awarded the contract.

Mr. Symonette’s departure will make the PLP happy. Some FNMs will also be happy. I expect that the Bahamian business community will be concerned that one of their own is no longer around the table.

Whatever the reasons were for Mr. Symonette's resignation it is likely that his departure will cost the FNM who are frittering away their political support.

THE RECORDER

July 1, 2019