The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder said the government would terminate agriculture-related Crown land leases if shanty towns have been built on the properties.

He was responding to a question about whether the Davis administration would go after landlords who charge shanty town dwellers rent, facilitating the expansion of such unregulated communities.

“Well, certainly one would think that they’re not properly registered for what their undertaking from a business licence point of view, and they would have a series of violations on that revenue side as well as land use,” Mr Pinder said during a press briefing at the Office of The Prime Minister yesterday.

“But also, an important component that we’re looking to enforce is that a lot of shanty towns or some of them, I should say, especially the ones in some Family Islands, are on Crown land that is leased to Bahamians.

“For instance, agricultural land, we know of a few that are leased property to Bahamians for agricultural purposes, but being utilized with shanty towns on them, which is a clear violation of the lease.

“We’re looking to enforce that to terminate those leases.”

The Unregulated Communities Action Task Force began demolishing structures in the Kool Acres shanty town area last month. Demolition in the All Saints Way shanty town began earlier this week.

In addition to those communities, shanty towns in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, and elsewhere in New Providence are expected to become targets for the government.