The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Davis administration’s criticism of the Grand Bahama Port Authority continued yesterday, with Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey saying business as usual cannot be tolerated in the relationship anymore.

She said while natural disasters have helped spark Grand Bahama’s decline, so too has the make-up of the island because of the United Bahamian Party’s (UBP) decision to let a private entity “control government-related functions, without checks and balances”.

During her contribution to the Budget debate in the House of Assembly, she said: “There can be no entity that stands in the way of economic prosperity for Bahamians, notwithstanding how successful the agreement with that entity may have been in the past.”

“We will not, under any circumstances, allow the interests of a body corporate, particularly one that is not beneficially owned by Bahamians, to stand in the way of the fortunes of thousands of Bahamian families. I am sure our prime minister will have more to say on this matter.”

During his Budget communication last month, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said his administration would take decisive action on the GBPA, saying the Hawksbill Creek Agreement no longer works.

“Grand Bahama contributes 12 per cent of the overall GDP of The Bahamas, yet its economy declined by nine per cent compared to the previous year,” he said.

Likewise, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell accused GBPA of neglect.

Critics don’t want to see the government take control of Freeport. Mr Mitchell, however, said the government is already sustaining the island.

“There’s an agreement between the two sides,” he said. “The government is supposed to provide services to the city and the GBPA is supposed to pay the government back for those services.”

He called on the GBPA to follow the Hawksbill Creek agreement.

“Nothing more, nothing less,” he said. “We’re not asking you to do anything religious or, you know, acts of the deity. All we’re asking you to do is follow the agreement.

“If you’re supposed to be promoting investment in Freeport, then promote investment. If you’re supposed to be putting infrastructure in Grand Bahama and supporting it, then put in the infrastructure, but The Bahamas government is putting in the hospital, The Bahamas government is going to fix the airport. We’re doing the hotel.”