The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

AN ex-Democratic National Alliance (DNA) leader yesterday blasted it is “so disrespectful” for the Government to ignore repeated requests to settle his $250,000 Village Road roadworks damages claim.

Branville McCartney told Tribune Business that none of the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers or senior Ministry of Works officials have responded to the “at least five letters” sent to all of them following an August 2023 meeting which gave hope his Halsbury Chambers law firm might receive compensation for a power “outage” that destroyed all its electrical equipment.

Affirming that he was beyond “frustrated”, and is now consulting his firm’s KC, former attorney general Carl Bethel, on initiating legal action, he also hit out at politicians who do not even acknowledge “one message” when in government but frequently called him while in Opposition.

And, with no progress made on his claim, Mr McCartney told this news- paper that “foolishness like this is causing me to want to get back into the arena” as he hinted that a potential return to front-line politics could occur as a result.

“Let me tell you something. It is so frustrating,” the Halsbury Chambers principal said of his firm’s claim, which is separate and distinct from the collective compensation that Village Road businesses are seeking over the loss of business, and property damage, they sustained from roadworks that lasted well over a year and were extended several times beyond their completion date before ending early last year.

“I’ve written numerous letters to this government,” Mr McCartney added. “We had a meeting back in August 2023 with the permanent secretary, Luther Smith, at the Ministry of Works. Damian Francis (deputy director of public works) and a couple of other people were there.

“This was back in August 2023. We persisted and, after numerous letters, they offered us a meeting - me and Shelly Nairn from my office. I thought we came to some understanding that we would have some type of resolution. I thought that after the meeting we would have come to some type of resolution and look at certain things, and they would revert to us with some kind of settlement.

“Since that meeting I have written to the minister [of works] and the Prime Minister at least five times. I’ve tried calling the permanent secretary five times to no avail. I’ve expressed my disappointment in them in not responding,” the ex-DNA leader continued.

“We were looking at $250,000 altogether for loss of business, loss equipment. I’ve even written letters to the Prime Minister, copied letters to the Prime Minister, and he has not even responded.” Mr McCartney previously told this newspaper his law firm was shut down for around two weeks during summer 2022 due to a power outage that appeared to be linked to ongoing roadworks in the Village Road area.

This knocked out all electronic equipment, ranging from computers to alarm systems, cameras, the Internet and phones. The Halsbury Chambers principal said he was eventually able to speak to new minister of works and Family Island affairs, Clay Sweet- ing, who informed him the matter had been passed to Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister of energy and transport.

“The bottom line is I have called these people over and repeatedly since August 2023,” Mr McCartney said, “and they have not responded. I have had some conversations with the new minister, who came on after the fact, and he said it is in the hands of the minister of energy, who is looking at it.

“I ain’t heard anything yet. I am frustrated to no end. I am going to have to seek legal counsel on moving forward on this one. I will seek that through the KC in my firm as to what to do, Carl Bethel. Let’s negotiate, let’s talk. They did not answer my calls again. It’s causing me to want to get back in the arena for doing foolishness like this. This could happen.”

Hitting out at politicians who fail to reply when in government, but readily do so when in Opposition or outside politics, Mr McCartney said of Mr Davis: “Before this prime minister came into office I used to speak to him on a regular basis. Since he took office he has not acknowledged one e-mail, one message, one What’s App from me. Mr Big Timer.

“I remember when he was in Opposition he would call me regularly. Since he came to power, I saw him at a restaurant and he put his finger up and said he would call me. I’ve not heard from him since. All these people get into power and it goes to their heads but, when they come out, they begin calling you again.

“When in Opposition you could call me on a regular basis to discuss certain things, and when you become Prime Minister not even a return call. Shame on you. I look at it as a typical politician.”

Village Road businesses, having formed a Collective to press the Government for financial relief due to the roadworks’ significant impact on trade, have met with the likes of Alfred Sears KC, then minister of works and utilities, and Michael Halkitis, minister of economic affairs, several times to make their case.

The prospect of tax relief, or some other form of compensation, was mentioned in passing during the 2023-2024 Budget debate but nothing concrete has yet come forth from the Government.

Some 15 companies, including Halsbury Chambers, previously signed their names to a letter authored

by the Village Road Collective, where it was suggested the Government provide “refurbishment grants” for residents and business owners to repair damaged premises, vehicles and other facilities impacted by the project.

It also called for Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) bill discounts, and “full sponsorship” of a collaborative marketing campaign to entice consumers back to the Village Road area.

VAT credits, plus Business Licence and real property tax waivers, were also suggested as mechanisms to compensate for the damage inflicted by roadworks that have caused consumers to avoid the area “like the plague” and resulted in up to a 46 percent income losses for businesses.

It is not unheard of, though, for the Government to provide tax breaks and other concessions for businesses impacted by long-running roadworks projects. The last Christie administration did so for the New Providence Road Improvement Project that impacted multiple businesses in numerous areas of the island more than one decade ago.