By ANNELIA NIXON
Tribune Business Reporter
anixon@tribunemedia.net
FNM leader Michael Pintard hit out at the BPL tendering process yesterday, saying “we don’t see the competitive bidding”.
He said: “All of us in here, we are elected to serve the Bahamian people in general. You’re not elected to serve a select group of Bahamians. We were accused by no less than the leadership of the Progressive Liberal Party that we’re the party of elitists, yet their policies seem to support a narrow group of already generationally wealthy Bahamians. And their pattern of taking Bahamian assets, not allowing multiple Bahamians to compete for contracts on how to manage and monetise those assets again, show that their rhetoric about working for the empowerment of all Bahamians is just that. It’s rhetoric. It’s not supported by concrete action.
He added: “Where is the competitive bidding that allow multiple persons to have an opportunity to bid on generating wealth?”
Mr Pintard said that there had been competitive bidding on solarisation projects, but added: “In New Providence at the heart of the BPL arrangements, whether on the generation side or on the LNG side, we don’t see the competitive bidding.”
Prime Minister Phillip Davis hit back, saying rental generation under the FNM was costing $40m a year.
“He’s talking about the BPL deal, that there’s no competitive bidding or that we are favouring some select few of generational... let me just say it was the FNM who started the process,” Mr Davis said. “And the way they had it, it was a bad deal for the Bahamian people, but we converted it. For example, FOCOL. They were renting generation from them. It was costing the Bahamian people up to $30m or more, $40m a year. That went directly to the bottom line of BPL, not passed on. We have converted it now to ensure to a capacity charge of what it is. That’s where it started... and as I said, those those documents, will be laid among the House table at the appropriate time.”
Mr Pintard questioned aspects of the BPL deal, including whether there would be a pipeline at Clifton “all the way to Blue Hills” or whether it would be another pipeline from Arawak Cay to Blue Hills.
He said: “What we have is at least 10 different components, most of which are run by completely different enterprises that I do not believe that even the Minister responsible for energy and the Prime Minister fully understand. They are being advised as they go, is my view. We should dedicate a day of debate to this issue. It is that important. It is that important of an issue. Let’s discuss it just so the Bahamian people can understand.”
However, Energy Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said Mr Pintard “cannot articulate to the Bahamian public what their energy reform plan was”. She referenced a deal she said was made by the opposition where $7m was given during a deal to purchase land which was never obtained.
“What we are clear on... is that the member for Marco City have absolutely no understanding of the energy sector,” Ms Coleby-Davis said. “That is one thing that we are clear on. So I don’t need him to speak about whether I can comprehend it. I did my masters in the sector. So I understand exactly what’s happening. What we’re also clear on is that he served in the government that he, to this day, cannot articulate to the Bahamian public what their energy reform plan was for The Bahamas. That’s two things that we are clear on.”
She added: “For the Bahamian public, we are creating an any energy dossier that will break down and explain every part of this project we are creating that, this government that will be a communication piece, in layman’s term, for the main public to understand exactly what is transpiring, and that is coming. It’s not too late for that. But we’re doing that because once we table all of the PPAs, it will be highly technical. But we want to make sure that our documentation allows the public to understand exactly how we’re going to move them from point A to point B.
Mr Davis backed Ms Coleby-Davis, saying of the FNM: “All I’m going to say is that they had an opportunity. They had the opportunity to do energy reform. At that time they could have done it the way they wanted. We have decided that this is what is best for the Bahamian people, and the Bahamian people will see the benefit of that in due course. This is what we decided as a government that will be best for the Bahamian people. We are satisfied that what we have done is in the best interest of the Bahamian people. And the Bahamian people will see it. They’re feeling it now. They’re showing it now. They are feeling it now... What I’m saying was we chose it this way, and what we have arrived at is in the best interest of the Bahamian people to avoid what was a catastrophe that was looming... in front of us.”
Comments
ExposedU2C 3 days, 12 hours ago
And what the vast majority of Bahamians are absolutely clear on...is that Snake is by far the most bullying, conniving, deceitful and insatiably greedy SOB in our country today who is much more concerned about lining his own pockets than he is about making electricity much more affordable and reliable for all of us.
Wimpy Davis has somehow allowed himself to be conned by the sinister Snake into turning control of our nation's energy sector over to a group of wealthy marauders led by Snake in what would be a de facto monopoly arrangement with no proper consideration of alternatives, with no proper procurement/bidder process, and with no regard to the voice of the people and their concerns about the national security issues involved.
ExposedU2C 3 days, 11 hours ago
A MUST READ:
And Shell Oil, a foreign conglomerate with much self interest as a de facto business partner in , the outrageous monopoly arrangement being proposed, is helping the evil Snake exert undue influence over our government. Shell Oil and Snake are telling all of us to shut up because they are very self-servingly of the view that they are the only obe who know what is good for our nation's energy sector. That's absurd and patently wrong.
Pintard and the other leaders of the FNM party need to tell the Bahamian people now, and in no uncertain terms, that this entire arrangement born out of corruption and insatiable greed will not be allowed to stand by any FNM government even if it means re-nationalization and bringing another oil giant to the table with the help of the Trump administration.
Is Davis even aware that this past Monday President Trump announced that his administration will imposing a 25% across the board tariff (tax) on all US exports to any nation that directly or indirectly sources oil and/or gas from Venezuela for its energy needs? And guess where Shell Oil was planning to get the fuel for our nation from? That right, from Venezuela via Trinidad!!
birdiestrachan 3 days, 5 hours ago
The help of the Trump administration. How low can you go Pintard should try just that this same Pintard who had no problems with the cruise or shipping port nor the post office also the dredging in the Exuma sea park locking up young black men for going to the pump if Bahamians votes for the scatter brained they wiĺ deserve what they get God speed Mr Wilson. They have problems with you because of your hue.
ExposedU2C 3 days, 5 hours ago
ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz.......
ExposedU2C 3 days, 4 hours ago
During a joint press conference in Georgetown, Guyana following the signing today of an enhanced Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Guyana, His Excellency President Dr Irfaan Ali affirmed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the United States of America stands as Guyana’s most trusted partner, with a relationship rooted in shared values, mutual trust, and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the principles of international order.
The MoU allows both nations to consolidate their bilateral agenda by defining policies and outlining clear intentions in areas such as security, trade, energy, investments, infrastructure, democracy, regional peace and stability, and human capital deployment and development.
In responding to a reporter's question, Secretary Rubio hinted that the US government will be working (partnering) with Guyana and the US corporate giant Exxon Mobile to help ensure Guyana's oil & gas reserves are used to bring energy security to the Caribbean basin nations. Many Caribbean nations are currently relying on oil & gas sourced from Venezuela, often via Trinidad, to meet the fuel needs of their energy sector. In doing so, these Caribbean nations with the help of non-US oil companies are contravening sanctions imposed by the US on the evil Maduro dictatorship regime.
I suspect the US government already has a rather thick dossier on the insatiably greedy Snake as a result of his track record of 'mistreating' US citizens lured into his real estate development projects in South Eleuthera. No doubt Snake's latest conniving and strong arm tactics to commandeer control of our nation's entire energy sector, in cahoots with certain corrupt elected officials and the British oil company Shell, will not sit well with the Trump administration and what it has planned to help restore financial stability and security to the Caribbean region.
ThisIsOurs 3 days, 1 hour ago
"For the Bahamian public, we are creating an any energy dossier that will break down and explain every part of this project we are creating that, this government that will be a communication piece, in layman’s term, for the main public to understand exactly what is transpiring"
Pintard is correct, they are "planning as they go", what is the point of creating a "layman's" document for public review after the country is sold off for pittance? What would be the point of that? To keep the public in the load shedding dark?A100mil valuation and a 40% stake for the govt? I'd question competence as well.
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