NASSAU, BAHAMAS- An association of Freeport licensees says that there continues to be a lack of true discussion and engagement by the government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), noting that the Prime Minister’s recent address lacked critical details on any tangible solutions and remedial action.
In response to the Prime Minister’s address at a Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce business dinner, the licensee association stated: “We had anticipated a collaborative dialogue aimed at charting a path forward for the benefit of our island community. Instead, the discourse lacked critical details on any tangible solutions and remedial action. It failed to establish any forum for the genuine engagement and participation of licensees as those most familiar with and affected by the current and future state of Freeport.”
The association added: “One pressing issue pertains to the sudden presentation of fees allegedly owed by the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) after 55 years under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement. The lack of clarity on this matter is concerning, especially considering the significant contributions the GBPA has made to the Public Treasury of the Government of The Bahamas and to Freeport’s development, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters. Moreover, the portrayal of the GBPA’s efforts to ensure compliance with licensing and tax regulations as undue criticism is unjustified. Upholding legal and financial obligations is not only essential for good governance but also for maintaining a level playing field for all stakeholders.”
The association asserted that the “biased representation” of demographic data and historical events over 40 years ago further complicates the discourse, diverting attention from the substantive issues of today.
“Additionally, drawing parallels between Freeport’s early years and apartheid-era South Africa only serves to exacerbate tensions rather than foster constructive dialogue. We are encouraged by Prime Minister Davis’s acknowledgment of the licensees’s existence within the framework of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement and the importance of our inclusion. However, it is evident that a lack of consultation on amendments to the agreement and parallel legislation, along with the GBPA’s lack of genuine engagement and required licensee agreement have all contributed to the current impasse between the GBPA and the government,” the association noted.
PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell in a statement last night in response to the statement issued by the licensee association and the GBPA described the statements as “unfortunate, ill-conceived and misdirected.”
“The statements were so similar that they can be accused of being authored and directed from the same mind and pen. No one is fooled for a minute that the Freeport Licensees Association are as they present themselves: independent of the operating minds of the Grand Bahama Port Authority. We reject every material allegation, statement, charge, supposition, theory, assertion, or claim of both the Grand Bahama Port Authority and their surrogates. Their press releases were lame and will prove to be sickening, weak-kneed, and impertinent.”
Mitchell added: “The so-called licensees Association ought to be ashamed of themselves. They have let the side down.As for the Grand Bahama Port Authority, this is a time for silence, consulting your lawyers stepping up to the plate, and finding the money to make good what the Port has so far failed to do to promote and build a better Freeport.”
