While the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government aligns itself against the organizers of the We March Bahamas protest, who have only asked for accountability and transparency from them, we are beginning to get an idea as to why they [the PLP government] has been fighting so hard; resisting these two principles, the foundation of an honest government.

“CCA VAT exempt

• AG : Benefits far outweigh concessions
• Turnquest: Baha Mar deal questionable” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “An email leaked to the press yesterday reveals that the Christie administration has exempted China Construction America (CCA) Bahamas Limited, the lead construction firm on the Baha Mar project, from paying value-added tax (VAT).

Last night Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson, who was contacted by The Nassau Guardian, said the benefits that will flow as a result of a completed and operational Baha Mar project far outweigh the concessions the government has agreed to.

‘There are tremendous benefits to the Bahamian people’, Maynard-Gibson said.

‘What is the benefit to the people? A resort that not only will be completed by a developer that is world class, but an operator that is world class, who has the capacity to complete it, as well as operate it successfully.”

One must admire the manner in which the Attorney General gets ‘low’ and ‘throws shade’ at the original developer, Sarkis Izmirlian, suggesting that he was not world class, suggesting that he did not have the capacity to complete the resort and also did not have the capacity to operate it at a ‘world class’ level, but then I digress.  While the average person has the burden of value-added tax on the essentials such as food, education, electricity and medication, it would seem that the Progressive Liberal Party government would allow CCA to forgo tens of millions to the public purse and I must ask at whose benefit and/or for whose benefit because even for the government to suggest that the benefit would be “a resort that will not only be completed by a developer that is world class, but an operator that is world class” is insane and just not enough to make up for the mess that has been made of this project up to this point and all the unnecessary money already lost by this inept government on this project.

“The deal is of questionable value for the Bahamian people.” He [the Hon. Peter Turnquest, Deputy Leader of The Free National Movement] said.

‘When you add up all the concessions, over a billion dollars, who do we have to show for it at the end of the day?  We have a couple of jobs to show for it.”

‘It would really be interesting to see what else is included in the agreement.  The government remains intent on hiding whatever negotiations they have made.’

Turnquest said the country has already given away $400 million in stamp tax on the Baha Mar deal, money that the country ‘desperately’ needs.”  

Indeed, it will be interesting to see what else the government has given away and how it would match up to the contract that was signed at Atlantis by the Free Notational Movement, which they are now attempting to draw a comparison to, but as Peter Turnquest pointed out, “If the VAT concessions has in fact been granted to Baha mar, the government of The Bahamas will have to offer the same concessions or more to Atlantis, which has the country locked into a ‘most favorite nation’ contract, where it can be treated no less than any other investor”  This ‘most favorite nation’ contract was never challenged, to my knowledge, by the Progressive Liberal Party, and if these VAT concessions have been granted knowing of this arrangements, then his just highlights the utter and sheer incompetence of the Attorney General and the Christie administration but then the attorney general always has a response, even if it lack commonsense and logic.

“But the attorney general found the FNM’s Deputy Leader’s comments unfortunate.

‘I think it is most unfortunate that someone who aspires to be a future leader in our country and who is in Parliament is making such statements that are clearly unfounded and totally political about an investment that we have seen could result, and did result in the downgrading of our economy, I wonder where Peter Turnquest was when his administration negotiated concessions in relation to Baha Mar.” 

This is an amusing attempt at the use of misdirection/deflection from the horrible blunder that the attorney general and her government have made that has lead to our credit rating now being at junk status.  It is fact that Standard and Poor’s once held a ‘wait and see’ approach before downgrading the country’s credit rating.  It is fact that one of the main factors that caused them to take this approach was the progress of Baha Mar and the opening of the resort.  It is fact that the government said at the time that they knew what to do to avoid the downgrade but yet here we are with the attorney general attempting to suggest that Peter Turnquest assessment of the situation is wrong.  Then attempting to try to talk down to anyone after her failures, questioning their whereabouts when the FNM administration negotiated concessions in relation to Baha Mar; I would like to ask her where was she when the Free National Movement government took back some of the concessions given under the Christie administration and gave it back to the Bahamian people in relation to this same Baha Mar deal?

Then there was the fact that at the time the concessions were actually open to public scrutiny by Progressive Liberal Party; nothing like the current secret ‘deal’ in place.  I have found it absolutely amazing that a sovereign country such as The Commonwealth of The Bahamas would allow another nation dictate to ht would happen in our country’s courts.

SHAME.

So now we have the situation wherein certain concessions have been given to CCA which seem to be above and beyond that would or should be allowed by any investor and two questions stand;

1. What are the real benefits for the Bahamas? And
2. What else what will revealed from this ‘secret deal’ which has been sealed by the courts

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END