It would appear that the since the recent debacle in Grand Bahama where business owners said that they felt disenfranchised after being excluded from Carnival’s Cruise Port opportunities, the New Day Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) government needed a distraction and what better than that money that the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) owe the government?

Fred Mitchell, Chairman of the New Day PLP government seems to be the “point” on this assignment and not any of the elected PLP members of parliament in Grand Bahama, not even the Minister of Grand Bahama; the Hon. Ginger Moxey, odd but then this is the PLP that we are talking about.

So Fred Mitchell went on the attack!

“Mitchell: New GBPA investor needed” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Fred Mitchell said yesterday Freeport is being hampered by a lack of capital and innovation from the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) shareholders.

“Let’s put this clearly – Freeport suffers because the GBPA’s shareholders today do not have the capital, it appears, or the ideas to fix the city and promote development there,” said Mitchell in a repeat of statements he made last year.

“That’s it. A new investor needs to be found that has the money and the ideas. They cannot even fix, the present shareholders, the bridge to Taino Beach, for Lord’s sake.

“What was most offensive and impertinent, though, was the suggestion that there is some sort of deal with the government behind the scenes to keep the current shareholders in power.”

While speaking at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook last week, GBPA Executive Director Rupert Hayward said excessive red tape, guardrails on immigration and the watering down of the regulatory regime have significantly undermined the Hawksbill Creek Agreement.

The 99-year agreement, which was signed between American investor Wallace Groves and The Bahamas’ colonial government, designated the Hawksbill Creek area as a free-trade zone, offering investors attractive tax incentives and duty exemptions.

The deal has been altered over the years and expires in 2054.

The Davis administration has had rocky relations with the GBPA.

Since winning the September 2021 general election, Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis has on many occasions expressed frustration with GBPA and the state of Freeport.

Last year, the government sent a demand letter to GBPA asking that it pay $357 million the Davis administration says it is owed under Section 1(5) of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, which specifies that costs borne by the government for certain activities and services provided are to be reimbursed by the Port for amounts in excess of customs duties and emergency taxes collected.

The Port Authority, however, rejected the claim that it owes that sum and said it “will robustly defend against it”.

An arbitration process is currently underway.”

Now I have been warned about talking about this case because it is in arbitration, but it would seem that it is fine for the Chairman of the PLP to go against this “warning” but then we know that the PLP are infamous for “do as we say and not as we do”.

I find it amazing that as Mitchell attempts to take control of Freeport, he would use that the “reasoning” that “Freeport suffers because the GBPA’s shareholders today do not have the capital, it appears, or the ideas to fix the city and promote development there”.

I would just like to ask the question, then why is the rest of The Bahamas suffering, especially when it comes to infrastructural improvement and why?

Another funny, as told by Chairman Mitchell; “I like the prime minister enormously. He’s very accommodating when we sit down and talk about things behind closed doors.”

Mitchell said, however, that Hayward’s suggestion that there is a “behind-the-scenes agreement” between them was “impertinent.”

“What was most offensive and impertinent, though, was the suggestion that there is some sort of deal with the government behind the scenes to keep the current shareholders in power,” Mitchell said.

“Mr. Hayward says that he is friends with the prime minister’s wife and likes the prime minister. What in God’s name does ‘like’ have to do with it?”

Is this what Chairman Mitchell seems to draw this very own private conclusions of some suggested “secret deal” that he finds “impertinent” “offensive” from?; this here suggests one thing to me – mental health is an issue to be taken very seriously; where are these suggestions that has offended Chairman Mitchell?

I feel that Mitchell is playing to his audience, those that would not dare question him when he says that there is something to be found “impertinent” and “offensive; if they even knew what “impertinent” meant  -“impertinent /ɪmˈpəːtɪnənt/ adjective  – not showing proper respect; rude”; you are very welcome.

It would appear that each and every time that this issue is reintroduced and Chairman Mitchell weighs in on it, he speaks in a threatening tone what does not enough an amicable resolve to the matter.

The Bahamas deserves better because the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END