Government may not follow through with road works compensation plan

As of Wednesday, July 4, 2012

By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

COMPENSATION for business owners affected by the New Providence Infrastructure Improvement Project is under consideration, but a senior official said a final decision is yet to be made.

Earlier this year, the former FNM administration conducted a survey to identify the extent to which businesses were affected by road closures and detours before carrying out a compensation scheme, but the new PLP government is not yet sure it will live up to this promise.

Philip “Brave” Davis, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development, said outside Cabinet yesterday: “(Compensation) is a matter that is still under advisement. I can’t say exactly what will happen yet.”

Speaking on the NPIIP, in general, he said the project is on budget, on schedule and he believes frustration among drivers is decreasing.

“Progress seems to be improving although we’re still having little challenges with disruptions of businesses and frustrations to road users,” Mr Davis said, before adding: “But I think that too is being minimised.”

In early March, former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced in the House of Assembly details of the potential compensation plan.

The FNM government initiated a door-to-door survey in areas where NPIIP work has been completed with the aim of identifying businesses that had been negatively impacted.

Mr Ingraham explained the survey would compile information, including the expenses, revenue, profits, accounts receivable and payable during the period 2007 to 2011 for each business that claims to have been affected.

Armed with the results of the survey, Mr Ingraham said the government would be in a position to determine the major parameters of a financial assistance programme.

“Businesses that are in operation as well as any that may have closed temporarily as a result of the roadwork will be included in the survey,” Mr Ingraham said.

“The results of the survey will help us determine how best we might lend economic or financial assistance to those business establishments adversely impacted by the works.”

But the survey was criticised by members of the Coconut Grove Business League as nothing but a shallow political tactic.

Grove spokesperson Ethric Bowe said: “I heard two people were paid, but we saw that for what it was – politics. A real business is virtually impossible for them to evaluate the way they were trying to do it.”

On Monday, Prime Minister Perry Christie said his government will complete any initiative that is good for the Bahamian people, regardless of who was in office when it was launched.

B_I_D___ 11 years, 10 months ago

Shock and Awe!! Guess when they saw the MILLIONS of DOLLARS that can be attributed to the road works, even within a single business unit, they suddenly are backing off on the promise. I'd hate to think how much money was lost just in the Mall at Marathon alone...and if you are going to compensate the little shop owners, you are going to have to play fair and provide compensation across the board...for every business that was touched by those roadworks. Going to be one seriously expensive reimbursement. Personally, I can't see it happening, unless they are going to do it as a political thing and pay off their little PLP buddies and dis the others.

mynameis 11 years, 10 months ago

Anyone remember the "Sea Hauler" accident?

Concerned 11 years, 10 months ago

Is there any campaign promise that the PLP government will fulfill?

concernedcitizen 11 years, 10 months ago

does anyone remember the promisises ,i dont think the plp even brings them up ,lets see ,lower crime ,nope,pay mortgages ,nope ,take back cwc ,nope ,commision into road works ,nope JCC and Hotmix are finishing the roads ,lower the debt ,nope more borrowing and hiring ,,baltron bethell got 90,000 a year

nationbuilder 11 years, 10 months ago

MINISTER OF STATE MICHAEL HALKITUS JUST SAID LAST WEEK THE GOVT WILL CARRY OUT THE COMPENSATION - "According to Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis, the government intends to begin compensating business owners adversely affected by the project within the next two weeks, continuing the initiative started by the former government." - Nassau Guardian, June 28, 2012

Now Brave Davis is saying something completely different. Wow.

getrightbahamas 11 years, 10 months ago

please pay attention. the headline and the story are totally different. it seems the author of this article is trying to make hay out of dung. IT SAYS: COMPENSATION for business owners affected by the New Providence Infrastructure Improvement Project is under consideration, but a senior official said a final decision is yet to be made. Lets wait til the crime issue and the road improvement status is settled B$ we get over political. but thats like asking some of you to not breathe, huh?

concernedcitizen 11 years, 10 months ago

they could use the 200,000 they are paying Baltron Bethell and James Smith to be consultants to the ministry of finance ....J Smith was in the paper every week talking finance ,why does the taxpayer now have to pay him for what he blabbed about for free

positiveinput 11 years, 10 months ago

you see that hey

lilbigga 11 years, 10 months ago

what kind of stupid decisions that is? whats the sense of leaving the roads frig up all that would ddo is cause a more severe traffic problem. Mr Ingraham might of spent allot of money accompanying the road projects and it might of taken a long time but look at the end result at least you can truly say where the roads was fixed traffic moves. but leaving it un finished just makes no sense.

positiveinput 11 years, 10 months ago

Besides the government giving the businesses payouts, why isnt this construction company assisting. The main problem is the length of time their completed work is taking. I dont know who in their right mind signs a contract with no deadline stated to penalise the contractor by. For a licensed company, look at the bull-crap they are doing. I mean you trying to get out of a corner but they have their diversion signs blocking the view of the motorist and you are in the mercy of on coming traffic not to be hit. The Shell Gas Station on Carmicheal and Blue Hill road is a diversion-way; wow, how the hell could you send traffic thru a gas station's property and my gosh these things the public could see and this company hasn't even seen one ticket from the traffic police. Although the government is considering means of compensation, this road works company should be held part responsible also. Even the roads that are considered completed has service-holes (man-holes)are inches above the road level, so the dodge pot-holes game is at level two to dodge the metal lids. Sorry for those riding on rims and expensive tyres.

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