The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Prime Minister Perry Christie has announced that his government intends to make big changes at BEC. The full plan has not been released yet but private partners are going to be part of the new mix when it comes to electricity in the Bahamas.

It is good that the government is going to do something with BEC. It is killing the Bahamian people. We just can’t afford to pay our energy bills.

What the PLP government should not do is sell BEC or its parts to foreigners. The Bahamas will only develop fairly if Bahamians are given the opportunity to be owners of the economy. We already don’t own banking and tourism. We should not be shut out of the new energy sector.

I fear that our leaders fear making some Bahamians “too rich”. Therefore, selling BEC to Bahamians is a no-no. This is a tragic mindset.

Bahamianisation must not be just about jobs. It must also be about ownership. And our leaders should work to help make Bahamian businesses and Bahamian business people as successful as possible.

The new private partners at BEC should be Bahamian if capable Bahamians come forward with proposals to the government. Christie and the PLP campaigned on believing in Bahamians. The BEC reform will be a major test of whether or not they meant what they said.

MARTHA S GREENE

Nassau,

September 15, 2013.