The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE expatriate owner of an Exuma guest house yesterday denied he was running a car rental business in contravention of the National Investment Policy, after such claims were reported to the Department of Immigration.

Peter Oxley, proprietor of Coral Gardens Bed Breakfast and Apartments, located at Hoopers Bay in Great Exuma, said he had no interest in competing with Bahamian car rental companies on the island.

He strongly denied that he was running a car rental business after concerns were expressed to Tribune Business that he had been doing so for for more than a decade, even though this was an industry normally reserved for Bahamian ownership only.

A February 17, 2015, letter sent to the Department for Immigration, and bearing the signatures of two Exuma residents, claimed Mr Oxley was renting 12 or more cars to visitors to Exuma.

A list of the alleged vehicles was supplied to the Department, along with a bill to two Coral Gardens guests purporting to bear Mr Oxley’s signature, and allegedly charging them for a week’s rental of a vehicle.

“This is the kind of action that undermines and weakens the middle class of this country, and also causes the Government to lose revenue which will ordinarily derive from a self-drive operator,” the letter said.

“Our understanding is that the rental of vehicles is exclusively reserved for Bahamians, and yet a guest in our country is so bold as to knowingly disobey our laws and, so far, with impunity.

“We are reliably informed that Mr Oxley was warned numerous times about this action in the past, and yet he is bold enough to continue this action.”

One source told Tribune Business: “He has been doing this for about the last 15 years. Car rental companies have to go in for inspections, pay a special insurance  and have a Business License. That’s not something that he is doing and the Government isn’t getting that revenue. I was told that this is an area for Bahamians only.”

But when contacted yesterday, Mr Oxley explained: “We don’t run a car rental business. I want to be clear about that. The same way property owners often have a vehicle available for the property that they are renting, then that is basically what we do.

“We don’t rent to third parties or rent in any way, shape or form. We let our guests staying at one of our rental properties use a car for their usage only if they want to. Some do and some don’t. It’s nothing to do with car rental, and if they want to rent a car we help them with a car rental company on the island, and the car rental companies work closely wit us for that purpose.

“We work in harmony with everyone because we live here. One has to respect the rules and regulations. We never try to compete in any way, shape or form with the car rental businesses. Most of the rental properties on the island have some sort of car available and that’s simply what we help our guests with.”

Mr Oxley added: “What we are trying to do is make sure that the tourist dollar gets spread around as much as possible. That’s how it should be. I’m very adverse to these all-inclusive type operations which our often the death knell of islands who offer that.

“Our guests spend three times as much in the community than staying with us. We are a fairly simple and low key operation. I have no way, shape or form an interest in trying to deny car rental companies from their own business. I’m not trying to compete with them at all.”