By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
THE decision of the government to extend the concessions of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, which is due to expire on August 4, for a further six months is being “hailed” by a senior executive of the Grand Bahama Port Authority “as a very positive development”.
“We thank the Prime Minister and his government for this interim extension,” said Sarah St George, Vice Chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA).
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, the tax exemptions for the real property tax and business licence fees would be further extended until February, 2016.
“The Grand Bahama Port Authority Ltd and its licencees are most appreciative of the decision of the Government to extend those concessions of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement which are due to expire on August 4, 2015, for a further six months,” the company said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“GBPA asserted on behalf of its licencees that removal of the uncertainty concerning the Government’s position on the expiring concession is vital to collective efforts to attract new investors and the expansion plans of existing investors in the Port Area.”
She hailed the government’s decision as a very positive development and indicative of the goodwill built between all parties during the consultation process with Government and the Special Committee under Dr Marcus Bethel over the last months.
“We thank the Prime Minister and his Government for this interim extension and, as so aptly put, for their recognition of the importance of the adoption of new measures aimed at accelerating, broadening and sustaining economic development in Freeport and Grand Bahama generally,” she said.
In March, the Government appointed a six-member committee, led by Dr Marcus Bethel, to review the Agreement and to make recommendations concerning the expiring exemptions and for the further economic development of Freeport. The committee’s report was submitted to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet a month ago. The committee met with over 100 stakeholders, including civil society, manufacturers, developers, tourism operators, and professionals, and present and former parliamentarians from both sides of the parliamentary divide as well as holding public meetings.
Prime Minister Perry Christie said the six-month extension to the tax exemptions will allow for “full analysis and further consultation” due to the comprehensive nature of the committee’s report and the need for legislative bills to be tabled.
Comments
sheeprunner12 8 years, 9 months ago
What happened ...............Perry just traded Freeport to the Chinese??????????
Islandgirl 8 years, 9 months ago
You know...if all the taxes collected from Freeport specifically remained on the island of Grand Bahama, and if the principals would stop enabling the power company to price gouge businesses out of existence, control their own greed by holding themselves back from trying (along with government officials) to finagle a cut out of every investment proposal that tries to come in that place, and most importantly re-invested a large amount of the over exorbitant profits they garner into the city and its future as opposed to squirreling it away in offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands then maybe, just maybe that place would do better. We are all exhausted hearing and reading flowery words. The time for positive effective action has long passed. The GBPA ought to be made to fulfill its mandate. One of those old guys even was a benefactor of a football team across the pond, a most generous contributor if reports are to be believed. Freeport did not receive that same treatment, nowhere near it. There is no reason that Grand Bahama Island should be suffering the way it is. The government is no better; they collect more than $100,000,000.00 in taxes from there every year and give next to nothing back. None care. Minister of Grand Bahama, where are you by the way? I passed by the courthouse there not too long ago. What an absolute disgrace. Didn't perry just give you another thirty mil or so for that "ministry'? Where is it going? As always, no accountability in anything. Could you and the joker from West End stop telling tall tales about how that place is booming? Nothing could be further from the truth. The only ones booming are the two of you.
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