By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie left the country yesterday for several European countries over a 10-day period where he is expected to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and engage in talks with a multinational conglomerate over this country’s business license and real property tax laws.
In the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Christie said he was leaving the country for an “extended” trip to Malta, Paris, and London.
The CHOGM conference will be held in Valetta, Malta, from Friday to Sunday and will be attended by the Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh.
It is at this meeting that the sixth Commonwealth Secretary-General will be elected.
A government official has said a government delegation, led by Mr Christie, is expected to discuss many key initiatives that will benefit the Bahamas economically over a 10-day period.
“I’ll be leaving the Bahamas shortly today (Monday) for an extended trip to Malta headed to a conference for the Commonwealth, CHOGM,” Mr Christie said.
“Immediately thereafter (I go) to Paris for a meeting on climate change where world leaders will convene in Paris, the end of November and beginning of December. Thereafter into London where I am meeting with Hutchinson-Whampoa on matters relevant to the extension with respect to the law relating to business license and the law relating to real property tax.
“I am also meeting with the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) the minority share holder in the (Freeport) Container Port and also about to make a $200,000 investment in the Bahamas.
“Having said that I will be away, for me for a long period of time, and I wanted to communicate that to the House.”
Comments
Sickened 8 years, 4 months ago
Let's just hope he stays over there. If it wasn't for Brave sitting in for Perry, we would have reason to rejoice. Unfortunately, we are still doomed!
realfreethinker 8 years, 4 months ago
Man Sickened well put
banker 8 years, 4 months ago
He should check out Syria, Tunis and Nigeria while he is at it. And he should pay a visit to his cousin Robert Mugabe.
sheeprunner12 8 years, 4 months ago
Agreed ..................... sell the Africans his ever running bullshit
asiseeit 8 years, 4 months ago
MSC is a multi billion dollar company and this jack wad is happy they are making a 2 hundred thousand dollar investment. Woo-Hoo, everything gonna be dead good soon. Our leaders have the brains of jellyfish.
Honestman 8 years, 4 months ago
“Having said that I will be away, for me for a long period of time"
Not nearly long enough!
Romrok 8 years, 4 months ago
Maybe if we are lucky he will be applying for colonization, because after 45 years he has realized that you can't trust such a small country with self government. People without corruption, by family or friends... kinda sounds good for police and immigration, no folk being let off easy cause they family to police etc. Even better for politicans so they dun have family or friends for the kickbacks. Remember that 2 million dollar airport in Abaco that cost 39 million? Where did the money go...
TruePeople 8 years, 4 months ago
Dey dun gone to the Chinese for colonization......
TalRussell 8 years, 4 months ago
Comrades be good citizens. Isn't it within he job description for your PM to travel abroad to represent and conduct your affairs?
Sickened 8 years, 4 months ago
This country would save a fortune if this moron would stay traveling. Shoots, I would even pay for him to travel through Syria and Iraq for a few weeks. Brave, I'll pay for you as well. Perhaps we can set up a meeting with IS for them both.
HarryWyckoff 8 years, 4 months ago
Are you really that dumb?
Any competent leader cancels unnecessary trips away when their country is in turmoil, and on the verge of bankruptcy.
So, no, it's in his job description to do what he's paid, by us, to do.
And like any employee, which is all he is, he should not be absent when needed.
Now sit small, little person.
sheeprunner12 8 years, 4 months ago
And how much of our public treasury money will be wasted on riotous living this time?????
birdiestrachan 8 years, 4 months ago
Mr: Christie may the good Lord go with you. lead you guide you and keep you..
themessenger 8 years, 4 months ago
Thank you Birdie for once you hit the nail on the head. Mr. Christie, for the love of God please go and wherever he guides you we hope he keeps you.
Honestman 8 years, 4 months ago
Let's hope the Good Lord guides him into immediate retirement!
birdiestrachan 8 years, 4 months ago
Mr: Christie may the good Lord go with you. lead you guide you and keep you.. Whom ever God keeps is well kept. and there is nothing any one can do about it.
asiseeit 8 years, 4 months ago
Birdie, you are wasting your prayer, the devil has already staked his claim to your beloved leader. He is a deceitful human being who is the leader of corrupt organizations (The Bahamas government and PLP) who will do and say anything to retain power. He looks out for his and his alone to the detriment of most Bahamians. The man is the devils spawn.
HarryWyckoff 8 years, 4 months ago
Your precious God has enough on his hands ignoring the slaughter and genocide happening around the world in his name.
I really don't think he' too bothered about watching over some tin pot wannabe dictator in a third world waste land.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 4 months ago
Sounds like a Bernadette shopping spree in Paris and London with Allyson Maynard-Gibson and Sharon Wilson probably tagging along for the fun of it all.
banker 8 years, 4 months ago
And while the girls are shopping Perry dem visiting The Vault or The Hoist.
BaronInvest 8 years, 4 months ago
Those expenses can be easily covered by raising the VAT a little bit next year.
jus2cents 8 years, 4 months ago
Interesting to know how much these trips cost? i.e. the transportation details limos and airplane cost, what hotels they stay at (& why), who the PM takes with him. Just a basic day by day accounting and trip report, something that any businessman gives to his employers after an excursion at the company's expense / payroll.
If a photographer goes on these trips why do we rarely see the photos, like when he went to Vegas SLS opening?
What dinners were hosted and why & who was in attendance, what was the outcome / summary feedback on whether or not it was all worthwhile?
Basic's would be nice to know...plus the People have a right to know!
asiseeit 8 years, 4 months ago
Hey, you better step back. You are just a Bahamian taxpayer, you have no right to ask such questions. You are over stepping your bounds and need to sit small. The PM is a demi-god and needs to stay at the best hotels and have the finest there is to offer and you as the person that ultimately will be paying for these things in the form of taxes have no right to ask the above questions.
TruePeople 8 years, 4 months ago
they saving the photographer money to get a next bottle of Don Perry
TalRussell 8 years, 4 months ago
Comrades not that I am against PM traveling abroad to conduct the nation's business but he just canceled the PLP convention - stating all hands were needed on deck to deal with the aftermath hurricane Joaquin.
But so has red party's Long Island MP/Shadow Minister of Labour and Social Development Loretta Butler-Turner who just yesterday left for Cape Town, South Africa to attend the Conference on Statelessness and Gender Equality jointly hosted by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Parliament of South Africa.
Let me guess. Long Islanders and the other hurricane affected islanders, have all now recovered?
TruePeople 8 years, 4 months ago
At least LGBT is only "shadow" minister. Perry is the PM, and yah, interesting that the convention was cancelled ...... priorities
Honestman 8 years, 4 months ago
Tal. Here is a challenge for you. Try making a constructive post without mentioning the Red Party or Papa or anyone associated with the FNM. Why not try and comment on the performance of the PLP on any given matter (as they are in government)? Unless of course you are paid to spout PLP propaganda. If so, why not declare yourself as such?
The_Oracle 8 years, 4 months ago
Funny how we miss the whole point of the Visit: "(CHOGM) and engage in talks with a multinational conglomerate over this country’s business license and real property tax laws." Basically we have to bring our real property tax laws in line with the EU EPA laws, under WTO compliance. Meaning Bahamians will pay on ALL property owned, undeveloped and out Island included, just as foreigners do. All scheduled a few years ago and on a fixed timeline. Most favored nation Status means there can be no favorites. All of this is what is driving the unprecedented internal pilfering and scamming, they cannot do any of it internationally in the traditional way of old. Tourism kickbacks, foreign bank accounts, all getting harder to deposit to and maintain.
Publius 8 years, 4 months ago
I was just about to post on the exact same thing.
MonkeeDoo 8 years, 4 months ago
If ee could all put these commemts on a placard and go to Tawson Square whem the thieves are sitting it would be much better than hoding the light in the web.
TruePeople 8 years, 4 months ago
Ein no one care bout the people in Twatson Square
banker 8 years, 4 months ago
There are just some days when I wish that I would come to the news site, and hope for a ray of good news for the country -- like a call center employing 500 people will move here, or a bio-pharmaceutical company is setting up a lab here, or a light manufacturer of solar products is setting up a plant here, or a young Bahamian kid starts an internet business that is bought for tens of millions of dollars, or a Bahamian author is a bestseller and sells the movie rights -- something normal other than killings, raping of the country by politicians, or the constant daily grind of bad news.
Emac 8 years, 4 months ago
Ain gon happen with this lot in power.
TruePeople 8 years, 4 months ago
Ya, but instead when time you try to move forward here is enough people ready to jump on you to hold you down. When they know you find success, they looking to rob you. Bahamian who want to achieved the success you're hoping for end up leaving, and making that success happen in another country...
Mrs. Burrows has often lamented that in her articles
sealice 8 years, 4 months ago
A meeting on the Climate? They have unequivocally proven they don't give a rat's ars about our environment yet they can wasted hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars on a pre-xmas european shipping trip?
digimagination 8 years, 4 months ago
Well, that is what VAT is meant for - Vacation And Travel...
Abaconian 8 years, 4 months ago
I'm kind of glad he's attending the climate change talks. Would be a little embarrassing if the Bahamas did not attend. One should remember that the international climate change regime (UNCCC, Kyoto Protocol etc) is based on 1 vote per country system. So even though the Bahamas has a tiny economy and very, very little impact on global carbon emissions, we still have a voice in the talks. I hope Perry shows a willingness to commit to the global effort to reduce carbon and promote renewable energy. I'm sure he will - at least while on the international arena. However, when he gets back home I doubt anything will change. BEC or the sooon to be "BPL" will carry on business as usual - putting the country in further debt and wasting the tax payers money while Bahamians continue to struggle to afford electricity. Sounds about right.
jackflash 8 years, 4 months ago
Perry will note vote in Favor of climate change because the Chinese will tell him to side with them. China can not afford that bill to pass.
Well_mudda_take_sic 8 years, 4 months ago
At the current high tide mark a good portion of the Bahamas will be well underwater 100 years from now assuming the industrialized nations do nothing about pollution......but we can be rest assured Christie will cast his vote on climate change the way the Chinese tell him to vote!
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