Leader of the Opposition Philip 'Brave' Davis. Photo: Terrel W. Carey Sr/Tribune Staff
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
OPPOSITION Leader Philip “Brave” Davis demanded the Minnis administration “come clean” on what it plans to do with Bahamas Power and Light.
He spoke after BPL Chairman Dr Donovan Moxey said last week the company intends to sell Stations A and D at the Clifton Pier Power Plant to Shell North America.
Mr Davis said in a statement yesterday: “Given the statements by the chairman for the company, it appears that without the leave of the Bahamian people through Parliament, the FNM has unilaterally decided that they are going to give the power generation portion for the company to a foreign entity. They never campaigned on this policy and were never given a public mandate to do so. There must be some public explanation for this.”
Mr Davis complained there is no coherent plan or vision for BPL.
“The plans left in place (by the Christie administration) were scrapped and purportedly replaced with nothing more than a memorandum of understanding with Shell North America to construct a 200 megawatts power generation station at their cost in exchange for a power purchasing agreement,” he said.
“The public then witnessed the implosion of the board with accusations of political interference and corruption stemming no doubt from the government’s decision to enter into another arrangement that conflict with the Shell MoU. In this competing agreement, Wartsilla constructed a 120 megawatts power generation station at our cost without any explanation as what was to become of the Shell deal.”
Mr Davis said supposed changes at BPL have deepened mistrust and heightened the Bahamian public’s uncertainty over the government-owned power provider.
“We are now being asked to swallow the fact that the Bahamian public will bear the cost of building two new power generation plants,” he said. “The FNM government will then sell the two new plants to a foreign company, namely Shell North America. Then BPL, already owned by the Bahamian people, will buy power from the foreign company at a price yet to be determined. The Bahamian people are then told that they will be able to buy shares in the foreign company once the details are settled.”
Mr Davis said Shell North America should be careful before entering into this transaction, likening the matter to BTC, which was controversially sold under the last Ingraham administration.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 3 months ago
And to think Davis knows full well that previous PLP governments are mostly to blame for the all of the waste, fraud and corruption that has financially crippled BPL/BEC.
We all know Davis would tell the electorate his mother was a Japanese Geisha Girl and his father a Great Norwegian Viking if he thought it would help him one day become PM. Fat chance of that ever happening though.
bahamianson 4 years, 3 months ago
What did he just say?
Topdude 4 years, 3 months ago
Ask Davis to clarify to the Bahamian people who it was that abruptly destroyed the transformation process at the BEC when the PLP Came to power? Just in case his mind is failing him, as I suspect it is, it was the late Bradley Roberts who abruptly terminated the project just because it was initiated under the FNM and the fact that he wanted to find lucrative jobs for PLPs who had absolutely no knowledge of what they were doing. This was the project where all employees, all unions, all supervisors and managers were totally on board. It is the height of hypocrisy and dishonesty to now blame the current problems of this vital utility on the FNM. Tell the truth. Speak the Truth. It shall set you free.
birdiestrachan 4 years, 3 months ago
The Bahamian people should pay attention to what is going on at the power company now. BTC was a bad deal is the FNM Government making another bad deal for the Bahamas.?
The Deal woman from the Chamber of commerce thinks so. may be what she says will matter.
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 3 months ago
How was BTC a bad deal? You must be out of your mind. lol. BTC can't survive now that Aliv is in the picture. Ingraham knew that, he sold it so he could allow competition. BTC was the best deal ever made in this country. We pocketed a cool quarter billion, today BTC would die just to see a dollar.... lol....
birdiestrachan 4 years, 3 months ago
The FNM Government is known for making bad deal. Shell will wright what they want and the Government will sign it.
proudloudandfnm 4 years, 3 months ago
This from the man who's plan for the dump was to start a company and bring in foreigners to front for him.....
sealice 4 years, 3 months ago
and the only plan you and ya PLP thugs ever had was to line ya pockets with Bahamian blood and tears.
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