The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A new unit within the Ministry for Grand Bahama will partner with the private sector and “get things done” away from concerns surrounding the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA).

Ginger Moxey, minister for Grand Bahama, yesterday told reporters ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting that the Collab Partnerships for Development unit had been formed to “make things happen”.

She said its creation had sparked a positive reaction from the private sector. It is unclear how the GBPA and Freeport’s founding treaty, the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, tie-in to this initiative but Mrs Moxey said the former will be “involved” - although she provided no details.

“We have so much potential,” she said of Grand Bahama, “and it has been talked about for years, but I believe that now with this ‘new day’ administration you’re going to see a lot of things happen.

“Of course, again, we had certain natural disasters, but there’s also the need to work together. So we have to be able to collaborate to make things happen and, within the Ministry for Grand Bahama, have created a new unit called the Collab Partnerships for Development where, in spite of what’s going on on the outside with the GBPA and the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, we can still get things done outside of that.

“So we’ve had a lot of interest from the corporate community; they’re excited about it. They’re partnering with us and, again, I’m excited about what’s about to happen for Grand Bahama island.”

As to the GBPA’s role with Collab Partnerships for Development, Mrs Moxey said: “The GBPA is a part of it. They’re the regulators, and so they are also involved, and a lot of it has to do with clean-up of the community. A lot has to do with rebuilding from Dorian; all hands are needed on deck.

“There’s not much you can do within the city of Freeport if the GBPA isn’t involved in certain aspects, so of course they’re involved. But the corporate community in general, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), the community at large, other government agencies, again, we all have to work together.”

The Government thus appears to be moving into the GBPA’s space, as Freeport’s quasi-governmental authority has responsibility for the city’s development under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement. Some, though, and especially those who recently protested outside the GBPA’s headquarters recently, may argue that it has abdicated such a role and the Government has to fill the vacuum.

Speaking to those protests against the GBPA, Mrs Moxey said yesterday: “I understand and I share the concerns of the residents. We are working very, very hard to get the economy back up and running.

“I’m extremely optimistic on what lies ahead. There are a lot of projects in the works and I will be making certain announcements at the upcoming Grand Bahama Business Outlook, which is scheduled for Thursday.”

Asked about Grand Bahama’s fluctuating airline ticket prices, she said: “We’re working very closely with airlines, and with the tourism sector, to get Grand Bahama under control when it comes to that. Of course, we have an airport situation, and we know the deputy prime minister will make announcements about that pretty soon as well, and so I don’t want to pre-empt any of that.”