The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Opposition’s leader yesterday attacked Prime Minister Philip Davis KC over the undisclosed New Providence energy grid outsourcing agreement with Bahamas Grid Company and its operating partner, Pike Electrical.

Michael Pintard questioed whether the Prime Minister has “challenges with memory” or is deliberately misleading the country, arguing that Mr Davis was “clearly wrong” to claim all energy reform contracts had been laid in Parliament, insisting key agreements central to the initiative remain unseen.

He said The Bahamas cannot afford uncertainty at the highest level, arguing that “the CEO of the country” must be credible when addressing agreements of such magnitude.

“It’s not true what he said. We know that the transmission and distribution deal has not been put on the table. We’ve not seen a deal that he’s entered into around generation as well. So no, the most substantive portions of what he has considered the centrepiece of his energy reform, we have not seen those documents,” said Mr Pintard.

“While he was speaking, he did not bother to fact-check himself. And so we are concerned. He’s the CEO of the country. You must be able to rely on the word of the CEO of the country, especially when he’s being rude and condescending to those of us who are more qualified at this point than him to administer the affairs of this country,” said Mr Pintard. 

He added that Mr Davis’ claim that all energy reform contracts had been laid in Parliament was directly contradicted by JoBeth Coleby-Davis, minister of energy and transport.

Mr Pintard said that while the Prime Minister insisted the agreements were already tabled, Mrs Coleby-Davis later acknowledged in a radio interview that the final documents have not yet been publicly released and would be uploaded “soon”, with only a summary currently available.

“Those two statements cannot both be true,” said Mr Pintard. “The truth is simple. The Pike agreement has never been tabled in Parliament. It has never been fully disclosed to the Bahamian people, and instead of correcting the record, the Prime Minister chose to insult anyone who asked for transparency.”

Mr Pintard said the episode fits what he described as a broader pattern by the Government when handling major national matters. He pointed to the uncertainty surrounding the Grand Lucayan deal, where the public has been told to “wait and see” as deadlines pass without clarity, and argued that the same approach is now being taken with energy reform.

The Opposition leader said the restructuring of the transmission and distribution network will affect every Bahamian household and business for decades, and warned that such an agreement cannot be shielded from scrutiny.

“Transparency is not optional when public assets are involved,” said Mr Pintard. “Accountability is not a favour granted by government; it is a duty owed to the people. It’s simple: The time for excuses is over. Philip, tell the truth.”

Mr Davis told reporters on Tuesday that all contractual arrangements tied to the Government’s energy reform have been made public. He dismissed concerns about transparency, saying those claiming not to know simply “are lazy and want to be spoon-fed”.

“All of the contractual arrangements that were entered into in respect to our transformation of our energy sector have been made public. They’re all laid in Parliament,” said Mr Davis.

“And if they wish, they can just go through them and ask any questions they wish about what has been agreed. It’s laid in Parliament. So this question about not knowing — they don’t know because they are lazy and want to be spoon-fed.”