By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation (BAIC) is evicting at least two tenants from its Soldier Road Industrial Park due to delinquent rental payments, with one case involving almost $800,000 in unpaid arrears.

Arnold Forbes, BAIC’s chairman, said that under his watch such delinquencies would not be allowed, noting that the build-up in rental receivables was hampering the Park’s growth and development.

“Collections have been up since we have been here,” he told Tribune Business. “I think this is the most that’s been collected from that park for probably the last 10 years, but we still have these individuals who are delinquent and are not willing to pay.

“Those individuals will be given notice to move. We are already in the process of evicting two tenants of that park, and it will continue until we can get all tenants to pay their rent.”

Mr Forbes added: “It’s’ important, the Park cannot progress if they do not pay their rent. It’s imperative that everyone owns up to his responsibility, or maybe those who cannot pay need to look at their business model, revamp it or move on to something else.

“Some people we are evicting are up to almost $800,000 in arrears, so they probably have never made a payment. If they have, its probably been 10-15 years ago. Under my watch we will not allow that to continue; either we are paid and there is a payment plan put in place, or they will have to move you out. There are some individuals who are negotiating with us

now to cut their space back so that they can afford their rent, and that will enable us to move someone else in who can pay.”

Mr Forbes said BAIC hopes to break ground on its new executive offices at the Soldier Road Industrial Park in the next four to six weeks. “We will not allow the Park to deteriorate any more. We want to go go in there with a restoration programme. As we build we will restore. We are going to fix all the road ways and build verges. We want to make this park a professional park,” he added.

While noting that some some aspects of BAIC are expected to be absorbed into the proposed Small and Medium-Sized Business Development Agency (SMEDA), Mr Forbes said the Corporation is evolving into other areas and taking on different roles.

“There will be some aspects of BAIC that will be morphed into SMEDA, but that does not take away the role of BAIC. BAIC is moving and evolving into many other areas and playing many different roles,” Mr Forbes said.

“We are now spearheading the establishment of the agricultural and marine science institute in Andros. That will be a huge project, and these are the kinds of things BAIC will be spearheading in the future. Before it was just handicraft and agro-business, but now BIAC is in the business of developing institutes and making sure that we give full support in whichever capacity we can to assist Government in not only agriculture, but light industry as well.”