By KHRISNA VIRGIL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE scathing criticism contained in the controversial United States Department of State 2014 Investment Climate report on the Bahamas there is still a push for Americans to invest in the Bahamas, US Chargé d’affaires Lisa Johnson said yesterday.

In fact, Ms Johnson told reporters that the report had no bearing on the ties between the two countries. She added that the relationship between the US and the Bahamas “is very strong”.

Ms Johnson was asked whether the report has caused strained relations between the US and the Bahamas as its content sparked heated reactions from some members of the government.

“The Investment Climate report is something that we issue to 80 countries world wide every year,” Ms Johnson said. “People who have read the report will see that it commends a number of things that the government has done and a number of initiatives in this country. We are encouraging Americans and American companies to invest here. The media of course is going to go to the one or two negative sentences and grab it. That is politics. I don’t think it is reflective at all of the relationship between our two countries.”

The report noted that last year, the Embassy received several complaints from US companies who noted a lack of transparency and government interference with bidding and procurement processes. It also pointed directly at the PLP’s campaign promises, which the Americans labelled as “unfulfilled.”

The report also spoke of corruption in high and low levels in the government.

The document has been pointedly criticised by not only Prime Minister Perry Christie – who said he was “puzzled” by the findings – but by Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Minister of State for Investment Khaalis Rolle.

The most recent criticism of the report came on Wednesday from Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Cleola Hamilton as she spoke in the House of Assembly.

Ms Hamilton told parliamentarians that the report was “disingenuous coming from a country whose Congress sits around and does absolutely nothing.” Ms Hamilton added that US politicians had failed to fulfil their election promises.

She was not allowed to elaborate because House Speaker Dr Kendal Major enforced the rule of relevance and ordered that her comments remain limited to the Bill being debated.

Earlier this month, officials at the American Embassy defended the report and insisted that in preparing such documents, every effort is made to present “accurate and complete” information.

The embassy’s statement further refuted reports that the statement was prepared by a Bahamian and stressed that non-Americans have a very “limited if any role” in the preparation of such documents.

The Embassy’s remarks came after  Philip “Brave” Davis, who was acting Prime Minister at the time, met with then US Chargé d’affaires John Dinkelman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting was held with a view to securing a “full and frank explanation of the report’s perceived subjective content and unusual tone,” a statement released by the government said.

It went on to say that during the meeting, Mr Dinkleman “admitted that the report was a departure from the traditional format of other similar reports and assured the Bahamas government that its concerns were duly noted, the report will be further reviewed and the appropriate measures will be taken. The government awaits the outcome of these measures.”