And Freeport needs to copy Cayman Enterprise City that welcomes any knowledge industry venture -- especially software, pharmaceuticals, electronics, data management and research.

Instead we have the Port Authority who's main job is to fleece anyone who wants to set up shop. They cut steaks off potential racehorses and stifle any reasonable business with exorbitant fees.

Freeport should set up as a start-up incubator for foreigners and Bahamians, with a low entry barrier (less than a thousand dollars a month). You need at least 10 - 20 startups to get a viable one that creates a few jobs that last more than a year. However it the doors were thrown open, wonderful things could happen for Grand Bahama. www.CaymanEnterpriseCity.com is the model for Freeport.

There was a Canadian gentleman who had build a very successful business in Freeport back in the 1960s - sort of like AID. As soon as the Pindling dynasty was born he was run out of the country. Those stories are abundant - how much faith do you think foreign investment (that doesn't speak Chinese) will put in the Bahamian government this time around?

Makes one think of the farm in Eluethera, supplied milk, ice cream and tons of produce but alass here comes the plp and in a matter of years it was closed.

We don't need liberal immigration rules Mr. Smith, but given your Haitian heritage it is no surprise you believe we do. The Haitian Ambassador should be encouraging his own government back in Haiti to assist with the repatriation of all Haitians illegally residing in the Bahamas. If the Haitian Ambassador and his Haitian government want their people looked after and treated humanely, then they themselves should arrange for this to be done at their own cost. The Bahamian people have done more than enough over the past 40 or so years and it has cost us dearly. It is time for Haiti to step up to the plate and bear the cost of looking after its own people, including the costs of their repatriation. It is an absurdity for this Haitian Ambassador to suggest in any way that we are inhumane when it is the inhumane Haitian government that fails to look after its own people, and constantly seeks handouts from others, like Bahamians, that could never be enough in the eyes of the Haitian government. These illegal immigrants should be seen for who and what they are......a problem caused by Haiti, the costs of which should be borne by Haiti and not the Bahamas! The Haitian government or international human rights groups should be bearing the costs of making life less miserable for these illegal immigrants; it is not in our interest to do so from the stand point of deterrence. To make life easy for them at our cost only means many more will come to our shores illegally, and likely with the Haitian government encouraging them to do so. We need to be very mindful of the fact that our sovereignty and culture as Bahamians is a very fragile one, and our economy is equally fragile and under great stress as it is. We are also now experiencing the effects of over-population given our very limited land area. We must resist caving to accusations from the Haitian government and human rights groups that Bahamians are an inhumane people when such persons, especially the human rights activists, are not willing themselves to bear the true costs of this vexing problem. We Bahamians have done all that can be reasonably expected of us over the last 40 plus years and are our economy is now financially crippled. It high time others started doing their part....starting with the Haitian government and the international human rights groups which have for years unfairly and unjustifiably blamed Bahamians for the plight of the Haitians illegally residing in our country!