By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel has said there will be equal opportunity for the purchase of plots of land to Bahamians and residents, including those of Haitian descent awaiting confirmation of immigration status.

As he defended the Minnis administration’s resolution to establish an 83-acre upscale community in western New Providence, Mr Bethel responded to detractors of the initiative saying it was a response to changing demographics.

He described it as a “paradigm shift” in housing policy for governments to follow.

“It is a targeted initiative to deal with the emerging demographic just as every single housing development going back to the UBP was targeting the needs of emerging demographics,” Mr Bethel told Senators yesterday. “There is no discrimination.

“…You have to choose sometimes what policy goals as a government you are seeking to achieve and what we are seeking to achieve is to empower younger Bahamians and give them the opportunity to get a firm start in a subdivision that is more in tune with where the minds of young Bahamians are. I am amazed sometimes of the expectation of young persons that I meet. They think differently than you and I think.”

Speaking of plans to develop more communities, Mr Bethel also said: “A subdivision will be created in central Abaco. The land has already been identified and, yes, it will be opened to Bahamians and residents meaning persons who have constitutional entitlement to Bahamian status, but have not yet been blessed with that status.

“Yes, it will provide equal opportunity and access to persons of Haitian descent who are Bahamians and persons who were been born in this country who have the right to be Bahamians, but who because of administrative reasons (or) loss of documents who made their applications are still awaiting their constitutional entitlement.

“That’s what this government is doing. We want to have an integrated community in an integrated island like Abaco we want to have that.”

The Senate passed the resolution yesterday.

Before it was passed in the House of Assembly on Monday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis explained who will be eligible to apply for the initiative.

Dr Minnis said: “We consider a professional as someone who is accomplished in his or her field, sufficient independent to sustain a mortgage or financial responsibility for a residential dwelling in a community. This community is not restricted to a particular type of academic or professional training. You don’t have to be a lawyer, you don’t have to be a doctor or an engineer to qualify. A barber properly qualified is a professional. A plumber properly qualified is a professional. A beautician with proper qualifications is a professional. Police, Defence Force (officers), they are professionals. A teacher is a professional and that’s just to give a few examples, and so is a farmer. He is a professional so I don’t want people to misconstrue that a professional is only a doctor, lawyer or accountant, no, a professional has great definition.”

Dr Minnis said surveys of the land show that some areas are low lying.

“Those areas in the juncture of Prospect Ridge and Sanford Drive, the land is at least three feet below sea level,” he said. “There will be no filling, no excavation, no compaction. We will utilise the ecological environment and to ensure there is no flooding. Areas that are low within the area will be utilised accordingly.”

He said those selected will be able to save up to $29,000 by spending $1,000 to purchase one of the ten architectural designs the government will make available.

He noted that those selected will pay no stamp tax and no real property tax for two years in addition to other concessions.

Those eligible for one of the 250 available lots must be younger than 45-years-old and resident in The Bahamas.