By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis criticised the government for its “failed” initiatives and deals as well as Hurricane Dorian relief efforts on Grand Bahama.

While speaking during his party’s virtual rally in Grand Bahama, he reflected on the Oban deal and the government’s purchase of the Grand Lucayan hotel.

“Every single day they have shown how little they care about the people of Grand Bahama. They said it would be ‘the people’s time’ and then they showed us real quick which people they meant. Now when they say ‘it’s about your future,’ they don’t mean you either because this government has one competence: delivering deals to FNM insiders and they do that well,” he said.

“Remember the billion-dollar Oban oil deal that was supposed to transform Grand Bahama?” An oil deal with no environmental impact assessment. A fraudulent oil deal with a fake signature. That scandal alone was disqualifying, showing a leader and a team way in over their heads or worse because now the files cannot be found.

“All along, they’ve been saying they couldn’t possibly help you because there isn’t any money. From Sweeting’s Cay to Lewis Yard to West End, they told you that there wasn’t enough money to keep their promises but they had no problem finding the money to make million-dollar mistakes. They found the money to buy the run-down Grand Lucayan hotel, although they were too incompetent to include the furniture or the golf course or the inventory in the deal. The price of that mistake is around $200m and still climbing,” Mr Davis said.

PLP deputy leader Chester Cooper said Grand Bahama is still suffering from Hurricane Dorian.

He said two years after the storm, it seems as if “very little has been done.” He pointed to schools not being rebuilt in East End. He said High Rock was hit hard and many have died, but construction has not started to replace the police station, the government administration complex, the post office, and the damaged seawalls.

“They have been allowed and have allowed the Dorian concessions to expire,” he said.

Mr Cooper noted Freeport has been placed in a “vulnerable” position. He said the FNM repealed the Grand Bahama Port Area Investment Incentive Act in 2017, but never replaced the legislation that ensured continued tax breaks from business license and real property taxes by the central government.

The deputy leader announced that the PLP will reinstate and enforce the act to make the Grand Bahama Port Authority more accountable.

He listed a host of other plans for Grand Bahama such as creating a small business zone in the Freeport bonded area where young Bahamian entrepreneurs can rent a space at affordable prices.

“We’re going to reopen closed hotels by engaging each owner on a case-by-case basis and negotiating heads of agreements with reputable, creditable entities that protect the best interest of all Bahamians. . .the PLP is going to provide incentives for Bahamians to develop small and medium size boutique resorts and attractions across the island of Grand Bahama, including cultural events and cultural centres that will bring visitors to Grand Bahama,” he said.

“We’re going to foster greater Bahamian ownership by encouraging more vacation rentals like Airbnbs and to make sure revenues are generated from them for the pockets of you here in Grand Bahama. We want to create a master plan for developing areas around the cruise port and we want to promote local entertainment with incentives and support for restaurants and nightclubs and music festivals and craft markets that’s what a PLP government will do.”

He said the PLP also wants Grand Bahama to be the country’s hub for shipping and maritime affairs.