By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Opposition's Leader yesterday called for a 'one-stop' approval process for all potential investors in Freeport as a means to revive the city's fragile economy.

Michael Pintard also urged the Government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) to hold more meaningful stakeholder consultation. Speaking at a Free National Movement (FNM) press conference, he said successive administrations have not done a "good enough job" on this.

And he added that investors often complain of not having sufficient dialogue with the GBPA to address their concerns, which often leads to them being deterred from investing in Freeport.

“This government has not done a good enough job in terms of stakeholder consultation and, when we were in, we could have done a better job, in my view, in terms of all stakeholders, identifying what the top challenges are in Grand Bahama and looking at a collective solution," Mr Pintard said.

“We met with the leaders of the industrials in Grand Bahama. They said they are not having sufficient discussions with the Grand Bahama Port Authority. Not only are they not having sufficient discussions with the Government, the things they are asking for, like environmental by-laws, that are slowing down the expansion of their business or even getting their business started.

“They tend not engage with the real decisionmakers to move the process along. We take so long in addressing the concerns that they have that they are not inclined to invest additional money”

Mr Pintard said major projects in Grand Bahama must be approved by the GBPA and Cabinet, which leads to a delay in decision-making that also discourages investors.

“We have a two-step process for approving projects in Grand Bahama. The Grand Bahama Port Authority makes decisions, and then a lot of those big decisions still have to go to the Cabinet of the Bahamas in order for a final decision," he added.

“That slows down the process. When companies realise that they are unable to get reasonable timelines for approval for their projects, money goes elsewhere. So, we keep hearing about projects in Turks and Caicos, projects in Cayman or Bermuda or elsewhere that were earmarked for Grand Bahama.”

Mr Pintard added that the FNM is still opposed to the Government taking control of the GBPA, and assuming its regulatory and quasi-governmental responsibilities, as they are "ill suited" for the task. However, he maintained that the GBPA's ownership should be expanded to include its licensees and other Bahamians that would like to invest in Grand Bahama.

He said: “Our fear is that if the Davis administration were to take over both the regulatory functions and ownership, even if it's for a brief time, of the Grand Bahama Port Authority we will be screwed in Grand Bahama. They are ill-suited both on the regulatory side, as well as in terms of ownership.

“Do we believe we need new shareholders? Yes, we do. We believe that the shareholders of the Grand Bahama Port Authority should be dramatically expanded to include licensees and other Bahamians who are minded to buy in. We do not believe that the Government should be one of those groups that buy the Port.”