By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Opposition’s leader yesterday urged the Government to "do right" by Grand Bahama straw vendors, claiming they have been told they will receive no compensation as the International Bazaar redevelopment moves forward.

In a statement yesterday, Michael Pintard accused the Government of failing to address the position of straw vendors in negotiations over the International Bazaar redevelopment, claiming they have been told they will receive no compensation while other stakeholders are being paid.

Mr Pintard said members of the Straw Market Company Ltd have reportedly been informed they are not entitled to compensation and that the Government would "get back to them”.

"The Government did not disclose the situation facing the straw vendors, who are also stakeholders in the International Bazaar," said Mr Pintard. He added that the company has since made repeated attempts to meet with Ginger Moxey, minister of Grand Bahama, but has received no response.

"I'm calling on the Government to do right by the members of the Straw Market Company," said Mr Pintard. The Opposition leader argued that “no stakeholder should be left behind” as the Government advances plans for the Afro-Caribbean Marketplace at the International Bazaar.

"No stakeholder should be left behind or kept in the dark regarding the Government's plans for the Afro-Caribbean Marketplace," he said. "No one should be denied fair consideration while others are reportedly being compensated."

Mr Pintard said the Straw Market Company Ltd, which was established in 2002, was entrusted with managing Straw Markets A, B and C at the International Bazaar, encompassing nearly 5,450 square feet.

The straw vendors' position emerges as the Government moves to complete its long-planned acquisition of the International Bazaar site, a key component of its proposed Afro-Caribbean Marketplace project 

Mrs Moxey last week said the Government expected to complete the acquisition within 10 days after reaching agreements with 13 property owners, with only one remaining holdout. She also said compensation payments to those owners were expected to begin shortly.

She added that the redevelopment is intended to transform the long-abandoned International Bazaar into an Afro-Caribbean Marketplace featuring pavilions representing 55 African countries, 20 Caribbean nations and The Bahamas. The project is also envisioned as a logistics hub for goods imported from Africa and the Caribbean for redistribution to international markets.

As part of the broader redevelopment, the Government has also acquired the Harcourt property, including the Princess Towers and Casino, for $1m, and secured approximately 4.365 acres of land west of Sunrise Highway for $1 to facilitate the reopening of the roadway through the area,

Mrs Moxey has previously described reopening the road as a long-standing priority for Grand Bahama residents. While highlighting the long-awaited redevelopment as an opportunity to advance Grand Bahama's economy, Mr Pintard argued that the process should be inclusive.

"The people who have invested years in sustaining businesses at the Bazaar deserve transparency, respect and equitable treatment throughout this process," he said. "Their dignity matters."