Simply further entrenching Tribal rule,
Ignore the written rules provided by the Constitution for peaceful Governance.
Foreign Investors scooting through the "special" revolving door to the P.M.
A door no Bahamian will ever see.
The problem is ours however,
as we elected them.

Not so simple to just legislate an end to it,
It's end must be mutually agreed between Licensees, Port ownership and Govt.
but it does have a clause to turn it over to a "Local Authority"
not local govt!
This was created long after the HCA.
The Licensees should have created such an association to assume control.
Some licensees have tried but sadly, being 80% Bahamian it will never happen.
In the Beginning, it was 90% Foreign, but is no longer.
Yes, Customs will seize a bonded vehicle going beyond the "boundaries,
In defiance of court rulings.
Seems they are above the law.....
Maybe it should be read by those wishing to discuss it......
or end it.

Quite frankly, the death knell for Freeport was the sale of Assets to Hutchinson Whampoa for short term cash needs.
Freeport isn't even a blip on their Balance sheet.
Middle "maintenance" managers can make no decisions locally.
Tal, those "economic mental gates" exist in most of us regardless of Freeport or the H.C.A.
Why doesn't the West End Taxi driver establish a freeport Company to operate his taxi through?
There is no legitimate law or rule in the H.C.A. stopping him, nor stopping him or rentals from driving the length of the Island.
Customs arbitrary rules are stopping him, already dealt with in the Supreme courts.
Who runs Customs? Who instructs them to ignore court rulings?
BTW, if we can throw out Agreements at will, why write any to start with?
Do you really want to be totally subject to the whim and will of Elected Rulers, more so than we are already?
Reeks of Duvalier and Mugabe to me.....

That the noble intent of the H.C.A. has been breached is beyond doubt,
That both FNM and PLP have used it as a whipping post and slush fund source is also
beyond doubt.
But also beyond doubt is the potential being far greater today than ever envisioned in the original by Wallace Groves.
As for the "gate" and German shepherds,
this is absolutely false, and perhaps indicative of the ignorance of most, which served Pindling and Co very well.
The checkpoint was Bahamas Customs trying to prevent non customs duty paid materials from exiting Freeport proper. If allowed, Eight Mile rock would have superseded Freeport in growth!
This has even been refuted by politicians of the day, in the present day cocktail circuit.
Unfortunately none has the moral fortitude to publicly state that fact.
That Nassau-centric business and Government and most Bahamians do not understand it, can be attributed to their disbelief that their current economic picture (world) can ever change, and that the HCA in current practice does not accurately resemble the written document/agreement.
Also, they fear anything that threatens the Nassau power base, both political and economic.

Monopolies created with political favor and patronage to boot.
Not good to have such an essential commodity controlled by one Company.
Only Island in the Bahamas with Ethanol fuel also, which has caused the motoring/boating public and visiting yachts much trouble.

No matter which party is in power, the youth of the country have been taught by example that a) there is no accountability, b) steal as much as you can, just like the politicians. c) the laws are meaningless.
They are the product that we have built!
To have expected any other outcome would be folly.

We are not the envy of the world,
Our natural environment is.
The worlds bottom feeders and scammers are well ensconced here,
and have no problem dealing with our petty thieves.
Still cheaper/better than their homeland taxes and or prison terms.
Yes, the worlds Governments are leveraging each other, and particularly the smaller countries into Global compliance's designed to make the worlds wealth accessible to them.
Yes, we are trapped into complying with all these new rules and regulations,
otherwise the IMf, OECD, EU, etc will cut off the Grants and loans that Government and the Elected spend/waste like water.
We still settle for T-Shirts at election time though.
No one asks the hard questions, or holds their feet to the fire.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
Who knows what these politicians thought they were doing or were intending,
but there must be some pretty crowded discussion and debate rooms in hell!
If one is going to attempt the high road,
one better have firm solid ground beneath them.
I see few worth looking up to, save those thrown under the PLP or FNM buses.

.

Ditto on communicating with the Citizens of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
Those whom you Govern on behalf of,
Not to Rule and pillage!
If retailers got smart and showed taxes, whether Duty or VAT as a line item,
the average citizen could easily attribute his/her sorry financial state to those truly responsible.

Easy to deal with,
Cancel all contracts running through the implementation date wherever possible.
Enter into no contracts or financial expenditures beforehand, unless completed prior to July.