Another day, another multi-million dollar giveaway from the PLP. As with the Moorings deal, BPL privatization, and more than $400 million in no-bid contracts, this latest arrangement appears to benefit individuals closely connected to the Prime Minister and the PLP, while openly contravening the government’s own Public Private Partnership policy and the Public Procurement Act.
The government’s PPP policy is clear. Even unsolicited proposals are required to undergo a competitive bidding process. The Public Procurement Act is equally clear, with only narrow and prescribed exceptions. Without open, transparent, and competitive bidding, the government has no way of knowing whether it is securing value for the Bahamian people. When the principals involved are known close associates of the Prime Minister, strict adherence to the law is not optional; it is essential.
Concerns about the government’s handling of PPPs are well documented. The International Monetary Fund has flagged the government’s treatment of so-called PPP projects as a matter of concern, and the Fiscal Responsibility Council has warned that the approval regime remains wholly inadequate. Rather than reforming the process, this administration has chosen secrecy.
Even more troubling is the government’s treatment of the people of Mayaguana. A project reportedly valued at $300 million, with the potential to fundamentally alter the island, has advanced without meaningful engagement, consultation, or transparency. The people of Mayaguana were never informed that their Crown land was being committed to private interests, and they remain in the dark about an agreement that appears to already be in place. Their outrage is justified, because development done to a community rather than with it cannot be defended.
Serious concerns have also been raised about whether this project involves the large-scale extraction and sale of Bahamian limestone for export, effectively financing development by selling off our natural resources. That allegation alone demands immediate and clear answers.
The government must now answer the following questions:
- What experience does the PPP partner, Global Lead Consultants, have in port development, and how much of its own capital is being invested?
- Why were procurement laws and PPP policy ignored in a deal of this magnitude, particularly given the apparent conflicts of interest?
- How is this project being financed, what are the revenue streams, and what guarantees, if any, will the government be required to provide?
- If the government holds only a reported 48 percent interest, will Bahamians still bear the full risk if the project fails?
- Will any part of this project be funded through the export of limestone extracted from Mayaguana?
- Why have the full financial terms, projections, and risk assessments not been released?
- Why were Bahamians denied the opportunity to participate, as they were with the Nassau Cruise Port and the Paradise Island Beach Club?
- And why was the community of Mayaguana treated with such disregard, with no town meetings, no published proposal, and no opportunity for public questions?
This administration has shown exactly who it serves. Bahamian assets do not belong to any party, any cabinet, or any political circle. They belong to the people, and no government has the authority to dispose of them in silence.