Mr. Christie, who was speaking at a press conference at the VIP lounge of the Nassau International Airport, returned from a ten-day official visit to the United Kingdom, Nigeria and Miami, Florida.
He said it was time to move on because there are too many challenges facing the country to allow national dialogue “that takes it nowhere” to be conducted and carried on.
“It is arrant nonsense,” the prime minister said.
He said his government has acted in accordance with the law and will continue to do so until the boat issue is resolved.
“I don’t play games and this is not a time to play games and so…I don’t understand why anyone would have any concern about the bona fideness of the Government of The Bahamas and its intention in this matter.”
On the issue of the boats, Mr. Christie said that he expected the opposition to try to exploit the situation as assiduously as they are.
Nevertheless, he maintained, “When you do something that is right it cannot be assailed.”
Mr. Christie said that the boats are in the exclusive control of the Customs Comptroller and he suspected that an extensive investigation was being undertaken.
“I would be disappointed if they are not in the middle of an extensive investigation with a view to bringing this matter to a close,” he said.
When asked about the fate of former BAIC Chairman Sidney Stubbs, Mr. Christie said that he did not know if Mr. Stubbs’ fate would be any different than Montagu Member of Parliament Brent Symonette’s.
“When Brent Symonette was Chairman of the Airport Authority he gave himself a contract,” he said.
He added that Mr. Symonette was re-elected to the Parliament and is one of its leading personalities.
Prime Minister Christie said he was in the process of integrating the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) and the Bahamas Development Bank into the Ministry of Finance.
“I will shortly announce a major intervention in the economy of The Bahamas where I will use two of them with a third entity to bring more Bahamian businessmen into the mainstream of the economy,” he said.
Mr. Christie said that while in London he held meetings with a number of investors for new projects in Eleuthera and New Providence, which could amount to a total investment of $1 billion.
“I intend to resume negotiations with that company as early as tomorrow [Thursday] through the weekend, making an effort to consummate an agreement with respect to aspects of the Cable Beach hotel district,” he said.
Mr. Christie stressed that his focus was on the economy.
“I have a new economy in Exuma, where Exumians are challenged to take advantage of it and not run to Nassau to get somebody to do it for them,” he said. “That is the challenge where people’s lives will be revolutionized.”
He added, “We are in the process of strengthening the economy of The Bahamas creating new economies in different Family Islands and the challenge in 2004 for me will be the success or otherwise of my government in [providing] Bahamians opportunities in these new economies.”
Mr. Christie also announced that The Bahamas will play host to the South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is scheduled to be in The Bahamas between December 28 and January 1.
President Mbeki is traveling to Haiti to attend that country’s bicentennial celebrations.
By Julian Reid, The Bahama Journal
