Bank of the Bahamas Chairman Al Jarrett believes that the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Nassau Dr. Brent Hardt was "out of order" for comments he made last week which appeared to be criticizing the Bahamas government.
"I do believe that diplomacy is best served behind closed doors," said Mr. Jarrett, who was the special guest on Love 97's "Jones and Company" on Sunday.
"You don't embarrass my country and my government and I don't care whether it's Christie or Hubert or anybody else. You don't do that. I didn't take too kindly to that kind of statement in the media."
Mr. Jarrett was referring to a statement Dr. Hardt made at a Chamber of Commerce conference last Tuesday, calling for clear timelines for investors with proposals before the government.
Dr. Hardt mentioned the liquefied natural gas proposals in particular.
"The important thing is the predictability of the process," he said. "In fact, I was speaking with some energy investors in recent months; one of the things they have said is that the process in the United States is predictable."
Dr. Hardt added: "I think the worst thing for investors is to continue month after month without clarity.
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"So with (the LNG proposals) and with other investments I would think it would be in the interest of the government to establish clear timelines and to give investors a clear sense of direction so that they can know (whether they should pursue their potential investments in the Bahamas or pursue other options)."
In the case of the energy company, Suez, formerly Tractebel, it has decided to do just that – pursue other options.
Several weeks ago, the U.S. media quoted company CEO William P Utt who said Suez had not heard anything from the Bahamas government "in about a year".
"The government before was very pro business and things got done," Mr. Utt was quoted as saying.
"This government that exists today appears less able to evaluate and feel comfortable making commitments for industrial development. They are very focused on tourism. Some of our programmes had been to improve the tourism in The Bahamas. I think a lot of folks are frustrated."
As a result of those frustrations, Suez, which was seeking permission to build an LNG plant in Grand Bahama, has shelved its Bahamas proposal.
Instead, it is seeking permission from Florida authorities to construct a plant off the coast of that southern state. The LNG proposals that are before the government have been under consideration for more than four years, when the Ingraham administration was in power.
On Sunday, Mr. Jarrett said he doubted Prime Minister Perry Christie could go in the United States and criticize the Bush administration the way Dr. Hardt criticized the Bahamas government.
"You have to understand that (Dr. Hardt) is a politician," he added. "He is talking about batting for the business people in the Florida area to do with an LNG project. You have to put things in perspective. These are politicians. They are trying to get business for their people, but I think he was out of order by making that statement."
Asked by the show's host, Wendall Jones, whether Dr. Hardt was correct to say there should be set timelines, Mr. Jarrett said, "I don't believe that this good gentleman has the capacity or the ability to tell us how we should process investments.
"I don't know what his abilities are and I don't think he knows what our abilities are. We've been doing things now for about 40 or 50 years. I don't think he's 50 years old himself. I think he should sit by and let things happen and if we don't want it, we would decline it. If we want it we would take it."
Mr. Jarrett said, "Nobody should pressure this government into making decisions for investments. I believe that this country has got a good record of looking at, dissecting and approving investments. There are some that are very delicate that require a lot of thought and information."
He said that Prime Minister Christie is not going to allow anyone to put a gun to him and find out later that the decision was the wrong one.
"I don't blame Mr: Christie," said Mr. Jarrett. who added that the prime minister should continue to take his time and "do it the right way".
"Most of the decisions he has made so far are right."
BY CANDIA DAMES, The Bahama Journal
