The Claim: The PLP is accusing the FNM of selling out Bahamians by allowing the special interest shipping groups to create an insider monopoly with the Arawak Port Development (APD), which will deliberately and unfairly disenfranchise Bahamians.
The Truth: The PLP is making extraordinary misrepresentations of fact, and exploiting the fact that many Bahamians are not fully versed in the details of the transaction. Transparent tactics seem to be the only kind of transparency the PLP is acquainted with.
– The APD is not a monopoly by any stretch of the truth. Bahamian shipping groups used to have full control over the Bay Street port. The new APD joint venture has reduced this control from 100% to 40% with the Government now also owning 40% and 11,000 Bahamians owning 20%.
– Not only did Bahamians get greater ownership, PM Ingraham even made it possible for government employees to purchase shares in APD with salary advances; something the PLP administration never did or even contemplated.
– All of the shares in the Port have equal standing. There is no distinction between the shares owned by the private companies, and those owned by the Government, or the Bahamian public. Everyone will get a dividend at the same time.
– Under the FNM, the Bahamian people are now stakeholders in a port, built on the people’s land. Some of the land at Clifton Cay was owned by PLP cohort Frankie Wilson”™s company.
– The APD cost $80 million; the PLP proposed Clifton port would have cost $300 million.
– The current tariffs are consistent with the region. Mr. Christie wanted to move the ports to Clifton. The tariff increases would be astronomical if goods had to be hauled to Clifton.
– Mr. Christie is shamelessly attempting to create a “scandal” out of a positive advancement for Bahamians so as to hide the real PLP scandal attached to the BPC oil consultancies.
– The last time the PLP was connected to Arawak Cay, it was in the scandal involving Jerome Fitzgerald and other PLP insiders, scheming to get a “sweet deal” for an R/O plant. Maybe that is why they are so critical; they think everyone operates like they do.
Same PLP. Same Empty Promises.
