Business people around the island gathered in the grand ballroom of the Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya on Saturday night for the annual banquet and installation of officers of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce.
By the end of the celebratory evening, Grand Bahama Bakery and Snack Foods had been awarded Business of the Year, Bahama Buy and Sell had won the chamber’s Civic Award and the new board of directors had been officially installed.
Guest speaker for the occasion was Minister of Financial Services and Investments Allyson Maynard-Gibson, who represented the scheduled guest speaker, Prime Minister Perry Christie.
Minister Maynard-Gibson began by acknowledging the rough times the island has faced over the last two years.
“The government appreciates that the past two years have not been easy for Grand Bahama,” said Mrs. Gibson. “In 2004 we had Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne, which devastated the island’s economy and we lost a visionary who loved The Bahamas, Mr. Edward St. George. In 2005, as the island was still struggling to recover, Grand Bahama had to face the ravages of Hurricane Wilma.”
The Minister noted that the government has been working on restoring people’s lives as quickly as possible through the efforts of the Social Services and Housing Ministries.
Explaining the reasoning behind the extension of the exigency orders, she said, “We wanted to ensure and we want to ensure that acute suffering was and is immediately addressed.”
Assuring that the government will extend Hawksbill Creek Agreement-type concessions to the entire island, the Minister cited the example of the billion dollar Ginn Development at West End and the impact it would have on the entire Northern Bahamas. She also noted progress in other projects such as the filming of the multi-million dollar Pirates of the Caribbean II and III movies at Gold Rock Creek Enterprises’ Bahamas Film Studios; the Old Bahama Bay resort in West End, which included over $9 million in contracts to Bahamian entrepreneurs; and the manufacturing of a widely prescribed drug for use in combination therapy to treat HIV/AIDS by Pharma-Chem Technologies.
“Grand Bahama (is) a perfect location for international E Commerce,” said Mrs. Gibson, citing its cable capacity, the rapidly growing container transshipment terminal, plans for the nearly 600 acre sea/air business centre, proximity to the United States and a cadre of highly qualified Bahamian professionals.
The minister also announced plans to place a Freeport Registrar General’s Department in the Colina Building by the end of March this year.
“Grand Bahama can be the fastest growing island in The Bahamas,” she said. “It has the physical infrastructure and it has hard-working competent Bahamians with a pioneering spirit. However, for this potential to be realized, the government and the Port Authority must work together. The Chamber of Commerce is the perfect bridge between the Port Authority and Government.”
In remarks that addressed a number of issues concerning business and development on the island and the chamber’s objectives and commitment, Chamber President Dr. Doswell Coakley raised the issue of varied interpretations on import goods for resale, especially those brought in under bond.
Stating that the chamber appreciated the effect that the Supreme Court’s recent rulings may have had on initiatives of the Customs Department and the local business community’s understanding of the need for an inflow of revenue for the country to run effectively, Dr. Coakley added, “I therefore join in public comments by attorney Fred Smith for The Grand Bahama Port Authority, licensees in the Port area, Customs and other representatives of government to sit and conclude a clear and transparent understanding of the rules governing imports under bond. This should be done as a matter of urgency, as reports from our members continue regarding confusion as to what can and cannot be bonded.”
Advocating a revision of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, he continued, “I also share Mr. Smith’s opinion that the time has come for a total review of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement. The current state of affairs, with its myriad amendments by court ruling and otherwise, lend itself to too many interpretations. We need a clear road map that will take us forward for generations yet unborn.”
The president further invited government to persist with its earlier thought of creating trade zones east and west of Freeport in order to extend the Hawksbill Creek Agree-ment to other parts of the island.
Pledging the commitment of the board of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce to create new jobs by using their best efforts in finding creative ways for economic expansion of the local economy, Dr. Coakley outlined five objectives to the gathering.
They include the deepening of relations between the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce and the central government in Nassau, the deepening of relations between the Grand Bahama chamber and the GBPA, to encourage meaningful dialogue with and between local licensees through the launch of the Freeport Licensee Association (under the GBCC), doubling of the present membership base and an active lobby to ensure that more decisions that affect Grand Bahama be handled on the island.
In addition to the installation of new officers and directors, Dr. Coakley honoured the past presidents of the Chamber as well as recognized the Friends of the Chamber, including artist Michael Rolle, who designed its new logo.
Students from St. Georges High School were also a part of the event, forming an Honour Guard at the programme for guests seated at the head table.
By THEA RUTHERFORD, Freeport News Features Editor
