The Ministry for Grand Bahama could play a vital role in the revitalization of Grand Bahama's economy by providing promotional support and "shepherding in investments" to the island if it manages to free itself from excess red tape, according to Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Peter Turnquest.
Turnquest told NB12 that it is "unfortunate" that the ministry had been kept a largely political animal, which he argued prevents it from providing the needed relief to the island's economy and effectively crippled Minister for Grand Bahama Dr. Michael Darville's ability to facilitate economic rejuvenation.
"I believe that the Ministry for Grand Bahama has been tasked with an almost impossible task in that it is a ministry without any real responsibility or any real objectives. From that point of view, I think the minister's hands have been tied in a lot of respects.
"In order for the ministry to be effective it is going to have to have some kind of decision-making capability. It ought to be seen as a way to reduce the red tape, not increase the red tape as it is currently. It is very much a political organization, which is not the intent. It ought to be an instrument that brings government closer to the people and increases the efficiency of government. It is not that today, and that is unfortunate," said Turnquest.
Turnquest once more criticized the government's silence over the future of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement (HCA), which is set to expire this year, stating that the critical importance of the agreement to Freeport's economy should have been addressed by now. Key Freeport stakeholders have previously said that they would lobby with the government to extend the HCA, which includes exemptions to real property tax and business license fees, to 2054.
"That is unfortunate and certainly unacceptable from a Grand Bahama perspective. That has the potential to seriously undermine the entire value of Freeport. It's not a trivial matter and it should have been dealt with.
"Right now one of the biggest issues that we have, not only in Grand Bahamas but also throughout The Bahamas, is the difficulty in getting businesses up and going. If we're going to be effective in Grand Bahama, we must be seen as one seamless organization," said Turnquest.
Turnquest also expressed disappointment with the lack of progress regarding the proposed expansion of duty free concessions on Grand Bahama. The government announced in July last year that it had begun consultations on the potentially stimulating concessions. However, Turnquest noted that there had been "no movement of any significance" on the matter.

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