New Category : Public Works/Infrastructure

Govt to extend economic zones for GB, Abaco and now southern islands

Thu, May 27th 2021, 08:29 AM

In addition to extending the special economic recovery zone (SERZ) relief order for Grand Bahama and Abaco – which are still rebuilding after Hurricane Dorian – the government is also expanding the special economic zones to include most of the southern islands.

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. Hubert Minnis announced yesterday that the current relief order for Grand Bahama and Abaco, which was due to expire on June 30, would be extended to December 31. “We appreciate that the reconstruction efforts in Abaco and Grand Bahama are continuing apace and that progress has been limited by labor shortages and even a supplies shortage as typical supply chain operations have been disrupted because of the pandemic,” he said while delivering the 2021/2022 annual budget communication in the House of Assembly yesterday. “To continue to support the reconstruction efforts in Abaco and Grand Bahama, we are extending the current relief order, known as the SERZ order, to the end of December 2021. This order provides tax relief for the full suite of construction-related supplies and activities and it will go a long way in supporting the full restoration of the impacted communities.” Minnis yesterday outlined the Accelerate Bahamas Recovery Plan, which he said would boost economic growth and continue to support the most vulnerable in the country. He said a part of that plan includes the establishment of a special economic zone for islands where the pace of consistent economic development has been behind that of the rest of the country. For a period of two years, Ragged Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Cat Island, Long Island, Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay and Andros will be designated special economic zones and will be provided discounted value-added tax (VAT) on certain services. “It is to spur immediate economic activity in these islands and to encourage persons to invest in homes and businesses in these islands,” the prime minister said. “Through the provisions of an amended Family Island Development Encouragement Act (FIDEA), residents and businesses on these islands – or investing in these islands – will qualify for both duty and VAT concessions on the full range of materials they will need to build or renovate a house or to start or expand a business.”

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dr. Hubert Minnis announced yesterday that the current relief order for Grand Bahama and Abaco, which was due to expire on June 30, would be extended to December 31.

“We appreciate that the reconstruction efforts in Abaco and Grand Bahama are continuing apace and that progress has been limited by labor shortages and even a supplies shortage as typical supply chain operations have been disrupted because of the pandemic,” he said while delivering the 2021/2022 annual budget communication in the House of Assembly yesterday.

“To continue to support the reconstruction efforts in Abaco and Grand Bahama, we are extending the current relief order, known as the SERZ order, to the end of December 2021. This order provides tax relief for the full suite of construction-related supplies and activities and it will go a long way in supporting the full restoration of the impacted communities.”

Minnis yesterday outlined the Accelerate Bahamas Recovery Plan, which he said would boost economic growth and continue to support the most vulnerable in the country. He said a part of that plan includes the establishment of a special economic zone for islands where the pace of consistent economic development has been behind that of the rest of the country.

For a period of two years, Ragged Island, San Salvador, Rum Cay, Cat Island, Long Island, Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay and Andros will be designated special economic zones and will be provided discounted value-added tax (VAT) on certain services.

“It is to spur immediate economic activity in these islands and to encourage persons to invest in homes and businesses in these islands,” the prime minister said.

“Through the provisions of an amended Family Island Development Encouragement Act (FIDEA), residents and businesses on these islands – or investing in these islands – will qualify for both duty and VAT concessions on the full range of materials they will need to build or renovate a house or to start or expand a business.”

CEO lashes out at environmental groups over BPC license renewals

Wed, May 19th 2021, 08:22 AM

Following calls from local and international environmental groups urging the government to deny Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) license renewals, its outgoing Chief Executive Officer Simon Potter lashed out at what he called spurious and unsolicited legal advice to the Bahamas government.

After failing at finding commercial quantities of oil after drilling its Perseverance #1 well, BPC announced in March that it applied to extend its four southern licenses for an additional three-year “drill or drop” exploration period, much to the chagrin of environmentalists who were unsuccessful at stopping the first drilling. Potter in a statement yesterday asserted that the environmentalists’ push for the government not to extend the licenses calls into question the integrity of agreements between The Bahamas and investment companies. “The licensing regime in The Bahamas is no different to that in place in many other advanced economies, a core component being the notion that energy companies agree to assume considerable financial risk, whilst host governments do not, in the clear expectation that license rights, once granted, will be respected,” he said. “If this were not the case, if the integrity of agreements could not be relied upon, then companies would never invest such huge volumes of capital, let alone explore for resources to enrich a nation’s economy, with a resource that takes decades to create a return on that company’s investment. It is entirely spurious for foreign environmental groups to offer unsolicited ‘legal advice’ on a matter of which they have no background, no knowledge, no insight and certainly no experience or expertise.” His comments came after environmental group Earthjustice, a US-based non-profit environmental law organization, stated that the government could use its complete discretion and authority to deny BPC’s four southern licenses for oil exploration, noting that it would be consistent with its economic, environmental and ethical commitments to protect the marine resources of The Bahamas. “Environmentalists have repeatedly complained that the confidential license documents between BPC and the government of The Bahamas have never been published. Now these same environmentalists appear able to comment in detail on their contents and their applicability. Well, which is it?” he said. “The simple fact is that the government of The Bahamas awarded hydrocarbon exploration licenses to BPC in 2007. Since that time, those licenses have been extended and renewed on various occasions by administrations of each political persuasion, in accordance with their terms, in reliance of which BPC has expended over $150 million in safe and responsible activities honoring its obligations under those licenses.” The Minnis administration has said it is against oil drilling in The Bahamas, however no government official has commented on whether it will approve of BPC’s application to renew its licenses. Last month BPC announced an overhaul of the company, including a restructuring of its board, a new CEO and a change in its name to Challenger Energy Group Plc.

After failing at finding commercial quantities of oil after drilling its Perseverance #1 well, BPC announced in March that it applied to extend its four southern licenses for an additional three-year “drill or drop” exploration period, much to the chagrin of environmentalists who were unsuccessful at stopping the first drilling.

Potter in a statement yesterday asserted that the environmentalists’ push for the government not to extend the licenses calls into question the integrity of agreements between The Bahamas and investment companies.

“The licensing regime in The Bahamas is no different to that in place in many other advanced economies, a core component being the notion that energy companies agree to assume considerable financial risk, whilst host governments do not, in the clear expectation that license rights, once granted, will be respected,” he said.

“If this were not the case, if the integrity of agreements could not be relied upon, then companies would never invest such huge volumes of capital, let alone explore for resources to enrich a nation’s economy, with a resource that takes decades to create a return on that company’s investment. It is entirely spurious for foreign environmental groups to offer unsolicited ‘legal advice’ on a matter of which they have no background, no knowledge, no insight and certainly no experience or expertise.”

His comments came after environmental group Earthjustice, a US-based non-profit environmental law organization, stated that the government could use its complete discretion and authority to deny BPC’s four southern licenses for oil exploration, noting that it would be consistent with its economic, environmental and ethical commitments to protect the marine resources of The Bahamas.

“Environmentalists have repeatedly complained that the confidential license documents between BPC and the government of The Bahamas have never been published. Now these same environmentalists appear able to comment in detail on their contents and their applicability. Well, which is it?” he said.

“The simple fact is that the government of The Bahamas awarded hydrocarbon exploration licenses to BPC in 2007. Since that time, those licenses have been extended and renewed on various occasions by administrations of each political persuasion, in accordance with their terms, in reliance of which BPC has expended over $150 million in safe and responsible activities honoring its obligations under those licenses.”

The Minnis administration has said it is against oil drilling in The Bahamas, however no government official has commented on whether it will approve of BPC’s application to renew its licenses.

Last month BPC announced an overhaul of the company, including a restructuring of its board, a new CEO and a change in its name to Challenger Energy Group Plc.

'Govt to demolish illegal shanties on NP'

Wed, May 12th 2021, 07:58 AM

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works Desmond Bannister yesterday dismissed calls from United Nations (UN) human rights experts to halt the demolition of The Farm shantytown on Abaco, and said plans are in place to begin a similar exercise on New Providence "very soon". 

But Bannister said the demolition exercise is in the best interest of Bahamians and said that without action, public health issues could arise. “When I saw that, there were two questions I asked myself,” he told reporters outside Cabinet. “The first question is, ‘What is in the best interest of the Bahamian people whose interests I am supposed to represent?’ “And then the other question is, ‘What are the consequences of me not doing my job?’ “The consequences of me not doing my job is that we could have a spread of E.coli in Abaco. Innocent people’s water in Abaco might be contaminated and people could be sick. We could have the constant widespread anomie in our country where people decide that they’re going to go on other people’s land and take it over. “And I can tell you that complaints in New Providence and elsewhere now have increased. I have a number of complaints from Bahamians who are saying that when they go to their property now, they are meeting shanty houses. We are going to have to conduct an exercise in New Providence because of that very soon.” Bannister said that otherwise, The Bahamas could become “like Haiti”.

In a statement issued on Friday, the UN called on the government to halt further demolitions in The Farm shantytown on Abaco, arguing that the “forced evictions and demolitions” would force residents, who are primarily Haitian migrants, into “homelessness and extreme poverty”.

But Bannister said the demolition exercise is in the best interest of Bahamians and said that without action, public health issues could arise.

“When I saw that, there were two questions I asked myself,” he told reporters outside Cabinet.

“The first question is, ‘What is in the best interest of the Bahamian people whose interests I am supposed to represent?’

“And then the other question is, ‘What are the consequences of me not doing my job?’

“The consequences of me not doing my job is that we could have a spread of E.coli in Abaco. Innocent people’s water in Abaco might be contaminated and people could be sick. We could have the constant widespread anomie in our country where people decide that they’re going to go on other people’s land and take it over.

“And I can tell you that complaints in New Providence and elsewhere now have increased. I have a number of complaints from Bahamians who are saying that when they go to their property now, they are meeting shanty houses. We are going to have to conduct an exercise in New Providence because of that very soon.”

Bannister said that otherwise, The Bahamas could become “like Haiti”.

 

Water supply system 'not designed for fire flows'

Water supply system 'not designed for fire flows'

Thu, May 6th 2021, 06:00 AM

IN the wake of concerns about water pressure as firefighters battled a massive blaze on Sunday, the Water and Sewerage Corporation said New Providence's water supply system was "not designed to provide fire flows".

In a statement issued yesterday, the utility provider said, “As has been expressed by the corporation previously after major fires, our New Providence water supply system was not designed to provide fire flows. Fire flow systems usually have a design capacity in excess of 1,000 gallons per minute, however only a limited amount of our transmission mains have that operational capacity.” #WSC said it will continue to work with the central government and Police Fire Services for the installation of groundwater fire wells in strategic locations for firefighting purposes and for all fire equipment to be outfitted with high capacity suction and discharge systems. #“Our geography is such that we are surrounded by water and have a high water table, therefore our firefighting water supply strategy must be based on harnessing these natural resources in times of emergencies,” WSC said. #On Tuesday, Fire Services Chief Superintendent Kendrick Morris defended efforts to fight a massive blaze at Jennie Street on Sunday, insisting “water was never an issue”. #While he admitted that fire fighters faced an issue with pressure from a hydrant, he said water was available. #On Monday, residents of the area told The Tribune they believed their homes could have been saved. They blamed issues with water for there not being a better outcome. #Six homes burned to the ground and four others were damaged in the blaze. #CSP Morris said on Tuesday: “With any fire there are challenges. Like I’ve said, pressure was a problem coming from the hydrant, but we were getting water. The pressure was not what we would have liked for it to have been, but water was never an issue.” #He also said: “When the officers arrive on the scene, each fire hydrant supplies 1,000 gallons of water at any given time. #“Feel free to visit the fire department at any given time and I will show you what goes on here. #“The trucks after every call do not come back to base without doing a fill up. So, that is never an issue. The truck cannot be parked at base without water so whenever they respond they respond with water at any given time. #“We have three trucks in service, and they carry 1,000 gallons of water. We also have a pumper that carries 2,000 gallons of water.”

In a statement issued yesterday, the utility provider said, “As has been expressed by the corporation previously after major fires, our New Providence water supply system was not designed to provide fire flows. Fire flow systems usually have a design capacity in excess of 1,000 gallons per minute, however only a limited amount of our transmission mains have that operational capacity.”

WSC said it will continue to work with the central government and Police Fire Services for the installation of groundwater fire wells in strategic locations for firefighting purposes and for all fire equipment to be outfitted with high capacity suction and discharge systems.

“Our geography is such that we are surrounded by water and have a high water table, therefore our firefighting water supply strategy must be based on harnessing these natural resources in times of emergencies,” WSC said.

On Tuesday, Fire Services Chief Superintendent Kendrick Morris defended efforts to fight a massive blaze at Jennie Street on Sunday, insisting “water was never an issue”.

While he admitted that fire fighters faced an issue with pressure from a hydrant, he said water was available.

On Monday, residents of the area told The Tribune they believed their homes could have been saved. They blamed issues with water for there not being a better outcome.

Six homes burned to the ground and four others were damaged in the blaze.

CSP Morris said on Tuesday: “With any fire there are challenges. Like I’ve said, pressure was a problem coming from the hydrant, but we were getting water. The pressure was not what we would have liked for it to have been, but water was never an issue.”

He also said: “When the officers arrive on the scene, each fire hydrant supplies 1,000 gallons of water at any given time.

“Feel free to visit the fire department at any given time and I will show you what goes on here.

“The trucks after every call do not come back to base without doing a fill up. So, that is never an issue. The truck cannot be parked at base without water so whenever they respond they respond with water at any given time.

“We have three trucks in service, and they carry 1,000 gallons of water. We also have a pumper that carries 2,000 gallons of water.”