The Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator the Hon. J. Kwasi Thompson, described Tuesday as an effective one for Grand Bahama as the government promoted the island while on an investment trip to Texas.
The delegation, headed by Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis, left for Texas on Sunday with planned stops in Austin and Houston. Others in the delegation included: Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Darren Henfield; Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator the Hon. James Kwasi Thompson; His Excellency Sidney Collie, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States of America; His Excellency Joshua Sears, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Prime Minister; His Excellency Cornelius A. (C.A.) Smith, Non-Resident Ambassador-designate for Central American States and Mrs. Linda Mackey, Bahamas Consul-General, Miami.
Minister Thompson said, “Yesterday was a very effective day particularly for Grand Bahama. The government is focused on promoting Grand Bahama and I am pleased to have the full support interest and focus of the Prime Minister on Grand Bahama. I accompanied the Prime Minister in important meetings with the Texas Association of Business.”
Stating that Austin, Texas, has some of the largest tech companies, the delegation met with representatives from Google, Gearbox, HP, Dell and other tech companies.
In addition to this, the Prime Minister and his delegation also met with universities interested in establishing linkages, particularly in the area of technology.
Minister Thompson stated, “We expressed why Grand Bahama is the ideal place for a tech hub, and benefits of doing business in The Bahamas. The contacts made were very good for Grand Bahama and we are hopeful that we will see positive results.
“We also toured the Dell headquarters and discussed possibilities for developing smart cities. We were able to meet with very senior executives and began the important step of building a relationship with them and future partnerships.”
The Minister described the meetings as having gone “extremely well” with “significant interest from both sides.” He indicated that they will be invited to visit The Bahamas, and in particular, Nassau and Grand Bahama.
The delegation began discussions with a major Crypto currency and Bitcoin company owner, who has also been invited to The Bahamas for continued discussions.
“The government is very serious about promoting Grand Bahama as a Tech hub and this visit was a great beginning and believe it will have fruitful results. We must continue to promote Grand Bahama and the benefits of doing business in Grand Bahama if we want to see improvement,” said Minister Thompson.
The Bahamas investment delegation also met with senior executives of the Port of Houston to discuss possible linkages with ports in The Bahamas, particularly ports in Grand Bahama. The initial connection was made and dialogue will continue to pursue mutual benefits for both parties.
INVESTMENT DELEGATION MEETS WITH PORT EXECUTIVES – Senator the Hon. James Kwasi Thompson, Minister of State for Grand Bahama, led the delegation and was accompanied by His Excellency Sidney Collie, Bahamas Ambassador to the United States; Mr. Joshua Sears, Senior Policy Advisor; and Mrs. Linda Mackey, Consul General, Miami, Florida during the meeting with senior executives of the Port of Houston to discuss possible linkages with ports in The Bahama, Grand Bahama in particular.
By Robyn Adderley
