In the House Of Assembly this week Leader Of the Opposition, the Hon. Michael Pintard chastised the government over its handling of Bahamas Power & Light (BPL). Pintard and Minister of Transport and Energy, the Hon. Jobeth Coleby-Davis argued over a $7 million land deal started under the Minnis Administration.
Minister Coleby-Davis said, “a land purchasing deal and paid $7 million out of BPL’s already cash strapped bank book to a company who was selling land and never closed the deal. The cost was $14 million. They paid $7 million and we got no land. The person still holds the land. They have our $7 million dollars. The deal never closed and this was a part of their energy reform plan.”
In response Pintard asked about competitive bidding in the granting of energy contracts. “With respect to the solarization projects, yes in the family islands, competitive bidding. In New Providence, competitive bidding. In New Providence, at the heart of the BPL arrangements, whether on the generation side or on the LNG side we don’t see the competitive bidding.”
Prime Minister Davis also responded to Pintard in the House Of Assembly. He said, “you see where the Leader of the Opposition tends to go in his quest to replace me, to be where I am, I see that. I just hope that when the shoe is on my foot and I engage him in the same manner he engages he’s able to withstand what I have to say.”
On Thursday the Prime Minister repeated the charge against the Minnis administration. He said, ” it was under their watch that they executed an agreement to sell land, paid $7 million as the deposit and we still haven’t gotten it back yet.”
In the latest round of energy sector reform deals the Davis administration signed two deals last week with FOCOL and Shell . One for the development of liquified natural gas
