Allegations in briefing notes written for Defence Minister Peter MacKay
As France engages in a debate over national identity, critics point to the emergence of a troubling anti-Muslim subtext that suggests Islam is incompatible with French culture
Delays in climate-change regulations, intended to match U.S. policy, are expected to add to cost and logistical effort
Coup feared as top judges throw out senior ministers’ amnesty on corruption charges; not clear whether judiciary or government is in charge
The great conference seems to have whistled by the challenge of the East Anglia e-mails
A promise to achieve a goal by 2050 is scarcely worth the paper it is written on
After years of political upheaval the hemisphere’s poorest country, Haiti, is enjoying a period of relative stability and progress. The economy is growing for the first time in decades, and violence is down, thanks in large part to a United Nations military force, led by Brazil and Argentina and Chile.
In fact, Haiti’s government, together with private sector leaders, are declaring that the country is once again “open for business.â€
That was their message at the 33rd annual Miami Conference on the Caribbean, held recently at the downtown Intercontinental Hotel, saying the country is working on making it easier and cheaper for investors to do business there.
Improvements have been made at the port terminal in Port-au-Prince to speed up handling of commerce, industry leaders say. The number of days needed to open a new business, has been cut from 250 to only 75.
“There’s a different energy about Haiti. It’s exciting,” said Jose Perez-Jones, senior vice president of Miami-based shipping line Seaboard Marine, which has seen its Haitian imports and exports grow this year.
Employment in the garment industry has more than doubled in the last three years, up from 12,000 in 2006, to 26,000, with Brazilian, Korean and U.S. companies looking to invest in new factories.
Vietnamese investors are also looking to invest in the state-run telephone company.
Tropical Telecom, an internet service provider invested about $7 million this year and plans to invest another $5 million next year.
Haiti’s new pro-business attitude has won the backing of major international supporters, led by former U.S. president Bill Clinton, who was recently named U.N. envoy to the country of 9 million.
In the past Haiti’s private sector has been blamed for preserving inefficient monopolies and ignoring the country’s well-being. That appears to be changing.
“There is a new sense of belief in ourselves, that we can and e have to do things better,” said businessman Gregory Mevs. “It’s not just one or two of us, it’s a collective realization that we have a social responsibility to lift up our country.â€
The WIN Group, owned by the Mevs family, is developing a $45 million industrial park with the backing of the Soros Economic Development Fund, headed by George Soros, the financier and philanthropist.
“The mentality is changing in Haiti. Laws are being passed and there are rules in play,†said Richard Coles, Haiti’s largest garment manufacturer, with 6,000 workers supplying the Hanes brand. “Those of us who invest in Haiti are seeing returns.”
But Haiti still has a long way to go.
In a ranking of business-friendly countries, Haiti ranked 151st out of 183, only two places above Iraq, according to a recent World Bank study.
The country’s economy is still reeling for the effects of a rebellion that overthrew the government in 2004, as well as a series of devastating storms and hurricanes that struck the island in 2004 and 2008, that killed hundreds, flooded entire cities and caused widespread crop losses.
“You are not going to have political stability in a country where people are starving,†said Ralph Moss, vice president for Governmental Affairs at Seaboard Corporation, which has major shipping and flour interests in Haiti.
Business leaders hope to attract Haitian professionals who abandoned the country during turmoil, and now live in the U.S., concentrated in the South Florida and New York areas. An estimated 80 % of Haiti’s professional workforce live outside the country, according to Joseph Baptiste of the National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians.
The country’s new Prime Minister, Jean Max Bellerive, addressed the conference, welcoming investors and committing his government to facilitate business.
Despite Grand Bahama Port Authority Honourary Chair-man Sir Jack Hayward’s disclosure Wednesday of an agreement to sell his shares in the company and Port Group Limited, one local attorney says it is a “flam.”
In fact, government has yet to give its approval and State Minister of Finance Zhivargo Laing said yesterday it is a non-issue as they know nothing about a sale.
“All of that, to me, is speculation. We don’t have anything before us to consider and so we don’t know what the deal is. So it won’t be useful to go there. We just really don’t know,” he told The Freeport News when questioned what government’s next move would be now that Sir Jack had said his shares are already sold.
Sir Jack, in an exclusive interview with this daily on Wednesday, said he and his trustees signed the deal last Friday to turn over the shares he owns to an unnamed investor group.
But according to Minister Laing, government approval must be given for such a transaction.
When questioned whether that purported deal could be voided by government on learning that it has occurred, Minister Laing said he did not wish to get “caught up” with (addressing) that (issue).
“That isn’t a question for me to answer right now,” he said. “This much is true, investing in The Bahamas requires the consent of the government.”
When pressed on whether government will seek to investigate the new purported investors, the minister said that no investigation is necessary as there is nothing before government.
“If something is before us then we do what is standard in these circumstances,” he said.
The Hayward family owns 50 percent and Sir Jack’s late partner Edward St. George owns the other 50 percent which is being managed by the St. George’s Estate.
Sir Jack produced on Wednesday a letter to Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham dated December 14, 2009, in which he officially informed the prime minister of the “good news” of the signing.
However, Sir Jack was uncertain as to whether the nation’s chief was in receipt of the letter before leaving for Denmark to attend the United Nations Climate Change Con-ference on the same day.
While Sir Jack is of the belief that Prime Minister Ingraham was made aware of the signing last Saturday by South Abaco MP Edison Key who was “instrumental” in bringing the new investors to Grand Bahama, he revealed that he has yet to get a response from the prime minister.
The group, Sir Jack said, is impressed with the present management of the GBPA and PGL and do not want to disturb that management when they take over.
And, he assured, that due diligence was done on the group which invests, promotes, seeks out industry and tourist-related operations.
Before leaving for Denmark, the prime minister revealed at a press conference that the government would not be renewing the work permit of GBPA executive chairman Hannes Babak.
Questioned what the future holds for Babak if his permit is not renewed, Sir Jack confirmed reports that Babak might have to operate out of the Caymans.
“The holding company, IDC is a Cayman Island company, so I’m sure he’ll be welcomed in the Caymans,” Sir Jack said.
Over the last three years, the Haywards and St. Georges have been locked in a legal battle over ownership with the Haywards claiming they actually own 75 percent of the assets.
But according to Sir Jack, the St. George Estate is aware of who the new owners of his shares are and they are “very much in agreement.”
For now, he said he hopes government will keep its promise in helping Freeport recover and do their best to support the GBPA in its en-deavours to restore Freeport.
“A lot of this has been caused by successive governments’ procrastination of the Oasis hotel, but that’s past history and I just hope the government is going to keep its promise in helping to develop Freeport and let it prosper and not interfere and sabotage our efforts,” he said.
Speaking as a Bahamian citizen, long-time resident, licensee and employer of Freeport, Attorney Fred Smith called the move by Sir Jack “a flam.”
“Jack and Babak are just flamming Freeport again. Just like the prime minister said I’m flamming the people in the Wilson City case, this is nothing more than a flam, just like the Flemings were a flam,” he said, referring to the last group the Haywards announced would be taking over their shares.
“I am shocked at the arrogance displayed by Sir Jack in making this announcement of a purchaser of his shares. The Port Authority is not an elected representative body. It is a company that is owned by two families and they have an ethical and moral responsibility to behave sensibly and rationally in the administration of the Port Authority’s affairs,” Smith said.
Smith insisted that Sir Jack has an obligation in trying to sell his shares to get approval as the Hawksbill Creek Agree-ment provides that there will be no change in beneficial ownership without government approval.
Smith also charged that it was irresponsible of Sir Jack to have signed an agreement with the group and that it shows a lack of bonafide on the part of the prospective group whom he said came in the still of the night without introducing themselves to the Bahamas government and signed an agreement.
NASSAU, Bahamas (Reuters) — British businessman Sir Jack Hayward said on Wednesday he had sold his 50 percent stake in the Grand Bahama Port Authority, the quasi-governmental authority that runs the second-largest city in the Bahamas.
Hayward did not disclose the buyer of his interest in the privately held corporation that controls much of Freeport, citing a confidentiality clause in the sales agreement.
The terms of the sale have also not been announced, but Hayward described the purchasers as having “a real zeal for investment and bringing loads of money into Freeport” in comments to Reuters.
Hayward has been locked in a three-year legal battle with the estate of his late business partner, Edward St George, over claims that he owned 75 percent of the Grand Bahama Port Authority.
The St George estate contends that ownership was split evenly between Hayward and his former partner, a position backed by a ruling from the Bahamian Supreme Court.
The port authority, or GBPA, has interests ranging from property development and municipal services to airport and harbour operations and shipyard concerns.
Government officials were not immediately available for comment on the deal, which Hayward said he had disclosed to Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham on Monday.
But he said he was confident the government would not stand in the way of the sale, which could bring much needed new investment flows to the tourism-dependent Bahamas.
“These people should be very acceptable to the Prime Minister,” Hayward said of the buyers. “It’s probably one of the most exciting investments in the Bahamas’ history,” he added.
MIAMI, USA — A Guyanese national has been indicted on charges of conspiracy and alien smuggling in connection with her role in the smuggling or attempted smuggling of four Indian nationals into the United States following an investigation led by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE’s) Office of Investigations in Miami.
Annita Devi Gerald, aka Annita Rampersad, 52, was charged in a nine-count indictment filed on Wednesday by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas on charges of conspiracy, encouraging and inducing aliens to come to the United States for profit, and bringing aliens to the United States for profit. Gerald was arrested by ICE special agents in Houston on November 17 and has been held without bond since that time.
In July 2008, ICE special agents in Miami obtained information that Gerald was the alleged leader of an alien smuggling organization and initiated an investigation.
According to the indictment, from approximately April 2009 to November 17, Gerald and others conspired to smuggle four Indian nationals into the United States. Gerald and her co-conspirators allegedly fraudulently obtained Belizean visas for the Indian nationals and escorted them from India to Belize, moving through various countries in Central and South America. Gerald allegedly provided lodging for all four Indian nationals in Belize while further smuggling arrangements were made.
In August 2009, Gerald allegedly arranged transportation for one of the Indian nationals to cross the border from Belize into Mexico where he met with Gerald’s co-conspirator, Dhanraj Samuel, 52, of Trinidad and Tobago, who escorted him through Mexico. In Monterrey, Mexico, Gerald’s co-conspirator paid a Mexico-based smuggler to illegally transport the individual across the Mexico-US border to Houston. After making these arrangements, Gerald’s co-conspirator allegedly flew to Houston where the co-conspirator received the Indian national at a motel approximately 10 days later. The smugglers who delivered the Indian national to Gerald’s co-conspirator in Houston allegedly demanded and received a smuggling payment prior to releasing him. The Indian national smuggled to Houston is currently being detained by ICE pending removal. The whereabouts of the other three Indian nationals allegedly harbored by Gerald in Belize is currently unknown.
On Aug. 25, ICE special agents arrested Gerald’s co-conspirator, Dhanraj Samuel, in Pompano Beach, Fla. for violations of bringing aliens to the US for profit and aiding and abetting and conspiracy.
If convicted, Gerald faces a maximum prison sentence of five years for conspiracy and 10 years for each of the four counts of encouraging and inducing aliens to come to the United States for profit. Additionally, she faces the maximum penalty for each of the four counts of bringing aliens to the United States for profit, which is 10 years for a first or second violation and 15 years for any other violation. She also faces a fine of up to $250,000.
Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content.
SHABBA, SHAGGY TO PERFORM AT POST ADIDAS GRAND PRIX CONCERT IN NY
Foundation dancehall artiste Rexton Rawlston Gordon, popularly know to fans as Shabba Ranks is set to perform at the “adidas Jamboree” concert, Randall’s Island, New York on Saturday, June 9. The concert – which will serve as a 50th anniversary celebration for both Jamaica and Trinidad – will take place at the conclusion of the [...]
One Caribbean International Presents: CELEBRITY SOCCER CULTURAL FEST – THE BIGGEST FAMILY FUN DAY!
Fort Lauderdale – On Memorial Day, May 28th all roads will lead to the greatest Celebrity Soccer Cultural Festival in South Florida “Celebrating Jamaica’s 50th Year of Independence.” One Caribbean International’s will be hosting its’ 7th annual festival and Yes Jamaica’s 50th Year of Independence at Central Broward Regional Park, located at 3700 NW 11th [...]
About One Love Reggae Fest The One Love Reggae Festival will unite diverse cultures within South Florida through “One Love, One Heart and One Music”. This event will be held on Sunday, May 13, 2012 in West Palm Beach, Florida at the Cruzan Amphitheater. The 2011 Festival boasted a huge attendance of more than 5000 [...]
PM PORTIA SIMPSON-MILLER DA ZYNC BUZZ HEDA ROSE (NY LINKZ/ZYNC TV): May 4 – 11
BY ZYNC TV ON THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF NEW YORK LINKZ: JAMAICAN PRIME MINISTER PORTIA SIMPSON-MILLER VISITS THE NORTH-EAST DIASPORA; A PREVIEW OF THE FUN AND EXCITEMENT AT 2012 PENN RELAYS; A PREVIEW OF GRAMPS MORGAN AND RAGASHANTI TAKING OVER NEW YORK CARIBBEAN RADIO; PLUS SHERMAIN GIVES TIPS ON IMPRESSING YOUR BOYFRIEND’S PARENTS IN IMAGE [...]
Lloyd Brevett, founding member of The Skatalites, passes away aged 80
Lloyd Brevett, the Skatalites’ inimitable double bass player, has died following complications from a recent stroke. As The Washington Post report, Brevett fell ill in March following the murder of his son in Kingston. Anyone lucky enough to have seen The Skatalites live will be able to testify to Brevett’s remarkable charisma. His on-stage presence [...]
GFBC WORLD NEWS
