Discusses with business community

ways to improve the City of Freeport

By LEDEDRA MARCHE

Senior FN Reporter

lededra@nasguard.com

Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) executives met with lawyers, accountants and bankers yesterday to discuss the company's new vision for Freeport.

The GBPA hosted the licensees to a luncheon at the Westin Grand Bahama Island at Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort.

Chairman Hannes Babak, at a subsequent meeting, briefed the media on the purpose of the talks, revealing that it was to discuss how the Port Authority can improve and become more transparent.

Babak said determining how the GBPA – the licensing authority of Freeport – can react quicker to requests for licences was also up for discussion.

The move comes weeks after much criticism on the sluggish state of the economy of Grand Bahama.

"Part of the community that was here today represents all the clients, all investors who are investing already in Grand Bahama, in Freeport, but especially all (of the new) investors," said Babak.

GBPA Chief Executive Officer Albert Miller said the luncheon produced positive feedback from the group which represents a cross section of the business community.

Sir Albert also revealed that he and the chairman met last Thursday with Prime Minister Christie and with Minister of Financial Services Vincent Peet on Monday.

"We told him of our vision," he said of the meeting with the Prime Minister. "We told him about things we think we can do to help turn the economy around in Freeport."

Regarding the existing process for obtaining a licence in Freeport, the CEO says they are working on a plan to speed it up that will allow for Bahamians and non-Bahamians to get answers more quickly.

Sir Albert says the aim is to remove that stigma from the Port Authority where people are afraid to come to the Port Authority for answers and feel the organization is not serving the community.

"We want to cut that out. We want to be transparent, we want to be quick, we want you to see us as your partners, as a service industry," he said.

"If you want anything from the Port, we want to change that old way of doing business. We want to make life a lot easier and we want to speed up the foreign investors process."

Cognizant there are critics who have heard it all before, Sir Albert assured that from now on end, there will be a difference.

The difference this time, Sir Albert explained, is that the shareholders have assured they will not interfere.

"We think we are changing the way we did business. We want to be investor friendly, we want to be open, we want you to know what's going on," he added.

Also at yesterday's luncheon, the lawyers, accountants and bankers were informed that the chairman now possesses a work permit.

As for the intended acquisition of the Lucayan Marina, Sir Albert told the media the GBPA will hold a press conference and reveal what the owner intends to do with the Lucayan area in another two weeks, adding that "there is a lot of housekeeping" that needs to be done.

In another two weeks, the Port Authority is also expected to make more announcement for investment in Freeport.

"If Bahamians feel better about the relationship with the Port; if they feel that they can trust us, they can confide in us," said Sir Albert. "If they have thought of a business venture come and talk with us, we will help you to make it happen.

"We want to show that we are here to help you to do business in Freeport. We say it's a new day, a new image."

Yesterday's luncheon is the first in a series of meetings with the Freeport licensees to come.

Cognizant very little or nothing has happened over the last year, Sir Albert admits the GBPA has a lot of catching up to do.

WE MEAN BUSINESS — Grand Bahama Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Sir Albert Miller, left, and Chairman Hannes Babak met yesterday with the business community of Freeport to discuss the new vision for the city and briefed the media afterwards.(Staff photo by BRADLEY RUTHERFORD)