Last amendment to HCA
After the change in Government in 1967 there were no more reviews of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement. There seemed to have been a disconnect with the Government and the Grand Bahama Port Authority.
The tax concessions of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement were to come to a close in 1990 and was put off to 1992, and then because the new Free National Movement Government was not aware of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement and its finer points, decision on what to do was put off for a year while town hall meetings were held throughout Grand Bahama.
Some said let the Port go away while others said make the extension because the economy in Grand Bahama was not what was expected when the agreement was drafted.
However in July the 1993 the Act was looked at and instead of an amendment the Act dealt with the continuation of exemptions from real property tax for a period of another twenty-two years.
(This year but again instead of making a definitive answer before August, it was put off for another six months.)
For the first time in history the Act was signed by a Governor General of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas who was Sir Clifford Darling at the time and the Grand Bahama Port Authority.
This one also said that the Government was satisfied that is desirable for the purposes of encouraging and facilitating further development with the accompanying creation of employment opportunities and therefore should consider continuing the tax exemptions for another 22 years.
It continued to say that for a period of 22 years from 4th August 1993 there would be "no real property taxes or rates and no real property levies (whether capital or periodic) of any kind shall be levied, charged or collected by the Government within the Port Are or upon or against any land, building or structure within the Port Area."
Then it outlined a number of things that Government expected from the Port in the meantime including a justice center for Supreme Court and Magistrates Court at a minimum cost of two million dollars; $7 million toward the construction of two high schools in the Port area on land donated by the Port; pay $500,000 to government for a period of five years to defray administrative costs by the government in the Port area and a review of this amount in the fifth year; fund the construction and completion by 1996 a Children's Library and maintain said structure; fund the construction by 1995 an arts and crafts teaching center and maintain it; Construct by 90 days of the signing of the agreement a fruit, vegetable and fish vendors complex on the grounds of the existing produce exchange but the cost would be equally borne between the government and the Port; assume by the end of 1996 responsibilities for and the upgrading of the water distribution to Eight Mile Rock and the western settlements; promote home porting and container port facility at Freeport Harbour; construct beachfront cottages to promote second home investment in the Port Area.
Further, to assist with the creation of local government on Grand Bahama; donate land in Freeport for a new and adequate hospital; promote the development of an international university; carry out measures that are necessary to address erosion of public beaches; conduct a feasibility study to determine water allocation for the development purposes in the Port Area; introduce additional environmental frameworks for development; Update the Master Land Use plan; establish an organization to promote Grand Bahama internationally; upgrade Freeport into a garden city in keeping with the Government's Beautiful Bahamas Programme; assume responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of Queens Highway in the Port area from High Rock settlement to Eight Mile Rock; and donate adequate land for a police headquarters in the Port area.
Looking at this list, I'm not sure we can say all of these have been satisfied since 1993.
But going over it, you be the judge by what you see and maybe what you can share to point out its accuracy.
But, 22 years later with the introduction of taxes that were promised in the past would not affect Freeport, the economy is no better than it was in 1993 and therefore begs that the addition of more taxes would not serve the country well.
Do give your thoughts on this one.
The tax concessions of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement were to come to a close in 1990 and was put off to 1992, and then because the new Free National Movement Government was not aware of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement and its finer points, decision on what to do was put off for a year while town hall meetings were held throughout Grand Bahama.
Some said let the Port go away while others said make the extension because the economy in Grand Bahama was not what was expected when the agreement was drafted.
However in July the 1993 the Act was looked at and instead of an amendment the Act dealt with the continuation of exemptions from real property tax for a period of another twenty-two years.
(This year but again instead of making a definitive answer before August, it was put off for another six months.)
For the first time in history the Act was signed by a Governor General of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas who was Sir Clifford Darling at the time and the Grand Bahama Port Authority.
This one also said that the Government was satisfied that is desirable for the purposes of encouraging and facilitating further development with the accompanying creation of employment opportunities and therefore should consider continuing the tax exemptions for another 22 years.
It continued to say that for a period of 22 years from 4th August 1993 there would be "no real property taxes or rates and no real property levies (whether capital or periodic) of any kind shall be levied, charged or collected by the Government within the Port Are or upon or against any land, building or structure within the Port Area."
Then it outlined a number of things that Government expected from the Port in the meantime including a justice center for Supreme Court and Magistrates Court at a minimum cost of two million dollars; $7 million toward the construction of two high schools in the Port area on land donated by the Port; pay $500,000 to government for a period of five years to defray administrative costs by the government in the Port area and a review of this amount in the fifth year; fund the construction and completion by 1996 a Children's Library and maintain said structure; fund the construction by 1995 an arts and crafts teaching center and maintain it; Construct by 90 days of the signing of the agreement a fruit, vegetable and fish vendors complex on the grounds of the existing produce exchange but the cost would be equally borne between the government and the Port; assume by the end of 1996 responsibilities for and the upgrading of the water distribution to Eight Mile Rock and the western settlements; promote home porting and container port facility at Freeport Harbour; construct beachfront cottages to promote second home investment in the Port Area.
Further, to assist with the creation of local government on Grand Bahama; donate land in Freeport for a new and adequate hospital; promote the development of an international university; carry out measures that are necessary to address erosion of public beaches; conduct a feasibility study to determine water allocation for the development purposes in the Port Area; introduce additional environmental frameworks for development; Update the Master Land Use plan; establish an organization to promote Grand Bahama internationally; upgrade Freeport into a garden city in keeping with the Government's Beautiful Bahamas Programme; assume responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of Queens Highway in the Port area from High Rock settlement to Eight Mile Rock; and donate adequate land for a police headquarters in the Port area.
Looking at this list, I'm not sure we can say all of these have been satisfied since 1993.
But going over it, you be the judge by what you see and maybe what you can share to point out its accuracy.
But, 22 years later with the introduction of taxes that were promised in the past would not affect Freeport, the economy is no better than it was in 1993 and therefore begs that the addition of more taxes would not serve the country well.
Do give your thoughts on this one.
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