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Columns : Letters to The Editor Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


Greg Farrington: Pindling’s “Bend or Break” speech
By Greg Farrington
May 30, 2014 - 12:43:37 PM

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Almost over night Freeport was created from pine baron forest and mangrove swamp. It was created because Wallace Groves had vision and drive. The plan for Freeport was simple - anyone could invest here without interference from government and taxes. Freeport was booming. Hotels, restaurants, businesses and industry were all doing well. Labor was a mix of foreign and local and everyone was making money.

The Pindling government obviously saw Freeport in a different light. Prime Minister Pindling’s “Bend or Break” speech did just that, it “broke” the very core of success that Freeport had accomplished. Instead of working with a successful plan and working more Bahamians into it he destroyed it for everyone with harsh anti foreign all for Bahamians tactics. Freeport had an Exodus of foreign investors and very few Bahamians to fill the void. The population of Freeport plummeted. It has been downhill ever since. There are other factors contributing to Freeport’s demise, but government interference was the biggest blow.

Population growth is necessary for economic growth. The USA issues over 600,000 green cards a year. This population increase contributes to the increasing GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and economic growth by adding to the work force, which in turn contributes to increased housing and consumer purchases of food, clothing, entertainment and just basic living needs. This translates into economic growth and increased tax revenue for the government.

The Bahamas Government on the other hand is working opposite to the production of healthy economic growth. By not wanting to issue work permits and putting a very high price on permanent residency the economy is resting on the shoulders of the few successful companies and tourism while the increasing illegal population brings nothing but cheap labor and social problems.

The Bahamas should take a look at what made Freeport a boomtown in such a short time and maybe adopt it for the whole Bahamas. It was a successful business plan until the Pindling Government stepped in.

I believe that Freeport would have continued to grow and become a thriving Tourist/Industrial community with very successful Bahamian businesses if it had been left alone.

A small note: 60% of the GDP of the USA comes from small business. It’s the small companies that make a community. We have large foreign companies who invest big money in big projects in the Bahamas. These investments are just that, Investments. Most of these owners don’t live here or even visit. When things go bad they cut their loses and leave. There are abandoned projects throughout the Bahamas. But still yet we seem to hunt for these investors. I don’t see too many small foreign investors abandoning their condos or houses; they contribute to our economy and love it.


Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his/her private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of TheBahamasWeekly.com

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