Mayaguana Businessman Says Gov’t Slow To Answer Application

The Journal spoke recently with Earnel Brown, a Mayaguana hotelier who says he is "discouraged" by the lack of response to his application, and is calling on the government to respond as quickly to the "dreams" and plans of local investors as the government is perceived to do for foreign investors.

Mr. Brown pointed out that he applied for the land in late 2003, early 2004, and has not yet heard a yes or no from the government.

"See the thing is, if I have a dream about something and I can’t get a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as to if (whether) I’m going to get some land, for example, then it’s easy for that dream to fade, because the circumstances are not in your control," Mr. Brown told the Journal.

"These are just little things that kind of discourage us, but those of us who have the ‘stickability’ and those real plans, I guess the only thing we could do is try to move ahead and hope for the best."

Mr. Brown "hastened" to say that he understood such matters took time.

"It’s just that I feel like there ought to be some immediate or quick resolution to applications when Bahamian persons apply – I feel like the government should facilitate it," he said.

Mr. Brown, whose Baytana Resort regularly hosts the executives of the I-Group when they are on Mayaguana, told the Journal that he has even spoken to Prime Minister Perry Christie about his plans, and had been invited by Mr. Christie to Nassau to discuss the ideas further.

"That’s good, and I appreciate the gesture (of the invitation), but in the meantime we are still waiting," Mr. Brown noted.

He said that he has been to Nassau twice to see the prime minister, and has been unsuccessful both times.

Mr. Brown was among those who raised concerns about land in Mayaguana earlier this year; concerns Mr. Christie sought to address in March when he spoke at a ceremony in Mayaguana celebrating the signing of the I-Group deal.

According to Mr. Brown, nobody on Mayaguana objects to the I-Group’s presence. In fact, he said the foreign investors are welcome, and applauded the government for reaching an agreement with the group.

However, Mr. Brown said that about a year before the I-Group’s proposal went to government, a number of Mayaguana businesspeople had applied to the government for land "to do various things."

While noting that he is still awaiting word on his application for land to expand his business, Mr. Brown insisted that his remarks were "not a negative criticism of the government."

Mr. Christie told the gathering in Mayaguana in March that "there is to be no conflicting application" for land between the 10,000 acres granted to the I-Group to develop, and the land sought by Mayaguanians like Mr. Brown, who have developments of their own planned.

The prime minister assured that every person who had applied for land would have land outside the development area.

Mr. Brown still wants to expand Baytana, "more-so now than ever," he said with a chuckle.

He was also quite sanguine about the I-Group’s involvement in Mayaguana, and particularly his own interaction with the investment group.

"I would say I’m comfortable and satisfied with the benefit and opportunities that I’ve had," Mr. Brown said. "I would say from the time that the I-Group were (on Mayaguana) prior to the signing of the heads of agreement, they have patronized my business…to a very comfortable and appreciated level.

"You know, the good thing about it for me is that it seems like they like to try and spread whatever the little is around to as much of the locals as possible as far as trying to get everybody to benefit a little," he added.

Mr. Brown said he knew "a couple" of other businesses he said were "really benefiting."

"So far, I would give (the I-Group) a good standing grade," Mr. Brown said.

Minister of Financial Services and Investments Vincent Peet told the Journal on Monday that while he was not specifically aware of Mr. Brown’s application, there are all sorts of reasons for delays in approval and he would have to check with his office to see why the application has not yet been approved.