In what is being described as “a curious development” in the ongoing efforts of the government to avoid the financial sector being blacklisted by the European Union, Prime Minister, Doctor Hubert Minnis will travel to Brussels, Belgium today to hold bilateral talks with high-ranking officials of the European Commission.
What is curious is the fact that the Minister of Finance, Peter Turnquest, the Minister of Financial Services, Trade and Industry, Brent Symonette nor the Financial Secretary Marlon Johnson are a part of the delegation.
Political observers are shocked and dumbfounded as why these persons who participated in the negotiations before and under whose portfolios these matters fall are excluded from the trip.
A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said, “discussions will focus on matters relating to the fulfillment by The Bahamas of its commitments to the EU, and how those commitments will be implemented by the financial services sector of The Bahamas.”
The Prime Minister Minnis will be promoting recent initiatives by the Government in the financial services sector.
‘The Prime Minister will outline recently passed legislation and a new framework aimed at strengthening industry regulations and protecting the financial services’ competitive edge as a leading international financial center.
“The Government is working diligently and in cooperation with industry stakeholders to do everything possible, in keeping with our national interests, to protect the financial services sector, while adhering to global standards,” said Prime Minister Minnis.
Attorney General Senator Carl Bethel; Viana Gardiner, Chief Operating Officer in the Prime Minister Delivery Unit; Stephen Coakley Wells, advisor to the Minister of Finance; Wendy Warren, Chief Executive Officer of Caystone Group; Michael Paton, Partner, Lennox Paton; and a team of advisors will accompany the Prime Minister to Brussels.
Prime Minister Minnis and his delegation will return to Nassau on Wednesday, January 16th.
In an announcement last night the chairman of the Progressive Liberal Party, Senator Fred Mitchell said that the Prime Minister is to fly to Brussels to meet with ” high ranking European Officials” is quite strange. How is it that a Prime Minister who has a Finance Minister, an International Trade Minister, a Foreign Minister and an Ambassador to the European Union so lowers himself to meet with European Union officials…no one of equal rank of a Prime Minister. This makes our country look like a country of grovelling mendicants with our caps in our hands saying : ” Please sirs we want some more”.
Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest will act as prime minister in the Prime Minister’s absence.
