INSIDE GRENADA FEBRUARY 13, 2008 by Sandra C. Ferguson Hon. Clarice Modeste-Curwen Minister of Tourism,Civil Aviation and Culture Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture Ministerial Complex St. George’s Hon. Minister, During the holiday period, we the people have noted that, as Minister of Tourism, you were in the spotlight making speeches at the official ceremonies in respect of Levera Resort and Port Louis. Therefore, Hon. Minster, I afford myself the opportunity to offer the following observations and queries for your attention. 1. Levera Resort: We have heard that the Levera development is now being spearheaded by a couple, the Taylors, one half of whom is “home people” from St. Patrick’s and the other half, an English investment banker, Mr. Paul Taylor. We have also heard that: • The Taylors are spearheading an eco-resort that they intend to be a LEGACY to Grenada. • The resort will be sensitive to environmental concerns, • the resort will be low density • there will not be a golf course • the resort is interested in integrating with the local community to ensure benefits to the community. E.g. farmers • Issues relating to the protection of the environmental integrity of the area as a nesting site for turtles are being addressed. • Re-vegetation and restoration of the area has already commenced using local labour. All of this SOUNDS very nice. In fact, considering how things go in Grenada, it sounds almost TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. We also understand that: • The resort will be targeting wealthy European clients for the sale of condos and villas. • PEARLS AIRFIELD will be operated by the Levera Resort Development as a dedicated private airfield for domestic flights to and from Point Salines. It is hoped that the airfield could be upgraded to accept regional traffic. Madam Minister, the transactions relating to the Levera development has been shrouded in SECRECY – first with the former developers as it is with the present developers. As we understand it, your administration acquired 200 acres of citizens’ land and turned it over to the former developers as its contribution. Then it guaranteed a loan of $29 million for the former developers who drew down on the funds, destroyed the property and left. You would therefore appreciate Madam Minister that we the people have significant interest in the transactions relating to Levera and its environs. Since Levera is by and large the property of we the people, permit me the following queries. • WHO are these developers? Who is Mr. Taylor? Is he an HEIR? Did he win the Spanish LOTTO? • What and where are his EXISTING BUSINESS interests? • Have DUE DILIGENCE BACKGROUND CHECKS been duly conducted on the developers and their associate partners/financiers? • Under what TERMS and CONDITIONS has this transfer been made to the control and ownership of the new developers? • Since this development is in essence another REAL ESTATE development, buying and selling property – HOW MUCH MONEY WILL THE TREASURY BE COLLECTING from property taxes, alien holding fees, property transfer taxes, exchange controls, income taxes, corporate taxes etc? • Have the new developers/investors PAID OFF THE DEBT which was incurred by the previous developers and which was guaranteed by the Government of Grenada, thus forming part of the Public Debt? If the debt was paid off, WHAT DID THE GOVERNMENT HAVE TO GIVE IN RETURN? • What FISCAL INCENTIVE package are these developers benefiting from? • What are the ARRANGEMENTS IN RESPECT OF THE OPERATION OF PEARLS AIRFIELD? What are the arrangements as it relates to SECURITY AND BORDER CONTROL. (Never mind that it is for domestic flights!! How do we protect our borders?) Are we going to be leaving it up our new found GODFATHERS to run things as they wish or are we as a country going to exercise AUTHORITY and RESPONSIBILITY? Or has your administration already abdicated these for some pieces of silver? And if so, how many pieces and HOW MANY PIECES OF THE SILVER WENT TO THE TREASURY? • Is the PUBLIC ACCESS to the Bathway area impacted and affected in any way? Since we the natives LOST THE SOUTH - Calivigny Island, to Mr. Cohen and then Hog Island to Mike Pemberton and Cinnamon 88 – the north, Bathway and Levera has taken on even more significance to we natives. • How will the use of Levera beach by locals and fishermen, in particular, be affected by this project? While I hear what is being SAID about the Levera Resort creating a LEGACY for Grenada, I beg to DISAGREE that the proposed project is REAL legacy for the BENEFIT of “we, the people”. We really should learn from what happened in the south. We the people never truly appreciated the REAL LEGACY until we lost access – the rights that we took for granted to experience and enjoy a “lime” with friends and family on those enchanting little rocks - Calivigny Island and Hog Island - and the surrounding beaches and water. Even if we were “ketching hell”, we could still go to “chill out”, forget for a while, hunt and fish and thank Jah for the blessings He had bestowed. We did not have to be MILLIONAIRES to enjoy PARADISE. Then Cohen and Pemberton came with their silver and BOUGHT the islands. The REAL LEGACY - the right to freely enjoy the simple pleasures of this paradise - was SOLD to those who had the silver. And now the SAME FATE has befallen Levera?! The areas in both the south and the north Madam Minister were identified as areas to be protected under the National Parks and Protected areas system. The National Parks and Protected Areas programme, elaborated in 1988 with assistance from the OAS: (i) identified and made recommendations for a course of action to be undertaken for the protection and use of the country’s outstanding natural and cultural heritage (ii) sought to encourage public understanding, appreciation and use of that heritage in ways which would leave it unimpaired for the enjoyment by and use of future generations (iii) was intended to promote and guarantee a continual flow of social and economic benefits to the Grenadian people Now your administration, to whom we the people, entrusted the responsibility of managing our affairs has DISPOSSESSED many of its citizens to sell out Levera, OUR LEGACY, considered as the most scenic and spectacular coastal area in Grenada to PRIVATE DEVELOPERS so that they can then sell it to the HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL BIDDER. With all due respect to “home people”, Hon. Minister, the real legacy of projects like Levera Resort, Cinnamon 88 and Calivigny Island is that - with the full co-operation and complicity of your administration - we the people are well on our way to becoming “LIKE ALIENS IN WE OWN LAND” so ably expressed by Mighty Pep of St. Lucia: “Like an alien in we own land, I feel like a stranger and I sensing danger We can’t sell out the whole country to please foreign lobby What’s the point of progress Is it really success If we gain ten billion But lose the land we live on. It is time for GOOD SENSE to prevail. Sincerely yours, Sandra C.A. Ferguson