Senate Advances Southern Deep Port Development Project

The government is another step closer to reviving the Commerce Bight Port in Dangriga Town and transforming it into a small cruise port. Today, the Senate passed the Southern Deep Port Development Facility Bill, which was heavily debated in the House of Representatives. The bill seeks to provide for certain exemptions from taxes and duties as the government believes the project will greatly benefit residents of the South. However, Opposition Senator Michael Peyrefitte claims the government has a special interest in the project because its developers are supporters of the People’s United Party.

Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Senator: “My philosophy remains the same, you know? If you can have an investment that benefits our community, that adds to that multiplier effect of, I guess if you have a port with yachts and it comes in and there are fees to be charged and the government makes money and the surrounding communities make money. I mean how conceptually can you be opposed to that conceptually. But Madam President, there are questions and as usual, as usual, the devil is in the details. Because Madam President, what this bill does pursuant to an agreement that the government has with the developer is that this place will become a port of entry. Port of entry. I’m developing the point man. A port of entry and a port of entry, Madam President, is as it says, you can pull up from anywhere in the world and be processed as a sovereign nation in that facility. It’s primarily for Guatemalans, as the leader of government recently said, that would be a big part of the business. They can come here for that three months. I don’t know if we have the infrastructure and the surrounding beyond the port that will benefit from this or will it be a port that just they come there and they stay there and only that port benefits. But Madam President, it goes more fundamental than that. Rice and beans. Madam President, who are these people? Who is this developer that we’re talking about? That we will give a port of entry to. And I ask it genuinely, I see in the agreement there’s a mention of it was signed by an Emilio Zabaneh and the government but, Madam President, who else is involved in this project?”

Senator for the Council of Churches Moses Benguche supported the bill and explained that he believes the move will tremendously benefit not only residents of the south but the country’s tourism industry as a whole.

Bishop Alvin Benguche, Church Senator: “The economic impact will also include the cultural part of what we hope will become something bigger, Madam President, and we will be even more proud of the cultural capital as we know in time to come what will ooze out of this development is, as I said, infrastructure to be able to not only facilitate small cruise but there will also be the marine and I know that the leader in the Senate mentioned Guatemalans but it’s not only the Guatemalans, you know, Senator. We must also vision for other people. Small cruise coming out of Miami can be a part of this. I was reading the other day where I think it was Michael Jordan, the basketball player, looking for a place to take his yacht. Why can’t we attract people like Michael Jordan? We must not think that we cannot. We must think big man. And so I don’t only think of the Guatemalans. I think about others who can also be a part of the pie. And so that we don’t get other people excited about only the Guatemalans. We can include other persons. And so, Madam President, I was at the point where I was also saying that the cultural capital will also benefit because these, in time to come, we will have these people when they come off the cruise, they will be able to visit the town.”

Also speaking on the bill was Senator Christopher Coye. He provided greater insight into the incentives and noted that policies will be set in place to ensure the government has authority over the port.

The bill was passed this evening after it was approved by the Senate.