The statement comes after US Ambassador John Rood cautioned that in his experience, governments have more success when they stick to basic administration, and leave the running of businesses, such as hotels and fuel management to the private sector.
However according to the Foreign Affairs statement, the government of the Bahamas is currently studying the “interesting and serious” proposal by the government of Venezuela.
“When that process is complete, and a decision has been. taken, the appropriate announcement will be made to all concerned,” the statement read.
In his address to the PetroCaribe committee in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on September 6, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said: “The PetroCaribe initiative is clearly part of the
process of the sovereign nations of the region seeking to chart their own course.
“It is an extension of that new generation of leaders in the region bordered by the Caribbean sea that believes that we must all share in the resources of the region and we have a responsibility to protect them; that it is important for those who are blessed in one way to share that blessing with others. and that those who have must share with those who do not have,” he said.
Accord
PetroCaribe is a governmentto-government accord between Venezuela and several countries throughout the Caribbean proposed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Under the accord, Venezuela will supply member countries with oil at preferential rates with the aim of cutting out “middlemen” and lowering fuel prices.
However the accord has come under fire, and opponents have warned that such a deal could affect Bahamas-US relations, as President Chavez has openly criticised US President George Bush on numerous occasions.
Over the weekend US Ambassador John Rood stated that although he didn’t know the particulars of the proposal, he would be concerned about the government’s ability to operate effectively as an energy distributor.
“Usually when government becomes involved in things they don’t do well. If the government were to get involved in petrol distribution it may not do as an effective job as if it were a private entity,” he said.
Source: Paul G. Turnquest, The Tribune
