Prime Minister Gaston Browne has shared the follow information:
Below are the facts about the Seaforth land ownership of which Mr Harold Li-vell has accused the government of selling to an investor to establish a special economic zone.
“Re: Seaforth Estate
The land is not owned by government but a private company.
Abe Zion, my Jewish daddy, bought the company from the creator of Grey Goose who was broke at the time. He subsequently became a billionaire when he sold Grey Goose. The land was originally purchased from a Mr. Gordon in 1964.
Abe Zion sold the company to Abe Zion/Bruce Baxter who formed the Azure Bay Company to develop the property. This development was being pushed during UPP’s tenure with the current leader of the party being its strong support even calling me and Abe out on the radio for allegedly holding up the project due to a court case related to the sale of the company.
Arthur Thomas was the lawyer for Lacey/Baxter. We lost the case for reasons that I wouldn’t like to state publicly but suffice it to say that Abe was paid the purchase price as was stated in the Agreement.”
Author – Undisclosed.
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The UPP administration, championed by Harold Lovell, waived the transfer taxes and gave similar concessions to that of the special economic zone.
Year after year, Harold Lovell promised in the budget statement that we would get a major, $500M, tourism development on the site.
Not even a blade of grass was removed from the site.
The Azure Bay, Seaforth project died a stillbirth.
The audacity and hypocrisy of Harold Lie-vell.
Where were the anti-special economic zoners and environmentalist when Lovell was pushing that project for several years ?
Why no consultations were held for that massive project, before enshrining it in our budget statements over several years ?
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Excerpt from 2010 Budget Statement – Azure Bay
“Development:
The long-delayed 549 acre Seaforth project, which the developer plans to call Azure Bay, hashed the last legal impediment to moving forward removed by successfully ending litigation. The litigation was settled on November 24th this year – roughly 5 1/2 years after it began. The proposed Azure Bay project encompasses a high-end multiuse resort/residential community that will include a signature 18 hole golf course, at least one five star hotel, and other amenities. The five star hotel will also be a major high-end brand that will help to market Antigua and Barbuda and support the Government’s efforts to encourage new air service to the nation. To date, only very preliminary planning has taken place, but, with the resolution of the litigation, the developer will begin engineering, planning, design and other necessary work prior to the commencement of the permitting process.”
Harold Livell –
Minister of Finance
PS:
This sham project remained in the pipe until June 2014.
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Wait Harold Lovell lied again, can anyone honestly be surprised? Can never forget his announcement re YIDA just before the 2014 elections:
“Finance Minister Harold Lovell said Yida International Investment Antigua Limited, led by Yida Zhang, is seeking approval under the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP) as well as incentives under the Business and Tourism (Special Incentives) Act for a mega resort and residential development on Guiana Island and surrounding areas.
“Government has approved the project and is willing to give the necessary concessions,” Lovell said.
“We have done everything we can to facilitate the project and get it moving,” he added. “The possibilities exist that we do what is necessary in order to ensure that the project comes off the ground.”…Lovell said the government has been doing its part to ensure the mega project can move ahead full speed, but is waiting for the group to finalise its purchase from the Stanford liquidators. see Gov’t keen to offer incentives for Guiana Island project
Article Published: May 9, 2014, Daily Observe
TENMAN what you need to do is to provide the concessions that Harold Lovell was proposing to the YIDA Project, those that Gaston Browne have given and also what was given to the WESTERN IMPERIAL SEZ.
TENMAN: As long as are you no touch foo me property of 1 ACRE. Those areas of Seaforth,New Division and Hermitage Estates are known to me like the palms of my hands.
Whether the land was owned by the government or not is not the issue. The government is the entity that provides the parameters and incentives for the operation of Special Economic Zones (SEZs). To justify the complete giveaways and alienation of such vast tracts of land by saying that the land was privately owned is total rubbish. Again, it is the government that sets the parameters of the operation of SEZs and not the private land owners who sold the land.
I didn’t see anything about an independent customs or the waiver of all taxes to the government in that budget excerpt. These economic zones are essentially their own countries. We are slowly being recolonized. Problem is that it’s too late. What we are seeing now are the repercussions of our out stretched begging hands to the Chinese. This is the government delivering on its promises. Not to the people they are supposed to serve though. They are delivering on the promises they made to the Chinese when they went begging for the hospital, when they went begging for the airport, when they went begging for the seaport. Plus, all the the other personal favors and birthday parties in high end places that the Chinese paid for for government ministers.
How does this Benifit regular Antiguans? I don’t know, and if you’re being honest, neither do you, because there was no discussion AT ALL!!!
But hey, Antigua nice. 😒
Obviously, there is a lot more to be made public. The people deserve to have all questions answered. Stop the nonsense…on all sides!!!! Stop it NOW!
How can this man be so lie and deceitful. Putting all joke ah side someone please help me with this one. Wow!!!!
He is known as KING LYADD for a reason. A popular clip comes to mind “Mr. Lovell that is not true!”
Was a free economic zone proposed in what Lovell was considering? What was wrong with a development that would benefit Antiguans and the government? You tell me how this something Gaston signed off on, just like Yida, benefit Antigua. Trust me these people have their eyes on more lands in Antigua and when they achieve this, the majority of Antigua will be a free economic zone. They have it in the agreement that they can buy lands and turn them into free economic zones. They are a lot smarter than the foolish and crazy people they are dealing with as a government.
Tabor you actually trying to defend this liard?
That surprise you? Bird of a feather flock together after all.
Antigua going to hell in a basket and all you fools can do is cuss Lovell? God, some are we need serious help.
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