The recently unveiled 30-year lease agreement with Global Ports Holdings (GPH) to manage the cruise ship terminal represents a monumental shift for our national infrastructure. The arrangement promises a massive $255 million investment and boasts that Vincentians will retain up to 30% equity in the newly formed local company.
However, looking past the financial talking points reveals a deeply troubling reality, the Minister of Tourism Kishore Shallow and the current administration were remarkably unforthcoming with the public during the entire formulation of this agreement.
In a recent interview, the Minister’s defense of this secrecy painted a picture of a government that prefers making decisions in the shadows rather than engaging its citizens. It is clear from the Minister’s own timeline that the public was purposefully excluded. He admitted that immediately following the election, GPH representatives flew in, and a series of private discussions and negotiations quickly commenced. Yet, at no point during these high-stakes negotiations did the government come to the people to discuss their intentions.
When pressed by interviewers on why the administration failed to consult “John Public” before moving forward, the Minister’s excuses were fundamentally undemocratic. He hid behind the shield of corporate secrecy, stating that when entering these partnerships, “there’s some level of non-disclosure confidentiality that takes place”. Even more shocking was his admission of conducting stealth consultations. The Minister confessed to interacting with port workers and tenants to gather advice “without them even knowing that they’re offering advice for this particular partnership”. Gathering information from vital stakeholders under concealed pretenses is not transparency; it is subterfuge.
The crux of the Minister’s argument for bypassing public consultation rests on an uncomfortable paternalism. He repeatedly referred to the GPH deal as a “no-brainer,” insisting that the dire financial straits of the country justified accelerating the agreement in secret. Pointing to the heartbreaking reality that many citizens cannot pay utility bills, send their children to school, or afford basic medication, the Minister argued that the government could not afford to “delay an unnecessary process” by seeking public input.
While no one denies the urgent need for economic relief and job creation, weaponizing the public’s financial desperation to bypass democratic consultation is a dangerous precedent. As one interviewer rightly pointed out, the government completely abandoned the “buy-in process,” arrogantly assuming that the population would simply accept whatever terms the government decided were best. Instead of presenting the public with the options on the table and having a candid conversation about what the country would gain and what it would have to give up, the administration presented a finished Memorandum of Understanding.
The Minister assures the public that they have nothing to hide and that the finalized contracts will eventually be accessible at the registry. Furthermore, he notes that a prospectus will be published so that Vincentians can buy shares. But offering the public a chance to read the fine print only after a 30-year commitment has been made is the absolute bare minimum of accountability. True transparency means bringing the public into the conversation before the ink is dry.
The handling of the GPH agreement has left the distinct impression of a “done deal”. The public deserves a government that trusts its citizens enough to consult them openly, rather than an administration that treats public discourse as an “unnecessary process” to be avoided.