NASSAU, Bahamas — Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes said yesterday the government hopes to complete talks with Oban Energies for an oil refinery and storage facility on Grand Bahama within two to three meetings, the Nassau Guardian reported January 9.
The government decided to renegotiate a previously signed controversial deal due to critical concerns over various clauses.
“Well I foresee at least two or three meetings,” Foulkes said. “… I do not want to prejudge how the talks are going to go. We want to make quite extensive changes to the heads of agreement.”
When asked which aspects of the heads of agreement the government wished to renegotiate, he said, “We’re looking primarily at three major categories: The economic provisions, the environmental provisions and the legal provisions. I do not want to get into the details until we have opportunities to present our terms to Oban so that they can have an opportunity to respond.”
The government signed the original agreement with Oban Energies on February 19, 2018 in what was later called a ceremonial signing.
On Monday, Foulkes told The Nassau Guardian the government’s meeting with Oban, which was scheduled for January 7, was postponed because “one of the principals was unable to come in”.
Yesterday, he said the government has yet to “fix a date for that meeting”. https://thenassauguardian.com/2019/01/09/govt-wants-extensive-changes-to-oban-deal/
