What Was Exchanged for This Giveaway?
On February 25th 2025, a notice was placed in the print media by the Director, Planning and Development Department of an application by Afreximbank to develop land at Jemmotts Lane. The description of the project was for a hotel and office facility including a conference center. The notice also stated that persons who wished to view the file could do so on the department’s website and that there were 14 days within which to object to the plans. The direct link for the file is – Erection (in principle) of a Hotel and Office Facility including Conference Centre.
It was reported in Barbados Today that “Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne has raised “serious concerns” over the recent vesting of 2.037 hectares of prime state-owned land at the corner of Bay Street and Jemmott’s Lane to the Afro African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), free of cost. ” Then someone shared what appears to be the official unsigned document regarding the vesting of the property based on Cap 225 of the Laws of Barbados. In essence the Leader of the Opposition had raised the alarm.
Cap 225 of the Laws of Barbados pertains to the Acquisition and Disposal of Crown Land. These are land that belonged to the English Crown and are now the property of the people of Barbados. In essence, our and our children’s birthright.
By definition, when a buyer purchases real property, the manner in which they will hold the title on that property is known as vesting. Most Barbadians would be familiar with this term when crown land is being vested in the National Housing Corporation to build government housing or to subdivide for sale.
After reading the Act, when crown lands are vested to another government entity, it is treated like a transfer for better management by the public service. For example, the Minister of Housing and Lands vesting lands to the NHC to undertake sales or building. Besides this exception Section 5 of Cap 225 of the laws of Barbados in my opinion only refers to the sale of land or property not giving away land without payment. It specifically states that the funds from the purchase are to be stored in the Consolidated Funds. It causes one to ponder on the legality of government giving away the land at Jemmotts Lane without receiving payment when the Act specifically states that payment is to be received and where it should be held.
The Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne rightly queried if the government of Barbados was a member of Afrexinmbank. Only under that condition could this vesting be treated like an internal transfer as in the case of the lands being given to the Caribbean Development Bank. Barbados is one of the member countries of the Caribbean Development Bank.
There was a deliberate attempt to deceive Barbadians. The notice was placed in the newspaper on February 25th, 2025 requesting objections in 14 days yet there was a document of Parliament dated Wednesday March 12, 2025 when the official deadline for the submission of objections on the Department’s website was March 14th, 2025. This matter should not have gone to Parliament until after March 14th if there were no objections and later than this date if there were objections.
Whereas the notice from the Planning and Development Department states that the purpose of the development is for a hotel, office facility and conference center, the unsigned document of Parliament only states that it is for a Trade Center.
All we know is that Afreximbank is a for profit commercial entity which has billions of dollars in assets and that the government of Barbados has entered into a memorandum of understanding for trade and investment with this entity. It makes one wonder why such a wealthy bank cannot afford to pay for the property at Jemmotts Lane. Despite what the Minister of Housing and Lands said, that there are significant benefits to be gain from that bank, one can argue that we have derived significant benefits from the world bank and other financial institutions without giving them free land from which they also intended to profit. Ultimately, based on the law no memorandum of understanding entitles Afreximbank to free land in Barbados!
If it continues like this not even the sea water and sand will be left for the people of Barbados. They tested us with Mrs. Ram Merchandani’s property and we did not stand up for her. Then they started selling out our public places and now they have sunk to an all-time low of giving away what is left. As a people, we have to get to the bottom of this, even if it is pursued through the court of law. No one is above to law and this selling out and give away of our inheritance has to stop. Politicians are just our stewards.
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