Three Opposition MPs Sought Prime Land Already Earmarked for Development at a Fraction of Its Value

Three opposition MPs—Kelvin “Shugy” Simon, Algernon “Serpent” Watts, and Richard Lewis—formally requested to purchase government-owned land in the Five Islands area at a significantly reduced price, despite the land being earmarked for development.

The letters, addressed to Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, and Blue Economy Anthony Smith, were read aloud by the host of The Browne and Browne Show on Pointe FM.

The correspondence confirmed that the MPs sought to acquire the same parcel of land, valued between US$12 and $20 per square foot, for just $1.50 per square foot.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne criticised the request, highlighting that the land had been set aside for a government-led development project and was not available for private sale.

“That land has already been earmarked for development, yet they still wrote to the Agriculture Minister requesting to purchase it,” he said.

He also called out the opposition figures for publicly criticising the government’s land policies while privately attempting to secure land at drastically reduced rates.

“When they talk about self-enrichment, the people will see who is really trying to enrich themselves,” Mr Browne stated.

The government has maintained that public land should be allocated fairly and prioritised for national development rather than private acquisitions at reduced costs.

As of now, the three MPs have not publicly responded to the disclosures.

It remains unclear what justification they provided for their requests or whether they intended to use the land for personal or community purposes.

Prime minister Browne indicated that the request for land was approved by Cabinet but not in that location.

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