BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) and the government of Barbados are set to sign a new lease and licence agreement regarding the iconic Kensington Oval, which is set to host the final of the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in June.

BCA members were informed of the details of the proposed new agreement with the government regarding the settlement of a debt owed to the association for the leasing of its property at Kensington Oval over the past 16 years, and the proposed terms of a new lease and licence agreement in a circular before a special general meeting this past Wednesday at the Hilton Hotel.

The BCA circular to members stated that it was owed more than BB $25.1 million (U.S. $12.55 million) by the government at the end of July 2023 under the terms of an agreement, which was signed before the ground was redeveloped ahead of the ICC Men’s (50 overs) Cricket World Cup 2007 in the Caribbean.

BCA members were informed that “the Board accepted an offer of BB $11 million (U.S. $5.5 million) to settle the debt in full” during a high-level meeting with Prime Minister Mia Mottley on September 27 last year.
Under the terms of the agreement, the BCA got BB $1 million (U.S. $500 000) in cash, and the remaining $10 million (U.S. $5 million) in government bonds to cover payment of the funds in 42 equal monthly instalments.

The BCA has already received the cash, and five monthly payments of a little more than BB $238 000 (U.S. $119 000) towards settlement of the government bonds started in November last year and have been received.
In addition, there will be write-offs of all debts between the BCA and Kensington Oval Management Inc. (KOMI), the government agency that runs the facility, as well as between the BCA and government, excluding value added tax.

“The old lease [is] to be discarded and replaced with a new leasing-licensing arrangement, which would be more realistic,” the circular to the members indicated.
The BCA circular to members also stated that meetings with government officials to finalise the debt write-offs are yet to take place, but proposed terms and conditions of the new leasing-licensing arrangement have been sent to the association’s lawyers for consideration.

The directors of the BCA are proposing retention of the ownership of all land that the association owned before the redevelopment of the ground, and the government retaining ownership of land it acquired in the vicinity for the same purpose.

The BCA circular to members also included the responsibilities that they expected will be assigned to KOMI under the new agreement, including consultation with the BCA about the staging of events other than cricket at the venue, which has been a contentious issue over the years because of the damage to the pitch and outfield that had taken place in the past during major entertainment events.

The circular also included the rights and responsibilities the association plans to retain under the new agreement, including the maintenance and preparation of the pitch, outfield, and practice facilities, and use of the stadium free of charge for all matches held under its auspices and of Cricket West Indies, and for its various training and development programmes.

There is also a proposal for the government to waive all taxes resulting from the BCA’s ownership of land that forms part of the facility and grant a duty-free concession for the importation of all items required for running the BCA’s programmes.
It was also proposed that the government may withdraw from the new agreement by giving 12 months’ notice to the BCA, and all property owned by the government on the site will be transferred to the association on termination of the agreement for the price of BB $100 (U.S. $50).