The Opposition United Bermuda Party yesterday unveiled new moves to breathe fresh life into North Hamilton.

It pledged the area would be eligible for tax breaks and increased funding ? if the UBP came to power.

The idea was put forward yesterday as the party unveiled the second phase of its Economic Empowerment plan.

Shadow Minister of Race Relations and Economic Opportunity David Dodwell said the initiative would help small businesses and residences who have will and desire to prosper, but lack the means.

"The economic empowerment zones would create a partnership between government, the private sector and area residents and allow them to improve the community, improve the lives of the people who work and live here and create a better future and new opportunities for the next generation of 'North Hamiltonians'," he said.

Senator Bob Richards outlined the plan and said the area would be eligible for tax breaks such as: waiving all government fees related to expanding or renovating current businesses, and five years of land tax relief for businesses that build new properties, acquire new equipment or refinance existing loans. The UBP would also waive Customs duty on all materials used for any renovation, expansion or construction. Businesses in the zone would also get a two-year waiver on payroll tax if they created new jobs.

Mr. Dodwell said it was essential that a community board was established to ensure that people with a vested interest in the area get a say in how it is developed.

Sen. Richards told the UBP would also have programmes that would help train new business owners and create a Community Empowerment fund intended to influence the private sector to provide loans for the area.

He also said they chose North Hamilton to start with because Hamilton city could only expand north and the constituents felt the current Government was ignoring them.

Mr. Dodwell said similar initiatives had been very successful in the US.

In June the UBP tabled a motion at the House of Assembly to develop a legislative scheme for economic empowerment. This was the first phase of their plan. The proposed legislation outlined ways to redirect government's funds towards small, Bermudian companies that traditionally have been denied the opportunity to earn government contracts or excel.

The motion caused a stir among Government MPs some of whom felt the motion should include the word "black". Finance Minister Paula Cox said of the motion: "It seems to me as an outsider to your party looking in, you have still shirked from saying you want to deal with black economic empowerment."

However, yesterday Mr. Dodwell said the UBP was committed to creating "one Bermuda with opportunity for all and special privilege for none".