American companies should stop griping about financial firms fleeing the US and setting up base in Bermuda, the Washington delegation has been told.

Finance Minister Paula Cox said Virginia Senator George Allen told the Government team that companies in the States should see how they could become more competitive by cutting red tape ? before flinging mud overseas.

Speaking after the meeting with a man some commentators believe could soon be President, Ms Cox told that the leading Republican had asked about Bermuda's tax regime.

This became a hot topic in the last US Presidential elections when Democrat John Kerry pledged to close down "tax loopholes" that allowed billions of dollars to go Bermuda.

Publicly officials are saying that issue has barely figured during this week's two-day diplomatic tour.

And it is understood that the subject has now veered off the political radar after legislation was introduced to ease US concerns about overseas tax "loopholes".

Ms Cox, speaking after the meeting with Senator Allen, said she was impressed with his "down to earth attitude".

She added: "He said that instead of saying why is a company going out to Bermuda, people should stop complaining about it and look at what can be done to make the USA more competitive."

Senator Allen, a member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, also laid out some of the challenges of supporting small businesses and start-up firms.

He said access to capital and Government contracts were some of the issues that impinged on small businesses in America.

Ms Cox said that Bermudian entrepreneurs faced the same problems and Government has moved to help those small companies so that entrepreneurs could prosper.

Senator Allen's press secretary, John Reid, later said the politician's message was that the US should look to the rest of the world in a bid to remain competitive in business.

"If companies are not aware they are in global competition they are going to be very disappointed in coming decades."

Mr. Reid said some people were saying Senator Allen was in the running for the next Republican Presidential nomination.

"He's worked hard to put himself in that situation, but he's focusing on the mid-term elections in November."

On a lighter note, Mr. Reid said that a request had gone out for his office to wear Bermuda shorts to mark the Island delegation's visit? but they were not able to change the dress code at short notice.

Meanwhile, during discussions with Democrat Congressman Charles Rangel, Premier Alex Scott asked whether there was potential for Bermudian students and college graduates to get experience of Government through mentoring opportunities in the Capitol political system.

The Democrat welcomed the idea ? and encouraged the Premier to press on with such an initiative.