Nassau, Bahamas – Dr. Minnis, Leader of the Free National Movement (FNM), issued the following statement on the new details revealed about the Baha Mar project:
“Why is it at every turn we find the PLP Government making another excuse for the unfinished Bahamar Project? “According a Tribune Business article of June 24, 2016, the Chinese “assured” the Government one year ago that they would finance and complete the $3.5 billion Bah Mar project in return for the Government lending its assistance to remove the Chapter 11 bankruptcy from the American Jurisdiction.”
“The result is that we are still sitting here with an empty uncompleted Baha Mar a year later, and over 2,000 Bahamians still without their construction jobs and Bahamian contractors are owed $74 million without any guarantee that they will get paid. In the meantime the 5,000 jobs that were promised are still unfulfilled.”
“The Prime Minister continues to tout their ‘framework agreement’ on the Baha Mar project but once again it looks like this agreement is all a farce. According to their own report from their lawyers this agreement is only to continue to talk and is not an agreement on opening up the Baha Mar Project.”
“The PLP Government continues to show complete ineptitude in their dealings with Baha Mar and putting Bahamians back to work. The Bahamian people deserve transparency in their government and it is currently lacking. This Government needs to come clean and tell the Bahamian people what deals they have made with the Chinese and why they have not protected Bahamians in this project.”
“There is much left to be desired in the transparency of the Baha Mar Project. I call on the Prime Minister to lay on the table all reports and agreements they have with all parties so Bahamians can judge for themselves whether this Government is working for them.”
