Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis has lambasted the government over the multi-bllion dollar Baha Mar resort, going as far as to call the soft opening of the resort next week Friday “a fake”.
In a statement Dr. Minnis said his comments were reinforced by a senior Baha Mar executive.
“We are less than three weeks from the ‘fake’ opening of Baha Mar and once again, we are to take the orchestrators of this mess at their word. Last week, a senior Vice President of Baha Mar admitted that ‘the booking window is extremely short’, but not to worry because ‘an announcement on the matter would be made in due course.’ While I welcome an explanation from these ‘lodging experts’ Bahamians are still owed an explanation for the PLP government’s laundry list of failures,” Dr. Minnis said.
Dr. Minnis also attacked the government on what he calls, “ their secrecy and lack of transparency in regards to the dealings of the resort.”
“The government has yet to explain why Bahamians lost out on over $100 million in waived VAT taxes. We are still left to wonder why taxpayers have had to pay millions to cover Baha Mar’s electricity costs, and while the government failed to pay their bills, families suffered from electrical outages. Most concerning, the answers to many of these questions are sealed and safeguarded by a secretive PLP government that cares more about their Chinese allies than their own people.
“With a looming election, the buck stops here. With your vote for the FNM, the years of secrecy, the impulsive deceit and the lack of accountability will yield to an era in which the government serves its people. Bahamians deserve a government that works, not one that continues to weaken our quality of life. I ask you to vote for an FNM government which is one that believes in you; one that will work to empower our local communities, and will build a future of prosperity,” Dr. Minnis said.
The resort officially received its gaming license last week which now leaves the final step which is for the resort to obtain its hotel license.
