Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said his only concern regarding the Baha Mar project is that the deadline for its complete opening is met in late October, in an effort to boost the economy and afford thousands of Bahamians jobs.

These sentiments came immediately after Dr. Minnis, along with the members of his Cabinet, toured the Cable Beach property yesterday afternoon, as he spoke to reporters.

The delegation got a firsthand view of the progress made particularly on the SLS and Rosewood properties since the Mega resort’s soft opening in April.

The prime minister said he is pleased with the progress made thus far.

“What is most significant to me is that they will engage Bahamian artists, and entertainers. In that, we will have Bahamian bands engaged in working in the hotel using a lot of the Bahamian artwork,” Dr. Minnis said.

“It is very encouraging that they are the Baha Mar product. They’re in discussions with the National Training Agency. We’re engaging those individuals and we would know exactly what their needs and desires are.

“We would ensure that we have Bahamians trained in that particular area so as to maximize Bahamian employment within the Baha Mar product.”

Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Bahamas President (CTFE) Graeme Davis shared similar sentiments.

For Mr. Davis, the fact that the resort’s already seeing over 50 percent occupancy is all the means to celebrate, coupled with the fact that progress on the resort’s full completion is ramping up quickly.

“Everything is as projected as we want. It’s ramping up properly. We’re making sure that we’re doing an exceptional experience,” Mr. Davis said.

“Again we’re on track with our SLS opening. What you saw today was all of our furniture here that we’re putting on a new floor.

“We’re making sure that we’re up and running for the fall.”

Dr. Minnis responded to the question as to what the government’s next move would be in the event China Construction America (CCA) fails to meet the projected late October, early November deadline for opening.

“We don’t think of failure. That’s a negative view. We always think of success. I don’t worry about ‘if.’ ‘If’ is the most powerful word in the English language. If you were not here, that question would not have been asked. It’s very powerful.” he said.

The tour came on the heels of the resort’s original developer Sarkis Izmirlian calling for a moratorium on its sale to Chinese company CTFE.

Mr. Izmirlian at the time reiterated his interest in repurchasing the resort.

During the campaign trail, Dr. Minnis promised to execute what he called a “real sale” of Baha Mar once he assumed office.

The multibillion dollar property includes three global brand operators including Grand Hyatt, SLS, and Rosewood, with over 2,300 rooms.

Additional amenities include 40 restaurants and lounges and the largest casino in the Caribbean.