Christie at odds with PM over six planned Baha Mar hotels
tribune242
PLP leader Perry Christie is at odds with Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham over his belief that the six hotels which are to be built as part of the Baha Mar Resort should be built or opened in phases.
Mr Christie said it would only increase the cost of the project to break down the construction into phases, and would make little sense for the resort developers not to open all of the hotels at the same time if they were all constructed simultaneously.
Information reaching The Tribune is that Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham may have asked the Chinese if the hotels could be built in phases rather than all at once or that if this could not be accommodated, that they would open in a phased manner.
But Mr Christie said that considering the fact that so much money was being borrowed to fund the hotels' construction it would "not make sense to have hotels sitting there that they couldn't sell", referring to the ability to sell rooms within the hotels once they are completed.
And he added that the size of the Baha Mar development was one of the reasons for the re-development of the Lynden Pindling International Airport.
Studies
"Don't forget, Baha Mar engaged a company to do studies which concluded that both the Baha Mar development and Atlantis can co-exist/be developed at the same time," said Mr Christie.
Meanwhile, Mr Christie also told The Tribune that he understands that coming out of the Prime Minister's meetings with Baha Mar financiers, China Export Import Bank and the China State Construction Company, its general contractor, an arrangement may have been reached whereby the Bahamian labour component on the construction project would be increased by ten per cent, with 40 per cent Bahamian and 60 per cent Chinese labour.
Some sources had suggested Mr Ingraham had sought to negotiate a $200million increase in the amount of funding that will go to Bahamian contractors in connection with the project.
"The Prime Minister, I presume upon his return, will advise the country as to whether or not he was able to succeed in these discussions," said Mr Christie last week.
Stephen Wrinkle, President of the Bahamas Contractors Association, said yesterday that prior to Mr Ingraham leaving for China he told the BCA in a meeting that he would seek to increase the Bahamian content of the labour force and get more work for Bahamian contractors as part of the Baha Mar project.
"We have to ensure we've got the quantity of the workers and the dollar value comes to the contractors and not just payrolls," said Mr Wrinkle yesterday.
The contractor added that as the industry awaits an announcement on what was the outcome of any efforts on behalf of Mr Ingraham to achieve this end, the BCA continues to dialogue with Baha Mar and BTVI on training workers so they are prepared "at such time as when the facts and figures emerge".
"We know there will be a Bahamian content in the labour force and the project and we are continuing to focus our efforts on preparing our workers and contractors so if the work the Prime Minister is doing comes to fruition we will be able to presentable work force for project," said Mr Wrinkle.
November 08, 2010
tribune242
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
