“Davis responds to Hubert Minnis on Baha Mar” – The Nassau Guardian

Excerpt from this article; “Amid growing concerns over the future of Baha Mar, its completion and its opening day, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis, yesterday defended the stalled resort and hit out at Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis for recent comments made regarding the Christie administration’s involvement in the Cable Beach property.

‘Every day seems to bring another set of misguided statements about Baha Mar,’ Davis said.

‘Its political season and Bahamians have learned to discount the negative voices as having their own self-interested agenda.’

‘The problem for all critics is that reality has a way of catching up.’

‘Even in this era of fake news, reality matters’

‘What is real is that 650 Bahamians have already been hired by Baha Mar.”

‘What is real is that Baha Mar is opening in April.’

‘What is real is that the CTFE has increased its commitment on preopening expenses from $200 million to $250 million of which $65 million has already been spent.’

‘What is real is that Baha Mar is finally is safe hand, with a world-class operator that has succeeded with high-end properties in the Caribbean and across the globe.’

Baha Mar file for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware in June 2015.

The bankruptcy claims have since been dismissed.

In December, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that Baha Mar was being sold to CTF BM Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE) Limited.

But details surrounding the sale remains sealed in the Supreme Court at, Chrisite claimed. The behest of the China Export-Import bank, which held the note on the mortgage.

It remains unclear if the deal has been completed.

Baha Mar is set for a phased opening in April.”

I would like to educate Deputy Prime Minister Davis to the fact that most people now have a ‘healthy’ skepticism of this present government especially as it relates to the Baha Mar project and how they handled it, because each day brought a new excuse/reason as to why the opening date of the resort was being delayed, but the real issue that I have at the present time is what promoted this response from the Deputy Prime Minister?

Exactly what was responsible for his ‘what is real’ diatribe?

“During the FNM’s ratification on Tuesday night, Minnis charged than, ‘Chrisite and the PLP (Progressive Liberal Party) nearly destroyed Baha mar, which costs the country hundreds of millions and thousands of jobs’.

‘Every time the PLP touched the Baha Mar project, they created even more of a disaster.’ Minnis said”

I would like now to ask Deputy Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis; since we are speaking to being real and all; wasn’t the conflict really between the Developer; Izmirlian and his Chinese partners?

Wasn’t this an on-going issue before the Progressive Liberal Party decided to get involved and when they did get involved, didn’t they seem to side with the Developers partners instead of attempting to remain neutral and working on an amicable solution, which would have benefitted all parties concerned, along with the entire country?

When the Developer decided to file for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware, as his partners were registered in the United States of America, exactly what prompted the Christie administration to then force the development into receivership, causing over a year in delays and job losses, other than the unfounded speculation that the developer was attempting not to pay his Bahamian unsecured creditors, something that the government has yet to prove. 

What is real to a lot of people is that the government forced the project into receivership and caused 1,500 to be laid off, as the project was closed down. 

What is real to a lot of people is the fact that the government caused the project to sit idle for over a year incurring expenses to be paid for by the average tax payer, like you and myself.

What is real is that, as the government attempts to lift up the re-opening of the Baha Mar site as a great victory, [the government] fails to admit to the fact that it was due to their incompetence that the project sat idle for years.

This is what is a reality for the average Bahamian citizen, not to speak to the tourist that had already booked rooms for when the hotel was first supposed to open at the end of 2014, but yet this government does not seem to be able to speak to their gross mishandling of this project on their behalf that has made so many people lose so much money and time in more ways than one.

The Progressive Liberal Party fails for one reason, it is their nature.

END