Nassau, Bahamas - Dr.
Minnis, Leader of the Free National Movement (FNM), issued the following
statement on the continued failures of the PLP Government to protect all
Bahamian Baha Mar creditors:
“Once
again we continue to find out more reasons why the embattled Prime Minister
should release all the documents related to the secret Baha Mar deal he struck
with the Chinese. This time we find out
that he did not guarantee that all Bahamians that worked on the Baha Mar
project would be paid the money owed to them for previously completed
work. The Prime Minister stated in his
original vague announcement that the PLP Government had guaranteed Bahamian
contractors and creditors would be paid, we now know this to be false.”
“The
only creditors and contractors that will be paid in the upcoming ‘take it or
leave it’ payment debacle are those owed money by Baha Mar Ltd., not anyone
owed by CCA. Not only are those owed by
Baha Mar Ltd. being told they must sign an undisclosed agreement but they must
take whatever is offered to them, no matter the amount, or they risk not
receiving anything. These creditors and
contractors have been waiting a year to get paid what is owed to them after
being abruptly laid off and now they just have to hope that the claims
committee takes pity on them and pays them all they are owed. Those creditors and contractors are the lucky
ones though.”
“After
promising that he took care of all Bahamian contractors in his secret deal,
details of which he refused to release, we find out that the Prime Minister
only made sure that one group of former workers got paid some of what they are
owed. Those that were subcontractors of
CCA are not guaranteed any money and CCA is proving that they will fight any
effort by the contractors to get paid.
It is absurd that these contractors could not have been part of the
secret deal since the Chinese are already paying some of the contractors.
“The
Prime Minister and his PLP Government have clearly lost touch with the Bahamian
people with their constant empty rhetoric and broken promises. As we have
consistently said from the beginning, we – like all Bahamians – would be happy
to see Baha Mar open and finally start delivering on the jobs this Government
promised long ago. Yet until the Prime
Minister finally looks out for all those hurt by Baha Mar, the FNM will
continue to be the voice of the people and demand accountability from this
Government.”