From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Prime Minister Christie moves Baha Mar forward
By Elcott Coleby, BIS
Sep 25, 2015 - 3:35:53 PM
Nassau, Bahamas - In an effort to move the Baha Mar project forward to completion, Prime Minister Christie met with the chairman of the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), the parent company of China Construction America (CCA), in New York City on Monday of this week to discuss the way forward for the Baha Mar project. The Prime Minister also joined China Construction America (CCA), the general contractor for the Baha Mar project, in celebrating its 30th anniversary this week.
After his meeting with the chairman, Mr. Christie told the media that he received assurances from Mr. Yi Jun that CCA was committed to resuming work at the property as soon as possible to meet an early completion date.
Following that high level meeting, officials from CCA and the Independent Provisional Liquidators arrived on the Baha Mar property on Thursday to conduct the requisite physical assessment of the property to determine the scope of work necessary to complete the mega resort that is reportedly 97% complete.
The Prime Minister is also in New York to address world leaders at the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday and to address the Bahamian Diaspora on developments here at home.
On Thursday evening while addressing that Bahamian Diaspora at a special called meeting in New York, Mr. Christie confirmed a forty-five minute teleconference with the president of the China EXIM Bank and reported that the bank has agreed to work with CCA, the Bahamas government and the developer to complete the project. With that assurance, the Prime Minister said the remaining major stakeholder he will meet with is the developer, Sarkis Izmerlian, with whom he is scheduled to meet on Monday of next week.
“Around nine last night I started a conference call with the president of China Import Export Bank. We spoke for forty-five minutes or thereabout on this conference call where I got the agreement of the bank to work assiduously with the construction company and the government of The Bahamas and the developer to resume construction.
“So I have now met with the construction company; I have met through a conference call with the bank; I have met with the bank’s representatives at my office yesterday lunch time so I only now have to meet with the developer as Prime Minister and I am meeting with the developer on Monday” said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister again reiterated to those of the Diaspora gathered that the singular objective of his government is to get the resort opened where thousands of young Bahamians can find gainful employment. He said he impressed upon all stakeholders the urgency of this matter.
“The intention is to be able to impress upon all of the parties that the government of The Bahamas wants this hotel or resort completed because there are thousands of young people who will be employed” said Mr. Christie.
The meeting was organized by the Bahamas Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS) headed by Dr. Elliston Rahming.
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