Tuesday, December 20, 2016
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE heavily criticised Christmas decorations along West Bay Street and the downtown area cost taxpayers just under $350,000 the Ministry of Tourism confirmed yesterday.
In a statement released after inquiries from The Tribune, the ministry revealed that Florarama beat out two other bidders to secure the contract for its second annual Christmas lights programme with the lowest bid of $334,000.16.
Florarama is owned by former Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Neville Wisdom. He served in the first Christie administration.
The disclosure from the ministry comes nearly a month after The Tribune revealed that Mr Wisdom’s company was awarded the contract. When the story first broke in November, Mr Wisdom and Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe refused to say how much the contract was worth.
The decorations evoked a wide range of reactions from the public, with numerous pictures of them mocked in posts on social media, and calls for public disclosure over the cost.
Many have questioned the quality and aesthetics of the decorations and some of them have fallen down into the road.
For his part, Mr Wisdom said criticism and press attention to the matter is an attack because of his identity as a former Progressive Liberal Party politician.
“All of this is just to get at me,” he said recently.
Mr Wisdom told The Tribune several weeks ago that his family has been in the decorating business for 43 years and he deserves to make a living from it now that he is out of office.
Yesterday, the ministry underscored that the programme’s goal was to generate and enhance the joy of Christmas.
“The celebration of lights follow the concept adopted by many countries to celebrate the yuletide season. Florarama was the lowest of the bidders for this year’s decorations.
“Three quotes were received for the Bay Street, Pompey (Square) and Arawak Cay decorations. Bahamas Fantasies submitted a quote of $585,766.75; Decorations Den submitted a quote of $429,360.00; and Florarama submitted a quote of $334,000.16.”
The statement continued: “The contract was subsequently awarded to Florarama, the lowest bidder. The decision by Florarama to involve a large number of Junkanoo artisans from the various groups, mixing the colours of the season with the traditional lights are aimed at creating a unique Bahamian Christmas celebration.”
“On a daily basis, hundreds of Bahamians and tourists tour the Pompey Square and Arawak Cay purchasing souvenirs and taking photographs, amidst the decorations.”
It added: “As a condition of the contract, decorations used are now the property of the Ministry of Tourism.”
Mr Wisdom, whose Cabinet portfolio included Junkanoo, was embroiled in controversy during his term over a multi-million dollar Junkanoo bleacher contract.
Comments
jackbnimble says...
How much you wanna bet $4,000 went on the decorations and the balance went in Mr. Wisdom's pocket!
Posted 20 December 2016, 2:14 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
#grannypantiesfortrees. Does anyone know if the decorations are "finished" now?
Posted 20 December 2016, 2:16 p.m. Suggest removal
Naughtydread says...
So good to know that you don't actually have to have any expertise in your industry to obtain a government contract, all you have to do it low ball the government. The ministry of tourism really got a great deal, they even get to keep the decorations! I will sign up for bid next year and create an LLC two weeks before, then bid at around $200,000. After winning the bid I will simply kick every trash can over downtown and call it a wrap! And the good thing about the contract is that the government will be able to keep the trash after! Like FML says "everybody is a winner!" YAYYYY to our third world country!
Posted 20 December 2016, 2:17 p.m. Suggest removal
BahamaPundit says...
Yes. I would agree. It's obvious he bought the lights in bulk from China. At most the decorations could cost $50,000 and that's being very generous.
Posted 20 December 2016, 2:23 p.m. Suggest removal
goodbyebahamas says...
What a F-ing rip off! Unbeleivable,only in Bahama land do thieves get away with bull$hit like this.
Posted 20 December 2016, 5:28 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Comrades! What, no stomach ugly Christmas wrappings?
Here you have no appreciation of the PLP's Cabinet's commitment to not be overspending this Christmas season. One way they did was by limiting this season's decorations to the ugly kind... Seeing as how taxpayers been begging them limit their spending, ain't you happy they hired Neville to keep it ugly simple... and it only cost you $334,000, or so government says ...not bad when goal ugliness, was far exceeded.
Posted 20 December 2016, 7:37 p.m. Suggest removal
goodbyebahamas says...
Comrade Russia, do you believe this $hit, and that thieving MF- ing a$$hole Florarama said in the media last week that the contract was small profits, nothing to brag about; pour me a triple Comrade Russia! Give me a F- ing break, $334,000.16 is nothing to brag about?! Are you F- ing kidding me, and this MF-er adds on 16 MF-ing cents to the $334,000 like it's going to make it look like it's low balled?! Where the F is my baseball bat?! Where the F is our $800,000,000 dollars in VAT collected funds you MF-ing crooks?!
Posted 20 December 2016, 10:31 p.m. Suggest removal
goodbyebahamas says...
Where the F is that damn baseball bat?! $334,000 and 16 MF-ing Cents is nothing to brag about! Can you image the thieving that is being done at the Baha Mar project if this simple X-mas F-ing lights bull$hit is costings us $334,000 dollars and sixteen Mother F-ing Cent!!!!!!!
Posted 20 December 2016, 10:44 p.m. Suggest removal
goodbyebahamas says...
Eight more mother F-ing days Lord, eight more mother F-ing days, please give me patience!!!!!
Posted 20 December 2016, 10:46 p.m. Suggest removal
Emac says...
And I would bet my bottom dollar that Wisdom's cronies waited for two legitimate companies to submit bids for the lighting, then told Wisdom that his bid should be lower than the two. These scum buckets have no conscious when it comes to the public purse. Tragically enough, the way the opposition and the FNM are operating right now, we may be trapped for another five years of this mess. Good luck Bahamas!
Posted 20 December 2016, 7:40 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
I believes Moody's downgrade came right after they read this story
Posted 20 December 2016, 9:52 p.m. Suggest removal
Stapedius says...
I mean what kind of sh!? is this? The PLP really needs a good kicking. Neville needs to go sit his tired a$@ down and make himself scarce. Besides the nepotism and cronyism of this, we should be pissed at this absolute waste of money. People are punishing in this country and our government assing around on aesthetics.
Posted 20 December 2016, 10:10 p.m. Suggest removal
Required says...
You know that when this government announces the numbers for a crony contract that the sum announced is but the tip of the iceberg.
Posted 21 December 2016, 3:45 a.m. Suggest removal
Log in to comment