Yet another stupid move by this government that will cost the Bahamian taxpayer millions of dollars.
All the gov't had to do was give concessions for small hotels and bed and breakfasts and market an ecotourist experience while increasing air lift to the island to help move the economy along.
Instead they are sitting on a closed hotel having to maintain it hoping some else will buy it! Simply dumb!

Minnis is not counting on foreign visitors to keep the Grand Lucayan afloat.....he's simply going to use our tax dollars to keep the doors of this beyond dead hotel open with millions of our tax dollars simply being redistributed to others, not to mention the exceptionally generous amounts that will get siphoned off through corrupt contactual arrangements of one kind or another with his cronies and major supporters of the FNM party. In summary, Minnis is doing the only thing he excels at, i.e. flushing our tax dollars and our country down the proverbial toilet. And whenever there's big money to be flushed down the toilet, just look at who's always standing immediately to the righthand side of Minnis egging him on to do the wrong thing. Minnis truly knows very little about real politics in our nation today. The powers that be are actually encouraging the dimwitted Doc to politically self-destruct. Yep, they want him 'One and Done', if not sooner, and he's happily obliging them. What a joke!

The government have now bought the LuCayan hotel, . . . ..
The one Hutchinson-Whampao just could not sell, …… . . ..

Another hundred million needs to be found, . . . . .. ..
To try to get this project even off the ground, .. . . . ..

The stupidity of this cabinet is hard to comprehend, . . . …
A fiscal disaster the probable bad end .. . . . . ..

Cossetted cabinet ministers flying all over by first class , . . …. ….

Show that responsibility is a total farce.

I like Jimmy Carter who flies economy, . . . . . …..
An honest politician remaining hubris free, . . . . . ….
Wouldn't it be good if we had politicians more like this. . . . .. …
Instead of catching hell we could be living here in bliss.
+

Ma Comrades, whilst the Imperial red shirts cabinet reached into the public purses's (borrowed monies) $65 million plus another $100 renovations and still the purchase from Hutchinson Whampoa of the Casino has been conveniently left off table.
Not a single red penny from the hurricane's$100 million settlement pocketed in insurance proceeds paid out to Hutchinson Whampoa - will benefit Freeporters moving forward. They happily tooks the $100 million and left the severely hurricane damaged properties as the were .... un repaired.
Why didn't Minnis and KP - not demand of the Port's ownership to loan them the $65 million interest free for 30 years?
What exactly was the Port's financial contribution the $65 million purchase..... guessing zero monies.... certainly whatever they talked does justify clarity to the PeoplePublic by Minnis and KP.

I agree with most of the comments; but at the moment I can't get past the picture of our leaders. They look like bums!

Have they no pride? Do they not realize they should at least look presentable if not respectable.

That $65m sale price broken down:

To Hutchinson Whampoa: $1. Which is $1 more than they thought they could get.

$64,999,999...ahem...stays at home.

Meanwhile retail stores are singing ‘the Blues ‘ about Back/to-School sales. Some are wondering if it will be last minute or if everyone has already shopped online and in Florida. Just ride past R. M. Bailey Park and see for yourself.

In this project Dr. Minnis is mentioned, the Tourism Minister has been mentioned but astonishinglt the Minister of Finance seems to be missing...?...an in other injections of money he has been in the forefront....as a former GB Chamber of Commerce member, an MP and the Deputy PM he should be in the picture.......
Other issues particularly the gateway to this massive injection of the peoples money..the Airport and Harbour being privately owned standing to benefit in fees that the peoples injection of money will bring to the private owners...the stimulation of the local economy...people paying fees...taxi drivers...etc..what is the Bahamian people going to benefit....and what are the private owners Port and Hutchinson...contributing....?.???apart from sitting back benefitting....??

Beginning to wonder if the actual cost of the hotel was more like 45 million and 20 million is going to a slush fund.

It seems criminal that the Hutchinson Whampoa people were allowed to collect millions in insurance money and just walk away without repairing the damage to the Hotel. I don't assume the Bahamas Government will conduct further business with them? With all the concessions the foreign investors always squeeze out of us, do they have no obligations to restore the property in a case like this, and if not, why not?

This whole deal seems criminal and absolutely ZERO transparency!!!

Something has to be done, but I'm not sure this was the answer.

If the (PLP) Government did not rape and rob BoB sending the Billion dollar bank into bankruptcy, this would have been the perfect opportunity to bring together a contingency of businessmen and local Bahamian investors to partner with government to purchase and manage this hotel property. Eventually Bahamians must look for more than just employment in the tourism industry. They must take ownership.

the FNM can no longer pass the blame to the PLP. they are government now and said they had the plan.

obviously they dont..

Our community clinic in Mangrove Cay sits idle and in a state of destruction for a supposed lack of money.
But, we can find millions to buy a dinosaur.....................................................

I agree and I'm not sure the government will make the needed improvements, then manage the property well. Promoting the property will also be needed. There are too many people that have quit going to GB because it's just lonely feeling. It's beautiful, the people are great but there's nothing going on. It's just to quiet. Good live entertainment is a must. I hope they do it right but reputation doesn't reflect "hope and change." Yes, Obama's platform🌝

Speaking of visiting. Could someone tell me when Junkanoo is in Nassau. I would like to come. I'll be in Nassau soon. I'm just drawn to the Bahamas. I left my heart there many years ago.

Ma Comrade Ashley14, I will do me damnedest best direct you full scheduling when our local house of assembly sits... Oh, and don't forget brungs ya Brownie camera cause sometimes we MP's does go all Britisher- dressing up in their morning monkey attires.

Thanks! What is a Brownie camera?

Ma Comrade, you really don't wanna make me to get me 'Brownies' into action,....an even higher twilight cloud than anything any red shirts has reached. Thanks

TalRussell actually I don't know what MP's are either. I'm not naïve because I don't understand your lingo. It couldn't be any worse than Mardi Gras, anything goes. I've been to it many times. I think along with the bazaar behavior the music, costumes and dress are very entertaining. Anyway thanks for your help. Oh yeah, what is MP's?

Truly terrifying in its stupidity - exactly what a politician does to avoid losing the election on that island.

- The free market labels the hotel unwanted and unviable - the government buys it (FAIL).
- If they sell it to a rich white person, they're going to be called sell-outs and colonisers (FAIL).
- The money they're borrowing is less than 50% of what is needed just for the first year (FAIL).
- It won't be ready until Winter 2019 (FAIL)
- The money to "employ" people is the People's own money (FAIL).

Clearly, the gamble here is the stability of a government owner will entice a savvy buyer to get it quickly; early enough so they don't have to pay the rest. That's going to backfire, because any savvy buyer is going to wait until the Greater Fool (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_f…), i.e. the government, has wasted all the time and money doing the renovations, and is desperate to sell at an even lower price.

This isn't the "least of evils". It's just flat-out ignorance of basic economics. Bahamian politicians are obsessed with thinking they can control free market forces by controlling access to the local economy, and the policies of the country's institutions. Markets don't work like that; they collapse with attempted interference and wither with protectionism.

The economy on GB is in pieces because of corruption and incompetence - not because of a single broken hotel. There is room on GB for 500 hotels, next to the world's largest economy and supply of tourists. The question is: why aren't they there?

If the FNM thinks it can use protectionism - yet again - to save a collapsing island economy - the Bahamian people are going to learn - again - why their politicians need to prove a qualification in Economics to run for office. Markets are like parachutes - they only function when they are open.