We must remain fully focused on collecting VAT.

Anything that may provide some joy to the people or provide healthy activities for our youth must be canceled.

Besides you can go to the web shops for entertainment.

The Number webshops may have picked up sponsorship of the world relays if the government did not increase their taxes ...now they vex ...

This has to be one of the most embarrassing, economically ill-informed and senseless decisions the Minnis government has made, without question. The Bahamas is a tourist destination, and of course, it would want to draw high-class events that will bring publicity to the country and eventually draw tourist to this destination. Not only are the World Relays filled with elite athletes, but these events draw news media from every part of the world, many who broadcast live from the event over its entire duration. Giving the country hours and hours of promotion and publicity. Friends, family, and fans of the athletes come to The Bahamas, get hotel rooms, buy food and hire ground transportation, among other things. They spend money. Money that would have otherwise never made it to the Bahamas. And so the $5 million the government spends to host the event spills into millions of dollars in other economic activity and free promotion of the country. And with the recent increase in VAT and additional taxation on the Web Shop boys, does the government still have to shut the country down? Is the government's financial crisis worse than we are being told? And how much more additional revenue will the government need to make things right?

we were always in an atrocious financial position and this government has also ramped up spending, the same as the PLP did when VAT was introduced.

So is this spending or investing with a guaranteed return?

Perry and Danny Johnson were only interested in putting on a show with athletic events ...... just like Caesar and Rome ......... and we all know where that ended ........ pride comes before a fall.

It is time that this Government begins to do things to ASSIST young Bahamian athletes ....... and stop depending on American high schools, academies and universities to train our athletes.

Just look at the recent Carifta 2018 held in The Bahamas ....... the only winning U20 athletes we could muster up on a whole team of 70 children were the ones in US high schools or colleges ........ What does that tell us about our local training and competition levels?????? ..... Where are the investment in primary and junior sports programs???? ......... Laneisha to the rescue?????

Lord Jesus ........ help the MOYSC

So true MadHatter. Why spend what you don't have? Don't blame the government for this decision. Unfortunately , most people will not understand what you are trying to say or what the government is attempting to do. Sad state of affairs.

This seems to show poor planning on the part of the FNM. Just like Carnival, this event could have been opened to and funded by the private sector.

Carnival is privatized by you know who ............. Numbers Cartel can also bid for the 2019 IAAF Relays

Without vision the people perish. What about the spouse office have they opened that yet
or is it hidden somewhere? doc travelling all about and opening offices on certain Islands
doc will find out soon enough no body wants to see any of them. They lie to much

were you one of the ones with a wheel barrow carting 500 million ,yea a half a billion , out of the front door of BOB while the PLP was in power ,,well nothing is free ,,that 500 million that came from NIB could have been used to pay bills by the gov ..My God as soon as the PLP would put a 100 million in BOB from our tax payer funded NIB they would cart it out the friend door in loans to friends and cronies ..Miller got 23 million we will never see again and put up the bowling alley/complex as collateral .At best that complex is worth 2 million ..Tell me Birdie its the Bahamian people get any value at all by letting Miller swap something worth2 million for 23 million of tax payer funds ,,Please Birdie do some obeah/voodoo economics to make that a good deal for the taxpayer

I'm sure if we do a forensic audit at MOYSC we could find the funds to host that. LMAO

And while you are at it ................... Find the promised sports officers and the gyms/tracks for the Out Islands

> > For those of you who think this event would be a net positive income -
> I say, the same would be like if you
> ran across a deal someone selling a
> car for $2500, and you know you could
> clean it up and put new tires and a
> working sound system and sell it for
> $4500 making a profit of $1200. (Net
> positive income).
>
> Sounds wonderful. BUT you can't do it
> if you don't have $2500 to buy it.
>
> We don't have $5M to "buy" this
> profitable sports event. Sad, but
> true.

Your reasoning is without foundation. First of all purchasing a flat screen for your own entertainment (and hoping to score with your girl) is totally different from investing in an already popular international sports event and hoping to realize a profit or at least break even. And since most people who will be attending this event have already planned and budgeted for it next year and they will be attending whether it is held in the Bahamas or not. And of course, the news media and other sports and auxiliary personnel that attend and follow these events are a shoe in. So whilst the Bahamian participation may not be as expected, the foreign visitors, which generate new revenue are almost guaranteed. And since the government predicts there will be some growth in the economy in the next ten months and moving forward, the Bahamian participation may be greater than expected, despite the increase in VAT. To say that the Bahamas government does not have $5 million to invest in an event of this caliber is indeed sad., and sorry!

all I see at most of these gov sponsored events is a 3/4 empty stadium

Like far too many financial decisions made by successive Bahamian governments- this appears painfully shortsighted. After years of building the event - which I really enjoyed attending, they suddenly cancel it just when it was beginning to pay off? It also reeks of another problem- a lack of continuity between governments. Money and investment down the drain during a weak tourism period.

One can say the same for the long cancelled Bahamas Games. It’s too financially painful for them to have found money to put on this event every three years. Yet they a united Bahamas. They want top class athletes that can go abroad and not only compete but win events and bring home medals. And so now they have to spend $5 million or more on police cars and equipment to fight a crime situation that is not getting better. In fact it may be getting worse. But how much is being spent on events for youth and the general public post high school? The National Stadium is begging for events. And hotels and tourist related businesses can use a summer boost that tends to trickle into the winter season and make it more active.

It is so laughable to believe we had more events back in 1973 than we have now at Independence ......... especially social events to unite the country.

We are now just paying for the cost of the last two enents

Government raised VAY by 4.5% or some sixty two percent. Close to being doubled. So you are saying that despite the fact that government will collect several billion from VAT during the remainder of their term in office, they could not cough up $5 million to stage a world recognized international event? Even if they were to cancel future events they should host this one that they have already committed to. And anyone who says this event was poorly attended must be blind sighted or a pathetic liar. And while the profitability of the event may be questionable , the spinoff and future benefits from the event are unquestionable. Especially is there is truth to the government’s claim that the country has turned the country, economically and they need events and activities to stimulate the economy and cause it to grow even more. Not forgetting that other Caribbean countries that may have been in competition to host the event are still recovering from hurricane damage.

So are there any other events scheduled for the National Stadium this year? AnY? Junior Junkanno has been moved right. So the maintenance and management of this underused stadium will cost the government over a million for the next six months. Not to mention depreciation. So government will still have to spend half ot what it costs to put on the World Relays on the stadium in any event. So even if it sponsored the event and gave every Bahamian that attended a discounted ticket, iy would be financially in a better position than cancelling the event, all things considered. But wait. Maybe they can move the Post Office to the stadium. Each empty seat can be a post box and general mail can be collected at the concession stand!

The whole Oakes Field/Queen Elizabeth sports complex is now an extension of the University of The Bahamas ....... it has to become a centre for attracting NCAA and other professional events to this country and become a part of the proposed National Sports Academy that will provide the breeding and training ground for future youth sports athletes in ALL sporting disciplines (basketball, baseball, tennis, track, swimming etc.) ........ But it has to be funded properly, and not like what Perry dem was doing for poppy-show