By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of State for Grand Bahama Senator Kwasi Thompson has told Grand Bahamians to “ignore the naysayers” in response to criticism from the Progressive Liberal Party about the proposed development by RCI/ITM Group for the Grand Lucayan resort and Freeport Harbour.

Senator Thompson said the new project is far better than the proposed Wynn development that was touted by the former administration for the resort.

He noted that the announcement of the signing of a letter of intent between Lucayan Renewal Holdings and Royal Caribbean International/ITM has brought much hope for the people of Grand Bahama.

“The government and the people of Grand Bahama recognise that the LOI is only the first but significant step for this development and would encourage the PLP to put aside their partisan rhetoric and support what is clearly an amazing opportunity for GB’s rebirth. We invite all Grand Bahamians to ignore the naysayers and prepare themselves for this tremendous opportunity,” he said in a statement to The Tribune.

He noted that the government intends to commence exclusive negotiations immediately with the joint venture group with the intent of signing an agreement for sale and heads of agreement.

During an official signing last week of the LOI at the Office of the Prime Minister in Freeport, it was announced that $195 million, which also included the purchase price of $65m for the hotel, was earmarked for the first phase of the development. It was also estimated that some 2,000 jobs would be created, and that two million cruise ship passengers would be brought to the island annually following redevelopment of the harbour.

Mr Thompson said: “Why would the PLP criticise a project that could bring much needed relief to Grand Bahamians? Does the PLP really want GB to succeed? Would those who criticise prefer GB to remain in the state it is in and the government not to try to make things better?

“The PLP questions the estimated 2,000 jobs this project could create. The RCI/ITM joint venture includes the hotel development, water park and cruise port development at Freeport Harbour. It also includes transportation between both locations. While this number is only an estimate the PLP had no difficulty accepting Paul Wynn’s first proposal which they touted just before the general election. That proposed development had an estimated 1,500 jobs and did not include a water park or cruise port development,” he said.

“The PLP actually said that the proposed RCI/ITM development is not a meaningful investment for Freeport. In 2018, Grand Bahama welcomed 775,000 cruise passengers, most of which came from Carnival Cruise Lines,” Mr Thompson said.

However, he said the RCI/ITM development could bring more than 2 million passengers to the island, which more than doubles the number of cruise ship visitors traveling now.

“This is huge for taxi drivers, straw vendors, tour operators, restaurants, and shops,” he stressed. “The development also improves our overall destination. Most cruise lines did not regularly call on GB but this could all change with the proposed development.”

Mr Thompson indicated that the development would also include an airlift and marketing component which will positively impact the hotel and the rest of the island. The component will be negotiated in the heads of agreement, he added.

Because the development connects the Freeport Harbour, the hotel property and the Port Lucaya area, he said it would be an incentive for passengers to be moved from the harbour to the Port Lucaya area, which has always been a challenge.

“This is a win-win for all areas of tourism in GB,” Mr Thompson said.

Meanwhile, PLP chairman Fred Mitchell has branded Mr Thompson’s statement as FNM “propaganda” that seeks to mischaracterise the PLP as being against economic development for Freeport.

“Kwasi Thompson, minster of state for Grand Bahama must have misread the PLP’s statement on the LOI and the Grand Lucayan,” he said.

“The issue is not the PLP. We have to remind the FNM that they are the government. The issue then is the conduct of the FNM.”

He claims the FNM has a history of phony announcements, noting the controversy last year surrounding what was later called a “ceremonial” heads of agreement signing for a heads of agreement for the proposed Oban oil refinery in Grand Bahama.

At the time, the-then Oban executive Peter Krieger signed the document apparently using the signature of another Oban executive, Satpal Dhunna.

Mr Mitchell also said: “We must question everything about this letter of intent. Was this simply patched together to make it look like something was going on in Freeport when the devil is in the details?”

Mr Mitchell said that Mr Thompson should stop making the PLP the issue and come clean on the Grand Lucayan deal.