D’Aguilar is talking absolute nonsense. The hotel is only 25% open, if that, being financed by the Bahamian people (via $27 million in budget transfers and vat, customs, casino tax and other exceptions). The hotel will never open fully, the hotel has no owner, the hotel only has last centuries products (rooms, beach and casino) - no entertainment or theme park and a very tainted brand.

Why doesn't this FNM get to work and stop talking. Why have they not disclosed the Baha Mar agreements made with the Chinese? What happened to Campaign finance reform? What happened to transparency in government? Where are the results of the forensic audits (or will these take forever and nothing is done with the reports as usual)? What happened to over the hill (poor area) tax breaks? The only tax break i see is on commercial washers and dryers. what happened to the removal of VAT on bread basket items? What happened to the removal of tuition at the University of the Bahamas?

Please FNM's just shut up, stop complaining and get to work. To me us seem just like the PLP all talk.

Yes, stop complaining about the PLP and fix NHI. I'm tired of hearing the FNM complain about the bills, the dump, NHI, NI, Baha Mar, the debt, etc. etc. Just shut up and get to work.

you have to be joking...you can't have world class data centers with unreliable, costly non renewable power with the slowest internet connections. Illiterate work force .

D'Aguilar is absolutely conflicted in both appearance and actuality and it reflects poorly on the FNM. Remember corruption and poor governance starts in small matters and overtime escalates into what we saw in the last years of the PLP "rule".

Why was the duty on commercial washing machines and dryers reduced so quickly when the residence of Bain Town can't get their inner city tax exemptions until "next year"? Why hasn't VAT been removed on bread basket items? Who benefits from duty reductions on commerical washers and dryers? Certain not the residence of over the hill. They are still being charged the same amount to do their laundry. While multi millionaires get richer and richer. Shame. Shame. Shame.

We should follow standard practices as seen in the US. Rex Tillerson, US Secretary of State who recused himself on issues related to Russian oil drilling because he was the former CEO of Exxon with deep ties to Russia.

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself of the Russian investigation of the Trump administration on the simple basis that he chatted with the Russian Ambassador during the campaign.

D'Agular was a former Director of Baha Mar and highly critical of the Chinese before the election. The former beneficial owner of Baha Mar, a foreigner, looms large as a key supporter of the FNM (appearing at the swearing in). Were there any foreign campaign monies flowing to the FNM from these sources? If so, how much? Where is the Campaign Finance Reform Act? Why doesn't the FNM disclose it campaign funding and provide complete details of where their funds came from. They will say because the PLP did not do it. When since did the PLP become a measuring rod for good governance. Shame. Shame. Shame.

You know what they will say? They will say they will do this next year....and next year will never come. Nothing will change. The FNM will become the new PLP if they don't change their ways right now.

Delta.

DonAnthony, you are absolutely correct. Currently the government is borrowing $722 million, which is 10% of the entire debt of the entire Country. I find it hard to believe that there are so many old invoices that have "suddenly" come due. Dey (we) gettin swing again.

A lot of this debt has been accumulated by the government "for profit businesses" which have never been accountable to the people and will not be accountable by this FNM either.

The only way to stop the bleeding before we go bankrupt is to sell Bahamasair, Sell the 51% of BTC owned by the government, sell water and sewerage, sell BEC or whatever they call it now (BPL), sell Bamsi, sell Bank of the Bahamas, Sell the mortgage corporation, sell ZNS, sell the Port , sell the airport, make these damn foreigners (hotels especially) pay some taxes etc. etc.

If we don't sell these business the debt will be well over $10 billion by the time the FNM is completed and we will need to devalue the dollar...which is already almost worthless.

Borrowing $722 million is not credible...but there is an insatiable demand for government debt both within the country and internationally.

I'm skeptical that the government actually has $400 million in unpaid legitimate invoices. The simple solution is not to borrow the $400 until the bills are verified. If the funds are borrowed then it immediately legitimizes the bills and everyone will be calmorouring for payment. Each bill must be fully scrutinized and make the vendors wait. People are doing sloppy work or provide fraudulent invoices to the government because they know if they wait long enough they will be paid. And what about the $800,000 Ingram said was missing from the Treasury?

D’Aguilar making the same mistakes as the PLP and the FNM's previous administrations. In no developed country (US, Canada, Europe, Japan etc) does the government run an airline. Why? Because it is not the function of government to run businesses. And if the government runs a business it can't be profitable. Why? Because there are no shareholders to be accountable to on a quarterly basis and via an Annual General Meeting where they can be tossed out for incompetence. Well, perhaps some accounting every 5 years via an election but that doesn't stop them from losing money for 5 years!

Pulling out of domestic routes is an excellent idea. I go to Long Island regularly and Bahamasair is late a lot. Most times Southern Air leaves early. The new planes that the government just bought for $250 million are constantly breaking down and one puff of wind completely destroyed one beyond repair. How is that possible?

So I say, get out of local routes, subsidize local airlines to fly to far away islands that are not profitable and subsidize international airlines to provide airlift from non profitable destinations to assist tourism.

Shut Bahamasair down!

Tall, you are absolutely correct. Once the ballots are move and stored anything could happen.

Not useful as we have very low octane gas which is just above diesel in its ability to pollute the environment.