God forbid .....any decision to give any cruse line the right to manage the Nassau cruise port would go down in history as a travesty to every Bahamian. Let them bid. Take their proposal fee's but make sure they do not win. They certainly would not include the small man in their share ownership plans. The highest merit government should judge all proposals on is the widest possible distribution of ownership to the .average Bahamian. We as a country cant afford for another slice ouf our economic pie to be given away to foriegners Especially from a government that claims "Its the People Time".

Owen Bethell and Julian Brown form Benchmark needs to be publically castrated for all the white color crimes they have commited against the Bahamian public. They are both the Bahamas equivalent to Bernie Madoff. Being barred for life not enough punishment.

You two Tai and Don missing one very important point. The state is made up of the Executive Branch, The Judicial Branch and the Legislative Branch. The Chief justice being the head of the Judicial Branch is just as important to the functioning of this and any country under the west minister system as the Governer general or the prime minister.and .....A sitting chief justice who dies rightly deserves a State funeral .

No group stands a chance of winning the Cruise port Bid unless it has a plans for spreading the wealth through share distribution for the small man and retail investors.

Bad Bad idea ...Mr Cooper must think NIB is his private Insurance company. Nib has many stresses on the fund at present and some acturary studies have predicted its depletion by 2025. On the flip side many Bahamains who works in the public service, Hotels and many other sectors are unable to manage their personal financial affiars with 90% of them haveing exceeded the 65% loan threshold on their salaries. Nib must maintain its conservative investment approach that avoids funding entrepreneurial ventures because of their long-term obligations to pay due pensions and benefits to beneficiaries. Institutions such as the Bahamas developement Bank were created for entrepreneurial purposes and look at the loan default rate that institution is experiencing which causes the government to have to subsidize BDB to the tune of 3 million every year. We the Bahamian public cannot afford for this to happen to NIB

I predict that the small man and retail investor take in the allocation of shares in the proposed BIF of the Nassau cruise port wiill be south of five percent. Did someone say Blind trust fund.?? Give us the intended share distribution percentages for GPH, APD the GOV and the public.

you are so right ....the Pointe has already starting to build their broadwalk to connect to the Prince George broad walk....just look in the sea at the front of senior frogs...Three days ...Three articles .....the Tribune Batting for this group

“We came to office not knowing what to ask for, what could be done, what are the possibilities. **Two consortiums** put their proposals forward, and at that time we said it was better to put it out to an RFP. We’re much more knowledgeable, and much further along the learning curve.”

OK Tribune ....get the goods on what the other consortium is offering I am in favour of an APD model privete public partnership.(PPP) 40% government 40%public and 20% management/operating company .

Increase the Public share ownership in the cruise port to 40 percent. Government 40. percent, Operators 20 percent That would better distribute the wealth. Exclude Shipping Families involve in APD. This should involve an Experience cruise port operator/Manager government and the public. Its Time to further end the monopoly. No set of people has exclusive ownership rights to the Harbour. The last time i checked no group of families had **sea papers** for the water in the harbour.

The Gov and well wishing Bahamians from all walks especially the private sector needs to come together with a concrete plan with deliverable dates and schedules for the redevelopement of Ragged Island. One year has passed since the hurricane and Minnis words and pronuncments are proving to be a fools promise. I say again Ragged Island is of strategic importance to this country a should remain inhabited at all cost. and could be an example of renewable developement that is possible after a hurricane.