PM: Govt prepared at this time to take over GB airport

Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said yesterday that the government is “prepared at this time to take over” the Grand Bahama International Airport. He noted that paperwork will be presented to Cabinet next week for it to decide on new management for the airport, which was extensively damaged during the passage of Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.

Calls had been made for the government to acquire the airport, which is currently owned by Hutchison Port Holdings and Port Group Ltd.

“I know Grand Bahama is concerned about the airport and the Grand Lucayan. The airport, my understanding is all the paperwork is completed and that would be brought to Cabinet on Tuesday, at which time the Cabinet will deliberate on it,” the prime minister said.

“We’re prepared at this time to take over. We’re only removing the management team in place. Once the new management team is in place we will take over and move forward with that.”

The prime minister was touring West End, Grand Bahama yesterday when he made the comments to the media.

The government has been in talks with the owners of the airport since shortly after the destructive hurricane impacted Grand Bahama, to purchase the facility.

The attorney general last week lamented that the airport’s current owners have shown no interest in restoring the airport, despite its commitment to provide an international airport in the Hawksbill Creek Agreement.

The hospital on Grand Bahama also suffered extensive damage following Hurricane Dorian. The government said it would cost $21 million to repair and rebuild that facility. Work began on April 29, 2020 and was expected to be completed in November 2020.

“Grand Bahamians have been complaining quite a lot about their hospital. Their hospital is progressing very rapidly. My understanding is that it will be ready for its official opening sometime in March and then the question is where do we go from there?” he said.

“The Beck Company, which had designed the Critical Care Block when I was minister of health, many of you would be aware of in New Providence, that’s the same company that’s designing the new hospital here in Grand Bahama. That’s a four-story complex but it will be designed in such a way that as the population continues to grow, you’d be able to move to a fifth floor or six floor as is necessary. So, Grand Bahama is on the move and I feel that Grand Bahama will be ready for the post-COVID era.”

The prime minister said he remains hopeful for a complete economic rebound in The Bahamas once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

“We anticipate that once we come out of the COVID era the economy will start to boom. I expect not only Grand Bahama but New Providence and the Family Islands and I’m extremely grateful during the COVID era how the Family Islands performed,” he said.

“People tend to neglect the Family Islands but the Family Islands remained basically COVID free, minimal COVID and their tourism product was still functioning, so the Family Islands are really doing their part for the entire Bahamian economy. But we will come out of the COVID problems that we’re seeing now.”

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/pm-govt-prepared-at-this-time-to-take-over-gb-airport/