NASSAU, BAHAMAS- Former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis has warned that Bahamians will be angered by the Davis administration’s new hospital project, claiming it will involve the importation of hundreds—if not thousands—of Chinese workers due to the terms of a nearly $300 million loan from the Chinese government.
During his Budget debate contribution, Dr. Minnis accused the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) of abandoning a phased redevelopment of Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) that, he said, would have already delivered a new wing built largely by Bahamian labour. Instead, he argued, the government has opted for a foreign-financed hospital deal that prioritizes Chinese contractors and workers.
“The PLP pledged in its 2021 manifesto to build a hospital in New Providence through a public-private partnership,” Minnis said. “Something went wrong with the public-private partnership part of the idea, it seems. What we have before us now is that the government is set to borrow nearly $300 million from China for the hospital.”
“As part of China’s lending, they get a general contractor, they get the workers, and we are to pay back the loan with interest,” he added. “I assume the materials will also be purchased from China.”
Minnis said the public will become outraged once construction begins and Bahamians see the scale of the foreign workforce employed. “Bahamians will come to be angered by this project. Every time they drive by the construction site and see the hundreds of workers, they will know that their government chose a deal that gave the jobs to Chinese workers over Bahamians,” he said.
“This will be a part of the legacy of our Prime Minister,” Minnis said. “When he chose his largest public work projects, he did not put Bahamians first.”
In May, Chinese Ambassador Yan Jiarong confirmed that the Chinese government is in the final stages of approving a concessional loan for the specialty hospital, which is to be built on a 50-acre site in the Perpall Tract and will focus on services for women and children. The proposed 200-bed facility will include a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, diagnostic services, a blood bank, and will also function as a teaching hospital.
The $290 million project is backed by the Export-Import Bank of China, which has offered a 20-year loan at an interest rate of just 2 percent. The final financing agreement is still pending internal approvals and the signing of a government-to-government framework.
Dr Minnis also questioned when the government will receive the sale proceeds from the Grand Lucayan deal and when construction of the Grand Bahama International Airport will begin—calling the airport critical to the success of the resort project.
