NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Opposition leader Michael Pintard is holding the Davis administration accountable for unfulfilled promises regarding the sale of the Grand Lucayan Hotel and the construction of the Grand Bahama International Airport.
In a statement, Pintard noted that Prime Minister Philip Davis assured the Bahamian people three weeks ago that the Grand Lucayan Hotel would “finally, this time for sure” be sold within two weeks.
“That pledge followed more than two years of similar idle promises from this rudderless PLP regime. Yet, to the surprise of no one, his earnest deadline has come and gone, and the people of Grand Bahama are left disappointed once again. The Grand Lucayan remains unsold. We recall sadly that this is the same hotel that DPM Chester Cooper proclaimed was sold back in May 2022 for an eye-popping $100 million. More than two years later, the PLP ‘flam’ continues,” said Pintard.
He added: “The people of Grand Bahama—and indeed the entire Bahamas—also recall the many promises, pledges, and commitments to begin work in earnest on the new Grand Bahama airport. Yet, besides some demolition of the interior of the international terminal, nothing is happening. More PLP ‘film and flam.’ As is standard for the PLP, they talk a big game but cannot deliver.”
Pintard also accused the Davis administration of violating the law, noting that, after again promising to constitute the Fiscal Responsibility Council, the administration remains in open breach of its own Public Finance Management Act.
“There remains no functioning Fiscal Responsibility Council. There are thus no legally mandated independent reports on the government’s financial and budgetary performance. By now, we can only conclude that this is deliberate. The PLP do not want the oversight any more than it wants the public to examine its decisions and actions in office under a functioning FOIA.”
He further accused the Davis administration of being in breach of its own Public Procurement Act. “Sizeable contracts are being awarded without competitive bids, contrary to the law. The government refuses to disclose the details of winning bids for central government and public corporation contracts. They have no excuse because they continue to break the law. The fact that the PLP government does not want its affairs to be subject to public scrutiny tells Bahamians that this administration must have something to hide,” said Pintard.
He concluded: “When returned to office, an FNM administration under my leadership will immediately begin to enforce all existing laws related to accountability and transparency. We will also enact new laws with teeth to ensure that no future government will be able to follow the PLP’s current practice of squandering tax dollars under cover of darkness and silence of the public service.”
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