NASSAU, Bahamas — Grand Bahama International Airport will be purchased at a cost of under $1m by the Airport Authority, The Tribune reported on Thursday, March 25.
Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar told Parliament on Wednesday that while the Authority is purchasing the airport at a price of “one dollar,” the authority will also assume a portion of staff-related costs. These costs, he said, were not expected to exceed $1m.
However, Mr D’Aguilar told Members of Parliament a new airport will cost between $40m and $50m to be constructed. Government will seek to enter into a public private partnership to assist in the rebuilding effort, Mr D’Aguilar said.
His announcement was welcomed by government MPs, but was met with criticism by former Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna Martin.
Not only did the Englerston MP demand that details of the impending purchase be laid on the table of the House of Assembly, but she said the minister should have revealed what motivated owners, Hutchinson Whampoa, to agree to sell the facility.
Mrs Hanna Martin further hit out at foreign companies that have received concessions but have not lived up to their obligations.
“After the passage of Hurricane Dorian, on September 1, 2020, Hutchinson expressed that they had had enough of operating that airport and simply wanted to sell it and be done with it,” said Mr D’Aguilar, as mover of the Airport Authority Amendment Bill, 2021. “Intense discussions ensued between the government and Hutchinson, resulting in a heads of terms which lays out the terms under which the government will purchase, and the Freeport Harbour Company will sell, the Grand Bahama International Airport.
“The Bahamian taxpayer and especially the taxpayers in Grand Bahama want to know the amount that their government has agreed to pay for that airport. Well, the purchase price is one dollar. One dollar plus the assumption of a portion of staff related costs which should not exceed one million dollars.”
He continued: “So, the Airport Authority is purchasing almost 2,500 acres of land, an 11,000-foot-long runway that was recently resurfaced, taxiways, ramps, etc, all for under a million dollars.
“Once the purchase of the Grand Bahama International Airport has been completed, the lawyers are currently doing the title searches, the relationship between a Bahamas government owned asset and the Port Authority being finalised, the asset will be transferred to the Airport Authority who will create a special purpose vehicle to operate and redevelop the airport, very similar to what was set up at the Lynden Pindling International Airport…” See complete story in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2021/mar/25/we-have-take-govt-buy-gb-airport-deal-seen-vital-s/
