REVISED PROPOSAL IS “SMALLER IN SCALE”; EXCLUDES SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GOV’T LAND
NASSAU, Bahamas — While there has been concern that Prime Minister Philip Davis has taken a U-turn on his stance on Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) development of a beach club on Paradise Island, government’s Press Secretary Clint Watson said yesterday that the prime minister has not changed his stance, but has negotiated a revised proposal that excludes acreage of government land, introduces investment and entrepreneurial opportunities for Bahamians and injects capital into government coffers through a new scheme, The Nassau Guardian reported on Friday, March 10, 2023, in an article written by Chester Robards.
Watson said Davis wants Bahamians to note that this deal approved in principle with RCI is not the same deal that was left on the table by the former government.
“This is what he [Davis] wants you to know. The key point is what is presented and approved in principle is a revised proposal which is smaller in scale and excludes a significant amount of government land,” said Watson. “There’s about four acres of Crown land that is connected to the revised project, and that four acres was granted in May of 2021, prior to this administration taking office.”
Watson added, “It is also important to note that RCI has committed to creating some entrepreneurial opportunities for Bahamians, including the ferry service to be fully operated by Bahamians and owned by Bahamians. These were additional asks that were specifically included that the government wanted to ensure Bahamian stakeholder and ownership in. Also, Bahamians will be able to invest up to 49 percent in this project.
“So, when you look at what Prime Minister Davis in opposition would have said, it was based on what the circumstances at the time were… This is not that same proposal.”
There was widespread opposition to RCI being allowed to build its Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island, which required the government to lease the company Crown land. Some of that Crown land was in dispute, as local investor Toby Smith claimed it was already leased. Smith planned to build out his own beach facility for locals and tourists.
Smith took the case to court and lost, with the judge contending he did not have proper lease agreements from the government. See complete article in The Nassau Guardian https://thenassauguardian.com/watson-pm-has-not-changed-stance-but-revised-rci-deal/
