Since boosting its Phase III expansion project to $1 billion, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced on a radio talk show Tuesday that prominent investor Kerzner International would receive $148 million in concessions.
Guest speaker on a two-part interview with talk show host Darold Miller on Immediate Response, Mr Christie took offence with Opposition leader Senator Tommy Turnquest’s comments at a Free National Movement rally Monday night at the R.M. Bailey park.
In addition to being a “do-nothing” and “directionless government”, Senator Turnquest told party supporters that the Atlantis Phase III project would not be feasible if it were not for the former administration.
Taking credit for the Atlantis expansion project, Mr Christie told radio listeners: “I was told that Tommy Turnquest said last night (Monday night) that my government gave more concessions than his government, that’s why we got this to happen. Well, I’ve come to put a lie to that and may it never be spoken of again.”
As the FNM rally got underway, Mr Christie was announcing to the nation, during a live broadcast, that the Atlantis Phase III project would generate $2 billion in investments and an estimated 3,000 direct jobs for Bahamians, making the resort the largest outside of Las Vegas.
The Kerzner group, headed by Sol Kerzner and his son Butch Kerzner, entered negotiations with The Bahamas under the former administration. At the time, the Kerzner group invested $250 million, with $124 million in present value tax credit, amounting in 49.4 per cent of the investment concessions in 1995.
During Phase II in 1997, Prime Minister Christie continued, the investment was $460 million. The value of the tax concessions was $151 million, amounting to 32.9 per cent of the value of the investment.
“When we moved to $600 million (in the) proposed third phase with the Kerzner group, the Progressive Liberal Party had been in Opposition critical of the amount of concessions,” he explained, adding, “Even though I would say now that when a group comes into this country it is wise to give them concessions. And in retrospect, I’m not going to argue that point anymore. I’m just going to accept it and move on, but when it came to my Government and the $600 million investment, the concessions amounted to $80 million or 13.3 per cent in 2003. When the Kerzner group agreed to go to $1 billion, we agreed on concessions valued at $148 million and that came at a percentage of 14.8.”
Mr Miller asked whether the numbers prove that the concessions given under the PLP administration amounted to less than half than those given under the FNM administration.
Mr Christie affirmed Mr Miller’s question, adding, “What is so wrong about politicians in The Bahamas? Firstly, they make this point of do-nothing governments. No government is going to be a do-nothing government. It’s so silly. In fact, it makes me feel as if I’m taking advantage of existing leadership of the Free National Movement when they take such positions, because they’re so easily refutable and easily pushed aside.”
He then called for a “more credible” Opposition, in which Bahamians could join in national discussions on substantial issues.
“I’m surprised,” Mr Christie added, “that the Leader of the Opposition would have made such a fatal flaw and mistake in his arguments, because I’ve discussed this in Parliament before and he must know what is expected of a government that succeeds another (is) to build on the success of the preceding government.”
He said the PLP administration has and would never “run away” from the successes of the previous government, but instead “applaud” it for them.
“We will take the country further and we will take the country higher. That’s why the people voted for us,” said Mr Christie.
Mr Miller then asked him whether he was “upset” that the FNM staged a rally at the same time he was signing a “mega” agreement with Kerzner International, to which Mr Christie said the Opposition might be the ones upset.
“They must set their political agenda and they must deem it relevant for their political support,” he said.
Mr Christie implored the FNM for playing their role in democracy, but asserted that he will not allow himself to be distracted by their political tactics.
Khashan Poitier, The Nassau Guardian
