The Bahamas government says it will on March one, launch several requests for proposals (RFP) for public-private partnerships (PPP) for the redevelopment of several airports on the Family Islands.
Tourism, Investments and Aviation Minister, Chester Cooper, addressing a pre-mid-year budget economic briefing, told the business community progress is taking place regarding more than six billion US dollars in foreign direct investments, the majority of which are on Family Islands.
“In terms of aviation, we have reached an agreement on the Grand Bahama International Airport. Essentially, we’re just tying up loose ends in that matter and there will be significant movement there shortly. On March 1st, we’ll be launching an RFP for PPPs in several airports in the Family Islands, totaling more than US$500 million.
““Redeveloped airports in Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Bimini and Long Island will mean new money, new jobs and new growth for our islands that can work toward creating new economies. The bottom line is that tourism is very strong and our economy is dynamic,” Cooper said.
He told the business community that those investments include hotels, marinas, real estate developments, as well as renewable energy, industrial and agri-business projects. He said they include US$660 million in developments on New Providence, US$692 million on Grand Bahama, US$137 million on Eleuthera, US$685 million on Exuma, one billion US dollars on Abaco and US$250 million on Long Island.
“These are real, tangible projects that are multimillion-dollar in scope, with proof of funds and set dates for commencement.
“Millions are spent with local professionals – lawyers, engineers, architects and environmental specialists – even before the first shovel hits the ground. We have a shovel-ready program repackaging stalled projects of the past where the groundwork is done, to speed up development, thus speeding up economic impact,” Cooper said.
“The level of interest in doing business in The Bahamas is unprecedented and the message that the government is a willing and able facilitator is resounding around the world. We’re dealing with projects by island and by sector, and as I indicated, not everything is tourism-related,” he added.
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