The Tribune

By Sancheska Brown

Tribune Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie publicly appealed to Sarkis Izmirilian, Baha Mar Chairman and CEO, last night for a “closer relationship” despite their many disagreements.

While addressing the crowd at Baha Mar’s topping off celebration, Mr Christie said the success of Baha Mar not only depends on the support from the people of the country but also the relationship between the resort and the government.

“Sarkis and I have had many disagreements, we are going to have more but I think as the Minister of Tourism said to him ‘You two started off together and you owe it to yourselves and the vision to overcome any divisions that materialise’.

“This is about the people’s stake, clearly this is not about Sarkis and Perry Christie, this is about something much more meaningful, something that ties up and gives us a path to securing our future,” he said.

“Many times I wondered whether I was right when I persuaded my friend Phil Ruffin to sell.

“There is a whole story behind that. Ladies and gentlemen the real challenge though is how we prepare going forward.”

The Prime Minister said when the project first started he personally sat down with members of the unions as well as the executive team of Baha Mar to ensure everyone understood the vision. He said the government has invested and still has to invest a tremendous amount of money in this project and it simply cannot fail.

“So this means to the trade unions and the potential employees, the process must begin now. We must intensify the process so as not to leave any doubt whatsoever about our commitment not to compromise on what has to happen here on this site. The government of the Bahamas will have to invest an enormous amount of money in marketing. Sarkis indicated when we first were negotiating that we would put in the agreement what we would spend prior to the hotel’s opening to be able to get the markets of the world to know they should start their bookings now,” he said.

“I am going to have to begin the process in the budget next May or June, where we are going to have to find the money to put in to begin to conform with the obligation that we have in the agreement and therefore the country, as it did with the roadways, will increasingly, have a direct commitment in the success of this enterprise. And so we have no second chance. This has to be right from day one. The preparation must begin.”

The Prime Minister also appealed to Mr Izmirilian for a better working relationship.

He said: “Now is the time and this is the call I make this afternoon, to ensure that you and Perry Christie have a relationship that will enable us to cut through some things that happen on this site that shouldn’t and that will prove to be to the enduring benefit of the Izmirilian family and the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. I believe that. It is important that we make sure, and I say it again, we make sure that people understand the value of your contribution to this country. That is important, particularly because in hard times people are anxious and we are still in hard times and I thought I would make this public appeal to you because you understand me and I understand you and going forward now, beginning tomorrow we should have a full agreement on this training programme that you have and how it is going to unfold and be for the benefit of the people of our country.”