The Tribune

By KYLE WALKINE

Tribune Staff Reporter

kwalkine@tribunemedia.net

AFTER more than a year, negotiations between the government and Baha Mar are continuing, but hopefully will be resolved by the end of the summer, the resort’s Senior Vice President Robert Sands said yesterday.

Mr Sands said that the government has not made any payments for a year and that resort officials are still at the negotiating table trying to reach a middle ground on the remaining payouts.

“We’re continuing to work on that particular matter,” Mr Sands said. “Nothing has been resolved as yet. We’re hoping it’s resolved before the end of this summer.

“We’re encouraged that negotiations are taking place. But we’ll like to bring it to a successful conclusion as quickly as possible. We’ve been paid more than half of the amount outstanding. But we haven’t been paid any amount for over 12 months.”

Sources close to the matter say the government has paid Baha Mar $30m so far. 

The government has to pay Baha Mar $47.8m if the cost to reconfigure West Bay Street amounts to more than $70m, Works Minister Philip Davis has previously said.

If the figure is less than $70m then the government would only have to pay 50 per cent, Mr Davis had previously explained.

Mr Davis, the government’s chief negotiator in the talks, has previously called the negotiations “troubling”.  He has said he hopes the dispute will be resolved this year.