Dr Hubert Minnis
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday claimed that construction workers at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) had not been paid.
Dr Minnis questioned whether construction at the Andros facility had stopped unexpectedly as he suggested that the project was financially challenged.
The Killarney MP raised the matter during a point of clarification in the House of Assembly while MICAL MP V Alfred Gray was making a contribution to continued debate on the 2014/2015 mid-year budget.
Dr Minnis did not say how long the employees had not received their salaries.
“Maybe the member can clarify for me,” Dr
Minnis said, “why the construction has stopped and the workers have not been paid. Has the money run out? Do they have the monies that they need to complete the project?”
Later, in the afternoon session of the House, Dr Minnis said he was told that contractors of the multi-million dollar project had stopped paying the workers. He said the opposition was concerned over whether the government planned to inject more public money into BAMSI.
However, Mr Gray, who is also the minister of agriculture with BAMSI in his portfolio, said he was not aware of Dr Minnis’ claims.
He said: “Mr Speaker I am the minister, but I don’t pay bills.”
This attracted snickering from seated MPs.
He continued: “The Minister of Finance (Prime Minister Perry Christie and the Minister of Works (Philip “Brave” Davis) might be able to answer. If these issues exist…I don’t know that there is a problem.
“I never heard that they were having a money problem because I know the government has been paying its bills. I don’t know that the work has stopped, Mr Speaker, because when we visited Andros a week or two ago the work was going on.
“I don’t know where he gets his information from, but if he knows the facts he should state them (but) I don’t know of what he speaks.”
Mr Gray assured parliamentarians that he would look into the claims.
Mr Gray also responded to the FNM criticism of government spending on BAMSI. He said it was foolish to consider the investment into the facility a waste of money.
“Mr Speaker, I think the statement is unreasonably uttered.
“The next government has to continue BAMSI because if they don’t that would be a sad day for this country. They like to stop, review and cancel and I know that it is in their heads, but I trust that it isn’t in the heads of anyone that will come after this government,” Mr Gray said.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 2 months ago
The next government has to continue BAMSI because if they don’t that would be a sad day for this country
Disgrace. It was a sad day for this country when a project of this magnitude was started without sufficient funding. It was a sad day when contracts were awarded to clearly inept contractors. It was a sad day when this minister was given the task to oversee this project. It was a sad day when he told us he wasn't aware if the contractor had insurance and couldn't even give the last/next renewal date. It's a sad day when he tells us as SPONSOR of this project that he doesn't know anything about the state of the project's finances...how are these people put in charge??? Overseeing the project's budget is HIS responsibility as project sponsor, NOT the Prime Minister's. This is a Ministry of Agriculture project. The Prime Minister is simply one of the interested stakeholders.
birdiestrachan 9 years, 2 months ago
My sympathy to the FNM party. Minnis is not a truth full person, He said two bus loads were coming to his BOB march , they never arrived, and thousands of voters cards were stolen. it was four or five cards. Minnis who was right up front when BTC was sold. When cable Bahamas was given 15 years monopoly on TV. it was not *Bahamian owned , they made their money and then they sold the shares and ran like hell. They used the Bahamas and the Bahamian people I stand to be corrected it was sold to Canadians one of whom was related to the FNM's Papa . Minnis is on the TV right now lobbing for Cable Bahamas. .
Minnis is confusing he wants so many thing done, but he does not believe in Tax reform. Where does he expect the money to come from.
DonAnthony 9 years, 2 months ago
Birdie if you love the Bahamas and Bahamians so, you would be praying and lobbying yourself for cable Bahamas to win the second cellular license. The government owns 29% of cable (NIB - 22% and the treasury 7%). The other 71% is all Bahamian owned. So if you really believe in Bahamians and this country it is time to start tweeting a new tune and supporting Cable Bahamas' bid.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 2 months ago
I don't give two hoots at this minute how incompetent Dr Minnis is, it's Mr Grays incompetence that is having an impact on my pocket book. Mr Gray at any minute in time should be able to give an update n the state of the project including work completed, in project, pending and budget spent and needed to complete.
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 2 months ago
That's behind me today. If they ever get back in power I'll groan about them then. Today it's Gray
birdiestrachan 9 years, 2 months ago
It became Bahamian owned only after the Canadians had made all the money they wanted to make. Bahamians were not allowed to buy the TV cable Company. Even the Freeport cable Company was forced to sell. Minnis is a real comedian. Just like their FNM Papa.
DonAnthony 9 years, 2 months ago
It became 100% Bahamian owned 5 years ago. That is the current state- buy and support Bahamian!
birdiestrachan 9 years, 2 months ago
That is what I said it only became Bahamian owned after they had made their millions and they no longer had the monopoly , Minnis did not know that Bahamian ownership would keep the money in the Country when Cable Bahamas and BTC was being sold.
DonAnthony 9 years, 2 months ago
So do you support cable Bahamas now birdie?
asiseeit 9 years, 2 months ago
Birdie, I know many Bahamians that have owned shares in Cable Bahamas since they did their IPO in the 1990's. Their shares where sold to Bahamian investors for ONE dollar each. Today that same share is worth over $14. Also lets not forget the dividends Cable has paid out to their share holders. Many BAHAMIANS have made very good money from Cable Bahamas over the years. Why your beloved P.M. not allow small individual investors buy shares in the new cell company is something you should ask yourself.
DonAnthony 9 years, 2 months ago
I am the poster child of a Bahamian who benefited from Cable. At the time of cable's IPO twenty years ago I was 25 and I poured all my savings into buying cable at $1 per share. During that time cable has returned an annualized rate of 14.2% per year for 20 years! And that is not including dividends. Because of cable and other wise investments on Bisx I was able to retire 3 years ago at the age of 43! Ingraham pledged to offer 9% of BTC shares to the public and when he came to power Mr. Christie blocked it. Now he is refusing small Bahamian investors to buy into the new cellular company. It is being reserved for large investors only. And he has the nerve to say he cares about Bahamians. The truth is he does not give a damn about us, if he did he would do what Ingraham did with cable, and the port, and what he planned to do with BTC,let the little man get his shares and get his part of the economic pie. So birdie ask your P.M why he does not believe in Bahamians or at least the little man and only believes in his cronies and favored few!
asiseeit 9 years, 2 months ago
WHAP! The truth.
asiseeit 9 years, 2 months ago
Every Bahamian who is worth their salt has to want BAMSI to succeed but any who is real also knows it stands very little chance of doing so. Politicians will/are abuse it. Money will go missing. Croney's will be hired to do job's they are not qualified to do. As with ALL government buildings, nobody will maintain it. Nobody will do a proper business plan for the place. And finally, anything that is not bolted down will be stolen. I speak the sad, sad, truth.
John 9 years, 2 months ago
Boy Hubert Minnis is becoming a seasoned politician. He stood his ground among the heckling and rude interruptions when making his contribution to the budget debate yesterday. So much so that they called for "lunch break". In the middle of his contribution.
ac8663 9 years, 2 months ago
The next government has to continue BAMSI because if they don’t that would be a sad day for this country. They like to stop, review and cancel and I know that it is in their heads, but I trust that it isn’t in the heads of anyone that will come after this government,” Mr Gray said.
Gray is reading into something in sentence 2 meaning that the new government will be the FNM, because that's the only other government there was and who was did those things. Writing on the wall Mr Gray.
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