The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE government has narrowed its list of potential purchasers for the Grand Lucayan down to “three or four” out of 60 interested bidders, according to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar.

Mr D’Aguilar also revealed that government personnel were presently “negotiating quite closely” with the handful of unnamed, short-listed bidders.

The Freetown MP said that the government, now in critical negotiations to sell the property and conclude voluntary separation packages talks with some managers at the resort, did not want show its “entire hand” in the press.

“Yes, (negotiations are) proceeding very, very well,” he told reporters yesterday. “I am quietly optimistic something will happen very shortly; we’ll wait and see.”

He added: “We’re in the negation phase so we’re a little… we’re hedging on what we can disclose and not disclose, but its for a reason.

“We are negotiating. We don’t want to show our entire hand in the press. I know you’re anxious for information, but we are doing the best that we can to negotiate and to keep you as informed as we can.

“When its done, we’ll let you know. We’re focused on probably three or four; we are negotiating quite closely with them so I am quietly optimistic,” he added.

Meanwhile, addressing those ongoing negotiations with managers at the resort seeking a way out, Mr D’Aguilar yesterday said stalled discussions had been jump-started by “fruitful” talks between legal representative for the managers, attorney Obie Ferguson, and himself.

“I met with the union yesterday, they are progressing very well,” Mr D’Aguilar told reporters. “We are in the negotiation phase, so I rather not negotiate this in the press.

“It’s a negotiation and were waiting for the negotiation process to complete, but it is moving, we’re talking, everything is going well,” he added.

Mr D’Aguilar’s comments come on the heels of a recent Tribune report which revealed a $9.2m on operations and payout spend by the government at the resort since it acquired it last year.

A high-ranking government official on the request of anonymity confirmed $6m in taxpayer dollars was spent on operational costs and $3.2m paid to line staff who opted to receive voluntary separation packages.

However there has been no money expended on capital works projects.

The figure sharply falls below Progressive Liberal Party deputy leader Chester Cooper’s estimation last Tuesday that $14m in taxpayer funds has been used since the government temporarily took over the hotel.

He called the exercise a “frolic” as the PLP doubled down on criticising the government’s handling of Grand Lucayan employees and the execution of the plan to sell the resort. He further called for greater accountability in the spending of tax dollars.