The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis says he will make two major announcements concerning Grand Bahama and a Family Island when he delivers his first national address of the year tomorrow.

He told The Tribune: “The address gives me an opportunity to make two major announcements related to one of the Family Islands and Grand Bahama. I think that those are very important, those will demonstrate to the Bahamian population that investors still have great confidence in The Bahamas in spite of what we went through with the most powerful storm on record impacting our country.”

Asked about the Grand Bahama announcement, he said: “Grand Bahamians will be very, very pleased with our progression and what we are doing for them and the way forward. This will definitely help to change that economy and the direction of Grand Bahama and the particular Family Island I’m referring to, those individuals will be very happy with that project moving forward because it will result in greater employment for them.”

Dr Minnis said it is vital Bahamians see the progress his government is making in rebuilding Abaco and Grand Bahama following deadly Hurricane Dorian and to understand that moving forward will not comprise a quick fix.

A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said updates on social assistance, electricity service, home and school repair, small business assistance and debris removal programmes will be among the major topics covered in the prime minister’s report to the nation.

Hurricane Dorian had a $3.4bn impact on this country’s GDP, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.

In addition to news about recovering from that storm, Grand Bahama residents are still waiting for news about the sale of the Grand Lucayan resort.

Michael Scott, the chairman of the government’s special purpose vehicle which owns the resort, told The Tribune recently that officials are eyeing a mid-February deadline for completing the sale of the property.