The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday said Disney Cruise Line plans to stage another job fair in his South Eleuthera constituency so that residents have first chance to secure the extra 180 construction jobs at its Lighthouse Point project.

Clay Sweeting, minister for agriculture, marine resources and Family Island affairs, told reporters prior to the weekly Cabinet meeting: “Central and South Eleuthera have lacked development for a long time, and I’m very excited that Disney is coming on stream. They have promised 300 Bahamian jobs compared to the 120 that was in the HOA (Heads of Agreement), so we’re looking forward to that.

“We’re looking forward to development, and we’re looking forward to them also being environmentally friendly. They’re only going to use 17 percent of the footprint there in South Eleuthera. But what’s most important for me, and most important for the people and Eleuthera, is that they have access to these jobs.”

Mr Sweeting, MP for central and south Eleuthera, said environmental protection had to be balanced with sparking the economic growth and job creation that the area has lacked for decades. He said: “As a pro-development advocate, I understand that while we want to protect the environment we must also understand that development is needed to help the people that actually live there.

“The Prime Minister said one time that it’s no use to have a lot of corn in the barn if your people are starving. So I think it’s important that we balance both. They [Disney] are only supposed to use 17 percent of the actual footprint there, and the rest will be environmentally friendly. They’re also going to relocate the coral where they’re supposed to put the pier.

“We understand the challenge, and we also understand the concern, but we also understand that central and south [Eleuthera] has been a constituency that has lacked development for years and years, and we have to understand that the people must also benefit while we balance out the environmental part of our country.”

Disney has also pledged to help Bahamian entrepreneurs to develop, too. Mr Sweeting said: “A lot of Eleutherans have the wherewithal to become entrepreneurs and to become business owners. But if there’s nobody to sell their product to or to engage, there’s no use to start a business if they are not going to be successful. So once we find ways to co-operate, merge the two, then we’re able to say Disney will allow Bahamians to provide these tours, and Bahamians will get engaged.

“We have a lot of entrepreneurs in Eleuthera, and a lot of people that do tours in the north because they have the tourist element there. So once it moves to the south, I’m sure that people will be engaged and will do what they can to reap the benefits of whatever investment comes in the constituency.”