Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg.
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
YOUTH, Sports, and Culture Minister Mario Bowleg said the government would spend whatever is necessary to make certain next year’s CARIFTA Aquatics Championships is “great”.
“We are still working on the overall cost as it relates to what this CARIFTA games is going to cost us,” he said, “and at the end of the day, the cost doesn’t matter because it’s an investment in the young people and that’s what this minister is all about, investing in the young people and we could never put a dollar value on developing our young Bahamian athletes.
“So, when you are looking for a cost, the cost is whatever it costs to make them great.”
Mr Bowleg recently said $10m stadium repairs will be completed before next year’s CARIFTA swim championships and IAAF World Relays.
Repairs to the Thomas A Robinson Stadium and the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Swim Complex have been ongoing.
In September, Mr Bowleg said roughly $2m would be budgeted for infrastructure development for CARIFTA.
“Let me first say for the media, when this government decides to upgrade this facility, the investments in the National Sports Authority and all of our facilities are for the athletes of The Bahamas to ensure they have the best facilities in order to maintain their level of preparation and performance at the international level,” he said yesterday.
“At some point, we have to do this with all the facilities and so when you see the investment made in all the facilities, it’s investing in the young people for the betterment of their development and their discipline, whichever discipline it may be, and that’s what’s going on.”
Comments
moncurcool 10 months, 4 weeks ago
It is reckless statements like these that show we have the wrong people in the seat of power in this country. I am sure he would not do something like that with his personal finances.
It was expenditure like this on the Olympics that killed Athens and Montreal.
DontAssume 10 months, 4 weeks ago
@moncurcool, recklessness is what they're guilty of, from the onset of their governance - from Top to Bottom.
bahamianson 10 months, 4 weeks ago
Say whatever is needed. I am glad you are spending your money. Don't increase vat because you spent too much on carifta and now need money.
Dawes 10 months, 4 weeks ago
wow less then 4 months before it occurs and they don't know the cost. Thats incredible, and shows how decisions are made without regard to the cost. What will he say if it ends up costing $500 million (of course it won't, i hope).
DontAssume 10 months, 4 weeks ago
@ Dawes, the cost won't be $500 million, but I assure you it will be costly to the taxpayers, and the true cost will never be divulged because that is what we allow these individuals to get away with.
Dawes 10 months, 4 weeks ago
I know it won't be $500 million, however he has just given the contractor carte blanche to increase their price with no recourse.
ThisIsOurs 10 months, 4 weeks ago
I posted on the story about the govt demanding Bahamian businesses with revenues over 5m complete audits by April that in my experience large businesses run by Bahamians run with no structure in place. They run solely on the thoughts that pop into the leaders head. This is an example of what you see when a large organizations run without structure. They just "do things: They have a meeting, get the royal edict then spring into action. No research. No reporting, no plans. The reason they cant stick to the budget is because it means nothing. It's not a "plan", its words on a paper. They just present something because they have to present something then they go back to their office and start handing out random contracts that were never considered in the budget plan. Just the result of a brain pop. Audits require you to report evidence of your structure. That is why these organizations will have a challenge they have to report on something that doesnt exist, that they never knew about, and now has to be built from scratch.
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