FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
J. Kwasi Thompson, M.P. for East Grand Bahama: Another Day, Another PLP Failure: Tax Disputes, Empty Announcements, and No Progress on Beaches Resort
Another day, another PLP failure. Just yesterday we were demanding answers about the stalled Grand Bahama Airport. Today, we are forced to raise concerns over yet another broken promise: the long-delayed Beaches Exuma project.
The government now says the tax dispute with Sandals is “substantially settled” and that an agreement will be signed “very soon.” We have heard this story before. One year has passed since the resort closed its doors for transition, yet not a single piece of construction has begun. Exumians are still waiting for clarity while livelihoods hang in the balance.
Sandals has committed to transforming the former Emerald Bay into a $100 million Beaches resort, promising an average of 3.8 guests per room, a model they say will bring more airlift, more spending, and more opportunities for taxi drivers, straw vendors, tour operators, farmers, and fishers. But without airlift, there is no benefit. Flights have already dropped from over twenty per week to just five. That decline is devastating the local economy and should never have been allowed to happen.
The government originally suggested work would begin by late 2024, with a 12–15-month build. Now, they claim all terms are agreed but offer no timeline, no start date, and no completion date. Does this sound familiar?
We saw it with the Grand Bahama International Airport, where demolition was promised in 2023, then again in February this year “within 30 days.” Nothing has happened. We saw it with the Grand Lucayan, where they celebrated a heads of agreement signing with no other details. And we saw it again with energy reform, where they promised relief, but bills have nearly doubled since 2021 and will keep rising until 2027.
If this agreement is truly ready to be signed, then the government must release the full terms. Bahamians deserve to know: What incentives were granted? What local hiring and vendor commitments are included? How will the government coordinate airlift, utilities, and public services to match the projected demand? And what safeguards are in place to prevent another tax dispute from threatening an entire community?
The time for talk has long passed. The Bahamian people do not need to “wait and see”, they need this government to come clean once and for all.