The government will spend between $500,000 and $600,000 on the grand opening of the national stadium later this month, according
to Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Charles Maynard, who said the sum is not extravagant.
Maynard said this sum will cover preparations for the event, including a massive cleaning of the stadium, and pay for other things connected to the opening ceremony.
He said the original price tag was $1 million, but that has been cut down.
The Nassau Guardian understands that as recent as one week ago, the confirmed budget was more than $800,000.
"So once we would have secured certain things it would be for the use of the stadium moving forward, so not everything is just a one-day event cost," he said, adding that certain "digital equipment and novelties" will become the property of the Sports Authority.
"It's a newly constructed stadium so you would expect that there needs to be a serious general cleaning that needs to be done to the whole area, getting all the construction dirt out of the place."
The Nassau Guardian confirmed that a large chunk of the money will be spent on entertainment and fireworks for the event as well as special effects.
The $30 million stadium is a gift to the Bahamian people from the People's Republic of China.
Former Minister of Sports Neville Wisdom said yesterday the figure seemed too high. "The government is having a million-dollar party at the public's expense," Wisdom said.
"People's light is off and they are having hard times making ends meet and you're spending this much money on a party?  What is the purpose of it?"
He said it appears that there is a great rush to have the event, which is not attached to any major sporting event.
Maynard said the government has certain partners who are defraying 'small costs'.
"But the idea is to make sure that we do the stadium [opening] properly," the minister said.  "It's really an investment.  It's not just costs to say we're opening the stadium."
He said senior officials of the International Association of Athletics Federations and the Federation of International Football Associations will be in attendance.
"We want to prove to them that we could have a proper ceremony," said Maynard, noting that The Bahamas will be able to bid on major events.
"...This will open the door for us in a favorable way."
Maynard said when one considers one political rally could cost more than $100,000, spending $600,000 on the opening of the National Stadium is put into its proper context.
"A rally is a single stage and everyone is staring at it," he noted.  "A stadium is a 360-degree event where whatever you do people are watching from all sides, so it's a different category of events.
"So we believe that it's a reasonable investment in terms of what the returns are going to be, in terms of making sure that we can use that stadium and attract major events to the country."
The stadium opening was originally scheduled for February 11, but the new date the government is considering is February 25.
The opening is expected to be a grand affair, with Junkanoo and other elements of Bahamian culture on display

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