Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator Fred Mitchell warned yesterday that Grand Bahama has reached "rock bottom" and is in need of an injection of money to keep the island's economy afloat.
Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis revealed last week that the revitalization of Grand Bahama is at the center of his government's national development objectives, and revealed that the island will be marketed as three unique destinations. Speaking at a Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association meeting, Minnis said the Freeport/Lucaya area will be developed as a maritime, sports and wellness destination; East Grand Bahama will be marketed as an ecotourism mecca; and West Grand Bahama will become a "dynamic cultural village".
Mitchell, who was speaking at a press conference yesterday to address a myriad of issues raised in the House of Assembly about supposed questionable actions committed by the PLP when it was in power, said "serious problems" will arise in Grand Bahama if its economy does not show growth soon.
"If they don't put some cash on the ground in Grand Bahama, I don't care what they do, the five representatives better go hide in the bush," said Mitchell.
"They need to put some cash in Grand Bahama, because the economy in Grand Bahama is down to rock bottom, and before we left we were desperately trying to get the hotel plant up and going, get some construction going, because we knew that unless some money is put on the ground in Grand Bahama, serious problems will ensue.
"And they're worrying about what the PLP is doing. The PLP lost the election. Go get a life and govern, and stop being stupid."
The new Free National Movement (FNM) government has spent half of its first weeks in office presenting and debating the country's budget. The government insisted that the former government engaged in reckless spending during its time in office and has revealed information relating to many high value contracts, some of which were issued to high-ranking PLP members.
The FNM government is also looking into whether the PLP engaged in reckless spending on Grand Bahama with regard to Urban Renewal. The former government, when it took office, created a Ministry of Grand Bahama, but Grand Bahamians complained that the minister in charge fell short of expectations.
Grand Bahama has a burgeoning industrial sector, but its tourism product has taken a hit over the last several years. Hurricanes recently caused the shutdown of several large properties, though, as Guardian Business has been reporting, plans negotiated by the former PLP administration are in motion to reopen two large properties.

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