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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

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Works minister defends govt's decision to dredge harbor By KEVA LIGHTBOURNE ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ kdl@nasguard.com: While the Progressive Liberal Party continues to slam the government for continuing to forge ahead with plans for the $50 million Nassau Harbour dredging exercise despite the global economic meltdown, Works and Transport Minister Neko Grant said yesterday the economic crunch won't last forever and The Bahamas' infrastructure "must be in good condition" when the economy rebounds. Grant's comments came a day after PLP Senator Allyson Maynard-Gibson said in the Senate this is not the right time to dredge Nassau Harbour. "The majority of the capital investment of $50 million is leaving the country, just like [in the case of] the New Providence road development program. Why are we borrowing money for our grandchildren to repay to improve the lives of non-Bahamians, especially at a time when we ought to be properly investing in our future in other ways that are so evident?" asked Maynard-Gibson, who is the leader of Opposition business in the Senate. She said there was no "written evidence" before the Bahamian people that larger ships would call on Nassau after the government would have pumped $50 million into the project. But Grant said that 70 percent of the visitors to The Bahamas arrive by cruise ships and the introduction of mega cruise ships that call on the Port of Nassau will require more water depth than presently exists. "It was decided that it was necessary to increase the capacity of Nassau Harbour, making it accessible to this new generation of cruise ships and for The Bahamas to be able to compete with other Caribbean countries," the minister said in a release issued yesterday. On April 2, the government signed a $44 million contract with Boskalis, a Netherlands-based international dredging and maritime infrastructure contractor. The contract includes dredging of 1.9 million cubic yards of material from Nassau Harbour, construction of three mooring dolphins (fixed man-made structures which are not connected to the shore and are used for mooring) at Prince George Wharf, and the extension by 1,000 feet of the western end of Arawak Cay with the dredged material. At the contract signing of the Nassau Harbour Port Improve Project, Grant said, "It is anticipated that the dredging would be completed in time to accommodate the arrival of the first of Royal Caribbean International's mega cruise ships, 'Oasis of the Seas' on its maiden voyage in December of this year. Friday, July 3, 2009