Caribbean News
Carnival Cruise Port groundbreaking in East Grand Bahama signifies investor confidence says DPM
#TheBahamas, May 12, 2022 – The Groundbreaking Ceremony for Carnival Cruise Port shows investor confidence in Grand Bahama, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation the Hon. I. Chester Cooper, May 12, 2022. It was a festive atmosphere, with land cleared for the occasion. It was decorated with tents and carpet, the unpaved roads smoothed, music playing, and guests laughing and enjoying themselves to the local entertainment provided.
During his brief remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Cooper described the day as great day and week for Grand Bahama and added that with the announcement of a new buyer for the Grand Lucayan on Wednesday and the groundbreaking ceremony for Carnival Cruise Port on Thursday, it is “another step towards a Grand life for Grand Bahama.”
He said, “Today’s groundbreaking represents not only a major investment in Grand Bahama and The Bahamas, but also signals to the world that Grand Bahama is poised for the future and on the way to the forefront as one of the region’s premier destinations. It will tell the global community that if there was any doubt, Grand Bahama and indeed The Bahamas is open for business.” A
lso present for the ceremony were Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe, Minister of Housing and Transport the Hon. JoBeth ColebyDavis, Minister for Grand Bahama the Hon. Ginger Moxey, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, the Hon. Myles LaRoda, other senior government officials, officials of Carnival and officials from the Grand Bahama Port Authority.
In the past few months, said the Deputy Prime Minister, the government and Carnival went to the table and assessed their needs and got it done.
“We see this project on the island of Grand Bahama as a priority.” With Carnival, he said, it is mutually beneficial as there will be entrepreneurial opportunities for residents and not just jobs. Carnival understands, continued the Deputy Prime Minister, that success for them means success for Grand Bahama.
“Many have said there is not much to do in Grand Bahama, but Team Tourism has showed me otherwise. Today I
have a better appreciation for the tourism product than I realized, and I want you to know that the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry for Grand Bahama will be working together, and we are going to tell our own story.
“With this development and others, Grand Bahama is poised to be a success story and the people of Grand Bahama have endured very much. But what I’ve found to be the case in Grand Bahamians is a resilience that I haven’t seen many other places. “
In the past two decades, I have gained renewed admiration and respect for the people of Grand Bahama. A renewed appreciation for the potential for Grand Bahama Island. You don’t give up here. You don’t fall to despair. You take your licks; you get up and you keep on moving.”
As a result of this, he added, residents get to celebrate events such as the groundbreaking for Carnival Cruise Port. The Deputy Prime Minister arrived in Grand Bahama for the press conference on Wednesday to announce that Electra America Hospitality Group will purchase the Grand Lucayan resort for $100 million and provide some 3,000 jobs between construction and full time.
Eighty percent of the jobs, he said, will be for Bahamians.
Header: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation the Hon. I. Chester Cooper (left) is seen being greeted by Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe for the groundbreaking ceremony of Carnival Cruise Port on Thursday. Also seen are Minister for Grand Bahama, the Hon. Ginger Moxey greeting Christine Duffy, President, Carnival Cruise Line as Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival Corporation and other Carnival team members look on. (BIS Photo/Lisa Davis)
1st insert: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation the Hon. I. Chester Cooper described the Groundbreaking Ceremony of Carnival Cruise Port as a grand day for Grand Bahama. He is seen addressing the ceremony as Vice-President of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Sarah St. George and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Grand Bahama, Harcourt Brown look on. Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis and other members of the Cabinet were also present.
(BIS Photo/Lisa Davis
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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