Government officials signed a $100 million agreement with MSC Cruises for the expansion of Ocean Cay, a private island in the northern Bahamas near the island of Bimini.
Director of Investments, Phylicia Woods-Hanna spoke with reporters about the proposed project. She said, “this has been something that has been in the works and negotiations at the highest levels for about two years. So we’re happy today to conclude it. Once this agreement is signed the developer will be moving on to its certificate of environmental clearance process and thereafter we hope to have shovels in the ground.”
Woods-Hanna also spoke to the job opportunities that will be made available by the project. “The honourable Minister made it very clear that Bahamians and his citizenry had to be at the forefront of everything that’s done with this project. So that is a cadre of things, its retail, that is wholesale, that is manufacturing, transportation in those instances as well will remain for Bahamians. And we will make sure that, of course, whatever concessions are available to the foreign investor is also available to the domestic investor as well.”
The expansion includes a new marine conservation center and renewable energy sources. Two hundred jobs are expected to be created by the project.
