Bahamas News
10-14-04, - 12:18 AM
Mayaguana gets $200,000 donation
By Jimenita Swain
Nassau Guardian
Residents of Mayaguana got a $200,000 donation from the I-Group for hurricane relief and reconstruction. On Tuesday, the group presented the government with a plaque and a pledge that if their investment proposal, which is expected to pump "tens of million's of dollars into the economy" is approved,
ground-breaking could take place by the end of the year.
I- Group investor, Stephen Roy, said "we are honoured to have been chosen to work as a partner of the government in order to get some emergency building materials and supplies to Mayaguana after the hurricanes." Last year, the company proposed a project for Mayaguana to the government including a resort, marina and second homes.
The plaque presented to Minister of State, James Smith reads: "Building the future together, the Mayaguana Company which is a subsidiary of the I-Group, and the Roy Family, are pleased to contribute to the reconstruction and recovery of Mayaguana after the hurricanes of 2004 through the offices of the Honourable Perry G Christie, Prime Minister of The Bahamas."
Mr Roy stated that the mission the government entrusted them with was accomplished and the larger project, once approved, "would be executed with dispatch," in the same way that the relief effort was organised.
Mr Smith thanked Mr Roy for the donation, indicating that he was surprised with the plaque, as he had been accepting cheques for the past few weeks.
Meantime, Minister of Housing and National Insurance, Shane Gibson, whose ministry is also overseeing the reconstruction efforts, acknowledged receiving the building materials last Monday. He announced that the rebuilding of homes will start this week.
With the devastation of Hurricane Frances last month, the minister stated that residents had a difficult time collecting materials for their rebuilding efforts. Local merchants also had a hard time sourcing materials. "We don't only appreciate that the I-Group came to our assistance, in terms of providing the materials, but also in terms of the sourcing. We had a difficult time trying to source them out of the U.S., because the hurricane touched so many islands in the Caribbean and so many states within the United States," Mr Gibson said.
The housing minister also thanked the I-Group for providing heavy equipment such as a "tractor head, flatbed, trailer, the lift, backhoe machine," to move the materials throughout the island.
Minister of Investments, Allyson Maynard-Gibson, stated that "we are considering an application from the I-Group for development in Mayaguana."
Elaborating more on what the proposal entailed, was Junaid Yasin, the project manager for the Mayaguana investment. He explained that the idea incorporate a second home community and resort development for the island. As there is very little in Mayaguana at present, he stated, "we really have to start with renovating the airport and making that an international airport. There is no real marina in Mayaguana, so we have to build a marina. There is also not enough fresh water, so we have to put a desalination unit." An industrial zone is planned to be built next to the airport, he said.
In addition, he indicated that a sewage treatment facility would be put in place. "We also need to put an electric power station," Mr Yasin said, reporting that a network of roads will also have to be laid to service the proposed project.
The resort, he said will consist of 25-30 rooms, with the land and roads for a few hundred homes. The full project will span 15 years.
Mr. Yasin stated that the group has spoken to Education Minister Alfred Sears about producing a Mayaguana handbook, with the assistance of students on the island.
By Jimenita Swain
Nassau Guardian
Residents of Mayaguana got a $200,000 donation from the I-Group for hurricane relief and reconstruction. On Tuesday, the group presented the government with a plaque and a pledge that if their investment proposal, which is expected to pump "tens of million's of dollars into the economy" is approved,
ground-breaking could take place by the end of the year.
I- Group investor, Stephen Roy, said "we are honoured to have been chosen to work as a partner of the government in order to get some emergency building materials and supplies to Mayaguana after the hurricanes." Last year, the company proposed a project for Mayaguana to the government including a resort, marina and second homes.
The plaque presented to Minister of State, James Smith reads: "Building the future together, the Mayaguana Company which is a subsidiary of the I-Group, and the Roy Family, are pleased to contribute to the reconstruction and recovery of Mayaguana after the hurricanes of 2004 through the offices of the Honourable Perry G Christie, Prime Minister of The Bahamas."
Mr Roy stated that the mission the government entrusted them with was accomplished and the larger project, once approved, "would be executed with dispatch," in the same way that the relief effort was organised.
Mr Smith thanked Mr Roy for the donation, indicating that he was surprised with the plaque, as he had been accepting cheques for the past few weeks.
Meantime, Minister of Housing and National Insurance, Shane Gibson, whose ministry is also overseeing the reconstruction efforts, acknowledged receiving the building materials last Monday. He announced that the rebuilding of homes will start this week.
With the devastation of Hurricane Frances last month, the minister stated that residents had a difficult time collecting materials for their rebuilding efforts. Local merchants also had a hard time sourcing materials. "We don't only appreciate that the I-Group came to our assistance, in terms of providing the materials, but also in terms of the sourcing. We had a difficult time trying to source them out of the U.S., because the hurricane touched so many islands in the Caribbean and so many states within the United States," Mr Gibson said.
The housing minister also thanked the I-Group for providing heavy equipment such as a "tractor head, flatbed, trailer, the lift, backhoe machine," to move the materials throughout the island.
Minister of Investments, Allyson Maynard-Gibson, stated that "we are considering an application from the I-Group for development in Mayaguana."
Elaborating more on what the proposal entailed, was Junaid Yasin, the project manager for the Mayaguana investment. He explained that the idea incorporate a second home community and resort development for the island. As there is very little in Mayaguana at present, he stated, "we really have to start with renovating the airport and making that an international airport. There is no real marina in Mayaguana, so we have to build a marina. There is also not enough fresh water, so we have to put a desalination unit." An industrial zone is planned to be built next to the airport, he said.
In addition, he indicated that a sewage treatment facility would be put in place. "We also need to put an electric power station," Mr Yasin said, reporting that a network of roads will also have to be laid to service the proposed project.
The resort, he said will consist of 25-30 rooms, with the land and roads for a few hundred homes. The full project will span 15 years.
Mr. Yasin stated that the group has spoken to Education Minister Alfred Sears about producing a Mayaguana handbook, with the assistance of students on the island.