PM Needs to Talk with “Rookie Politicians”

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis slamming Disaster Reconstruction Authority (DRA) chairman Alex Storr who said the Dorian Pledge Conference was nothing more than a public relations exercise to fool the public. Dr. Minnis says the prime minister needs to have a talk with his “rookie politicians”.

Berthony McDermott reports.

Former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis has described recent comments by the DRA chairman as senseless. Storr told reporters last week the government received nowhere near the nearly $2 billion pledged during what he called a public relations exercise.

The Minnis administration and the UNDP held the conference to assist with recovery and restoration efforts on Abaco and Grand Bahama after Dorian ravaged both islands.

At the time, the government said it received roughly $1.7 billion in pledges, including technical and intellectual assistance, concessionary loans, equity, grants, and guarantee financing.

Minnis insists his government wasn’t in charge of the conference.

Former DRA managing director Kay Forbes-Smith previously said $364,000 in cash was received from pledges.

The lion’s share of the pledges was a $975 million loan offer from the P3 Group, a U.S. company. The money would be repaid with interest if accepted.

Minnis reiterated that shortly after the pledging conference the world was brought to its knees by the COVID-19 pandemic.