Boyce backing reopening of Silver Sands Hotel

THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT for Christ Church South, John Boyce, has welcomed the Government’s decision to reopen the Silver Sands Hotel.
In his Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals on Tuesday, the Minister of Finance outlined Government’s plan to spend approximately $800 million to put 1 000 rooms at Almond Beach Village, St Peter and Silver Sands Hotel, Christ Church, back in operation.
Boyce, who is also Minister of Health, welcomed the decision to reopen the Christ Church property, saying that the “weakening in the tourism industry” had affected, in no small measure, the communities in the constituency he represented.
“So I am ecstatic to hear the Minister of Finance make it clear that one of the hotel properties that we will be tackling to purchase and to bring back into the hotel business in Barbados is the Silver Sands property,” said Boyce yesterday.
After being in operation for close to 40 years, the 131-room property closed at the end of September 2010, sending home some 120 workers.
The hotel was closed shortly after benefiting from the Tourism Relief Fund which was set up in 2009.
“It is a property which I have visited before it was closed and since it has been closed and advertised as an investment opportunity, and I am satisfied from the technical point of view that the Silver Sands property can be brought back into business in fairly short order, and whatever the final asking price is the Government of Barbados has indicated that they are willing to negotiate with the owners and to make this property available for further development,” added Boyce.
He said the reopening of the beach front property should “bring back to the area job opportunities” which were lost three years ago.  (MM)