In a statement issued yesterday, the opposition party said that while emphasising the billions in new investments, the government had been downplaying “massive and unprecedented” land and tax exemption giveaways – which over time may cost the Treasury over a billion dollars.
“The PLP government has given away millions upon millions in concessions with no tangible benefit to Bahamians; levels of concessions which an FNM government would not even consider at this point in our development,” it said.
[Editor’s Note: It should be noted that certain PLP Cabinet Ministers, like Bradley Roberts and Alyson Maynard-Gibson (just to name two) have gotten fabulously wealthy from these deals however.]
The party pointed out that the concessions deprive the Treasury of money which could be used to protect the borders from illegal immigration and protect the streets from criminals.
“For all the talk of billions in new investments, Bahamians do not feel it in their pockets or bank accounts. The poor have slipped further behind and the middle class is being squeezed,” the statement added.
It said the “dramatic” increases in gas prices, health care costs, electricity, school fees, insurance and various consumer goods continue to wreak financial havoc on Bahamians with both moderate and above average incomes. The FNM said that additional financial burdens on the average Bahamian have not been offset by a resurgent economy creating more wealth for increased numbers of our people.
Instead, the types of projects approved by the governing party, if they eventually come on stream, will create primarily low-end jobs and not the higher-end jobs needed truly to grow the economy.
“It seems that we cannot trust the governing party to do the big things right, like telling us facts regarding the so-called billions in new investments.
“We also cannot trust them to get small things right, like keeping our islands clean or prepared to confront annual summer storms.”
The statement was referring to government’s ongoing sea wall reconstruction programme.
“Plans the FNM left in place to complete the strengthening of sea walls have in New Providence and the Family Islands have only begun now, after four years of delay. And, much of this work began almost on the same day this year’s hurricane season began,” it said. “A really sensible, prudent government would begin seawall work early in the year and not wait for the hurricane season to start.”
The statement continued: “Other urgent projects are also being ignored. The front street of Cooper’s Town; the north Eleuthera dock; the gateway to Harbour Island – one of our premier tourism destinations, all endure and suffer from disgraceful negligence on the part of the governing party.”
Source: THE TRIBUNE
