The Tribune

By PAUL G TURNQUEST

Chief Reporter

pturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party last night released its "Charter for Governance," a blueprint on how they will govern if victorious at the polls on May 7.

Amongst some if its key elements the PLP promises to put to a referendum the prospects of a national lottery and gambling in the Bahamas, approve the operation of liquefied natural gas and compressed natural gas plants, and launch "Operation Home Restoration" - a 10 point plan to mitigate home foreclosures.

In the party's 95-page plan, the PLP also promises a First 100 days' initiative, which seeks to provide "immediate action" to counteract the "pain" and suffering that the PLP claims Bahamians are currently enduring.

Amongst the key elements of this "First 100 day" plan, the PLP promises to launch key elements of Project Safe Bahamas and Operation Cease Fire, including the reintroduction of Urban Renewal, to immediately reinvigorate the fight against crime and violence.

The party also pledged to prioritize a doubling of the nation's investment in the education and training of Bahamians from pre-schools up to the retraining of Bahamians already in the workforce.

A new Ministry for Grand Bahama is also proposed to bring focus to growing that island's economy, and institute a mortgage relief plan in conjunction with private sector lenders to help struggling homeowners.

A plan to secure the nation's borders is also proposed with steps to hire new personnel, acquire new technology, and initiate new training programmes.

The Bahamas Development Bank, is also highlighted to be a key player in creating jobs and expanding small and medium-sized businesses with additional pledges to re-establish the Ministry of Financial Services and Investments.

Also in the PLP's "First 100 day's" promise, they promote the introduction of the Employees Pension Fund Protection Act, which will seek to keep pension funds out of the reach for business owners, and to make directors and officers personally liable for any such breaches.

"Accordingly, the Ministry of Financial Services and Investments will be re-established, properly staffed and adequately resourced to be the de facto sales and marketing department for The Bahamas in the areas covered by its mandate," the party's plan revealed.

"In the staffing and organization of this Ministry, special note will be made of the growing importance of new markets such as China, Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa, and the opportunity created by the presence in the Bahamas of some private investors with significant interest and initiatives in these markets.

"In order to leverage these circumstances, public-private sector partnerships will be forged whenever such partnership is deemed to be in the nation's interest. Without limiting the generality of this plan, the new BahaMar initiative and the presence of Hutchinson Whampoa at Grand Bahama would evidently make it prudent to include a major initiative directed at China," the PLP said.

Read more about the PLP's plans for governance over the next five years in tomorrow's Tribune and be sure to log on to tribune242.com for a direct link to the party's plan.