The Tribune

By CELESTE NIXON

Tribune Staff Reporter

cnixon@tribunemedia.net

THE government’s “first 100 days” programme has been a complete failure according to the opposition.

FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis said the government’s inability to live up to its pre-election boasts shows it took office based on unrealistic promises and “false hope.”

Speaking at a press conference at FNM headquarters, he said: “Meaningless promises were wildly made which no reasonable government could possibly fulfil, and this the most experienced PLP leaders must have known even as they wrote and spewed these promises from every public speaking platform.”

Of the 14 specific promises made, Dr Minnis said at most only six have been delivered – and some of these only partially.

Those he listed as delivered included the reduction in Stamp Duty and capping of the maximum level of Real Property Tax.

While the government “re-launched” Urban Renewal they did not include “Project Safe Bahamas” and “Operation Ceasefire” as promised, he pointed out.

Dr Minnis said the government did create a Ministry for Grand Bahama but the ministry has no specific portfolio apart from public relations.

In regards to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and BEC, Dr Minnis said the government has just “re-packaged” ideas and policies that the FNM government had already either announced, started to implement, and left in place.

“There is nothing new or peculiar to the PLP’s governance, so far as it relates either to the Defence Force or BEC.

“Much more than this was promised by the PLP – false promises then and false initiative now, with no prospect, whatsoever, of any delivery,” he said.

Additionally, Dr Minnis said the PLP promised to renew the nation’s commitment to National Health Insurance, invest in new cancer screening technology and reposition the Bahamas Development Bank which they have yet to deliver.

Hitting out at the PLP’s campaign promise to double investment in education, Dr Minnis said Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald has remained silent on the issue

He said: “Most seriously and egregiously the PLP falsely promised to double the nation’s investment in education and training of Bahamians.

“By no measure of any government activity, budgetary allocation, or public-private sector partnership has there been a substantial or meaningful increase in the Budget of the Ministry or Department of Education, or in respect of any other government Ministry or agency providing services to young Bahamians, which collectively come anywhere near that which was solemnly promised to Bahamians, namely a doubling of the nation’s investment in education.”

He also said the PLP promised to bring together representatives from all sectors to launch the country’s 40th Independence Anniversary, a National Congress, but have only announced the appointment of the co-chairs of a Steering Committee.

Last week marked the end of government’s first 100 days in office. In parliament last week cabinet Ministers sought to give up-dates regarding the “First 100 day” promises set out in the Charter for Governance, including providing details on the governments Mortgage Relief Plan Scheme, plans to lower the cost of Electricity and particulars about the national lottery referendum and government’s plans to provide additional resources to the RBDF in an effort to secure the country’s boarders.

Dr Minnis added: “In a series of practically meaningless communications to the House of Assembly, the PLP have managed only to confirm the fact that trusting Bahamian voters were duped in the last elections by a grotesque political hoax perpetrated against them by the PLP.”