The Tribune

SHADOW Finance Minister Zhivargo Laing accused the government of leaving hundreds of Bahamians without hope as the Ingraham administration’s temporary work programme comes to an end.

Mr Laing noted that in response to massive job losses caused by “the greatest recession in 80 years,” the FNM invested almost $50 million in Bahamians who were hurting, by providing more than four thousand jobs over a 52-week period – the second such programme following a six-month job scheme.

“Still,” he said, “in the throes of economically desperate times, high unemployment and rising cost of living, the job-readiness and 
training programme introduced by the FNM government, precisely to provide relief to Bahamians, is coming to an end for thousands of hard working Bahamians.

“Today, hundreds of these Bahamians find themselves at the end of the programme going home without one iota of hope for either a temporary job or a permanent job to sustain them.

“This is not the time to mention that the PLP often suggested that it alone cares for Bahamians, believes in Bahamians and puts Bahamians first, because the real issue is that these Bahamians are in desperate need.

“They still have their families, mortgages, rent, electricity, and back-to-school expenses and other obligations.

“It is not important to mention that the PLP once said that these needs were not being addressed by the FNM by giving people a job for 52-weeks only. The issue now is that these same Bahamians are going home with no jobs for no weeks to enable them to address any financial commitment.

“I urge the Christie administration to demonstrate the heart, compassion and preparedness to government in difficult times such as these.”

Mr Laing noted that last week Social Services Minister Melanie Griffin admitted poverty has been on the rise for the last eight years – from the time of the last PLP government.

But he said Bahamians do not elect politicians to be experts at describing the problems, but rather to find solutions.

“That is why the FNM created the job readiness programme in the first place,” he said, “to address a problem of high joblessness.”

He called on the government to extend the programme for all struggling Bahamians, noting that the money to do so must be available, “because tucked away in the Prime Minister’s own office budget is $25 million earmarked for nothing in particular.”

Mr Laing said the PLP should do what the FNM did and invest in people.

“Still yet, millions of dollars are being spent to provide jobs for PLP MPs and Senators by appointing the largest Cabinet in the history of the Bahamas. Invest that money in unemployed Bahamians, not PLP politicians.

“PLP Ministers, Brave Davis and Fred Mitchell, are flying to Los Angeles spending thousands of dollars on plane tickets, hotel suites and parties to present plaques – spend that on these hurting Bahamians.

“Compassion is not just a word; it’s an act by caring for people. . . Those Bahamians for whom the programme is coming to an end and who have no immediate job prospects should know that they can apply to the National Insurance Board for benefits under the FNM initiated Unemployment Benefit Programme, so that they can have some additional relief for at least 13 weeks.

“Some of them are being told that they cannot make such an application because their NIB payments were not paid, that is totally untrue.

“It was the government’s obligation to make such payments and so long as they were on the programme and can prove same, then they are entitled to apply. Ironically, proof of their being on the programme is now the termination letters they are receiving from the Christie administration,” Mr Laing said.