The Tribune

By CHESTER ROBARDS

Tribune Senior Reporter

crobards@tribunemedia.net

FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday called for the government to disclose how many people it hired since taking office and how much was spent on those hired.

Speaking at a press conference at the House of Assembly, Dr Minnis suggested the PLP “went wild” hiring friends, family and bringing individuals out of retirement with no regard for its expenditure.

“They hired in all the other government ministries and now they are concerned about expenditure control,” he said. 

“What they need to report to us is how many individuals they hired and...  we also need to know how many are double dipping and what are their salaries, what is the exact expenditure the government must spend to maintain these new hires?”

Dr. Minnis praised the government’s announcement of 1,000 new jobs created in Grand Bahama, but also questioned the government’s promise of creating 10,000 new jobs “immediately”.

“We have over 5,000 students coming out of school very soon, they would need jobs,” he said.

“The government said nothing about that. We need those jobs that they promised.

“They had promised and sold us dreams during their campaign and now Bahamians have finally awoken and they are still selling dreams.”

Dr. Minnis also criticised the government for not talking enough about crime during the mid-year budget communication yesterday.

He said crime is having a negative impact on the Bahamas’ economy, citing a police shooting incident on Bay Street that occurred last Friday.

“They did not say much about the crime when Bahamians are being robbed repeatedly, traumatized in their homes, still individuals are being shot and the murder rate is still going up,” said Dr. Minnis.

“This can have a great impact on the economy of the country because the United States has already issued a crime warning (on the Bahamas).”