The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

None can deny that the FNM, then led by the Rt Hon Hubert A Ingraham, did a tremendous amount of good for The Bahamas, in particular for the capital island of New Providence, while in office from 2007 to 2012.

While this is laudable, the FNM failed miserably to invest in people.

As a direct result, we have attracted a national grade average of “D”. We have massively dysfunctional individuals and the middle class has been decimated.

Crime and the fear of crime were allowed to escalate to proportions where it is almost impossible to rein them in.

Housing was used as a pure political tool in the FNM’s arsenal and public sector jobs were, in the main, reserved for the boys and girls who worshipped at the altar of the one man band.

In May 2012, the people of this wonderful nation rose up against the then perceived dictatorial persona of Mr Ingraham and threw off the mental and political shackles of an out of touch FNM regime.

The baton was handily passed onto the Progressive Liberal Party with great expectations by Bahamians.

In a single moment in time, we were transformed into a people with hope and the promise of deliverance.

In two short years, the PLP has done wonders with the initiatives of Urban Renewal 2.0.

Attempts have been made and are being made to attract new and sustainable direct foreign investments. Much more has to be done but, look around.
Bimini World Resort is up and running.

The long-shuttered hotel in Freeport has reopened and created scores of jobs for residents of Grand Bahama. The airport has been reopened in Mayaguana, even if there is much more work to be done.

The agricultural complex in Andros is coming along quite nicely and will be a magnet for a sustainable agricultural diversification of the economy. It will also serve as an incubator for would be farmers and horticulturists. The Exumas are being developed nicely and residents down there are gradually becoming empowered from an economic point.

Here in New Providence, the Albany Group has launched a massive multimillion dollar expansion. Baha Mar is coming on stream and, hopefully, should open in short order.

The long-delayed road works are coming to a conclusion, despite the massive overruns incurred under the watch of the FNM.

The Bahamas Development Bank now has a new chair and it is revamping its policies so as to become more relevant to potential clients and stake holders.

The long-promised Small Business Act will soon be promulgated and once in place Bahamian entrepreneurs will be able to access much-needed capital.

Unemployment in New Providence is still too high but the Gold Rush Administration is getting its act together and gradually new jobs and opportunities for gainful employment will be generated.
Once the web shop industry is properly regulated and taxed, even more jobs will be created and the hundreds of millions of dollars which are currently outside of the main economy will be brought in from the cold.

The operators will then be able to go into legitimate businesses such as banking; insurance and boutique finance firms.

In a moment in time, the people of this wonderful nation have opted for a transformation. The PLP is not going as fast as it had hoped or as fast as people would have liked but, considering the dire state of the economy when it came to office, we are not doing too badly.

The PLP will go from strength to strength once new leadership is in place and bold initiatives are launched.

Mr Christie did a wonderful job in leading the party back into office and is to be congratulated. The Prime Ministers’ Pension Act needs to be revisited so as to allow Mr Christie to access his well deserved pension.

If he is to go, however, he should not be pushed out of office. Hope and help are just around the corner and Common Cause urges all Bahamians of good will to stay the course. Under the energetic leadership of the “Dauphin Prince”, the PLP will soar like the proverbial eagle and happy days will, once again, grace our wonderful nation.

GODFREY COLLIE

Nassau,

May 2, 2014.