The Tribune

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) Chairman Carl Culmer yesterday accused the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) of “attacking the FNM” because the party has “nothing to offer” and refuses to admit its members failed while in office.

In a statement, Mr Culmer urged the public to remember “it was the PLP that made the mess we find ourselves in today.”

He said over the past several weeks the FNM government has taken great steps to repair the economy, “create jobs and end corruption.”

“The passage of the Commercial Enterprises Bill was the first step to encourage both local and foreign direct investment,” Mr Culmer noted.

“It will bring new industries to our country that will help to diversify our economy while ensuring that there are higher paying jobs and long-term job security for our Bahamian people.

“This week we will pass three pieces of legislation that will ensure that we are not blacklisted after the PLP government failed to ensure compliance while they were in government. The Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (Amendment) Bill, Automatic Exchange of Financial (Amendment) Regulation and the International Tax Co-operation (Amendment) Bill will satisfy the requirements for the Bahamas to be eligible to be invited to ratify the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters while providing for the full implementation of the Common Reporting Standard,” he added.

The bills were passed in the Senate yesterday.

“These bills will also enhance the legal framework which will allow for the automatic exchange of financial account information by September 2018 which will prevent the Bahamas from being placed on the European Unit’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes.”

Mr Culmer said the “urgency” that the FNM government is showing while “continuing to clean up the mess of the PLP” should serve as a clear message to the Bahamian people that the Minnis administration is working for them.

“As the PLP continues to attack everything the FNM is doing, we must remember that they are the ones that made the mess that we find ourselves in today,” he said.

“They continue with their attacks because they have nothing to offer and fail to admit that their time in office was a complete failure.”