The Tribune

By Khrisna Russell

THE $5m allocated from each budget cycle to fund the Minnis administration’s Over-the-Hill community revitalisation programme is a “drop in the bucket,” Progressive Liberal Party Leader (PLP) Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday, adding the government’s lack of details demonstrates a poorly planned initiative.

Mr Davis said: “There are no details. If the prime minister is saying $5m from the next few budget cycles, when you look at what is being proposed that is nothing but a drop in the bucket and shows complete lack of appreciation of what is going on in the inner city. I just don’t think the plan is well thought out.

“A lack of planning and a lack of appreciation of governance is evident here.”

Mr Davis said the Free National Movement (FNM) appears to still be on the campaign trail. He also said despite the Minnis administration’s mantra of it being “the people’s time” none of its plans so far impacts the ordinary Bahamian.

“Once they attempt to do some things you realise that all they are doing doesn’t really touch or concern the ordinary Bahamian but a select few,” the Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP said.

“In addition to that is the question of who got benefits during the last budget cycle for tax relief. It was not the ordinary Bahamian, but a select few.

“The one initiative that they are saying will help the economy is the Commercial Enterprises Bill. They are saying it has all to do with Bahamas, but when you look at the bill itself, the objective is to liberalise work permits and giving away of a portion of our economy for $250,000.

“I think all of these are an attempt to address some of their broken promises to the inner city.”

The Official Opposition leader also took a swipe at Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ comments at a town hall about the plan last Thursday where he hinted more details would be revealed later.

During the town hall meeting, Dr Minnis said in part: “… Tonight I only give you the cake, tomorrow I give you the icing. Be assured the icing is better than the cake.

“We want you to have a better start so the higher you start it’s easier for you to now be a part of these businesses that do not exist now. It’s all for preparing you for tomorrow. We don’t want you to have only remedial jobs.”

Pinpointing these remarks, Mr Davis said it was evident the government was “insensitive and uncaring” toward the plight of those residing in the inner city.

“This is reminiscent of (Charles Dickens’) ‘A Tale of Two Cities,’” Mr Davis said. “In it the Queen of France - Marie Antoinette – when she was told the poor people didn’t have any bread to eat she responded, ‘Let them eat cake.’

“That’s what comes to my mind. It reflects an insensitive and uncaring attitude towards the plight of the people.”

During the event at the Grant’s Town Wesley Methodist Church Hall last week, Dr Minnis and his team promised to make the constituencies free WiFi areas, to create a food market for native products in the area, to construct a multi-purpose community centre that offers care for children, the elderly and opportunities for counselling to people of all ages, to create an auto-mechanic cluster that eliminates roadside mechanics in residential areas and to build a sports complex with volleyball, tennis, basketball courts and a swimming pool, among other things.

The government also plans to eliminate the vexing problem of outside toilets by 2025.

However, Mr Davis said this raises questions of how the government is willing to manage the resources that are already available.

“With the citizens and security programme, the multipurpose facility is central to that programme. There is one multi-purpose (centre) in Fox Hill right now that’s not being used. So it’s one thing to say these things but your actions speaks louder than your words. What is happening with that multipurpose centre?

“If they really meant that, they could have demonstrated this by at least looking after the one that’s there and then I think there is one in Grants Town. I don’t know what’s happening with that. All these are already plans that have been in the making. They just need to follow through and govern.”

Key details of the programme, including cost and a timeline, were not shared and remain subject to assessments, but Dr Nicola Virgil-Rolle, head of the Economic Planning Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister, said last week that $5m will be reserved in each budget to help the administration accomplish its goals.

Although the precise delineation of the inner-city tax zone has yet to be defined, the zone is expected to involve at least parts of Bain and Grants Town, Centreville, St Barnabas and Englerston. The tax-free zone is expected to be rolled out in a Nassau Over the Hill Rejuvenation Bill at the start of the next fiscal year, Dr Virgil-Rolle said.

That bill will lay out concessions, identify the minister responsible for the policy, establish a foundation to raise funds for projects in the communities and explain the penalties for breaches.