By NATARIO McKENZIE
Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
THE 'Sustainable Nassau Action Plan' calls for $450 million to be invested in 10 projects across two decades, it was revealed yesterday, as communities were urged to play a greater role in solving their problems.
Frankie Campbell, minister of transport and local government, said residents must take greater ownership even as legislation is being drafted to create an agency tasked with development of Nassau's 'Over-the-Hill' communities.
Mr Campbell, while speaking at the Plan's launch, said: "The communities most impacted must have the greatest say and ownership of the prescribed solutions to their problems. The only way to make this happen is through new and more localised government models.
"We are already seeing this form of government take shape with legislation being drafted to create an agency tasked with managing the development of the Over-the-Hill community of Nassau."
Mr Campbell said the Minnis administration is committed to moving the concept of local government in New Providence "from plans to reality within the next two-and-a-half years. "To this end, the Department of Local Government is working closely with the Office of the PM to move this initiative forward," he added.
Gilberto Chona, the Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) lead specialist, said the Plan calls for the development of 10 specific projects amounting to $450 million, which can be spent over 20 years. She stressed that people must be 'engaged' and at the centre of the initiative. "It gives you a clear map to get to sustainability, tackling issues such as sanitation, mobility, urban regeneration measures and investment. The main objectives are to foster the development of Nassau that is reliant and sustainable, revitalised, inclusive, competitive, smart and transparent urban government and focuses on people," Mr Chona said.
He added that open spaces in Nassau provide significant opportunity for community integration. "We have to introduce technology that is sustainable. We have to look at where and when we can introduce solarisation," said Mr Chona.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 9 months ago
Here we see the IDB putting its lending teat ("tit") to the mouth of Frankie Campbell under the guise of helping with the Creolization and solarization of Nassau's "Over-the-Hill" community. The IDB and other international agencies like the IMF and World Bank all tell us we are already hocked in unsustainable debt yet they continue to encourage us to borrow mega millions for countless willie-nilly and worthless projects! Bottomline: The foreign interests behind these devious international lending agencies are seeking to turn the Bahamas into the next Venezuela, ripe for the pickings!!
Porcupine 6 years, 9 months ago
"Ripe for the pickings" is an accurate description.
killemwitdakno 6 years, 9 months ago
"The communities most impacted must have the greatest say and ownership of the prescribed solutions to their problems". Lol. Good thing those are prescribed.
Aren't their MP's supposed to be the local gov't? I mean what else are they doing tif they're not cabinet members.
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