PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
THE economic foundation has been laid and now Bahamians can expect to reap benefits of the government’s work since it took office, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has said.
The prime minister told The Tribune he’s aware that many Bahamians remain unaffected by the government’s initiatives, but he foreshadowed this was about to change this year, which will mark the second anniversary of the Free National Movement’s May 2017 election victory.
“I don’t want to pre-empt at this particular time, but I know we will be concentrating specifically even more aggressively on Grand Bahama (and) the Family Islands. New Providence will not be left out,” Dr Minnis said when he was asked about his administration’s plans for 2019 in an interview earlier this week.
He has already said the government intends to move legislation for fixed election dates and term limits for the prime minister this week.
Dr Minnis continued: “But as I move about throughout New Providence there are still a lot of individuals who are saying they are not feeling it. I have explained to them and they have accepted that we have spent time putting down the foundation and now that we have a solid foundation and finding out what has gone on previously, we’ll specifically concentrate on those individuals especially the poor and the middle class. Those are the groupings that we must save and concentrate on expanding the middle class.
“We must work aggressively to reduce poverty and ensure that those individuals move into the middle class and have their own homes and land. We will be concentrating aggressively on that,” he said on Sunday.
Dr Minnis said in November the economy was turning the corner, but the improvement was not being felt in the pockets of the common man. He said it was important there was no return to the years of wasteful and reckless spending.
“As we meet this year I am pleased that public finances are being restored and that the annual deficit has been reduced by half even as we are making significant social investments in education, entrepreneurship programmes, combatting crime and other initiatives to involve the lives and prospects of our people,” Dr Minnis said at the opening of Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants Week last year.
“My government recently launched the small business development centre in partnership with the University of the Bahamas and the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce.
“Our guiding principle is that sustainable economic growth should be driven by Bahamian investment and creativity in tandem with strategic foreign direct investment.
“We have to continue to address the blockages that prevent Bahamian ownership, that stifle job creation and that perpetuate poverty.
“I have just recently visited Spanish Wells and Eleuthera and I had to remind them that in 2013 our economy grew by a negative 0.6 percent, in 2014 it grew by a negative 1.2 percent, in 2015 it grew by a negative 3.1 percent, in 2016 it grew by 0.6 percent, in 2017 it grew by 1.4 percent and is projected by the IMF to grow in 2018 2.1 percent.
“I say this because I reminded them that we are now turning the corner but we still have a long way to go,” Dr Minnis said last year.
“And regardless too if our economy grows 2.5, 3.5 or 5 percent the most important factor moving forward is a small grouping cannot continuously feel the benefit while the majority of us at the bottom still do not feel it. Growth means nothing to the individual if he does not see it in his pocket. That is the first question I am asked as I continually visit most of my friends.
“They tell me that the economy is growing but it is still difficult to pay my light bill and other expenses. It is not affecting me. That, the government must change. Monies must reach the lower level,” Dr Minnis said at the time.
Comments
birdiestrachan 5 years, 10 months ago
Wells doc new employee must have told him to make this announcement. But doc
it is not TRUE. it is just another big fat LIE In fact you are just spinning.
joeblow 5 years, 10 months ago
Upper echelon FNM's have already been reaping the benefits from day one!
And how can any benefits trickle down when taxes keep going up?
birdiestrachan 5 years, 10 months ago
Doc has taxed the poor and middle class. With his VAT increase. He said VAT was a bad idea and the first chance he had he increased it 60% it is on all of our bills. food and medical care.
DDK 5 years, 10 months ago
What is this? Comedy Central?
John 5 years, 10 months ago
The prime minister's optimism better be genuine because there's nothing else to tax. Many cupboards are bare, lights are off, and the faucets are drizzling. And the last thing Bahamians need now is false hope or fake news. They want to believe but many will choose to wait and see.
TalRussell 5 years, 10 months ago
Yes, or no. there's no spreading fresher message with this PM. Does you thinks adding another propagandist's dead body to count 40 up in PMO, has so yearly out gate failed enlightened whats retained upstairs we colony of islands prime minister. Yes, no - it's a vagina, doc!
ThisIsOurs 5 years, 10 months ago
"And, seizing on the Prime Minister’s comments, just one week after the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing by Baha Mar, that the situation in the Bahamas would soon be “dead good”, Mr McCartney retorted: “Things are certainly dead and not good."
TalRussell 5 years, 10 months ago
Yes, or no - you can't read PM's latest loss all sense downturn many of same individuals who voted in red party have been economically struggling through 608 days since he occupied the prime minister's office, not his latest statement to sounds likes he set comrade sister Erica up be fresh face take PR fall his ridiculous. Yes, no?
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 10 months ago
Meanwhile Police Commissioner Ferguson publicly declares that our country is indeed in a state of war with vast numbers of criminal elements. Minnis can run but he can't hide because most Bahamians now know they were hood winked into supporting a lying incompetent buffoon back in May 2017. I was one of the lonely voices back then trying to warn voters that Minnis would hands down be the worst PM since our country became independent in 1973. Most of you are already choking on all the crow you've had to eat.....but make room for more....there's a whole hell-of-a-lot more stupidity and corruption to come from this government led by the brain-dead power hungry Minnis who (like his wife) very much enjoys all of the taxpayer paid trappings of the Office of the PM (and the new Office of the First Lady). LMAO
ThisIsOurs 5 years, 10 months ago
You did speak out against Minnis like the voice crying in the wilderness. Even in hindsight I don't know what the alternative was. Bran may have been worse
sheeprunner12 5 years, 10 months ago
Minnis (and his Cabinet) needs to lay out his vision for this new found prosperity ........... island by island.
I am interested in how he intends to bring prosperity to every island south of Exuma ....
Cannot wait to hear his vision ............... fingers crossed.
BahamasForBahamians 5 years, 10 months ago
Oh Lord. More false hopes.
TheMadHatter 5 years, 10 months ago
...
licks2 5 years, 10 months ago
My my my. . .all the information in the media and it seem that only the international community can see progress in this nation!! I see why doc them can "trick" most of yinna people on this site. . ."YALL EEN KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN YALL OWN COUNTRY" . . . dumb in the dark. . .or just plain political morons. The time for stupid politics is over fellas. . .bring ya a game or carry ya "you know what" in ya political HQ and stay there until election time. . .that's when we stop watching paint dry and give yinna political dummies the time of day!! Please tell me why yinna think the unions all "coming out of the wood work" and plenty FI projects pushing at we doors?? They have their people "watching" and reading the tea leaves so to speak! I guess it is true that if you want to hide anything from a Bahamian. . ."put it in a book". . .they will never find it there. . .it appears that they are "non-readers". . .hehehhehehehehehehehehe!!
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