The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

As the member of Parliament for Killarney, I have heard repeatedly from constituents as to how hard it is to make ends meet due to the high cost of living. The price of food is high. Gas prices are high. The cost of electricity is sky-high.

The governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has been unable to come up with policy solutions that work in these times. The New Day administration just keeps travelling at the expense of taxpayers. They keep giving contracts to PLPs. They keep promising to do something, but no solutions ever result.

Many have exhausted their savings trying to keep up with ridiculous Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) bills while also paying rent or mortgages, school fees, high gas prices, and grocery bills.

The prolonged period of high prices and no effective intervention by the governing PLP has left many Bahamian households in a financially stressed position. Our people need relief now, because the cost of living is not going down, and will get worse.

I am particularly concerned with the effect on seniors and retirees, who are on fixed incomes, and who are watching their life savings being eaten up by electricity, food, gas, insurance, healthcare and other bills.

Many people are a single healthcare crisis away from bankruptcy.

I continue to call on Prime Minister Philip Davis to properly address the cost of living struggles of our people.

The PLP’s decision not to carry on the hedge at BPL that my administration left in place has had terrible consequences for Bahamians.

We have seen in recent months some of the highest electricity bills in our history. People I have spoken with describe their BPL bills as “another mortgage”. Some light bills are as high as rent bills.

Electricity bills are so high that many people are on payment plans.

The percentage increase in bills the past few months has been unfair. With similar usage or less usage, consumers have seen their bills skyrocket by hundreds of dollars per month in many cases.

The Bahamian people are being made to pay because of the PLP’s failure to properly administer the affairs of BPL. The Bahamian people are being made to pay because PLP arrogance caused the protection left in place by the Free National Movement (FNM) to fall away.

JoBeth Coleby-Davis, the new minister of Energy and the Environment, said in the House of Assembly last month that the administration is seeking to implement a new “social tariff” to help low energy users.

All Bahamian residential and commercial consumers, whether they are low, medium or high users, need relief from the unfair BPL bills. What the minister is proposing is woefully insufficient.

It was also shocking to hear that BPL considered adding a late fee to consumer bills at a time when so many are faced with already outrageous charges from the energy provider.

It seems as if there is little mercy for the people under the Davis administration.

The wars in Ukraine and Gaza and lingering effects of the pandemic contribute to the global inflation problems that persists.

In a story in The Tribune last month, citing a Central Bank report, it was noted the bank warned Bahamian consumers that inflation would remain elevated in the near-term and come down slower than in other countries, with food and drink prices rising 11 percent over the year to end-June 2023.

Super Value’s owner, Rupert Roberts, told that same newspaper in September that a review of 15 regularly purchased items indicated The Bahamas sustained food inflation of about 30 percent over the past two years.

These concerns with the price of food are compounded by the cost of gas.

Gas prices are above $6 per gallon in New Providence. They are higher across the Family Islands.

Many Bahamians can’t afford to fill up their cars. It’s harder and harder to move around to do business or see friends and family.

What has concerned us in the opposition is the Davis administration’s lack of will and ideas to do all it can to lower prices in The Bahamas.

The government collects significant gas taxes. It should lower the gas taxes until the time comes when prices on the international markets come down.

The cuts in certain food duties in the budget for this fiscal year are not enough. We in the opposition have also called numerous times for the government to remove its 10 percent VAT on breadbasket items and medicines that it imposed unnecessarily. Anglican Bishop Laish Boyd recently joined in calling for the removal of VAT on breadbasket items.

These measures would help Bahamians.

To offset any revenue the government would lose, cuts could be made to the New Day travel budget and to PLP consultants. Many millions are wasted on unnecessary travel by the Prime Minister and his colleagues. PLP consultants have already gotten enough bloated contracts.

Philip Davis has been a disappointment as Prime Minister. He is a leader who looks after “PLPs first”. He is unfocused. He is too mesmerised by the attention of rich foreigners at conferences and events. He allows his ministers to do as they please with little oversight.

We need the Prime Minister to come up with bold policy solutions to reduce the cost of living. Christmas is coming and the high food, BPL and gas prices will make it harder for Bahamians to enjoy the holiday season.

The PLP was elected to solve problems. The PLP is not helping solve one of the worst problems facing our people!

DR HUBERT MINNIS

Former Prime Minister

November 15, 2023