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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
Nassau, Bahamas - The following is a press statement by
Bradley B. Roberts National Chairman Progressive Liberal Party:
On behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party, I am pleased to join my
colleagues in the government in lending my full support to this mid-year
budget statement and the efforts of the Minister of Finance and his
team at the Ministry to promote growth in our economy and increase
employment throughout the country. It is clear that the government is on
the right track. This budget statement is good news for the country and
we thank the government for its discipline, leadership and
resoluteness.
It is worth repeating, however, that this
government inherited a fiscal crisis by any objective measure where the
country’s recurrent revenue was under-performing by well over $200
million and capital expenditure exceeded the budgeted amount by more
than $200 million. This sad but real fiscal state of affairs placed
extraordinary pressure on public finances and the government’s ability
to meet its commitments to fund its operations.
Further and
through no fault of its own this government was greeted with a downgrade
of the country’s sovereign credit rating due to the unsustainable
levels of borrowing and spending over the previous five years by the
previous administration; this quality of fiscal stewardship can only be
branded as reckless and irresponsible.
The PLP government
was hired by the Bahamian people on MAY 7th, 2012 to clean up this
fiscal mess left behind by the former FNM administration and in the
face of jeers and criticism from those most responsible for this mess;
we thank the Bahamian people for their continued patience and support.
Notwithstanding a protracted and painfully slow global economic
recovery, the government’s multi-faceted Fiscal Consolidation Plan is
bearing positive fruit for the Bahamian people. We fully support the
government’s strategy on the way forward which consists of four key
parts: “growing the economy; restraining expenditure; enhancing revenue
administration; and securing new sources of revenue.”
To our
critics, I take grave exception to Dr. Minnis’ characterization of the
Prime Minister as a vacillator because it was none other than this same
Minnis who sat around a cabinet table not so long ago and agreed to VAT
as a viable tax reform option only to oppose it when opposing became
politically convenient to do so. He also agreed to legalize web shops
and stem cell research and therapy without regulations only to back
track on both when the Bahamian people fired the FNM Government. Dr.
Minnis is the poster child for vacillation; he couldn’t hold a position
on principle if his life depended on it. He is the quintessential
opportunist and carpetbagger.
He should also be the last person
to open his mouth about Bahamian ownership. Bahamians know well that
Dr. Minnis aided and abetted the fire sale of the Bahamian patrimony
BTC. He was also a party to the mass cancellation of many contracts to
Bahamian road builders in favour of the foreign Jose Cartellone of
Argentina in the New Providence Road Improvement Project debacle.
And where does Dr. Minnis get off at scoffing at the government’s jobs
creation plan?! I remind him that under the FNM’s watch, unemployment
doubled from just over 7% to some 14.7%. When Minnis and the FNM were
fired from office, more than 30,000 Bahamians were unemployed; NOT ONE
NET JOB WAS CREATED WHILE MINNIS SAT IN THE FNM CABINET FOR FIVE YEARS.
Further, more than 4,000 homes were in various stages of foreclosure and
the misery index was off the charts.
Thanks to Prime Minister
Christie and his team, the economy has turned the corner, unemployment
is trending downward, fresh money is pouring into the country, the
economic momentum will intensify therefore Bahamians have good reasons
to be optimistic.
I ask for the continued support and patience
of the Bahamian people as this government charts the future for our
beloved Bahamas. Let us collectively reject the din in the marketplace
by the merchants of doom and gloom, the political opportunists who
vacillate, have no policy position on nothing and oppose for the sake of
opposing and the carpetbaggers. Let’s keep our eyes on moving forward
and building a stronger, safer and better Bahamas for all Bahamians.
© Copyright 2014 by thebahamasweekly.com
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