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Bahamian Politics Last Updated: Nov 18, 2019 - 9:26:11 AM


DNA: The Bahamian people can only take so much
By Arinthia S. Komolafe, Leader Democratic National Alliance
Nov 17, 2019 - 3:20:19 PM

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  •     FNM government is officially tone deaf with $650M burden
  •     Bahamians are struggling to make ends meet
  •     RRB entity is FNM'S version of PLP Resolve
  •     Unanswered questions remain for scandalous BPL
  •     Where is the plan for BPL restructuring and efficiency?

The assault on the shrinking middle class and further increase in the burden on the working class continues. It is crystal clear that the Free National Movement (FNM) government is now officially tone deaf to the cries and concerns of the struggling masses.

Our people are finding it difficult to make ends meet with a regressive Value Added Tax (VAT) which has significantly increased the cost of living and doing business in The Bahamas. The ousted Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) imposed this tax at 7.5% and their successor FNM government increased the tax to 12% but that is not all. The PLP anticipated and planned to introduce the Rate Reduction Bond (RRB) during their last term and the FNM is now in the process of placing an additional $650 million on the backs of taxpayers to bail out a Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) in crisis.

After enduring the worst summer of blackouts in recent memory and witnessing scandal after scandal within BPL, the Bahamian people will have to bear the cost of years of mismanagement, cronyism, nepotism and corruption of this utility. We still don’t have answers on the firing of the former BPL Board, the Shell deal, Wartsilla contract, investigations of political interference and how we will recoup the $95 million from Shell.

The creation of a new entity for the RRB is the FNM's version of Resolve Bahamas which was created by the PLP to bail out Bank of The Bahamas after years of mismanagement. How long will the Bahamian people be called upon to address the failures of the PLP and FNM? Why are we being asked to spend more money on BPL without any parallel plan to restructure, reform and reorganize the entity for greater efficiency and effectiveness? It is unbelievable that the same people that created the crisis are being entrusted with an additional $650 million to spend as they wish. The same BPL Board and management is being empowered by Parliament to incur hundreds of millions of dollars in debt that we and our children will have to pay back.

The suggestion that an increase in our electricity is an alternative or better option to increase in taxes is hogwash and nonsensical. Such commentary assumes that we have a real alternative to BPL for our power supply. This is absolute insanity.

The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) remains the only political organization that has proposed a comprehensive and diverse energy reform plan which empowers the people. We maintain that it is time to get serious about renewable energy and explore alternative forms of energy generation which favor the environment such as solar, hydro, waste and wind. Consumers must not be penalized for embracing solarization and assisting with the reduction of our carbon footprint as well as the movement away from fossil fuels.

The lack of vision by our FNM and PLP political leaders has come at great expense to the masses. It is time to turn the page on a system that enslaves the citizenry for the benefit of a select few special interest groups. They are seeking to tax us out of business and out of our own country.

The DNA is the vehicle for revolutionary change and the unifying force for all Bahamians who seek a better country.


Arinthia S. Komolafe

Leader

Democratic National Alliance

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