Noted Author Lisa Borden once wrote: “If you aren’t outraged, then you
just aren’t paying attention”. On January 1, Bahamians around the country got a
wake-up call and for the first time many individuals started paying attention
to the current state of affairs in our small nation.
As Bahamians, we must all be asking ourselves: how did we get here? How
did we get to the point where we now boast a staggering crime rate, illegal
immigration concerns, record unemployment, a stagnant economy and now, an
increased tax burden despite a failure to properly collect current outstanding
taxes?
For the past 25 years, wastage within the public sector, poor resource
management, corruption and cronyism coupled with a lack of transparency and
accountability have been allowed to slowly wear away at the fabric of our
economy. Successive governments have failed to introduce new industries as a
means of economic diversification. So far, the country’s political directorate
have shown a lack of real leadership and a lack of vision in plotting the way
forward. Rather than investing in people, this government has ignored the
potential within the country’s human capital, choosing instead to encourage the
sort of color blind devotion which continues to spur petty political intrigue.
Even as the rest of the world moves toward a 22nd century
outlook, the Bahamas’ growth and development continues to be strangled by
exorbitant energy costs, a lack of food security, an apparent lack of
discipline on the part of public officials and an overall sense of lack of law
and order; all of which are symptoms of the disease of BAD GOVERNANCE. The high
cost of doing business, and the even higher cost of living are just some
indicators of the level of mal-administration we have had to endure.
This administration, like the ones before it, have squandered their God
given opportunity to provide Bahamians with honest and effective
representation. At a time when our great nation could be moving to first world
status, our leaders have exhibited a third world mentality which continues to
thwart any hope of change and advancement. Bahamians, something must be done!
As the future government of this country, the DNA will work to bring
improved efficiency to the public service first through the implementation of a
Parliamentary Code of Conduct to keep public officials ACCOUNTABLE. A DNA plan
would also move to address years of fiscal irresponsibility by collecting
outstanding taxes and constraining government wastage and unnecessary spending;
as well as the establishment of National Procurement Agency to oversee the
transparent awarding of government contracts to avoid more instances of
cronyism and government favoritism.
The DNA’s efforts to expand
and grow the country’s economy would be two fold. Key to improving the state of
the economy is the empowerment of Bahamians. A DNA government would move to
empower MORE Bahamians by ensuring that our economy gets to the point so that
we can increase the minimum wage and by making crown ownership a reality
through the introduction of a National Land Bureau. While previous governments
have opted to offer major concession to international investors, a DNA
administration would offer key incentives to small local enterprises with a
view to helping those businesses flourish. Eliminating the red tape of doing
business in this country is essential for the encouragement of business growth.
It is indeed our quest to see Bahamian owners of the economy. We are not just
satisfied with Bahamians “getting jobs” but we see in the future Bahamians
providing jobs. An overall reduction in the cost of electricity will also act
as a stimulus to encourage new small businesses while making it easier for
current operations to stay afloat. Education is key and the enhancement of our
educational system is a must. Indeed, we in the DNA believe that a good
education ought to be a right for all Bahamians and not a privilege for a few.
Clearly, the advent of Value Added Tax, coupled with the revelations of
last year’s unemployment figures have pushed the issue of government
mismanagement by consecutive administrations to the fore, still however, the
level out outrage which we, the public should be expressing, seems tempered by
political allegiances.
Now more than ever, we as a people should be disgusted, frustrated, and
OUTRAGED at the conditions now facing our small country. Now more than ever we
as a people should be SPURRED TO ACTION and begin readying ourselves for change
for the better of this country. No longer can we sit idly by and allow the
unscrupulous political element to ruin our country. We must all take a long
hard look at conditions we now face and CHOOSE: COUNTRY OVER SELF! We must all
come to realize that if we are not part of the solution, then we are in fact a
part of the problem. Bahamians…stand up for your country!
Branville
McCartney
DNA Leader
