From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
PLP Chairman on appointment of Halkitis as Chairman of Board of Governors of the IADB
By Bradley B Roberts, National Chairman, Progressive Liberal Party
Apr 10, 2016 - 1:47:09 PM
The Progressive Liberal Party notes with great pride that the Bahamas
State Minister for Finance was nominated and elected as the incoming
Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Inter-American Development
Bank during the 2016 Annual General Meetings of the Inter-American
Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Investment Corporation
(IIC) held here in Nassau over this weekend.
This is a signature
accomplishment for The Bahamas and its proud people as our leaders use
the institution of public service to continue to project and propel this
tiny island nation onto the international stage.
Michael is one
of a number of new generation leaders who have chosen a life of public
service and have excelled to the benefit of not only The Bahamas but the
international community. I note that the Minister of Education, Science
and Technology, the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald was elected the Chairman of
the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers and Environment and
Housing Minister the Hon. Kenred Dorsett was elected the Chairman of the
Council of the International Renewable Energy and co-chair of the
Caribbean Challenge Initiative Council.
The Progressive Liberal
Party thanks these leaders for their stellar service and fully supports
their elections. The country will be handed to leaders like Halkitis,
Fitzgerald and Dorsett to continue the important work of national
development therefore these assignments are significant developmental
steps in this process.
Regarding the published priority areas of
the Inter-American Development Bank, I note that the Bank updated its
Institutional Strategy for 2010-2020 in March of 2015. Its principal
objective is the ultimate transformation of both Latin America and the
Caribbean 'into a more inclusive and prosperous society’ and in doing
so, member states must address three main development challenges:
“social exclusion and inequality, low productivity and innovation, and
limited economic integration" so Minister Halkitis, your work is clearly
cut out for you.
The IDB has acknowledged in its strategic plan
the inter-relationship of these objectives with over-arching issues that
member states must use informed public policy to urgently address:
specifically the issues of “gender equality and diversity; climate
change and environmental sustainability; and institutions and the rule
of law."
Incidentally, The Bahamas is preparing itself to go to
its people in a referendum this summer on gender equality so in a sense,
Minister Halkitis’ work has already begun.
The Progressive
Liberal Party and Bahamians everywhere have every confidence in the
leadership of Mr. Halkitis to aggressively and competently address these
regional and I dare say global issues.
We join the wider
Bahamian family in congratulating and supporting our State Minister for
Finance Michael Halkitis on his new assignment.
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