The Bahamas Parliament met on Wednesday, the 2nd September
2015 at 10am and a summary of the communications delivered by government
ministers during the segment “statement by ministers” on the House
agenda are highlighted below for public information and edification.
Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie delivered a communication
on the ratings analyses by both Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s on the
economy and economic outlook for The Bahamas.
The Prime
Minister compared and contrasted the ratings by the two agencies,
pointing out that Standard and Poor's maintain the investment grade of
Bahamas securities while downgrading its outlook to negative. Moody’s on
the other hand maintained the country’s investment grade securities and
its outlook at stable.
The Prime Minister focused on the
ratings decision of Standard and Poors and defended his government’s
fundamental disagreement with the agency’s ratings decision.
Christie told House members that notwithstanding S&P’s view that
Baha Mar will not be finished quickly and its performance hindered upon
completion, “let there be no doubt either in this Honourable House or
among the Bahamian public that the government is firmly committed to a
timely resolution of the Baha Mar matter and the completion of the
project in a manner Mr. Speaker that will serve the best interest of the
people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”
He went to state
that S&P’s dim view of the project, suggesting little or no economic
growth for The Bahamas’ economy over the next several years fails to
“match up to reality” and “flies in the face of some of the evidence
that S&P itself presents in their report.”
Prefacing
the results of his ministry’s fiscal consolidation plan, the Prime
Minister asserted that “a prime prerequisite for a solid credit rating,
strong investor confidence, and buoyant economic growth is a sound and
sustainable public finance framework,” a framework he proclaimed his
government successfully implemented through its medium term fiscal
consolidation plan. The Prime Minister quoted the S&P report in
support of his assertion.
“The government has made progress,
improving the country’s fiscal deficits” said the S&P report,
“particularly through the introduction of the Value Added Tax. We
believe that this along with formalization spillovers from the
modernized tax system will contribute to deceleration in the increase of
government debt. This progress has contributed to our decision to keep
the rating of The Bahamas in the investment grade category”
The government did beat its 2014/2015 budget deficit target by 3% and is
a full year ahead of its target for achieving a primary budget surplus.
National Security Minister the Hon. Dr. Bernard J. Nottage delivered a
communication on the status of crime in The Bahamas. He said that there
are three thematic pillars that are driving crime activities in The
Bahamas. These thematic pillars are drugs trafficking, firearms
trafficking and the proliferation of gangs.
In listing the
government’s combating policy initiatives, the Minister included
amendments to the Penal Code inclusive of Marco’s Law and anti-gang
legislation; the reintroduction of the Heads of National Law Enforcement
Agencies (HONLEA); the $20 million IDB funded Citizen Security and
Justice Program; the $20 million students tracking system, jobs training
and placement program and foreshadowed the tabling of a Parental
Responsibility Bill.
To build organizational and resource
capacities within the uniform branches and to put “more boots on the
ground” in bolstering the fight against crime, the Minister advised the
House that since 2012 the government has recruited 342 Police Officers,
353 Defense Force Officers and 175 Correctional Officers. Just over 100
Police Officers, 160 Defense Force Officers and between 100 and 120
Correctional Officers are scheduled for recruitment in this (2015/2016)
fiscal year said the Minister.
The Minister called on all of his
parliamentary colleagues to become engaged and for every Bahamian to
take responsibility for the peace and security of our country by
becoming change agents.
Social Service Minister the Hon.
Melanie Griffin presented the House with an update on the reloadable
Pre-paid visa debit card for the public food assistance program; this
electronic system effectively replaces the paper food stamps or coupon
system. The program began in November 2014 at the Wulff Road Center,
followed by centers in Fox Hill, Robinson Road and Horse Shoe Drive.
The pre-paid debit card continued Mrs. Griffin, was introduced in Grand
Bahama on Monday, July 27th and to date, more than 6,232 recipients are
benefitting from this electronic food assistance program: 5,254 in New
Providence and 978 from Grand Bahama. The exercise to determine the
number of beneficiaries for New Providence is complete reported the
Minister and the Grand Bahama exercise is near completion.
This
is the first phase of the government’s entire Social Safety Net system
and reform and modernization of the country’s welfare system reported
the Minister. The next initiative in the reform process is the
Conditional Cash Transfer Program. The reform program is called RISE,
the acronym for Review Improving Sustaining and Empowering (R.I.S.E.).
Education, Science and Technology Minister the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald
delivered an update on the public school repair program over the summer
months and the opening of the 2015/2016 school year. He reported that
E.P. Roberts Primary required extensive repairs and “looks like a brand
new school” inclusive of a new computer laboratory to boot. The A.F.
Adderly High school trailers have been condemned and seventh grade
students are being housed at the hotel union class rooms. A 24 classroom
block is being constructed to replace the in the current fiscal year at
that school campus.
The all age school in Rum Cay is undergoing
extensive renovations at a cost of $500,000. Students will be educated
at a local church hall during the three months of construction.
Fitzgerald defended the cost, stating that the school building is
multi-purpose and that the Rum Cay students have as much rights to a
decent education as any other Bahamian child.
According
to the Education Minister, a total of 300 contracts were awarded for
the public school summer repair program. Four separate contracts were
awarded for the construction of four pavilions at four New Providence
based primary schools. Construction is expected to be completed before
the end of the 2015/2016 school year.
The total cost of the
summer repair program was pegged at $7.673 million to date. The Minister
expressed satisfaction with the general workmanship and said he was
excited at the new school year.
Youth, Sports and
Culture Minister the Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson reported on the 25 member
Bahamas track and field team that represented The Bahamas at the 15th
IAAF Track and Field Championship. He singled out Commonwealth and Pan
Am Games champion Jeffery Gibson (400 meters intermediate hurdles) and
Shaunae Miller (200 meters) for winning bronze and silver medals
respectively at the event. The Bahamas finished 22nd out of 214
countries and he congratulated them for those achievements. Dr. Johnson
congratulated the men’s 4x400 meters team, Leevan Sands and Donald
Thomas, the BAAA and management for their contributions as they carried
the banner for The Bahamas internationally.
He noted that today
marked the 15th anniversary of the golden girls winning the gold medal
in the 4x100 meters in Australia in 2000. He congratulated Pauline
Davis, Chandra Sturrup, Eldece Clarke and Sevetheta Fynes for their
efforts.
State Minister of Legal Affairs the Hon. Damian
Gomez tabled and delivered the first reading of a compendium of highly
technical bills – seven bills in total. They were the Trademarks Bill
2015, the lead Bill; the Patents Bill 2015, the Copyright Amendment Bill
2015, the Protection of New Plant Varieties Bill 2015, the Geographical
Indications Bill 2015, the Integrated Circuit Bill 2015 and the False
Trade Description Bill 2015.
These bills, said the Minister, are
designed to address the issues of innovation, design and intellectual
property protection. Strengthening its intellectual properties laws
places The Bahamas in compliance with international standards as regards
the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and as a pre-requisite for
membership into the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Bahamas’ WTO
ascension process began in 2001 and the Minister indicated a desire by
the government to complete this process.
The Minister
for Financial Services, the Hon. Hope Strachan seconded the bill. The
Minister presented a detailed description of each bill and explained why
it was necessary to pass these pieces of legislation into law. The
encouragement of new industries to fuel economic development through
innovation was one major reason offered in addition to the need to
protect such innovations.