Response to Government Fiscal Snapshot Chester Cooper, Exumas and Ragged Island MP Shadow Minster Of Finance 30th October, 2018:

The government yesterday released data on taxation and revenue collected for the first quarter of fiscal year 2018/2019.

What is being presented to the Bahamian public as a way to have the main Post Office relocated to the Town Centre Mall, is really a ‘financial bailout' allegedly for the benefit of Immigration and Financial Services Minister Brent Symonette, whose company has controlling ownership of the commercial building.

No articulated long-term plan for modernization

It is no news that our postal system has been seriously challenged over the past couple of years. Postal workers have had to endure substandard and dangerous working conditions, businesses have been subjected to disruptions to the operations and Bahamians have been provided with poor service...

The Bahamas and twenty other countries were recently singled out by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the premise that their residence by investment (RBI) and citizenship by investment (CBI) schemes pose a high risk to the integrity of the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) regime. This adverse listing followed the analysis of over 100 CBI/RBI schemes by the OECD.

For years we have toyed around with the words access, inclusion and human rights, often dismissing them as if they were of little to no importance in our country.  Can we collectively now get serious about it?

Nassau - Opposition Leader Philip ‘Brave' Davis is seeking the rationale behind the Government's move to purchase the Grand Lucaya property for $65 million, only to flip it in the short term at a great financial loss to Bahamian taxpayers.

While many Bahamians have reservations about the Government's decision to purchase the Grand Lucayan resort, all right-thinking Bahamians are hopeful that this investment will bring relief to Grand Bahamians. There is no victory to be derived from a failure of the Government insofar as the economy of Grand Bahama is concerned. Therefore, many looked forward to the Prime Minister’s communication in Parliament with much anticipation.

Given the fact that the FNM Government has no expertise or track record of success in the hotel industry, Opposition Leader Philip 'Brave' Davis advises that they should have taken a more cost-effective and fiscally-prudent strategic approach in their move to purchase the Grand Lucayan Resort.

Contribution To Resolution On Grand Lucayan Chester Cooper, Exumas And Ragged Island MP September 20, 2018:

Mr. Speaker, before I embark on the meat of my contribution of behalf of the people of Exuma & Ragged Island who I am grateful to represent, I begin with two statements of concern:

Addressing the House of Assembly this week on the Government’s push to purchase the Grand Lucayan Resort, Opposition Leader Philip ‘Brave' Davis said not only is this move a ‘bad deal,’ but the FNM administration still has not presented an Agreement Of Sale to show publicly what is being done.

Good morning media and good morning to all. Thank you for coming and participating in this morning’s media briefing.

A special welcome to all students to the new school year and it is our hope that you will make this an academically productive year.
 
I also had the pleasure of welcoming the students to the new primary school in San Salvador constructed under our administration, the finishing of which was slowed by this administration...

Debt crisis at macro and micro levels

The picture of a Prime Minister and his Minister of Housing laying a plaque to promote the sale of a mere ten lots shows how desperate this government is for good news.  Unfortunately there is no good news there either.

First their housing programme is woefully inadequate, under resourced, if not non- existent. It is shameful that all the Housing Minister can tell us is how the majority of people who applied for their service lot programme could not qualify.

The FNM has this unfortunate way of glorying in the misfortunes of its citizens. The Minister should have instead been boasting about how they are working with each applicant to ensure that they do qualify...

The New Providence Women’s Branch of the Progressive Liberal Party are appalled and cries shame on the Minister for BPL Desmond Bannister for his public savagery of the reputation of the former BPL chair, Mrs. Darnell Osbourne. The minister's statement was sexist and we condemn it.

The issue for us and the country is whether Mrs Osbourne conducted her job with probity and integrity. The issue is not her applying facial makeup...

The recent news stories about BPL have conveyed unfortunate allegations of a culture of cronyism, favoritism, male chauvinistic behavior and corruption that too many Bahamians find absolutely shocking. To those who know firsthand the true habits of the leadership of the FNM, it is simply no surprise.

BPL Debacle: Proper and Independent Investigation Needed

Issues must not be swept under the rug...

The Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) debacle came to a head last week with the unceremonious removal of the Board. It was reported that the entire Board of the nation’s main power supply company was asked to resign due to their inability to agree on matters and key decisions.

The Government’s decision to ask all members of BPL’s Board to step down followed questions raised by the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation (BCCEC), the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) and leaders of the two unions representing the workers of BPL...

Today I have called you here to challenge you and the public to demand answers from The Bahamas government, the Prime Minister and the Attorney General in particular about the conduct of his Government and the agents of the state.

It has been more than 48 hours since the affidavit I saw filed in the Shane Gibson matter made allegations of serious misconduct on the part of the prosecution.  There has been no reply from the Government.
 
At the very least this demands a word from the Government that they have not been involved in prosecutorial misconduct...

The recent credit opinion released on The Bahamas by Moody’s only highlighted the points that have been repeatedly raised by the Bahamian people. In maintaining our sovereign rating at Baa3 with a negative outlook, the rating agency focused on the fundamentals and prospects of the Bahamian economy under the current administration.

As shown in the recently released labour force survey for May 2018, the unemployment rate in Grand Bahama remains high and the same as that recorded in May 2017. While the Department of Statistics has pegged the rate at 12.4 percent, the struggles and despair of residents of Grand Bahama cannot be captured in mere figures.