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Last Updated: Sep 23, 2019 - 3:57:20 AM |
STATEMENT
The Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis
Prime Minister
Announcement of Minister of State for
Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction
Special Economic Recovery Zones for
Abaco and Grand Bahama
Housing Relocation
Sunday, 22 September 2019
Office of The Prime Minister
Cecil Wallace Whitfield Center
West Bay Street
Nassau, Bahamas
Good afternoon.
I am pleased to announce that I have advised His Excellency, the Governor General, the appointment of Mr. Iram Dewitt Lewis Jr., as the Minister of State for the new Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction.
Mr. Lewis will be sworn in tomorrow afternoon at Government House.
Iram Lewis is a son of Water Cay, Grand Bahama, which was severely affected by Hurricane Dorian.
He is the Member of Parliament for Central Grand Bahama.
Iram is a certified architect and project manager, with many years of experience in both fields.
He has served for the past two years as a Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Works.
I am pleased that he has accepted this great responsibility on behalf of the people of Abaco, Grand Bahama, and indeed all of the Bahamas.
Because of the historic circumstance of this generational tragedy, this new Ministry will help to focus, and to coordinate the national response for the recovery, and reconstruction of Grand Bahama, and Abaco, respectively, our second and third most populated islands.
The main body of the ministry will function as an Authority, similar to the Public Hospital Authority.
The Authority will be responsible for the reconstruction of Abaco and East Grand Bahama.
The Authority will have an Executive Director and Board that will help to oversee the redevelopment of Abaco and East Grand Bahama.
The Authority will have the powers and instruments of other such authorities, with the ability to act with great flexibility and rapidly.
It is critical that we remove the bureaucratic obstructions which may hinder recovery and reconstruction efforts on the ground.
Where appropriate, we will ensure applicable, regulatory reform, and changes, as well as the removal of unnecessary regulatory roadblocks and red tape.
We must, and we will rebuild, and restore Grand Bahama and Abaco stronger and more resilient.
We are One Bahamas.
When any part of our nation is affected, we are all affected.
In rebuilding Abaco and Grand Bahama, we are restoring our Commonwealth.
The climate emergency we face and the nature and power of hurricanes fueled by a heating climate and rising sea levels, demand comprehensive and dramatic changes in hurricane preparedness and disaster management.
We are living in a new era.
We must make immediate and medium-term changes.
But as a Small Island Developing State, with many major islands and many cays, there are many long-term changes and restructuring that require a dedicated cabinet ministry.
The new Ministry will remain at OPM.
Iram will be responsible for running the Reconstruction Ministry on a daily basis.
He will help to coordinate with cabinet colleagues.
He will help to coordinate the development of, and the functioning and work of the Ministry.
He will also help to coordinate with the leadership of NEMA, and with the Hurricane Relief and Redevelopment Coordinators on Grand Bahama and Abaco.
It is critical that we have effective coordination, including with international partners and agencies.
As prime minister, I will:
- guide the larger policy objectives of the ministry;
- help to coordinate the full governmental response to Hurricane Dorian;
- lead efforts to seek and to promote domestic and international investments and reconstruction initiatives on Abaco and Grand Bahama;
- help coordinate new public infrastructure and reconstruction projects on Abaco and Grand Bahama and
- ensure that red tape and bureaucratic roadblocks are cut through or removed.
I wish to outline the responsibilities of the new Ministry.
They include:
- Relations with NEMA
- Relations with Family Island Consultative Committees and Administrators
- Disaster Preparedness...
To view FULL Prime Minister Minnis Announcement of Minister of State for Disaster Prep, Relief & Reconstruction see attached
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