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PYL Defends Government and Addresses College of The Bahamas
By National Executive Board Progressive Young Liberals
Feb 28, 2013 - 11:12:09 AM

Nassau, The Bahamas. In recent days the media has been bombarded with cries from the College of the Bahamas Union of Students (COBUS) with regards to proposed tuition increases supposedly as a direct result of the governments attempt to decrease the deficit left behind by the previous administration. As the youth arm of the governing party of the Bahamas, the Progressive Young Liberals (PYL) is repulsed by the misinterpretation and deliberate meandering of facts that has left the College of the Bahamas and the nation in a state of confusion and disbelief. PYL will now dispel all untruths and correctly address this matter in order for the country to be properly educated and fully aware of the truth behind this matter.

The students at the College of the Bahamas are NOT faced with a dilemma, as claimed, because the elected officials that lead our nation have absolutely NO intention of reducing subventions to the College of The Bahamas that would cause a “reduction in quality or level of services to the public or any forced reduction in headcount.” 

Had the 2012-2013 COBUS board utilized its skills in collecting and analyzing data to come to some truth in this matter, they would have first sought to retrieve the document dated 20th December, 2012 which was sent and addressed to the President of the College of the Bahamas, Dr. Betsy Vogel Boze. The letter plainly explicates the expectations of the college from the Ministry of Finance and states:

“I am requesting that you submit a financial plan by January 31st 2013 to reduce direct and indirect subventions to your organization by 25% within the next 2 fiscal years with at least 10% in FY2013/2014. This reduction should be achieved without any reduction in quality and level of services to the public or any forced reduction in headcount and should cover direct cash transfers (recurrent and capital) and any tax deferments your organization is now receiving. The proposed measures should also be benchmarked to cost of service, the market or the public’s ability to pay. The expectation is that at least 50% of the reduction would be achieved through improvements in organizational efficiencies.”

Evidently, the portion of the letter, quoted above, that clearly emphasizes the point that “reduction would be improved in organizational efficiencies” was overlooked and or ignored as a mechanism to lambaste the Christie administrations efforts in steering the country into the direction of positive growth and prosperity instead of a course of unfathomable demise as it was left under the former Ingraham administration.

Failure to seek accurate information on this matter lead to careless, imbecilic bashing of the Minister of Education, Minister of State for Finance, Minister of Financial Services and the entire Christie administration along with untruthful, distasteful tirades from students at the College of the Bahamas and the general population of the Bahamas on social media networks and through other media channels. Even after several attempts were made to clarify the matter, the 2012-2013 COBUS administration is still claiming that they are still “NOT satisfied with the answers received.” 

PYL wants to know, how long has this plight between COBUS and the College Senior Administration been unraveling? Surely, this issue is not a direct result of the Christie administration. Why is it then that the 2012-2013 COBUS board is seeking to flop this issue of miscommunication and lack of transparency between the COB Senior administration and COBUS to that of the Government of the Bahamas, but, more specifically, the Christie administration? 

PYL strongly believes that the 2012-2013 COBUS board handled this matter poorly, sent the nation in an uproar over untruths and, as such, demands that a public apology be made immediately to the Minister of Education, Minister of Financial Services, Minster of State for Finance, the Christie administration and the people of the Bahamas, for its malicious spreading of fallacious political pomposity and igniting fear and seeking to divide an already broken nation. 

PYL urges the 2012-2013 COBUS board to pursue knowledge, as it will unearth truth and strengthen individuals with characters of integrity while positively contributing to the productive progression of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

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