At a meeting of the Progressive Liberal Party’s Think Tank, Prime Minister the Honourable Perry G. Christie announced the formation of seven new Commissions: Cultural Development, Urban Rehabilitation, Prison Reform, Trade (FTAA), Grand Bahama Commission, Constitution, and the Public Service Reform Commission. These bodies will report to the Government and be available to educate the people of The Bahamas.
In line with the PLP’s Our Plan, Mr. Christie outlined the reasons for the establishment of the “significant number of Commissions.”
The Cultural Commission is to “examine everything with culture.” This body is to review Legislation, Heroes from Pompey to Pindling, the possibility of establishing a Park, as well as the various painters, artists, songs, and books of our time. The intention is to further the depth of both intellectual and cultural knowledge and, “to open our people to show Bahamians why we ought to read beyond the 19th and the 18th Centuries, and about what happened in our country,” he said.
The Urban Rehabilitation Committee is expected to learn from the pilot Farm Road Project and suggest the best of what has been advised to assist other communities such as St. Cecilia and the Kemp Road areas.
The Prison Reform Commission “is to attack the conditions where the prisoners live, where the officers live,… there is a 70% recidivism rate. We are manufacturing criminals.” The Prime Minister, clearly disturbed by this, added, “the idea is not to disguise and camouflage. Everything is not good and hasnﾴt been good. We are attacking the root causes of crime. This is a challenge to the country. We need advice from the people who think out of the box.”
The Trade Commission is to be made up of fifteen (15) persons from various sectors of society such as the Church, Trade Unionists, Bankers, etc… who will become expert on the FTAA, the WTO, and relative matters. Mr. Christie let it be known, “We do not do a good job of allowing Bahamians to become, and be seen as, experts. We have become a society where politicians speak on every issue. We must get to where the Prime Minister is taking experts with him to meetings, and everyone knows who the experts are. I want to be able to turn to my right and there’s an expert, and turn to my left and there is another expert with me at these meetings.” The make-up of this Commission is expected to be announced in the next two weeks.
The Constitution Commission is close to being appointed. The Prime Minister wants a comprehensive approach that is not rushed. He is intent on having this body ensure that the process of Constitutional Reform, if any, is driven by the people of The Bahamas. The Public Service Reform Commission beings a lot of challenges, however, Mr. Christie contends that as the country is spending over $1 Billion now, the wastage of public funds must be stopped through proper monitoring of spending. We are “… also, running $20 Million per month behind projected revenue; especially because of September 11th.” Both Guyana and Barbados have reformed their public service, and their process has been looked at. The question of privatisation of state owned entities is of great importance at this time, and the Prime Minister wants any such process handled properly.
