The Progressive Liberal Party Government’s investment claims came under attack last night during the Free National Movement Convention with High Rock Member of Parliament Kenneth Russell accusing the PLP administration of being unable to secure any new investment since coming to office a year ago.
“The PLP is yet to land one new investment which has produced one new job anywhere in The Bahamas,” Mr. Russell said.
His statements were in direct contradiction to claims made in recent weeks by government officials who have said that since May 2002, they have brought in $400 million in new investments.
PLP National Chairman Raynard Rigby immediately responded to the accusation saying, “It is untrue.
The Minister of Financial Services and Investments Allyson Maynard-Gibson made it very clear in her recent ministerial report to the nation that the government has been busy courting foreign investors who are excited about coming to The Bahamas.
“The majority of these investors are new. Their interest in The Bahamas was increased by the efforts of the new Ministry of Financial Services and Investments and efforts of the ministry in promoting the country.”
At his party’s convention last October, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that a number of investments were on the horizon and he assured that his government was committed to handling applications for investments expeditiously.
But Mr. Russell, a former Cabinet Minister, joined other speakers at last night’s convention in accusing the PLP of riding on the back of what the FNM developed over nine and a half years of governance.
The first night of the convention was a night for picking apart the government’s performance and promises, extending the olive branch within the party and rallying supporters.
Opposition Leader Alvin Smith had a pivotal part to play in last night’s plan, delivering the keynote address. “Instead of help and hope…we are experiencing worry and woe,” Mr. Smith charged.
He said, “Not only has the government as a whole failed, but consider the record of the prime minister. By any measurement set even by die-hard PLP’s, Perry Christie is a miserable failure as prime minister.”
Mr. Russell added, “All this one-term PLP government needs to do is follow the schedule left behind by us. That might help them to stop losing jobs which they appear to be very good at. So far, they’ve lost Mees Pierson and Lloyd’s Bank.
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Clearly, this PLP government is not on the job; they’re losing jobs just like they’re going to lose their jobs come the end of this one-term do-nothing make no decisions administration.”
Mr. Russell, who is shadow Minister of Works, said that the FNM placed tremendous emphasis on building, repairing, upgrading and extending the infrastructure of the country.
He pointed to roads, electricity supply, water systems, phone systems, government office accommodations, schools, clinics, parks and recreational facilities.
“They criticized us, saying that people could not eat roads, electricity, schools, clinics, water systems and government buildings. No – we can’t eat infrastructure, but you can buy food with the salaries people earn from the employment generated in an economy with good infrastructure,” Mr. Russell said.
Mr. Russell told delegates that record levels of foreign investment flowed into The Bahamas after the FNM cleaned up the country’s image internationally and put in place, clear, transparent approval processes for high quality, job creating international investment.
A number of projects left behind by the FNM include proposals for the new film studio project in East Grand Bahama, the opening of the new casino at the Our Lucaya Resort, construction at the Emerald Bay Resort in Exuma, Kerzner International’s phase three expansion and the LNG pipeline proposals, he claimed.
“These are only some of the approved and in most cases ongoing projects left behind by the FNM government. All this one term PLP government need to do is follow the schedule left behind by us,” Mr. Russell said.
“We had a schedule. That’s why we caused the systematic replacement of water mains around New Providence – some of the pipes were more than 60 years old – and that is how we managed the systematic paving of all the major roadways in New Providence and around the Family Islands -on a schedule,” he said.
By Hadassah Hall, The Bahama Journal
