In the 2002 speech (from the Throne), the government said that in addition to the new Code of Ethics, it would introduce a bill for an Integrity in Public Life Act to govern all parliamentarians, heads of government boards and senior civil servants.
“This legislation will be designed to induce higher levels of accountability and transparency so as to discourage corruption and ethical impropriety in public life,” then Governor General Dame Ivy Dumont had said, reading the speech presented by Prime Minister Perry Christie.
The new Speech from the Throne, read last week by Governor General Arthur D. Hanna, gives no indication that the government still intends to bring such a bill to parliament, although several other bills – including the Witness Protection Bill and the National Honours Bill – will be reintroduced.
In the 2002 speech, the government also promised to “soon” establish a commission to engage in the necessary consultations and to prepare the necessary groundwork, including draft legislation, so that benefits similar to those under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement can be extended to all of Grand Bahama.
“My government regards this initiatives as vital to the economic future of the western and eastern sections of Grand Bahama,” the speech notes.
To date, however, the benefits still have not been extended although Port Authority Chairman Julian Francis has been consistently pushing for the extension. Extending the benefits of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement throughout Grand Bahama is also a campaign promise the government included in its “Our Plan” document.
Also in the 2002 speech, the government promised a “hot pursuit” helicopter patrol unit to assist in the apprehension of armed robbers, drug dealers, and other criminals who attempt to flee the scene of their crimes. But no such unit has yet been established.
During the first session of parliament under the new government, the Christie Administration had also resolved to “revisit the labour laws that were recently enacted in order to address the just concerns of employers and employees alike.”
The government did follow through and appoint a special commission to review the labour laws in question, but little has been said since the commission reported given that the labour leaders and other stakeholders involved in the dialogue failed to reach agreement on key aspects of the planned review.
But on a number of fronts, the government saw widespread success in executing its planned legislative agenda during its first three years in office.
The government, for instance, said that in order to stimulate diversification of the tourism product, it will encourage the construction of a convention centre as a means of inducing large convention groups, both religious and business, to hold their conventions in The Bahamas.
Both Kerzner International and Baha Mar have included as a key element of their projects major convention centre developments, something government officials said they had been pushing for.
In the financial services area, the government promised to establish a Financial Services Consultative Forum “to facilitate structured and continuous dialogue between the government and the private sector so that legislative and promotional strategies aimed at re-positioning the financial services industry to better meet the needs of international financial markets can be conceived and implemented within a framework of collaborative effort.”
The government did appoint the forum, headed by attorney Brian Moree. However, the Forum’s term has since expired and it remains unclear whether it is still meeting.
Additionally, the government announced in the 2002 speech that it would automate the Companies Register at the Registrar General’s Office, a process that has made steady progress, according to Minister of Financial Services and Investments Allyson Maynard-Gibson.
And the government kept is promise that there will be no income tax, no corporate tax, no capital gains tax, and no inheritance tax.
In the 2002 speech, the government undertook to liberalize the Exchange Control Regime as a means of stimulating investment in capital markets and accelerating and liberalizing the flow and exchange of money.
A significant step was taken in this regard several weeks ago when Minister of State for Finance James Smith and Central Bank Governor Wendy Craigg announced a number of measures intended to make it easier for Bahamians to invest abroad, and for foreigners residing in and outside of The Bahamas to invest in the country.
As it regards tax relief, the government promised to eliminate real property tax on owner-occupied homes of $250,000 or less, and reduce the rates on homes in excess of $250,000 in value. Early on in the parliamentary session, it delivered on those promises.
In the new Speech from the Throne, the government has again picked up certain initiatives that had been outlined in the old speech.
For instance, it again promises a new Time Share Act to expand the timeshare business in The Bahamas.
After the new speech was read last week, some members of parliament – government, opposition, and independent – recognized that the agenda is an ambitious one.
Neko Grant, the member of parliament for Lucaya, told The Bahama Journal, “I simply do not believe that it can be accomplished.”
But Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service Fred Mitchell said, “You’ve got to set an ambitious goal. If you don’t set the goal you won’t get there. You may not make it, but you set the goal and that’s the idea.”
When asked on Sunday to comment on the recent Speech from the Throne, Leader of the Official Opposition Hubert Ingraham said he had not yet read it and promised to react at a later date.
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
