NASSAU, The Bahamas — Prime Minister Perry Gladstone Christie said the Bahamian people must decide whether or not to create a national lottery in The Bahamas.
“Once the people decide, public policy will govern itself accordingly,” Prime Minister Christie told participants in the Ministry of Finance Budget 2012/13 Budget Symposium at the Sheraton Cable Beach, Wednesday, June 27, 2012.
The symposium was geared toward Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Department in the Public Service.
The Prime Minister said he met with the Christian Council, which presented significant concerns about the revenue options the Government is considering, which include creating a national lottery and/or the web shop operations, as they currently exist.
“The major parties agreed that they will put it to a referendum; and that is significant because we cannot continue to institutionalise hypocrisy in the governance of The Bahamas,” he said.
“I do not have the timidity of a politician when it comes to the decision-making that I am just going to put it to the Bahamian people to make a decision. It has significant revenue implications.”
The Prime Minister told the senior government officials that no matter their spiritual or religious beliefs, the Government of The Bahamas has agreed to put the issue to a referendum for the Bahamian people to decide.
He said there is a system where these operations are paying national insurance and all of the institutional requirements are met, but there is a tendency to act as if they do not exist.
“We are going to put a stop to this. The country must decide,” Prime Minister Christie said.
By Llonella Gilbert
Bahamas Information Services
