By DANA SMITH
Tribune Staff Reporter
dsmith@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Perry Christie declared the PLP government will deliver jobs through stimulating the private sector – as they did during their last term in office.
The government is also looking at introducing a programme that will benefit Bahamians who did not secure permanent employment at the end of the FNM’s 52-week job programme, Mr Christie said.
“When the PLP was last in power we created 22,000 jobs. We’ve come to power again to do the same thing. It’s not a question of me playing politics or a point here and there – there are too many people unemployed in the Bahamas,” Mr Christie said, speaking outside Cabinet yesterday.
“It’s scandalous that the FNM decided to use the kind of stimulus package that they did in giving people jobs that they could not account for, where people are turning up saying they’ve come for their money but they’re not working. We need to have a real effort at being able to have a meaningful employment programme implemented.”
During their last tenure in office, the FNM had implemented the 52-week job retraining programme which paid and placed Bahamians, who were unsuccessful in finding jobs, in various positions at both private and government businesses. The employers in question then had the option to permanently hire the workers if they so desired.
The Prime Minister said: “But whilst we’re doing that, we’re trying to drive the private sector (with) direct forms of Bahamian investment to create more jobs.”
Like at the Albany Resort, he said, jobs will be created in a “meaningful way” through developments in the private sector.
He used the expansion of the Cove Hotel in Georgory Town, Eleuthera as another example, adding that the development is “expanding significantly.”
The Prime Minister also hit out at a statement by FNM deputy leader Lorettta Butler-Turner, who attributed the recent decline in the nation’s unemployment rate in part to the 52-week programme and other FNM initiatives.
He also made note of another statement by Senator Kwasi Thompson, who said the reopening of Grand Bahama’s Reef Village hotel under the current government was a project that the FNM worked hard to see achieved.
Mr Christie criticised their “one-up-manship” in giving credit to the FNM.
Responding to Mr Thompson, he said the government is “battling hard” to encourage investments in Freeport despite “inhibiting and intimidating circumstances posed by the cost of investments.”
He said to Mrs Butler-Turner: “Let her tell us what they’ve left in place so that we can actually look for it . . . Elections are five years away, practically, so let Mrs Turner have a go.”
Comments
John 11 years, 7 months ago
Mrs Butler-Turner needs to explain why, when she was in charge of social services, some $2 million was spent on school uniform assistance, but ALL of this money went to less that five stores in the Bahamas. She further needs to explain how 80 percent of the uniform assitance money (vouchers) went to one store in particular, a high end store that has doubled its number of locations since teaming up with the government. She further needs to explain how those who recieve uniform assistance vouchers are able to sell these vouchers at a discount and buy brand name items for their kids..Clark shoes, land belts, nike and kipling bags etc., merchandise working parents cannot afford!... Perry Christie needs to explain why this scandal is still going on under his watch: Government is, in effect, subsidising one Department store chain and other high end stores indirectly, while other businesses, including vendors on R.M. Bailey Park, are drying up and closing down. AND students on the social assistance program are going to school with brand name items, and high end merchandise working parents cannot afford..scandalous!
concernedcitizen 11 years, 7 months ago
and you know for a fact 80% went to one store ,and you saw people selling vouchers at a discount rate ??? maybe the voucher went to merchants that can deliver the products ..your claims are subjective unless you have facts and paper work to back them up ..i see parents cryin all the time as their kids walk around with .wifi phones and land belts ,mind you they are in 10 grade and can,t read or do simple mathmatics
concernedcitizen 11 years, 7 months ago
our public schools are 300million a year baby sitting centers ,the hatian bahamian kids do the best but at graduation they can not work ,,,,wtf ,,,,i dated a foriegn teacher that was brought here to teach languages ..on parent teacher day when she tried to tell parents their kids were not douing well and misbehaving ,a bahamian teacher told her don,t do that the parents will want to argue and fight with you ...
jj 11 years, 7 months ago
There are dozens upon dozens of businesses that have expansion plans on hold while they are waiting for key employees to get their work permits processed. In some cases these permit delays have pushed plans back an entire year. Once again government lazyness keeps people unemployed.
hnhanna 11 years, 7 months ago
The PLP in good economic times 2002-2007 did not created 22000 new jobs that is pure crap. Conservative estimated only 12000 new jobs during that time.
jasoncooper456 11 years, 7 months ago
The " Direct forms of Bahamian investment to create more jobs" is what scares me. They are most likely only going to invest in their supporters. As a way of showing "good faith". Its like the reverse of a super PAC American politics seems to be fond of, and they are covering up lobbying as "job stimulation." Granted they could really be trying to make jobs and probably make a few hundred maybe even a few thousand if their lucky, but it sounds very biased on who they are choosing. There are tons of start ups and great business models out there that can be explored but Christie and Hubert was stuck on making the big companies bigger leaving no room for diversity, and hindering economic growth. We shall see how this plays out my money is betting it will barely breakeven.
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