The Tribune

THE governing FNM has responded to the 10-point list of complaints about the economy issued by the PLP, calling them "false, hypocritical attacks that distort and even ignore the FNM's record".

The following are the FNM's responses to each accusation:

Claim 1: The PLP attacks the FNM for borrowing money for infrastructure projects and alleges that this spending hasn't created jobs for Bahamians because of the use of foreign contractors.

Response

The PLP attacks on borrowing ring hollow. With the sole exception of the loan to facilitate the extension of improved water quality to eastern New Providence, the PLP voted in support of every resolution authorising the government to borrow money internationally for infrastructure works.

The notion that infrastructure projects haven't created jobs for Bahamians is pure PLP fantasy. The number of Bahamians working on road projects has been maximised with more than 500 on staff of JCCC, the Argentine Company contracted to carry out the New Providence Infrastructure Improvement Project because the full expertise required was not available locally.

Works being carried out along Eastern Road, along downtown Bay Street from Navy Lyon to Mackey Street, the new road linking the new West Bay Street to JFK Drive and all the road works connected to the new stadium are all being undertaken by Bahamian companies with Bahamian staff and workers.

On the Baha Mar project, the Prime Minister negotiated the doubling of the value of work contracted to Bahamian companies from $400 million. The newspapers recently advised that local contracts on that site already top $110 million.

Claim 2: The PLP attacks the FNM over the New Providence Infrastructure Improvement Project, citing cost overruns. They allege this project has resulted in business closures as well as lost jobs and the government refused to offer help or support to affected businesses.

Response

This is more of the same double talk. This matter was responded to at great length in Parliament in a communication by the Prime Minister and through responses to questions put to the Minister of Public Works.

That inconvenience is an inherent part of undertaking infrastructure improvements is undeniable. It is just a reality - something with which the PLP seems to be unfamiliar. We are improving infrastructure that will help businesses grow, including those experiencing the most inconvenience. But in order for these businesses to be located on clean, well appointed and lighted roads, to receive good water pressure and reliable electricity and telephone service, outdated or obsolete infrastructure must be replaced.

The allegation that no assistance was offered is blatantly false. In two budget cycles small and medium size businesses have had business licence fees waived and a detailed effort to compensate those who were adversely affected is being implemented.

Claim 3: The FNM was slow to respond to the recession, waiting to roll out programmes until the election

Response

The first skills training programme was rolled out by Department of Labour in 2008 when the first wave of workers were laid off in the tourism sector.

Further, the government increased social assistance, dramatically increasing budgetary support for food, school lunch programmes, utilities support, rent and food stamps beginning in the 2008/09 budget.

In addition to social assistance, the government has launched numerous job training programmes and has provided assistance to small businesses and entrepreneurs. All of these programmes have been in place for long periods of time, and in many cases years.

Claim 4: The PLP attacks the FNM for the conditions in Grand Bahama.

Response

This is more PLP hypocrisy. The neglect of Grand Bahama by the PLP is self-evident. Grand Bahama was a thriving economy in May 2002.

Freeport, under the FNM, had finally become the world-class, transshipment port envisioned by its founders; a new industry of major ship repair had been introduced and the oil storage business was thriving.

Moreover, tourism was receiving a new infusion of capital at Our Lucaya and the Royal Oasis had just come into new ownership by a company which was represented by a senior PLP.

The new PLP government in 2002 was only too pleased to go full force to Freeport for the official opening of the Royal Oasis, however, when the hotel was seriously damaged by two hurricanes in 2004 and again in 2005, the PLP were nowhere to be found.

When the two devastating hurricanes ravaged Grand Bahama island the PLP government stood by as if helpless to do anything about its recovery - plenty talk and promise but no action.

Since returning to office, the FNM has stood firmly by Grand Bahama and Freeport. It has:

• subsidised the Isle of Capri and Treasure Cay Casinos, saving 240 jobs

• provided $10.5 million in subsidies to Treasure Bay Casino at Our Lucaya and Hutchison Lucaya Ltd

• provided direct marketing support for airlift to US Airways and for cruise arrivals to Bahama Celebrations, NCL and Carnival Cruise Lines

As regards support for Grand Bahama's economy, the FNM has:

• facilitated the entry of Ross University

• facilitated investment by Statoil and Buckeye in Grand Bahama's oil storage and transshipment sector

• constructed a $19 million new government administrative office complex

• created employment opportunities for 1,200 individuals in the National Skills Training and Job Readiness Programme and through the SelfStarter and Jump Start Initiatives.

The FNM is still improving the lives of Grand Bahamians by:

• constructing the new Sister Mary Patricia Russell Jr High School

• constructing a new A&E unit and a new suite of operating theatres at the Rand Memorial Hospital

Claim 5: The PLP accuses the FNM government of raising taxes.

Response

This accusation is an outright falsehood. No government can meet or outpace the FNM's record of reduction in Customs duty on imports from foods, household appliances, school supplies, computers and related hard and software, energy efficient appliances, building materials and tourism "duty free" items.

Similarly, no other government can come close to what has been done by the FNM in removing import duty on baby foods, baby clothing, medicine; goods required for the aged, ill and infirm; and fresh fruit and vegetables.

Just look at the record beginning in 1992 and ending in 2001 and beginning again in 2007 and continuing up to the last budget in 2011. Facts are stubborn things.

Claim 6: The PLP attacks the FNM for delaying or cancelling contracts put into place by the PLP before leaving office.

Response

Balderdash. This has been responded to repeatedly in Parliament. PLP operatives fed foolishness to S&P who then found it difficult to retract their statement. No project reviewed or cancelled by the FNM had anything to do with Foreign Direct Investment. All were related to unfunded contracts signed by the PLP in the closing weeks of their single term in office.

As for financial services, it was the FNM that rescued the sector from international attack in 2000 and it was the FNM that had to come back to office to rescue it again in 2007.

During five years in office (2002-2007) the PLP failed to conclude a single TIEA which had become the standard required by the international financial agencies beginning in 2001 - that is why the FNM concluded the first TIEA with the USA before it demitted office in 2002. Since returning in 2007, we have concluded more than 24 new TIEAs.

Claim 7: The FNM has failed to fight crime.

Response

The Wikileaks telegrams tell the tale. The concerns of the US about levels of crime in the Bahamas date from 2006 when members of the PLP government were in panic mode because of a threatened alert to US citizens about crime in the Bahamas.

The PLP always address the cosmetic but the FNM do the heavy lifting. That's why every effort to enact stronger anti-crime legislation since 1992 has been authored by the FNM.

Right up to the most recent debate on tough crime legislation, the PLP typically bring the position of defending those accused of crime but not the victims of crime. In fact, Philip 'Brave' Davis was seeking to soften the laws so that his clientele would not be adversely affected.

The PLP left vacancies on the court bench and they did nothing to expand the size of the courts. They have no record on which to stand.

In this term alone. the FNM has:

• recruited 434 new constables to "walk the beat" in neighbourhoods and begin the rebalancing of the make-up of the police force

• enacted a new Police Force Act in 2009

• caused additional appointment of magistrates, Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeal judges to facilitate speedier trials

• caused the appointment of two full-time Supreme Court justices in Freeport, Grand Bahama

• caused the appointment of resident magistrates in Abaco, Exuma and Eleuthera

• set up Witness Care Units

• improved criminal case management

• increased the number of criminal courtrooms in the Supreme Court from two to five, of which: two are dedicated to cases predating 2010, one is dedicated to retrials and two are dedicated to current cases (2010 onward)

• completed and opened the new Magistrate's Court Building on South Street

• established a remand court at Fox Hill with video-conferencing facilities, eliminating the need to bring remanded prisoners downtown every day

• established a Gun Court

• established a second Coroner's Court

• purchased and undertaken refurbishment of the former Ansbacher Bank Building, converting it into the new Judicial Complex

• renovated two new courts on the ground floor of the Judicial Complex

• started renovations to upper floors to establish five new courts, to be completed this year

• amended and/ or enacted 11 pieces of anti-crime legislation to strengthen criminal law.

The FNM is still improving our national security by:

• investing in new equipment, technology and crime fighting tools, including two fully equipped mobile police centres

• acquiring a new Cessna Caravan aircraft for the police

• introducing electronic monitoring of suspects and convicted felons

• setting up Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) monitoring in areas of New Providence with high crime rates

• restricting bail in rape, murder, armed robbery, gun possession, recidivist offender, supply of illicit drugs, sexual abuse of minors, and threats to a witness cases

• removal of the authority of magistrates to grant bail in murder, rape, armed robbery, gun and possession of drugs with intent to supply cases

• imposing mandatory minimum sentences of four years upon conviction for drug and gun related crimes (five years where the crime is committed near a school)

• detention years for firearms and drug convictions are now measured as full calendar years (as opposed to eight months); a life sentence in prison is now the natural life of a felon convicted for first degree murder. It is now 30 to 60 calendar years for other murder convictions

• establishment of a Gun Court

• permitting evidence to be taken via video recording of witness testimony

• reducing the number of jurors from 12 to nine members, except for murder cases

• promulgation of witness protection legislation to provide anonymity for certain witnesses

• regulation of pawn brokers and second hand dealers, including scrap metal and cash-for-gold dealers

The PLP can not hope to match this record of substantive action to address crime.

Further, additional work was done on the social front to combat the causes of crime - poverty alleviation and of course the recent launch of Volunteer Bahamas.

Claim 8: Under the FNM it has become more difficult to do business in the Bahamas.

Response

The launch of the government e-portal and the enactment of a new Business License Act and six pilot initiatives to address improved customer service in the public sector demonstrate that the FNM takes action and does not engage in useless, ineffective talk.

Claim 9: The PLP claims that the FNM's policies have hurt homeowners and damaged the Bahamian economy.

Response

The truth is that the PLP did nothing to help homeowners during their time in office. Now they are presenting a pie in the sky "plan" that is nothing more than fantasy and will not help homeowners. It will actually hurt homeowners but they hope it will help their political fortunes.

The FNM has worked aggressively to not only help people stay in their homes but to also increase homeownership in the Bahamas by:

• building 700 new houses

• launching a $75 million government initiated housing programme to assist Bahamians with homeownership

• decreasing taxes on first time home owners by raising the exemption to $500,000

• reducing the down payment required for those applying for low income government houses

Unlike the PLP, our plan to address foreclosures is realistic and will actually help homeowners keep their houses.

Claim 10: The PLP asserts that the FNM has failed to protect the Bahamian fishing industry from foreign poachers.

Response

Rather than put Bahamians first, they put themselves first. The PLP not only failed to combat poachers, they were also caught illegally selling licenses to Korean boat owners.

The FNM has aggressively fought against poaching by:

• strengthening the Defence Force fleet with 10 new craft

• adding two new aircraft and building a new Defence Force base at Ragged Island

• recruiting 343 marines

• increasing surveillance with an expanded presence in Grand Bahama, Abaco, Inagua, and Ragged Island

The FNM are always in contact with Bahamian fishermen whether in Abaco, Eleuthera (Spanish Wells) or Long Island, the three largest centres of commercial fishing in the Family Islands and in New Providence, so that FNM policies on fisheries and on marine conservation are always informed by the views of Bahamian fishermen.

The truth is that this is just more hypocritical rhetoric from a desperate party.

Same empty promises. Same PLP.