The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Staff Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE lack of informed public policy is one of the greatest difficulties for the government, according to Prime Minister Perry Christie.

Speaking at the launch of Urban Renewal 2.0 in Central Abaco, Mr Christie urged residents to create partnerships with the community policing programme to fill the gap between legislation and living conditions.

Mr Christie also said he received commitment from Baker’s Bay developers to provide “consistent donations” for the construction of a sporting centre. “One of the greatest difficulties we face in running our country is our inability and our lack of knowledge to know what is happening,” Mr Christie said.

“If you don’t know what is happening, you cannot specifically inform public policy and design the strategies to deal with these issues that exist in our community.

“If you are asked why Urban Renewal exists, it is the effort of a government whose members represent disadvantaged people, who are familiar with the challenges of disadvantaged people, people without means to do for themselves, and we recognise that unless the state is in a position to do for those that cannot do for themselves, that it will not be done, and that is a reality.”

Minister of Works and Urban Development Brave Davis officially opened the Central Abaco office on Friday.

Joined by Minister of Social Services Melanie Griffin and Minister of National Security Bernard Nottage, Mr Davis assured residents that the programme will empower the community by creating a direct line between the government and the underprivileged and increasing opportunities for personal skill growth and youth involvement.

During his speech, Mr Christie said: “Urban Renewal is an attempt to cut through the bureaucracy of government, the inability of people because of lack of information, lack of knowledge, to do for themselves.

He said: “To try in a very real way to bring home to individuals in their homes, in their communities, that the government cares, the government understands and the government is prepared to design strategies to make their lives better.”

Focusing on the struggle of caring for special needs children with limited resources, Mr Christie told residents to use the programme to create a support network that would allow for both governmental and private assistance.

Lauding the island’s economic diversity and potential, Mr Christie challenged the Abaco office to produce a 100-piece Urban Renewal band. “Urban Renewal police officers will give us the opportunity to feel the people in a community, to be able to in a more meaningful way understand where challenges are, to literally feel their anxieties because they’re going to tell you.”

He added: “What I’m asking the Urban Renewal apparatus to do for us is to help to resensitise, reconnect people one to the other, emphasise the significance of the community doing things for people and when you find a special situation, let us know so we can design the programme to deal with it.”