The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Free National Movement has released a 54-page manifesto promising to eliminate VAT on everyday essentials, medical costs and educational supplies, introduce a national lottery, build at least 5,000 homes, begin rolling out the Freedom of Information Act within its first 90 days in office, and hire 100 doctors and 200 nurses.

The document, titled We Work For You, is the  party’s first written pitch as it seeks to recover from its 2021 defeat and block the Progressive Liberal Party from securing a rare second straight term in office. The election will be held on May 12.

The release during an event yesterday also comes days after the governing PLP staged its own “Blueprint for Progress” launch at the University of The Bahamas, outlining its election promises in speeches and presentations.

Among the FNM’s promises is a pledge to cut VAT to zero on “all everyday essentials and all medical costs and educational supplies”, reduce down-payment requirements for first-time homebuyers, and construct at least 5,000 housing units through public-private partnerships. It also promises a $200 monthly child support payment for the first two years of a child’s life and a minimum $100 weekly stipend for young people enrolled in training courses.

The party also uses the document to elevate transparency and anti-corruption much more sharply than the PLP did, setting a timetable for the long-delayed Freedom of Information Act that is likely to draw attention in a country where the law was passed years ago but never fully brought to life.

The manifesto says an FNM government would “Fully implement the 2017 Freedom of Information Act, beginning rollout within the first 90 days and to be completed within the first year”.

That timetable lands against a long history of delay. In 2022, the government said training had begun for information managers in ten pilot agencies but gave no firm rollout dates for the wider public sector. In 2025, Mr Davis said full FOIA implementation was not a priority for his administration, which he said was focused on other issues such as the cost of living and crime.

The FNM pairs that FOIA pledge with a wider package of accountability measures, including a Public Anti-Corruption Bill, a Public Officials’ Code of Conduct Bill, stronger whistleblower protections, a more powerful Public Accounts Committee, an Auditor General’s Office supervised by Parliament rather than the executive, independent board members for state-owned enterprises, and full implementation of the Ombudsman Act.

On healthcare, the manifesto goes beyond the party’s already publicised promises to redevelop Princess Margaret Hospital and upgrade Rand Memorial Hospital. It says an FNM government would hire 100 new doctors and 200 new nurses, expand NHI, address the mental health crisis, improve urgent and emergency care, and strengthen dental care.

It also adds broader language about fixing shortages across the system and accelerating construction and upgrades.

The manifesto says the party would launch Operation SHIELD and impose “zero tolerance” on illegal immigration, while insisting that no one who enters The Bahamas illegally would ever become a citizen. The manifesto says Operation SHIELD would mean: “Secure land, Heighten surveillance, Investigate abuse, End unfairness, Limit approvals, and Disclose data.”

On crime, the FNM says it would restore trust in the Royal Bahamas Police Force through independent oversight, recruit additional frontline officers, attack the root causes of crime, and pursue a ten-point anti-crime plan. The document also fleshes out a tougher justice agenda, including clearing court backlogs, expanding virtual hearings, digitising case management, building a modern forensic lab, strengthening specialised courts, revisiting firearms legislation and taking a harder line on bail.

The FNM says it would put the National Development Plan on a statutory footing, replace the National Investment Fund Act with a sovereign wealth fund, establish annual economic growth targets, adopt a fiscal rule aimed at balanced budgets under normal circumstances, and publish a plan to reduce debt to 50 percent of GDP over the medium to long term.

The party also promises to replace the current business licence tax on gross turnover with a net-earnings-based system, create industry-specific free trade zones, simplify VAT and business licence compliance, modernise payment timelines, introduce a Taxpayer Charter, provide at least $10 million annually in grants to small and micro businesses, and establish a dedicated Commercial Court.

It also proposes a national lottery, a Department of Innovation, a Department of Research and Development, and a wider shift toward Bahamian ownership in major sectors. That includes broader equity participation in foreign-backed tourism developments, more Bahamian ownership in cruise destinations and private islands, and greater Bahamian participation in banking and financial services.

Tourism and downtown redevelopment feature heavily too.

The party says it would pursue a ten-year tourism diversification strategy, target a 35 percent increase in stopover visitors, seek UNESCO heritage designation for historic communities, create a Downtown Authority, reinvigorate Bay Street through a “Bay Street Promenade Way”, launch “Orange Districts” for the creative industries, and implement a “24/7 Nightlife Project” in downtown Nassau. Grand Bahama would get a separate tourism push through what the party calls the BOOM Initiative.

The manifesto also includes a banking reform section that promises consumer-protection legislation, scrutiny of bank fees, low- or no-fee accounts for smaller customers, one-business-day timelines for opening personal accounts, and faster access to modern app-based payment systems for Bahamian entrepreneurs. On energy, it promises senior citizen electricity discounts, fuel hedging, expanded solar use, renewable energy reaching 30 percent of electricity needs by 2030, and pre-paid electricity meters for consumers who want them.

In education, the document repeats the party’s earlier promise of universal pre-primary education but adds new financial support and broader structural reforms. It links the proposed $200 monthly child support benefit to the first two years of life and frames early childhood policy as part of a larger effort to strengthen education from the start. It also promises more support for teachers and a weekly stipend for people in training programmes.