The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

MICAL MP James Ferguson yesterday said residents of the southern Bahamas "know the meaning of neglect", warning that too many projects promised in successive budgets remain unfinished or have never started.

Making his contribution to the 2026-2027 Budget debate in the House of Assembly, Mr Ferguson welcomed several infrastructure commitments for his constituency but cautioned that residents are looking for results rather than additional promises.

"The people of MICAL, thank you. I thank you, but there is an old saying that promises are comfort to a fool," Mr Ferguson said.

"Projects such as the Inagua Administrative Building, the Inagua Comprehensive School, the Crooked Island roads and the Acklins clinic have been mentioned in previous budgets. However, they remain incomplete or never began.

"So, on behalf of the people of MICAL, no empty promises."

The MICAL MP said the constituency's challenges stem in part from its geography, with communities spread across Inagua, Mayaguana, Crooked Island, Acklins and Long Cay facing high transportation costs, unreliable utilities and limited economic opportunities.

He argued that Family Island residents frequently feel overlooked despite their contribution to the country.

"We, the people of MICAL, know the meaning of neglect. We have faced times of desperation, but we survive.

"Today is the day that change comes. We want to be part of the Bahamian dream, where hard work pays off, where consistency equals prosperity and where opportunity results in generational wealth."

Mr Ferguson pointed to a series of projects included in the 2026-2027 Budget that he said could help transform the constituency if completed.

Among them are roadworks in Inagua and Crooked Island valued at $2.89m, drainage works in Inagua costing $3.09m, an initial $500,000 investment toward a marine dock in Crooked Island that is projected to total $5m over three years, and a similar initial investment toward renovations to the Inagua Administration Building.

He also highlighted airport upgrades for Crooked Island and Acklins, plans for a public-private partnership airport development in Inagua, and funding for healthcare facilities throughout the constituency.

Mr Ferguson said residents have heard similar commitments before and will be watching closely to ensure projects move forward.

"I will be holding the Government accountable to the people of MICAL," he said.

He also pressed for additional measures including reinstating ports of entry status for communities in the constituency, improving telecommunications services, constructing sea walls and hurricane shelters, addressing delayed payments to local government vendors and deploying additional teachers, including special-needs educators, to Family Island schools.

Energy costs emerged as another major concern during his contribution.

Mr Ferguson welcomed the Government's plans for solar microgrids throughout the Family Islands but questioned how quickly residents would see the benefits.

"Our current status of daily power cuts and power bills that make a small family choose necessity over comfort has to be resolved," he said.

"MICAL is on the list, but my question is: How long before we see results?"

He argued that lower electricity costs could provide a significant boost to economic activity throughout the southern Bahamas, particularly for tourism operators, fishermen and small businesses.

The Opposition MP also called for greater support for ecotourism, fisheries and vocational training programmes aimed at reducing outmigration among young people.

While acknowledging recent government investments in the constituency, Mr Ferguson said MICAL's future depends on sustained attention to infrastructure, connectivity and economic development.

"You live at the edge of the map, but you are not at the edge of what matters," he said.

"You are the southern anchor of The Bahamas."

He added: "The future of The Bahamas is not in Nassau. It is in Landrail Point, Colonel Hill, Abraham's Bay, Hard Hill, Snug Corner, Matthew Town and every settlement across MICAL."