Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts criticized the 2017/2018 Budget Communication and pointed out that none of the Free National Movement’s (FNM) promises to Bahamians were included in the budget.
Roberts, who addressed the PLP’s National General Council Meeting yesterday, said the FNM “hoodwinked” Bahamians with “grandiose” promises during their election campaign trail.
“Further, the budget outlines the government’s priorities for the next fiscal year and from what was revealed, the priority is for the FNM to take care of the rich, their cronies and donors. It is not the people’s budget,” Roberts said.
The PLP chairman expressed his concern that the prime minister made no mention in the budget of his promise to sell Baha Mar.
“What is troubling is that Prime Minister Minnis said nothing about his party’s pledge to sell Baha Mar to a qualified and respectable purchaser who believes in Bahamians, a purchaser who will utilize only Bahamian labour to complete the resort, and will put Bahamians back to work with real jobs,” Roberts said.
“Dr. Minnis must clear the air on this matter.”
Roberts also claimed that “the FNM repeatedly lied” to Bahamians that it was the PLP government that was responsible for the Supreme Court sealing of the Baha Mar documents and that the former government had something to hide.
“Lo and behold, Prime Minister Minnis with little fanfare announced that the Supreme Court with the agreement of the China Bank released the sealed documents. Minnis tabled the same and acknowledged that it was the China Bank and not the Christie government who petitioned the court to seal the documents,” Roberts explained.
The FNM also made promises to remove value-added tax (VAT) on breadbasket items, to remove certain import duty taxes and to assist Family Island students who attend the University of The Bahamas.
However, Roberts noted that the government instead “reduced customs on caviar, shrimp, salmon fish food products of the rich, commercial washer and dryer parts that D’Aguilar of Super Wash claimed was reduced a year ago, business licence fees for businesses with an annual turnover of $50 million or more. Rupert Junior Roberts of Super Value was in the newspapers bragging that his company would save almost one half million dollars annually.”
“Parts for aircraft and sea going vessels were reduced with Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest shamelessly claiming that he only knew of this when he read it during his Budget Communication,” Roberts added.
“There was also a reduction in paint and guess who has a significant interest in a local paint company? None other than Brent Symonette and his family. Leslie Miller, the pit bull, was shocked and incensed. I just learned from the newspaper this morning that the Minnis led government has reversed their position on paint and locally produced juices. This hurts the local light manufacturing industry.
“It is clear that the FNM hoodwinked the Bahamian people with grandiose promises, but instead of delivering same, choose to take care of the rich and their benefactors. This is the height or arrogance, dishonesty and a disgraceful breech of public trust.”
He charged that the FNM’ claims that government doesn’t know the true state of the country’s finances is “as bogus as a four-dollar bill as Budget Communications and Central Bank reports kept the nation and the world abreast of the fiscal and economic health of The Bahamas.”
However, Roberts indicated that if the FNM wants a $722 million loan “to make good on election promises, pay off benefactors, donors and others, they should simply man up and say so.”
“There is no need to lie about it through the use of smoke screen, red herrings and smoke and mirrors,” Roberts added.
“Not one allegation made by the FNM during the campaign and in government proved to be true. Proving a lie is fruitless! The question is when will Bahamians stop listening to the Minnis government? They are strangers to the truth!”
