The unopposed Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Deputy Leader Chester Cooper called for a 30-year plan, he labeled ‘B-Vision 2050’ to develop The Bahamas, while insisting that country moves toward a digital economy with urgency.
Cooper expressed the need for a 30-year plan during his keynote address at the PLP’s 54th General Convention at Melia Nassau Beach Resort on Thursday evening.
“The PLP had a National Development Plan put together by some of the country’s top experts, across party lines. Now it sits collecting dust on a shelf,” Cooper said. “We need to dust it off and create a 30-year-plan for our Bahamas.
“We need a plan that reforms our country to have a better trained, more efficient labor force. Our B-Vision 2050.”
Cooper, who is also the Member of Parliament for Exuma and Ragged Island, pointed out that he also developed an eVision 2030 guide for the development of his constituency no matter which government is in power.
However, Cooper believes it is a matter of urgency for The Bahamas move forward assertively into a digital economy.
“That means building upon and expediting the digitizing of our public sector and making sure all government agencies can talk to each other and Bahamians and residents including family islanders can access all public services online,” Cooper said.
The PLP deputy leader announced that he is spearheading how the party would leap forward into a digital economy if the PLP becomes the government following the 2022 general election.
“The leader has reposed in me the confidence of placing me in charge of heading the PLP’s platform committee. I want the committee to be a marketplace of ideas,” Cooper said.
“I want everybody to join us in the marketplace. The sub-committees have already been launched for us to flesh out each idea and understand what regulations and laws must be enacted or amended so that we’re ready to go on day one.
“We won’t be like this crew that was caught off guard by winning and had no plan and no strategy.
“To join us in this marketplace send us your best ideas, your best strategies to plpvision2022@gmail.com. And we’re developing an app for that as well.”
In May, the Central Bank of The Bahamas launched its initiative with NZIA Limited, activating the pilot project for Project Sand Dollar, the country’s first digital fiat currency.
The pilot project will be introduced in Exuma first before extending to other Family Islands after 2020.
Cooper noted that he is committed to traveling throughout The Bahamas to ensure that the PLP’s plan is the country’s plan, “a progressive agenda for a progressive Bahamas”.
“I’ve committed to presenting a progressive agenda, not sound bites and campaign slogans, but our plans will be smart, specific, measurable and attainable,” Cooper said.
