By Arianna Neely
Journal Staff Writer
Michael Pintard Leader of the Official Opposition Free National Movement
described The Davis administration’s 2025/2026 Budget Communication that
boasts of achieving a balanced budget and a surplus as an “unbalanced reality.”
During a press conference from the Minority Room following the Prime Minister’s
communication Mr. Pintard accused the Prime Minister of trying to sell the
Bahamian people a dream of opportunity, “island by island.”
He said, “While the Prime Minister dreams, Bahamians are living a harsh
reality—one where the cost of living keeps rising, systems are broken, and families
struggle to live the life they deserve.”
Pintard said even the Prime Minister admits what a recent poll by a local daily
revealed that 64.7 percent of Bahamians believe the economy is getting worse.
“And yet,” he said, “The government continues to act as if things are getting better
for everyone—when in truth, they’re only getting better for the precious few. So
today let’s tell it like it is, and judge this administration by its own standard.
Continuing he said “The Prime Minister claimed recently that the nation is no
longer in crisis. He said they inherited an economy “on life support”. But the
numbers tell the truth: when the PLP took office, the economy was growing at a
14% pace.
“Davis said the healthcare system was under pressure. And yet, under this
government, it’s worse than ever before. Ambulances bought with taxpayer money
sit idle because they were not road ready. Our hospitals are overcrowded,
crumbling, and under-resourced. And the promised new hospitals still just words
on paper, with no plan for staffing.”
“The Prime Minister said people were burdened by fear and frustration when he
took office. Then that burden got worse on his watch, and he started to shift the
blame. He told you that the cost of living is a choice. Crime is up. Murders are
rising. Sexual violence is rising. People don’t feel safe, and they don’t feel like
they can trust their government.”
Mr. Pintard said the government’s definition of progress should concern all
Bahamians.
He said, “They talk about a balanced budget and even a surplus, an announcement
that comes as a surprise to all of the contractors, nurses, workers, and vendors who
are still waiting on their payments. When Davis says the government hasn’t made
any cuts, clearly he has forgotten the people the government owes.
“The Prime Minister is once again proving that PLP math never adds up. When the
FNM left office, feminine products and medicine were VAT-free. The PLP slapped
on 10%—then turned around, dropped it to 5%, and called it relief. That’s not
help— that’s damage control. Now they want credit for cleaning up a mess they
created.”
Continuing Mr. Pintard focused on job creation saying the Davis administration
has failed as thousands are still unemployed or underemployed.
He said, “Almost 20 percent of young Bahamians are still unemployed. And those
fortunate enough to find work quickly discover that their wages cannot keep up
with today’s inflation. The government talks a lot about the numbers, but the real
question is: Do Bahamians feel it in their everyday lives? Are these jobs ones that
people can build a future on—with fair pay, stability, and growth opportunities? It’s
not just about quantity, it is about quality.”
Mr. Pintard also pointed out that as it relates to small business support, the
government promised $50 million a year which means they should have invested
$150 million. “But right now, they would struggle to show how they’ve spent even
$15 million. That’s not empowerment, that’s neglect,” he said.
And as it relates to education he said The Bahamas is not keeping pace as schools
across the Family Islands lack the basics, and teachers are working harder with few
resources.
He said, in 2023, the education ministry surveyed public school students and found
that 44 percent of our student population suffers ‘learning loss’ and that there were
‘potentially systematic gaps.’
As it relates to healthcare Mr. Pintard slammed the government because at the
Rand Memorial Hospital there is currently only one functional operating theatre.
Mr. Pintard also reiterated a point the opposition made earlier in the week that the
government cut $9.6 million from social assistance spending from $161.8 million
to $152.2 million compared to the same period last year in the first three quarters.
He accused the government of giving the Bahamian people three years of reckless
spending, rule breaking, cocktail parties, receptions, flying, and secret deals.
He said, “And this year will be no different. Most of the capital expenditure for the
upcoming fiscal year will once again be channeled to the politically well-
connected. By their own reports, for the period of December 2023 to March of this
year, this government has awarded 80 percent of the dollar value of public
contracts to no-bid contracts. Of the $517 million in contracts reportedly awarded,
some $415 million worth of contracts were labeled as single sourced or direct
awards. We expect it to get worse.”
Mr. Pintard also hit out at the government on a range of issues they say were
conveniently omitted from the budget.
“They promised carbon credit revenue. We haven’t seen the first cent- Never
mentioned. They promised a Family Island Development Fund but no one knows
where the money is or where the money went – Never mentioned. They promised
funding for Freedom of Information yet the office remains dormant – Never
mentioned.”
“Make no mistake – this is a pre-election budget,” said Pintard, “In this year’s
annual performance, they will promise even more, they will promise the moon and
stars; the question isn’t what the government will promise on budget day, it’s how
many more promises they’ve failed to deliver.”
The Official Opposition leader said they will not allow the government to gloss
over reality, they certainly will not allow them to stifle the nation’s future.
Mr. Pintard promised that during the budget debate, Bahamians will hear a “crystal
clear vision” for a stronger economy under new FNM leadership.
He said, “We will invest in people, not just projects, we will explode opportunities
not yet seized in the green economy, the blue economy and the orange economy,
we will ensure Grand Bahama and the Family Islands are not afterthoughts, but
priorities, we will unleash the potential of our small businesses with real money,
not bury them under red tape, we will bring back VAT exemptions on essential
items – no half stepping.”
“We will make sure you know what your government is doing with your assets, we
will fix our healthcare and education systems, and we will restore trust in
governance by putting accountability back at the centre of everything we do,” said
the leader of the Official Opposition who suggested the Prime Minister does not
have any new ideas.
He said as long as this PLP is in power, it will be the same old system, for the same
old few, Philip Davis thinks the system is fine, “because it works for his friends. I
think the system is broken, because it doesn’t work for you.”
In a statement, Mr. Pintard spoke more about the government’s budget surplus.
“Any discussion about a surplus for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-2026 is nothing
but a sad farce and diabolically misleading.”
The statement added, “This is a government with record revenues that also
managed to take on record spending, often on extravagant expenses and political
patronage. They have demonstrated no ability to manage the people’s money
prudently.”
“By the Prime Minister’s own projection, the deficit is expected to come in at up to
0.7 percent of GDP this year, which is well over $100 million. Of course, we
expect the figure this year to be closer to $200 million. We recall their mid-term
budget report in December; they ran a deficit of $395 million and had some $122
million in outstanding bills and arrears,” the statement continued.
“So nobody is buying any talk of a fiscal surplus next year when just this past
December, the government was facing a fiscal hole of over $500 million when
unpaid bills are factored in,” the statement ended.
