Pintard says budget fails to address significant issues, including NIB

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement (FNM) leader

Michael Pintard said the budget Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis discussed yesterday failed to live up to the hype.

He said the budget for the next fiscal year will not prepare businesses to compete effectively in local and international markets.

“This is a government that promised that it would improve the ease of doing business,” Mr Pintard said. “What has happened is, in fact, quite the opposite, and we have any number of examples of businesses that have made this case.”

Mr Pintard said Mr Davis failed to address several significant issues.

Although Mr Davis said subventions to state-owned enterprises would be reduced, Mr Pintard said the Prime Minister said nothing about how the government will reform those organisations. He noted Mr Davis said nothing about the National Insurance Board fund, which is projected to be depleted by 2028.

“The Prime Minister also promised that he would address the issue of NIB –– NIB did not come up,” he said. “He and the minister in his own office are at odds in terms of what must happen and so we’re very much concerned that that the Prime Minister continues to break his promise to address head on these very important issues.”

Davis announces organ transplant anD fooD assistance programmes During buDget Debate

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

A NATIoNAL organs organ donation involves taking healthy organs or tissues from a living or deceased person and, through transplantation, giving them to a person in need.

Transplant programme and new food assistance programmes for students and adults will be funded in the upcoming fiscal year, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis announced yesterday.

He said The Bahamas would gain a system of organ donation and transplants, a highly regulated service available in some other countries.

“Finally,” Mr Davis said, “in relation to healthcare, in a first for The Bahamas, we will be supporting the creation of the first ever National organs Transplant Programme in The Bahamas. I trust that this will become a life-saving benefit to many, who depend on such generous donations for their very survival.”

Mr Davis said the National Health Insurance and the Prescription Drug Plan will be consolidated to improve access to affordable healthcare.

“The provision of health insurance is costly, but the government realises that this is a necessary benefit for many employees,” he said. “And so the government is aggressively taking steps to protect this benefit for as many employees as possible. once these plans become more crystallized, more information will be provided.”

As for new food assistance programmes, Mr Davis said: “In order that our children can put aside thoughts of hunger and concentrate on their schoolwork, today I am pleased to announce that my government will be introducing a new national school breakfast programme.”

“Because hunger does not only afflict students, we will also establish a special food assistance programme to provide funding for organizations operating feeding programs for vulnerable individuals.”

“He must not shy away from making decisions that would be in our best interest, but, at a minimum, he should have a discussion with the public to signal what his intentions are.” He said the budget communication did not feature a comprehensive plan regarding the future of energy.

“There are concerns that the government is increasingly inking financial arrangements, or certainly contemplating inking financial arrangements, with usual oligarchs in the country,” he said, “further wedding us to fossil fuel as opposed to moving as a transition to LNG but in a more intentional way towards solarisation, especially in the Family Islands.”

pm says $22m allocateD to invest in anD expanD renewable energy in bahamas

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedai.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis outlined his administration’s efforts to expand the use of renewable energy.

He said $22m has been allocated so solar technology can be adopted in several Family Islands, adding that Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, and Long Cay will be equipped with the technology.

“Even though The Bahamas’ carbon footprint is negligible compared to the industrialised countries, we are committed to doing what we can to reduce our carbon emissions,” he said in the House of Assembly during his budget communication yesterday.

He said the government is negotiating to reduce the carbon footprint of Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) and make electricity more affordable.

“We are negotiating a $20m facility to encourage the adoption of green technology among small and medium businesses,” he said.

He noted he has pushed for carbon-producing countries to do more to assist Small Island Developing States affected by climate change.

“I have championed the cause of The Bahamas and other Small Island Developing States and the need for the carbon-producing countries to do more to help us,” he said.

“While things are slowly but promisingly moving forward, we need to move at pace to improve our state of readiness.

“And so, the government, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank, is executing an $80m project, aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change.”

Mr Davis also said his administration has budgeted funds to support the national guard programme.

He gave few details about this and other plans. More is expected to be revealed during the upcoming budget debate.