NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis yesterday advised the Davis administration to focus on the country’s finances, telling parliamentarians that “governing is more than traveling, partying, and destroying the people’s assets”.
“It’s more about managing the real affairs of the people. Strive to be responsible, more than being popular,” Lewis said in the House of Assembly.
The former Cabinet minister made these remarks following the controversy surrounding the recent Bermuda trip, in which it was unclear whether it was for party or state business and if the government or Progressive Liberal Party’s funds were used to cover trip costs.
Lewis added that he wanted the government to succeed, but urged them to, ‘put the people and the country above self’.
“As always, the official opposition is here to provide bipartisan support for this new government because it is going to benefit the people. We are here to support you. […] I hope that when some of you, and I know when some of you get in your private space, that you be convicted by a conscience.
“I want to encourage this government to focus on being responsible instead of being popular. We need travel control, more than price control.”
Minister of State for Education and Technical and Vocational Training Zane Lightbourne defended the administration, stating that the former Free National Movement had a larger travel budget of $18.9 million in comparison to the current $14 million budget.
Lightbourne said: “The (FNM) government budget for travel was $18.9 million compared to $14 million for our budget. […] but to come and mislead the Parliament continuously after being corrected on it, is disingenuous.
“Actually it is the level of hypocrisy that I think the Bahamian people need to realize. The theatrics of this is beginning to be a bit annoying if we’re going to use the people’s time to just go on with the same banter.
“[…] And so for every time that that the member from Central Grand Bahama or any one of them stand up now […] I’m going to highlight that there is a difference of almost $5 million in travel from this administration, who just the other day sat in government and seemed to have forgotten,” Lightbourne said.
Former minister of State for Finance, and sitting Member of Parliament for East Grand Bahama, Kwasi Thompson clarified that although the budget was set at $18.9 million, only $8.4 million out of that amount was actually spent in reference to travel during the 2019/2020 year.
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