NASSAU, BAHAMAS- The Free National Movement (FNM) is again raising the alarm over what it calls the Davis Administration’s blatant disregard for transparency and public accountability, following what it described as Prime Minister Philip Davis’s ‘flippant’ dismissal of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
“When asked about his government’s refusal to fund FOIA and ensure Bahamians have access to critical information, Prime Minister Davis said, “I don’t care what people think.’ That is not only unacceptable, it is undemocratic. This is the people’s money, not the PLP’s private purse.”
“The FOIA would shine a light on the very things this administration tries to hide: backroom deals, undisclosed agreements, politically connected payouts, and ministerial interference. That’s exactly why they refuse to implement it,” party leader Michael Pintard said in a statement.
The statement continued: “Prime Minister Davis also managed to demonstrate that he has either never read the Freedom of Information Act or is deliberately misleading the public. His claim that FOIA ‘wouldn’t significantly change’ public access is false. The law mandates broad access to government records, including emails, reports, travel receipts, contracts, and agreements, excluding only a narrow category of exempt information.”
“It would mean that the Opposition, the press, and the public would get answers to almost all the questions that this administration refuses to answer today.”
“The Davis Administration resists Freedom of Information because they know what it would expose: the secretive Bermuda political trip, the $100 million bailout to BPL after their fuel hedge blunder, insider access to the Exuma Moorings deal, party loyalists benefiting from BPL’s privatization without open tender, a $1 million payout for an uncompleted solar project, ministerial interference in Immigration operations, and a $20 million housing loan issued without proper authority. The public deserves answers, and FOIA would deliver them.”
Pintard stated that at a time when Bahamians are struggling under a cost-of-living crisis, forced to do more with less, the public deserves to know how government contracts are being issued, to whom, and under what terms. “Instead, this administration continues to operate behind closed doors, shielding hundreds of millions of dollars in public spending from scrutiny. The FNM has consistently advocated for stronger transparency and accountability in government. This includes the full implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, ensuring that Bahamians have timely access to public information. We have also called for the regular publication of contract award details and the justifications behind procurement decisions, so that public spending can be properly scrutinized. Rather than sidestepping or suspending the Public Procurement Act, the FNM believes it should be strengthened to restore trust in how government contracts are awarded.”
“The Prime Minister’s dismissive attitude toward public transparency is both dangerous and disrespectful. We remind him that governments are elected to serve, not to hide.”
