NASSAU, BAHAMAS- The Free National Movement is pledging that a future FNM government will reverse what it calls the Davis administration’s harsh and punitive approach to tax enforcement, promising to restore fairness and support for Bahamian businesses.
In a statement issued ahead of today’s Budget presentation, FNM Shadow Minister of Finance J. Kwasi Thompson said the next FNM administration will prioritize the ease of doing business and end the intimidation of merchants and consumers.
“We will reverse the harsh and punitive approach the tax agencies have too often taken with Bahamian entrepreneurs, as well as small and larger businesses,” Thompson said. “Instead of intimidating honest merchants and their customers with gun-toting raids, we will once again prioritize the ‘ease of doing business’ for Bahamian businesses and residents having to access public services.”
Thompson’s remarks come just as the Davis administration prepares to present the 2025/2026 National Budget under the theme “Expanding Opportunities: Island by Island,” which the Office of the Prime Minister says will focus on inclusive, sustainable growth across the country.
But Thompson argued that what Bahamians need is not more slogans, but real relief. “On Wednesday, we’ll hear another Budget filled with promises, projections, and self-praise,” he said. “Bahamians rightly should be getting a budget that truly tackles the cost-of-living crisis, joblessness among our youth, and the widening gap between the well-connected and everyone else.”
He pointed to growing youth unemployment, with nearly one in five Bahamians under 25 unable to find work. “What sort of economy are we building if it doesn’t provide opportunities for the next generation?” he asked.
Thompson also flagged persistent inflation, expensive groceries, stalled public projects, unpaid vendors, and aging infrastructure as signs that the government is out of touch with everyday realities.
“I am also concerned that inflation remains high, and groceries are more expensive. Families still have to choose between rent and electricity. Public projects get announced with fanfare, then sit stalled for years while government vendors wait endlessly to be paid. Public infrastructure is aging, and services are falling short.”
According to Thompson, a future FNM government will focus on building a fairer, more inclusive economy. “The FNM is committed to building a more inclusive Bahamas for all Bahamians. That means economic policies that put Bahamians first. We will focus on lowering the cost of living by eliminating the taxes on key essential items.”
“We will invest in job creation by supporting Bahamian businesses, attracting responsible foreign investment, and ensuring that opportunities go to our people first. We will undertake serious banking reform to benefit Bahamian consumers. We will develop and implement a winning strategy for our financial services sector that is shaped by all key stakeholders, one that ensures continuity beyond election cycles.”
While the government maintains that the upcoming Budget will deliver progress in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and digital innovation, Thompson said Bahamians remain unconvinced.
“Bahamians don’t just want more talk. They want meaningful change — and a government that stands with them, not over them.”
