PM promises new township for Exuma if reelected

PM promises new township for Exuma if reelected
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Minnis administration will construct a new township on Exuma if successful in vying for a second term in office, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced yesterday.

Minnis made the statement on Exuma following a tour of the Bahamas Striping Asphalt Plant in Georgetown.

“What I love about this particular project is as we move to the south, there are no plants in the south, so hopefully they’ll have mobile facilities, so that as we move more south it will be very easy to move the asphalt from this location to the south.

“And I am certain — when you look at just a 10-year growth span of these young Bahamian entrepreneurs, I am certain that within the 10 years they will be doing work not only in New Providence, but throughout the entire Caribbean.

“So, we potentially have here what we would see as an international group in the making and I am sure other Bahamians will follow.

“And while they’re here, they definitely will have some work.

“We’re about to launch the new international airport in Exuma and of course we will have aprons (hard-surfaced area on an airfield used for maneuvering aircraft) and other work there.

“And then, we will also launch within Exuma; we intend to develop a new township and we would commence that new township in our second term.

“We would commence and construct a new township with all the government facilities and we will need all the roadwork as possible.”

In its 2017 Manifesto, the Free National Movement (FNM) promised to “establish local townships where necessary” and empower each island to establish boards and committees to draft their own development plans in the context of the Bahamas National Development Plan.

It pledged to launch the “Back to the Island Campaign”, which it anticipated becoming the “largest migration of Bahamians back to the Family Islands”.

The party also said it will focus on economic empowerment of the Family Islands, amending legislation to increase the authority of the Family Islands’ local government, and promoting more diversified Family Island economies.

The party also promised to open and maximize the efficiency and impact of the mini-hospitals on Abaco and Exuma and construct a new mini-hospital on Eleuthera.

Asked about whether the government intends to build up the medical facilities on smaller islands and cays, the prime minister said: “I am sure there are a lot of things we will do.

“But the various, different ministries would do the proper analysis of not only Exuma, but the other Family Islands and we would move an aggressive plan, but you want to ensure that every Bahamian has the same standard of quality of life.

“They are entitled to it and we most certainly will ensure that they will receive it.”

Minnis added that the minister of works has an aggressive plan to deal with infrastructure in the Family Islands.

“We have always said The Bahamas cannot be Nassau-centric,” he said.

“We must ensure that the Family Islands has also all the amenities and the same quality of life as experienced throughout all of The Bahamas, and we will seek and ensure that happens.”

About Royston Jones Jr.

Royston Jones Jr. is a senior digital reporter and occasional TV news anchor at Eyewitness News. Since joining Eyewitness News as a digital reporter in 2018, he has done both digital and broadcast reporting, notably providing the electoral analysis for Eyewitness News’ inaugural election night coverage, “Decision Now 2021”.

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