NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The government has made ‘extremely shocking’ progress since Hurricane Dorian blasted its way through The Bahamas nearly one year ago, said Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday.
“I am very very pleased of the progress that has been made,” Minnis said.
He spoke following a tour of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation on Old Trail Road.
“I think you would be very very surprised,” Minnis continued.
“When the ministry does a one year report, you [will] see. I think the entire Bahamas [will] be extremely shocked.
“The unfortunate thing is in The Bahamas we feel that everything happens overnight.
“A hurricane occurs today and then the following day we are going to be back in business, we are going to back to normal, [but] it takes a while.”
The prime minister said the progression The Bahamas has made can be compared to countries around the world – taking into consideration we were hit with the worst hurricane ever and their cleanup has essentially been completed.
The Ministry of the Environment’s Debris Management established that there was 1.09 million cubic yards of debris in the Abaco districts and another 2.09 million cubic yard of debris in Grand Bahama.
“We are only cleaning private properties,” Minnis indicated.
The prime minister also indicated that the government is moving forward with plans to provide permanent housing solutions for residents in the disaster zones.
The government has previously announced four housing projects on Abaco, and others on Grand Bahama.
The sites identified include two 60 acre sites in Marsh Harbour and Wilson City.
Another area in Murphy Town is also being surveyed to develop a subdivision, she said.
Additionally, the government has entered into a public-private partnership with the Discovery Land Company to develop 46 homes that will be gifted free of charge to 46 families in Central Pines.
“They’ve already gotten the land, the two 60 acre plot,” Minnis said yesterday.
“We sent that out to RFP so that individuals can build. So I think you are going to see a new Abaco and a new east end Grand Bahama.
“Abaco is doing very very well.”
Abaco still has a long way to go. Thank God for all the foreign help. If it wasn’t for these people , I don’t know what we would have done. People are still living in tents with no running water or electricity.
The PM needs to come over here and see all the devastation that still remains. What about all the old government buildings that are in rubbles? These people need so much help.
And the buildings in rubble that the owners can’t afford to demolish?
And Hope Town! The residents and second home owners are rebuilding their beautiful Cay.
I can go on and on, so I’ll stop now.
I live in the south Abaco , so I fared very well. But we have no jobs. Life is very different now.
We no it’s all lies
Y’all Bahamians negative too boy! This is progress!! We’ve come a mighty long way! One step at a time ?
Abaco has come a long way since Dorian. Great effort has been put to restoring Abaco to what it use to be. But we still have a long way to go. And reading Minus trying to credit for something they had a very small part of is infuriating. If it wasn’t for foreign aid we would have been up the creek. Last October Minis came to Man O War cay for a photo shoot and told us we would have power by the end of November. Well I guess he specify which November. Through private funding we are getting docks put back private funding is giving us lights for the road. Private funding is giving people a chance to get there houses put back together. And what the hell is the government doing to help people who are getting screwed by the banks. People who took out insurance with the bank they got a mortgage with. Who are now being told there was no insurance policy. Mr Minis before you start taking credit for things your government didn’t do and even in some instances hindered you need to come here and actually see how your people are still suffering. Tuesday will make one full year since the deviating storm ran over us and we are having a day of rememberence for the HUNDREDS of lives lost in the storm.
Thanks to FOREIGN help, the rebuild has been going well. Thanks to the Bahamian Government, there still is no power one year later.