Bahamians pay their taxes and fund the government’s expenditure from one fiscal year to another. The taxes paid ensure that ministries, government departments, public corporations, state-owned enterprises, and regulatory agencies are in a position to meet their financial obligations and pay their staff. Members of the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary are employees of and paid by the people.
It is against this backdrop that our people demand, at a minimum, quality, efficient, and timely service from the government.
Bahamians marvel at the level of mediocrity they experience when seeking basic services and lament the challenges they face on a daily basis to access public goods. In a normal organization, poor performance within government ministries would have resulted in terminations but our reality is that political leaders feel secure in their role for five years once elected. Does anything currently run by the government work in this country? Is the current administration plagued by incompetence, or does it just have a great affinity for self-sabotage? Let’s explore just a few of these areas.
Department of Inland Revenue (DIR)
Our economy is driven by the private sector and businesses are at the center of this engine. The decision to upgrade the online tax payment portal or implement a new one at one of the busiest times for businesses was a very bad one. The timing was horrible and raised serious questions about the mindset as well as the suitability of individuals in charge of the DIR.
Despite appeals from the business community over the years, the government has always taken an adversarial and uncooperative approach in its dealings with the private sector. This is a mistake and a recipe for disaster for a country that depends heavily on taxes to generate revenue. Business owners have been frustrated and voiced their displeasure about a department that seems totally disconnected from reality.
Sports Development
Bahamians are a talented people, and within our nation lies a multitude of phenomenal athletes waiting to make their mark on the global stage. Additionally, tremendous potential exists for sports tourism within a diversified tourism product. However, the absence of proactive thinking and effective planning doesn’t serve us well.
It was always known that BAISS, CARIFTA Trials, CARIFTA Aquatics Championships, and the World Relays, among others, were scheduled for 2024. The late commencement of repairs to the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium and Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatics Centre is well documented. Valuable time has been squandered on loquacity, posturing, and useless debates rather than actions to shed the bad label of being a last-minute nation.
Grand Bahama
The residents of Grand Bahama have become accustomed to being promised much, only to see little change on the island. Despite this historical pattern and rollercoaster, Grand Bahamians were excited when the government prematurely announced that the Grand Lucayan resort had been finally sold, and for a split second, they saw light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. This light has since dimmed and the tunnel returned to its state of darkness while the fate of the Grand Lucaya hangs in the balance.
It is common knowledge that one of the main issues facing Grand Bahama is airlift in addition to the availability of tourist activities. The devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian left the island without an international airport that meets global standards. Again, we have heard announcements and seen photo ops but nothing tangible on the ground. When the hostility between the government and the GBPA is added to the mix, one can understand why the Grand Bahamians score low on performance in the current administration.
Crime Crisis
The general public had a sneak peek into the PLP’s grand plan for combating crime when, as Opposition Leader, the current PM could not properly articulate a strategy for his crime fight. The PM’s commentary about engaging tools that make one safe and his suggestion that equipping people with whistles was an effective strategy were red flags. Nevertheless, the approach to crime in government has been dismal.
It took a major crime wave, record monthly homicides, travel advisories and over two years for the government to acknowledge that we are in a crime crisis. The need for a holistic and multifaceted approach was addressed in passing but lacking in concrete steps for actualization. The CCTV initiative was long overdue, the effectiveness of the highly paid violence disruptors or community outreach officers remains questionable, and the admission of a deficient bail monitoring system is an example of wasted time and resources by a floundering government.
Deplorable Roads
The complaints about the poor state of roads across our archipelago of islands have been loud and clear. It is puzzling to think that the responsible Ministry and agencies literally watched for almost two and a half years as potholes took over our roads, making our daily commutes obstacle courses.
Besides the endangering of the lives of motorists and pedestrians, the government stood idly by as the masses lamented the impact of its failure on their quality of life and financial health. In recent times, road patching initiatives have been more visible with announcements of road paving made by the Ministry of Works. However, this remains a vexing problem, and it is unfortunate that the government has allowed this level of deterioration since its election to office in 2021.
Road Traffic Department (RTD)
The protest by RTD staff lamenting the poor working conditions at their work location was perhaps a culmination of the woes facing that department and the poor service Bahamians have become accustomed to when dealing with the RTD.
Several motorists were left without access to license plates and their driver’s licenses due to a shortage or, as we were later advised, IT issues. This would have been less concerning if we were not referring to a government department and services required by the populace. It is unfathomable that in 2024, the RTD cannot properly schedule routine maintenance of its systems and have a robust business continuity plan to avoid disruptions or inconvenience to the Bahamian people. When considered with the more aggressive policing plans announced, innocent motorists have been subject to much hardship due to no fault of theirs, while criminals have sought to exploit this debacle. We will return to this topic at a later date.
Healthcare
Horror stories abound from Bahamians’ experiences visiting or being treated at our public health facilities and the Princess Margaret Hospital in general. The complaints stem from the poor quality of care, neglect, poor staffing, limited beds, long waiting times, unavailability of medications, state of the infrastructure, and the inability of family island residents to access basic healthcare services.
As Leader of the Official Opposition, the current PM had to be flown out of the country to obtain quality medical care when he contracted the COVID-19 virus. This spoke to the state of the healthcare infrastructure and the confidence that our elected officials and local professionals have in the healthcare system. The majority of Bahamians don’t have the luxury or financial wherewithal to seek medical care overseas and are forced to deal with the subpar conditions under which our talented healthcare professionals work. Our political leaders and their families have access to top-notch healthcare both locally and overseas via health insurance funded by Bahamians. Is this why our political leaders have refused to invest in and fix the current healthcare system properly? The failure in this area seems to be driven by insensitivity rather than incompetence.
Time to take responsibility
Since they assumed office, government officials’ responses to matters of national importance have left much to be desired. An objective or independent observer watching and listening to members of the current administration would have been left confused by their utterances.
It is baffling that, midway into the current term, we are still seeing them point fingers and refusing to take responsibility for issues that fall within their purview. They are acting brand new when it comes to issues confronting the masses.
Are we being punk’d?
Actor Ashton Kutcher popularized the TV series – Punk’d which was entertaining for viewers because each episode featured a prank on unsuspecting celebrities who were later informed that the acts were staged.
The difference here is that this is real life and not a reality TV series or entertainment show. The Bahamian people do not find these displays of incompetence or nonchalance funny because they are negatively impacting our lives. We are frustrated by the lackadaisical and lackluster performance of individuals that we have engaged to manage the people’s business. At this point, it is irrelevant whether it is incompetence or a continuous act of self-sabotage. The government simply needs to get it together.
Written by: Arinthia S. Komolafe
