NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opposition Leader Michael Pintard has slammed the Davis administration’s 2024/2025 Budget Communication as “lacklustre,” accusing the government of ignoring the daily struggles of Bahamians while pushing a misleading narrative of economic progress.
“Today, the Prime Minister stood before the House and tried to sell the Bahamian people a dream—a dream of opportunity, ‘island by island,’” Pintard said during his budget response in Parliament. “But while the Prime Minister dreams, Bahamians are living a harsh reality—one where the cost of living keeps rising, systems are broken, and families struggle to live the life they deserve.”
He accused the government of governing in denial, suggesting that conditions are improving only for a privileged few while the majority feel left behind. He pointed to what he called a pattern of failure, noting that when the Progressive Liberal Party took office, the economy was already rebounding with 14 percent growth. He argued that under the PLP, the healthcare system has worsened, citing idle ambulances, crumbling hospitals, and no plan to staff the promised new facilities. Education, he said, is similarly lagging, with students suffering significant learning loss and teachers lacking resources. He also noted a nearly $10 million cut in social assistance spending during the first eight months of the fiscal year, saying the Prime Minister “did not think this was worth mentioning.”
He criticized the government’s crime record, saying that violence and insecurity have worsened. “People don’t feel safe, and they don’t feel like they can trust their government,” he said. Pintard also questioned the administration’s fiscal credibility, arguing that announcements about balanced budgets and surpluses ring hollow to contractors, nurses, and small business vendors who remain unpaid. He said that when the PLP touts VAT reductions on items they themselves taxed, “that’s not help—that’s damage control.”
In a follow-up press statement, Pintard went further, calling any talk of a 2025/26 surplus “a sad farce and diabolically misleading.” He accused the government of record spending on politically driven contracts, with little evidence of prudent fiscal management. “By the Prime Minister’s own projection, the deficit is expected to come in at up to 0.7 percent of GDP, which is well over $100 million. Of course, we expect the figure to be closer to $200 million,” he said, citing the December mid-term report that showed a $395 million deficit and $122 million in outstanding bills. “So nobody is buying any talk of a fiscal surplus next year when just this past December, the government was facing a fiscal hole of over $500 million when unpaid bills are factored in.”
Pintard accused the administration of using public funds to benefit political allies, citing government reports that 80 percent of the value of public contracts awarded between December 2023 and March 2024—some $415 million out of $517 million—were no-bid or single-source awards. He said this shows that most capital spending continues to flow toward the politically well-connected.
He also highlighted what he called a series of broken promises, including a lack of progress on carbon credit revenue, the Family Island Development Fund, the Freedom of Information office, and delayed budget reporting. “They promised accountability,” he said, “but they’re always late—months late—when it comes to publishing the monthly and quarterly budget reports.”
Pintard warned that the government’s latest budget is clearly a pre-election one, designed more for public relations than real change. He argued that the country cannot move forward with a government that refuses to acknowledge its failures or correct course. “This government has had three and a half years. And for three and a half years, they have asked Bahamians to wait and see. But the people are no longer waiting,” he said. “Come the next election—they will be ready to act.”
He closed by contrasting Prime Minister Philip Davis’ view of the system with his own. “Philip Davis thinks the system is fine because it works for his friends. I think the system is broken because it doesn’t work for you. You can’t fix a problem if you don’t admit it exists.”
Pintard said the Free National Movement will present a comprehensive alternative during the budget debate, promising to invest in people, restore VAT exemptions on essential items, and return accountability to the center of government. “The FNM is different, and we have a plan,” he said. “We believe in government in the sunshine, and a country where everybody can eat from a bigger economic pie.”
