NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Opposition Leader Michael Pintard is challenging the government’s fiscal projections after citing Fitch Ratings’ latest assessment as evidence of a potential $287 million gap between the administration’s projected surplus for the 2026/2027 fiscal year and the rating agency’s deficit forecast.
Pintard said the latest Fitch assessment reinforces concerns raised by the Opposition that the government’s fiscal outlook is overly optimistic and does not accurately reflect the country’s financial position.
“The latest assessment from Fitch Ratings confirms what the Opposition has been telling the Bahamian people for months: the Davis Administration’s fiscal projections are built on wishful thinking, not reality,” Pintard said.
The government’s 2026/2027 Budget projects a $223.1 million surplus, while Pintard said Fitch Ratings is forecasting a $64 million deficit for the same fiscal year.
He described the difference as a $287 million swing, arguing that it represents a significant gap between the government’s projections and the external assessment.
“The Government’s 2026/2027 Budget projects a surplus of $223.1 million. Fitch Ratings projects a deficit of $64 million for that same fiscal year,” Pintard said. “That is a swing of $287 million, an almost $300 million hole in the Government’s own story, told by their own numbers.”
Pintard said the fiscal concerns come amid what he described as growing government arrears and outstanding obligations, pointing to reported debts owed to healthcare providers and public sector entities.
He referenced the suspension of services by the government’s health insurer after it was reportedly owed more than $100 million, while also raising concerns about continued funding provided to public corporations, including Bahamas Power and Light and the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority.
“Meanwhile, public corporations like BPL and the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority continue to receive tens of millions of dollars with little public accounting of where it goes,” Pintard said.
The Opposition Leader argued that any undisclosed liabilities or accumulated arrears could eventually place additional pressure on taxpayers through increased debt, higher taxes or reduced public services.
“When these hidden loans, undeclared liabilities, and mounting arrears eventually come due, they won’t be paid by the politicians,” Pintard said. “They will be paid by hardworking Bahamian taxpayers — through higher debt, higher taxes, fewer opportunities, and fewer public services.”
Pintard also called on the government to provide greater transparency on its outstanding financial obligations, including liabilities, contingent obligations, arrears and public sector commitments.
He said every dollar used to address undisclosed debt reduces the resources available for other priorities, including payments owed to local businesses and improvements to public services.
“Every dollar spent servicing undisclosed debt is a dollar that cannot go toward the legitimate arrears owed to Bahamian small businesses,” Pintard said. “Every dollar diverted to cover a fiscal shortfall is a dollar that cannot go toward public servants, better public services, or real relief for families struggling with the cost of living.”
Pintard said Bahamians deserve a clearer picture of the country’s fiscal position and urged the government to provide a full accounting of its obligations.
