The FNM believes that every Family Island deserves reliable infrastructure that supports growth, safety, and opportunity. But what the government announced this week is not a plan, it’s politics.
For years, the FNM has warned that the PLP’s approach to the Family Islands is reactive, uncoordinated, and driven by political expediency. Communities are struggling with crumbling schools, failing clinics, unreliable water systems, and dangerous roads, not because of a lack of funding, but because of poor planning and neglect. What we are seeing now is more of the same. Instead of a strategic, island-by-island plan that aligns infrastructure with utilities, housing, and climate resilience, the government has chosen to pave over problems rather than solve them.
We know what happens when work is rushed without readiness. New roads flood within months because there’s no proper drainage. Fresh asphalt is cut open weeks later for repairs because ministries fail to coordinate. Taxpayers foot the bill twice.
If the government were serious about strengthening the Family Islands, it would start with the basics. Fix the drainage before pouring asphalt. Upgrade water mains and electricity infrastructure before sending in the pavers.
Publish the standards and specifications being used, so Bahamians can see that our roads are built to last. Most importantly, ensure that Family Islanders, the people who live, work, and raise families in these communities benefit directly through fair contracting, local hiring, and apprenticeships that build long-term capacity.
The Davis administration claims this is the largest infrastructure spend in decades, yet Bahamians have no access to the details. This half-billion-dollar project risks becoming another cycle of waste, with no lasting measurable improvement in quality of life for the people who need it most.
We have raised these concerns before because the pattern is clear: the PLP talks about investing in the Family Islands, but their actions say otherwise. From unstaffed clinics and unsafe schools to delayed teacher assignments and neglected airports, Family Islanders are always promised progress that never arrives. The government has ignored maintenance, failed to plan for growth, and left communities feeling abandoned until an election looms. That neglect cannot continue.
We call on the government to immediately publish every contract and change order tied to these projects, outline clear delivery timelines by island, and disclose the standards being used.
The Free National Movement supports responsible investment in infrastructure, but we demand accountability, value for money, and long-term results. We do not just want roads; we want readiness. We want reliability. And we will continue to fight for a future where the Family Islands are no longer treated as afterthoughts, but as equal partners in the nation’s development.