PRESS STATEMENT
J. KWASI THOMPSON: FNM SAYS, “You Budgeted a Projected Surplus — Now Pay the People!
“The Davis Administration’s 2025/2026 Budget Communication is nothing short of a grand performance in deception and deflection. What the Bahamian people needed was a clear plan to address the everyday issues they face: high unemployment, low wages, soaring energy costs, a collapsing healthcare system, and a cost-of-living crisis. What they got instead was spin, omissions, and a troubling attempt to rewrite basic financial reality.”
“It was an FNM administration under Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham that presented the first- ever balanced budget in Bahamian history, not based on political performance, but on real fiscal discipline. The PLP’s announcement is nothing more than political theater meant to distract from their failure to govern with accountability.”
“We are not moved, impressed, or excited by the Davis Administration’s projected budget surplus, because a projected budget surplus means nothing if the people are still suffering. If you say you have the money, then pay the nurses, teachers, and police officers every cent you owe them; no delays, no excuses. To the government vendors waiting months, even years, for payment, go knock on the door of this projected surplus and demand your money. And to the Bahamian people: expect more. Every pothole-filled road and government building, every shortage in the hospital—there is now no excuse.”
“Even worse, the Budget Communication completely failed to present a coherent economic plan to confront the nation’s most pressing challenges:
● The World Bank forecasts that The Bahamas will have the lowest economic growth in the region at just 1.1%, yet the government offered no strategy to reverse this grim outlook, a reflection of poor fiscal planning and the absence of any serious economic development vision.
● While the Davis Administration paints a rosy picture of the economy, the reality on the ground tells a different story. There was no acknowledgment that most Bahamians still feel no meaningful improvement in their daily lives. The Bahamian Contractors Association was right to warn that economic activity means nothing if it doesn’t reach workers, families, and small businesses, a point completely ignored in the Communication.
● Youth unemployment remains alarmingly high, with nearly one in five young Bahamians out of work. Yet, the government offered no plan, no roadmap, and no hope to address this crisis.
● Our public health system is on the brink of collapse, operating theaters sit idle, emergency rooms are overwhelmed, and vital medicines remain in short supply, but the Budget Communication remained silent on these failures.
● In the midst of a crushing cost-of-living crisis, the PLP recently slashed $9.6 million from social assistance spending, even as it increased funding for ministerial travel, publicity, and political comfort, a shocking misalignment of priorities that was conveniently left unaddressed.
● No-bid contracts and sweetheart deals are still rampant. Yet, the government made no mention of enforcing the Public Procurement Act or restoring transparency and accountability.
These critical issues, urgent, visible, and deeply felt by the Bahamian people, were not merely overlooked. They were deliberately ignored. Economic growth, as claimed by this administration, means nothing when the benefits are not shared, and the burdens fall solely on the backs of the people.” “These are not partisan talking points; they are facts, and they paint a clear picture of a government that continues to ignore the needs of the people.”
“The Free National Movement would do things differently. We would invest in critical public services, not vanity projects or political favors. We would introduce real job-creation plans, especially for young Bahamians. And we would govern with the understanding that every dollar spent must serve the public interest.”
“Fiscal responsibility is not a slogan for us; it’s a commitment. The FNM believes in building a Bahamas not for the privileged few, but for every Bahamian. This budget fails that test.”