By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham relentlessly attacked the Christie administration’s narrative about the fiscal condition of the economy Wednesday night, raising concerns about the rising debt despite Value Added Tax’s implementation while questioning the government’s ability to pay vendors and contractors the money owed to them.

Mr Ingraham insisted the country is in a “precarious” cash position.

“Today The Bahamas owes tens of millions of dollars it is now unable to pay for goods and services,” he said. “The list of those persons and companies that are owed is long. They are spending much more than they are taking in. That’s why they are squeezing and pressuring many people to pay what they owe.

“There are a number of government projects at a standstill because of no money,” Mr Ingraham claimed. “The Andre Rodgers baseball field, bulldozed by the first Christie government is yet to be replaced down there. The contractor reportedly walked off the job due to non-payment. The government constructed houses in Spring City, Abaco - work has stopped, no pay. It’s time to open up The Bahamas books, time to check our cookie jar. It’s time for The Bahamas to be upgraded from the downgrades they sunk us to. Yes, it’s time for them to go.”

Mr Ingraham denied the government’s argument that it encountered an economy in shambles when it came to power in 2012.

“I have serious and growing concern about the lack of growth in the economy,” he said. “The prime minister repeatedly claims that I left the economy in shambles.” Noting that The Bahamas, like other countries in the world, was affected by the Great Recession, Mr Ingraham said 20 million people worldwide lost their jobs, including 17,000 people in The Bahamas.

“Our employment went from 174,920 in 2008 down to 157,805 persons in 2009,” he said. “The Department of Statistics said by May 2016 only 188,000 people were working in The Bahamas. That’s really only 13,000 more people than were working in 2008. Truth be told the job creation of our present government is woeful. The economy of The Bahamas has failed to grow and so it’s unfortunate but a reality that many people are suffering.”

Mr Ingraham was particularly critical of the government’s handling of VAT, describing Prime Minister Perry Christie’s explanation in Parliament several weeks ago about where the VAT money went as “laughable”.

Mr Ingraham sought to show that his administration was able to make advancements for Bahamians without implementing such a tax.

“They collected the VAT, the debt has gone up and continues to go up,” he said. “Where is the money going?”

“The other day the prime minister told the public a very laughable thing. He told the House of Assembly he was given a report on what the VAT money was spent on. He said we hired 99 police officers, 166 defence force officers, some nurses, some other healthcare professionals. Well, you know, the FNM in the last term had no VAT. We hired 250 police officers without VAT, 343 defence force officers without VAT and 153 prison officers without VAT.”

Mr Ingraham portrayed the government as not making good on its promises with respect to National Health Insurance, which he reminded people would involve the introduction of a new tax if the PLP wins the election on top of an increase in National Insurance Board (NIB) contributions some time after the election.

He said the government promised NHI in its first year, yet up to the time he gave his speech on Wednesday, no one had yet received healthcare services under the scheme. Yesterday, the first Bahamian received treatment under the scheme.

Regarding the Bahamas Agricultural & Marine Sciences Institute (BAMSI), Mr Ingraham said it has not lived up to its promise.

“They promised that BAMSI would feed us,” he said. “Instead we got a double billing for a dorm that burned down before it opened and then pictures of a lot of bananas.”

Mr Ingraham asked the government to provide answers about several expenditure related matters. Up to press time yesterday, the government had not responded.