By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis last night slammed Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis’ mid-year budget statement as the “worst” and “most empty” one ever, saying it lacked vision to transform the country’s ailing economy and help hurting Bahamians.

Killarney MP Dr Minnis said since being elected to office, the Davis administration has only adopted policies that have created more economic hardship for the Bahamian people and accused them of being “heartless”.

“They attacked the food programme feeding the vulnerable and the hungry after his government put a ten percent hike on breadbasket items for those very same people. The prime minister and the PLP high command have very little feeling or heart for... Bahamians especially working families,” Dr Minnis said during his contribution to the mid-year budget yesterday.

 “... Remove the VAT on breadbasket items and remove the VAT on medicine. Many people are ignoring their medication just to buy food and subsequently having their disease and illness further deteriorate, placing greater stress and strain on our health system. This policy has caused enough suffering.”

 The former prime minister also pointed to recent editorials published in a local daily which criticised the government’s performance in office.

 As he was delivering his speech, Fort Charlotte MP Alfred Sears rose on the point of order, asking for the comments to be struck from the record, which they ultimately were.

 Still, Dr Minnis continued in his attack of the government, saying the Davis administration had no clear vision to help the Bahamian people and accused officials of still being in campaign mode.

 He also questioned what the government’s plan was on the way forward following the twin crises of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic.

 “Mr Speaker, we are in difficult times. We are still in a pandemic. The people of Abaco and Grand Bahama are still recovering from an historic hurricane. Russia unjustly invaded Ukraine three weeks ago, causing major shocks to the global economy,” Dr Minnis told parliamentarians.

 “The Bahamas needs good leadership to navigate us through these challenges and unfortunately, our prime minister has proven that he is not up to the task. The mid-year budget he presented does little to help people rebound from the difficulties they face.”

 Dr Minnis said it appeared the government has no real solutions to deal with the country’s woes as he pointed to their “failure” to even boost vaccinations numbers in the country.

“Since coming to office, the new government has not been as serious as my government in promoting vaccines. They have failed in this effort. Our vaccination rate has stalled around 40 percent. Recent data would indicate about 45 percent of our population. That rate is not enough to protect us from future variants and this low vaccination rate is a threat to our economy,” he said.

“... When the now government was in opposition, they claimed to have many answers. Now in office, the government does not appear to have a clue as to how to boost the vaccination rate. the well-being of our economy is at stake. the wellbeing of our people is at stake.”