Long time overdue.
Bush mechanic work areas are usually heavily contaminated by deposits of waste oil in the ground. Waste oil contains toxic excredingly harmful chemicals which seep into the ground water.
Bush mechanics usually get away with these operations because they are located in the poor areas where there is no water or sewage systen and many get water through pibliv stand pipes or well water.
These unregulated garages need to be shut down and move to the govt subsidised industrial park.

Just like the shanty towns where latrines or outhouses pour poop into the water supply where Bahamians use pumps to get well water these illegal shanties and bush mechanic garages should be closed and forced to clean up the mess.

But isnt the former State Finance Minister an Accountant?

42 million could buy a BodyCamera for every policeman...could buy a drone surveillance system to patrol our territory to save on time and money spent on patrols....dialysis equipment.....create an independent agency of the Central Bank to supervise and audit banks.....definitely a bigger prison... more judges and fsstrr courts....investigation and jail time for whosoever has caused mortgage banking disaster and incalcuble suffering as the recession was not solely to blame or the mortgage customer...Ombudsman....creating an over the hill shopping Market place.... creating national Majority Rule Park with Museum....area exclusicely Bahamians....more attractions for tourists...dropping the Privy Council for the Caribbean Court (if their hurricane insurance policy is good for us then thier court should too)....sinking fund to pay gor disasters...start move towards becoming a Republic....more courts and stronger punishments for white collar crime....reviving outsode of Freeport....court and prison for illegals who breach our sovereign territory....climate change preparations etcetc

Money should be left over to have a better national accounting sysyen. Bizzare if it isnt working now then how could it have been working since 1967 ?

Not thrilled that 42 million cannot be found by both sided sitting in the peoples house while they ate getting paid.

The hourly rate in listening ehile all parliamentarians are in the house must be phenomenal.

It does not look good in the eyes of the finsncial world given that we arr ghe largest global ofgshore centre.

Actually the past govt official(s) did good in fixing homes damaged by hurricane.
Someone acrually whether any realizes tried creating jobs particularly when the private sector was not.
Over the hill Contractors Building Supplied stores were patronized when Contractors given Contracts to repair Hurricane damages.
Many Contractors were hired possibly up to 500 I understand
and
who also hired workers.
Funds to fix damsged and missing shingles blown off could have also need additional work especially if the underlaying plywood was damaged and further if the rafter was rotted by termites and replacing the sheetrock ceiling when the rainwayer dripped through. Also in fixing hurricane damaged roofs could be more extemsive if the electricals was damaged, sheet rock walls, doors was damaged. Hurricane roof damage repairs could have also repairs to damaged blown out windows and flooded houses.
What would be of concetn is the waste, fraud and incompetant Contractors and what the homeowners had to say.. To anyone missing shingles is only part. Any home builder will know better.

If these funds cannot be accounted for quickly it really is costly.

Perhaps Branville McCartney should be called in to offer his assistance.as he did say yhat both of these parties of the same coin. Too bad he resigned at this time.

Politically correct.

First Bahamiams getting let go by their own govt to save the country from economic collaspe.

The illegal business has or influenced many of the challenges we face.

Bizzare that the Haitian Ambassador was never summoned and given the ultimatum to control or invite his own people who are illegal to return. Mind you years ago he did give some 50,000 to help with the plane fares I believe.

Immediate focus should be placed on all those ads in the local papers asking the Bahamian Public to comment to the Bahamian Minister for citizenship when there is no picture of the person versus a bank wanting you to cash a 20 dollar cheque asks for two pieces of picture id.,, surely our citizenship is worth more than 20 dollars.
quite hilarious that for years the newspaper notices says the person is living in some p.o. Box or living on Carmichael Road. Surely the govt should know that Carmichael Road is a very long road.

Disturbing this has been going on for how long and could possibly involve terrorists, criminals who have escaped jai, child molesters, military insurgents, bigamists, tonton macoute, fraudsters, bad persons using Haitii to pass through and such persons.
When a local business informs the public that a employee no longer works there they put a picture of that person or they would get laughed outta town.

An investigation audit must slso follow as to how some got their papers and persons found to be engaged in fraud jailed.
The banking system must be checked to verify who is still on a valid work permit as the permits are renewed or not yearly otherwise who knows where those funds are coming from.

The financial drain of some 100 million dollars annually from our money supply being sent back must be investihayed. 100 million from staying here and developing our Bahamas is significant..

The pipeline must be closed. A proper Sociological Study must be done to anslyze the effects of a culturally, linguistically and socially different group within an english speaking culturally and socially different Bahamian group.

Our Beloved Bahamas is in danger of being colonized by Haitians. Our laws must be respected.

The lady who won the 250,000 i am almost certain said on national tv that she went often before she decided to crack the code.

While the BCC is against gambling I would have expected the first line of protest would have been against the web shops since the new govt started rather than a knee jerk reaction against the national lottery not yet started.

Agree baldbearded on the addiction especially when 10 cents can be gambled then 25 cents......

Any civilian who takes a job in any of the law enforcement agency to protect the assets and ensure security should be prepared to move to any part of the country.

Furthermore when dealing with money matters good accounting measures mandate that no official stays in one place for lengthy time. Given the history of alleged fraud, bribes, undervaluing, rebranding catehory for lesser rate, mona vie etc, officers must be transferred where necessary.

No officer is bigger than the govt.

Disappointed the Minister is supporting the chief even in part given the importance of the revenue collection of the peoples money.
No govt agency is bigger than the people.

While the Church and the State are separate entities, the Bahamas has the unique and the only one of a kind preamble in a world largely dominated by Christian belief ...that we (Bahamians) to be guided by Christian principles.

Regretably the Church has diaappointed many in that many seem to be be guided in the belief of the almighty dollar instead of Christ and the teaching of the ten commandments.

We need a Martin Luther to challenge the church and bring it back on the right path where it serves its rightful role in nation building.

I actually did raise the point as to where was the loyal Oueens Opposition who are now the present elected govt sitting across the table.
Mind you I have heard the new DPM raise good points when previous budgets were discussed in the House.

It is extremely baffling as to why questions of to date missing monies are being queried 5 months after elections.

5 months to trace missing 42 million?
No one subpeoned? Questioned, removed fron the offices concerned?

Extremely Tardy, aand embarrassingly shameful for a global financial centre dealing with money matters that its owm minister is still looking to find 42 million and noone hauled off to be questioned or charged with obstruction or incompetance.

Tired of seeing all tax payers money spent in parliament for this, then look again at what the IMF has to say. At least listen and go to the white people for help, after all dont the Bahamian lawyer with their hairy falsr white wigs after finishing and graduating school in England still have to go back to the Privy counsil to make decisions?
Mind you I think it still has to do with the politicians not making the decisions since 1973.

At least the Government would spend money collected in the interest of all Bahamians.

In theory I would fully agree with you. But in actual practice this is not so.

Hundreds of millions into the Bank of the Bahamas of the peoples money and noone fired or jailed.

Article revraled the high levels of household indebtedness and explosion in reckless bank lending.

Now that a Foreign Agency and quite likely a white man has come out with the Article IV Consultation report it with certainty appear that some further investigation as to why this massive bank defaulty of some 1 billion dollars happened.

Plain local common sense would investigated a review of TDSR total debt srevice loan ratio could have been over looked to qualify mortgage borrowers and for loan officers to meet their job targets. Common sense would indicate a ratio of 45% of loans to repay from salary is obselete having been used to get an approved indemnity insurance where mortgage applicant cannot meet equity requirement. The applicant mst also be able to meet projected expenses in home ownership.

Really dumb and stupid to believe this 45% debt service used for 30 some years is still applicable as no expenses a homeownerfaces is the same. Actually 45% is different for the low income marginal qualified applicant when ie an applicant makes 20,000 per month. Could actually afford to have loan payments of 15,00 and still pay household expenses of 5,000.

Any investigation of the ovrr 4,000 mortgage accounts in default is needrd. Any bank or loan officer found to not been due care and attention or neglogent with mortgage loan customers should be jailed.

Bizzarely we have .some 100 million of bad loans in Resolve agency to aggressively sell the homes..
We now have a further 160 million additional bad loans all from the govt majoroty owned BOB bank and with a Board of Directors selected and approved by the govt with only recently 2 Directors to represent the minority shareholders.

And to date it appears all the bad loans were the customers fault only.

Incredible. For start any loan offocer, supervisor or any bank official found to have falsely approved any active politician or past politician loan when they were not quilified should be jailed and the bank officiers repay yhe loan and or have their assets sold to repay loan.

The Bahaman people deserve better not bitter.