Minnis disputes PM's jobs claim

Mon, Jan 23rd 2017, 11:52 PM

Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis deepened his indictment of Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday, declaring that he has lost touch with the "reality that the majority of Bahamians face in their everyday lives" and his recent pronouncements only demonstrate how "delusional" he has become.

Minnis particularly homed in on Christie's statement to PLP supporters on Sunday that, no matter what people say about the party, his administration created 32,000 jobs this term, which demonstrates that the economy is on a path to recovery, and the figures speak for the party.

According to the Department of Statistics, 160,650 people were listed as employed in May 2012, compared to the 192,385 people listed as employed in October 2016, a difference of 31,735.

But unemployment remained in the double digit percentile (25,365 people), as noted by international credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's in a December report announcing that it downgraded The Bahamas' sovereign credit rating to sub investment-grade, widely considered "junk status".

Government officials have long touted the important role they see job creation playing in securing reelection. But Minnis called Christie's assertion "fanciful".

"This fanciful claim of the prime minister that this administration has created 32,000 jobs in five years, proves just how delusional he has become," Minnis contended in a statement on Facebook.

"His government has failed, pure and simple. "Counting temporary jobs will not change the trajectory of our country.

"Bahamians need real and lasting change along with permanent jobs that can become fulfilling careers that will positively impact our economy."

The Department of Statistics has attributed the last two drops in unemployment in part to the temporary jobs created around the time of the surveys.

The department reported that national unemployment fell from 12.7 percent in May 2016 to 11.6 percent in October 2016.

Officials attributed the decrease to the employment of 4,025 people; of that number, 1,385 were construction jobs "as a direct result of Hurricane Matthew".

The department was unable to provide specifics on the make up of those other 2,600-plus additional jobs at the time, only saying they were "sprinkled throughout" the various sectors.

In the previous survey in May, the unemployment rate was similarly impacted by the temporary jobs associated with Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, declining form 14.8 percent in November 2015 to 12.7 percent.

Minnis said Christie should understand Bahamians cannot be taxed into prosperity and claimed that positive growth will only come when "we get this corrupt and incompetent PLP government out of office".

"In light of a shrinking middle class, growing poverty, multiple downgrades under his watch and increase in the fear of crime and a lowered economic growth forecast, while burdening Bahamians with the largest tax increases in history, Prime Minister Christie chooses not to accept the failures of his government," he said.

"Instead, he chooses to pretend that all is well." The FNM said, if successful in becoming the government, it would repeal value-added tax (VAT) on a number of critical items, including electricity, health insurance and breadbasket items.

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