One of the highlights of the Speech from the Throne, which was read in Parliament Square by Governor General Cynthia Pratt on Wednesday, was the Davis administration's pledge to introduce The Bahamas National Development Plan Bill "in order to lay the strategic foundation for the future".

"By putting the National Development Plan on a statutory footing, my government seeks to ensure that the next 50 years of our national life will have a firm strategic underpinning and focus," the speech read.

Legislation is necessary to give effect to the National Development Plan (NDP)

The comprehensive 500-page draft plan, which was crafted during the 2012-2017 Christie administration in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, was shelved by the Minnis administration.

It was in the final stages when the last Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) administration lost the government.

In its pre-election document, "Our Blueprint for Change", the PLP pledged to complete the NDP.

Last year, during a lecture held at University of The Bahamas by the Government and Public Policy Institute, the prime minister explained the plan as "a consensus of what Bahamians think needs to be done in order to move the country forward".

"The data contained in the plan, and the recommendations built upon it, are refined into a number of specific, tangible goals, with strategies attached on how to deliver them," he said. "The advantage of this is that we are able to understand what success looks like.

"That said, it is not the specific step-by-step planning document which some imagine it to be. The government of the day would still need to detail substantive policy and a delivery plan, in order to make it effective. In other words, each administration still has a responsibility in determining 'how' specific goals are to be delivered."

He went on to describe his administration's priorities as education, health and wellness, the economy and the environment, and the "cultural and social".

During the lecture, Davis said he hoped conversations about the NDP and our future development would be part of the golden jubilee of independence.

But the National Development Plan did not feature prominently in discussions leading to that anniversary in July.

However, during his wrap-up of the 2023/2024 budget debate in June, Davis did announce that the government has reappointed the NDP committee, selecting a chairman to complete the plan, then prepare an implementation plan.

"We are currently reviewing recommendations for the steering committee to oversee the work," Davis said.

"We have included civil society, the business community, labor and religious leadership on the committee. Additionally, the government will appoint a secretariat to support the implementation of the work.

"We already have an initial draft legislation that will create the framework for implementation. We eagerly look forward to having a completed and updated National Development Plan and implementation plan along with supporting legislation tabled for debate in Parliament."

Davis said the NDP is a part of the government's effort to build a secure foundation.

"But a foundation is only the beginning," he said. "To truly realize our vision, that foundation must be built up to completion.

"That is the point of strategic national development. There must be continuity, not just across budget years, but across successive administrations."

He said, "We have inherited a beautiful country and we have an obligation to protect it for future generations. The best way to do that is through a properly organized National Development Plan.

"In our prior administration, we spent years consulting with Bahamians from every walk of life to create the National Development Plan, a foundational and comprehensive long-term plan for the country's development and prosperity. We specifically promised that we would relaunch, complete and legislate the National Development Plan. We intend to deliver on that promise."

The plan to bring legislation this session is more than welcome.

If the government is not at the forefront of steering the NDP, what hope does it ever have of coming to fruition?

No other organization is as resourced, or has the power to mandate change, as the central government.

Though political manifestos covering a single term are an excellent way for the electorate to determine which party it wants to hold office, and an effective means by which to hold them accountable, it only reflects the intentions and priorities of that party.

The NDP was arrived at through meticulous study and consensus.

We repeat a statement we previously made in this space: Davis' legacy would be well-served by setting it on a path to becoming reality.

The post Completing the Nat'l Development Plan appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

The post Completing the Nat'l Development Plan appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

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