After declaring that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has vindicated the former administration of alleged mismanagement associated with the New Providence Road Improvement Project (NPRIP), Free National Movement (FNM) Acting Chairman Darron Cash yesterday charged that the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) exploited the project's cost overruns for its own political gain. In a statement, Cash responded to comments by IDB Caribbean Department General Manager Gerard Johnson, who defended the cost of the project during a loan signing last week.
"Due diligence that was done in this case was very complete," Johnson said on Friday at the Ministry of Finance during the signing of a $65 million IDB loan agreement to help fund the cost overruns associated with the NPRIP. "It was viewed by many eyes, including independent eyes. The important thing is that at the end of that process, the benefits continue to far outweigh the cost -- even the increased cost. That is the bottom line to why the IDB board approved it and that's the bottom line as to why we are proud to be sitting here today to sign it."
On the campaign trail and in the months after the general election, the Ingraham administration was harshly criticized for reportedly mismanaging the massive road project. PLP representatives continually attacked the government for racking up nearly $100 million in cost overruns on the over budget project. The infrastructure upgrade, which was originally budgeted at $119.9 million in 2008, now has a price tag of $206 million. Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis still insists that the government could have implemented measures to reign in the cost as it was escalating.
"There's one thing to have overruns but when the overruns [are] as much as the original cost that is when it becomes troubling," he said on Friday. Davis also said he is not satisfied that an examination of the exercise may not have produced a different result. But the FNM insisted yesterday that Johnson's comments reflected more of the truth. "The FNM believes in the IDB's reasonable and prudent approach, but we concede that in some respects, Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis remains in denial," Cash said.
"Regrettably the Bahamian people are worse off because of the path on which Mr. Davis and his party took the public discourse. Following a sustained and reckless campaign of blame and implied charges of corruption, the Bahamian people were left with the lasting but false impression that public funds were being squandered. Rather than helping the then FNM government to sensitize our people about the need for short-term pain in preparation for long-term gain, Mr. Davis' party exploited their frustrations and inconveniences for purely political gain." Cash also said the party applauds the Christie administration's decision to follow through with the completion of the road project.
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