FORIMMEDIATERELEASE

1stAugust,2016

It is Time for Progress,

Not Politics
GregoryK.Moss
Leader
UnitedDemocraticParty
It is a sad commentary on the state of our country that politics continues
to take precedence over progress in the actions of the PLP and the FNM.
Over the last 20 years, a significant segment of the Bahamian working poor
and middle class have seen a dramatic fall in their standard of living,
suffered from increased crime, lost their jobs, lost their homes, seen their
childrens educational results plummet, been forced to pay higher taxes
and have, overall, suffered to the extent that they are worse off today than
they were 20 years ago and their children have not even yet begun to
advance to achieve even what their parents were able to achieve in this
country.
Meanwhile, both the PLP and the FNM have only paid lip service to
equitable income tax laws to tax the rich and bring tax relief to the working
poor and middle class, and to effective freedom of information legislation
which would allow the people to bring corrupt politicians to justice. At the
same time, the majority of the politicians, together with their families,
friends and cronies, have prospered although they have no visible sources
of income, or have sources of income which are clearly not sufficient to
account for the wealth which they have accumulated.
The vast majority of PLP and the FNM politicians continue to play politics
while the working poor and middle class continue to suffer.

In that context, the clear unpreparedness of the FNM to successfully

challenge the PLP in the next general election leaves the country in a state
of despair at the prospect of another 5 years of governance by the PLP. At
the same time, the country is able to look at the previous 5 years of FNM
governance and is in despair at the unlikely prospect of the return of the
FNM to governance of The Bahamas. The people are in despair at the
return of the business as usual politics under both the PLP and the FNM.
While all of that is happening, the DNA has failed to build or maintain its
base, or to inspire the confidence of the people, and has shown itself to be
an elitist minded party that seeks to distinguish itself by copying the
progressive opinions which have been expressed by patriots in the House
and on social media. It has, sadly, shown itself to be a very small grouping
of people who believe that control of a coalition government will fall into
their laps by default. They believe that although they cannot win the
elections they can win enough seats to force either the PLP or the FNM to
form a coalition with them to form the next government of The Bahamas.
They are willing to form a coalition with either the PLP or the FNM and are,
therefore, no different from either of them.
Finally, there are various persons who have formed undeclared political
parties, masquerading as civic organisations, that are seeking to claim
victory for the Constitutional Referendum No vote when they did not
participate in promoting the No vote campaign, or to claim to be the
persons identified in the prophesy of the late Pastor Myles Munroe as the
next change government of The Bahamas, although they have no history
whatsoever of having labored in the vineyard, or sacrificed anything, for the
good of the people.
Meanwhile, as the opportunists continue to jockey for positions, the people
continue to suffer.

Take for instance the next significant legislation which will be laid before
the House, concerning the matter of taxation. After having imposed an
FNM drafted and PLP enacted Value Added Tax which stripped $764
million from the working poor and the middle class between 2014 and
2016, and which is projected to take another $2.03 billion from them
between 2016 and 2019, the PLP with the support of the FNM now wants
to enact the Grand Bahama (Port Area) Investment Incentives Bill which will
have the effect of giving foreign businesses in Freeport a tax break of at
least $2,000,000,000.00 (yes, $2 billion) over the next 20 years in return for
the Grand Bahama Port Authority and Hutchison Whampoa agreeing to do
nothing more than what they are already obligated to do under existing
agreements with the Government.
What the Government is claiming is a good deal is, in fact, nothing more
than a continuation of the same problems that have stagnated Freeport
and the rest of Grand Bahama over at least the last 20 years. The
imposition of a Real Property tax would not have any effect on businesses
owned by Americans, Europeans, Canadians and other foreign persons
from democratic countries since those nationals already pay, and will
continue to pay, taxes in their home countries for capital gains and other
earnings on Bahamian land and would receive a tax break from their home
countries for any real property taxes which they are required to pay in The
Bahamas. So a real property tax exemption will not adversely affect
businesses owned by them. Those real property tax breaks will only be a
benefit to foreign companies from non-democratic countries, such as the
ownership by the communist Chinese in the Freeport Container Port, the
Freeport Harbour Company, the Grand Bahama Airport Company, the
Grand Lucayan Resort and the Grand Bahama Development Company
(which owns the vast majority of all land in Grand Bahama) since they will
have to pay those taxes in The Bahamas even where they are not required
to pay them in their undemocratic countries.

It is, therefore, clear that the purpose of the Grand Bahama (Port Area)
Investment Incentives Bill is to give a tax break to the Chinese and to allow
the Chinese to artificially keep the price of land in Freeport beyond the
reach of most Bahamians because they would not have to pay real property
taxes on such land and, therefore, would be able to continue to hoard
Bahamian land at no cost to them.
These kinds of things need to be stopped. No doubt that Bill will be
enacted by the PLP and the FNM, whatever their excuse for doing so. But
if elected to office, the UDP will repeal that Act, along with the Value Added
Tax Act, and will enact laws to protect our country and to empower our
people.
These are sad times. But this is also a time for progress.
As Leader of the United Democratic Party, I call upon all patriotic
Bahamians who are sick and tired of the politics of corruption,
incompetence and impoverishment, and who want to see our country
advance, to come together for the good of our people. It is time for us to
honestly look within ourselves to decide the kind of Bahamas that we want
for ourselves, our children, our grandchildren and others and to have the
courage to be the change that is necessary to bring that Bahamas into
being. The time for excuses is past. The time for fear and inaction is past.
The time for blind politics is past. It is time for progress, not politics, and for
each of us to be a part of that progress for the good of our beloved
Commonwealth. By Gods grace, and with the confidence that He will not
leave us or forsake us, join us as we change this country for the better. Your
country needs you.
END