FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2012


Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham revealed in the House of Assembly recently that the Bahamas government would need an additional $77 million to complete the New Providence Road Improvement Project (NPRIP). The original contract was supposed to cost the government $119.9 million. Reports indicate that the International Development Bank (IDB) has, on two separate occasions, loaned the government a total of $129 million to date to complete this project. This means that the current estimate for the completion of the NPRIP will be $206 million or about 65% over budget.

Democratic National Alliance Deputy Leader, Chris Mortimer sees this as textbook Free National Movement (FNM) mismanagement and is calling again for the Prime Minister to do the honorable thing and resign his post due to financial negligence and incompetence in what even he has called “critical economic conditions.”

Mr. Mortimer, a successful businessman, recognizes this as inefficiency, the primary problem facing our government today.
He explains, “The government simply needs to employ better business practices in the way it governs. Executing a project to scale, to budget and to deadline is paramount to the success of any venture and the NPRIP is another example of the FNM’s failure to do just that.”

We find that the government made several blunders with regards to the NPRIP. These are:

(1). The government contracted Jose Cartellone Construcciones Civiles (JCCC), despite there being 12 other contractors more qualified and cheaper.

(2). The government failed to respond to early warning signs of bad execution by JCCC, despite being duly notified by the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC).

(3). The government failed to ensure the satisfaction of its primary customer, the Bahamian people. Instead they ignored the frustrations of motorists and watched the collapse of hundreds of Bahamian businesses.

Political expediency has caused the FNM government to now consider compensating businesses affected by the NPRIP, even though the government fought in the Supreme Court against compensating these businesses.

Mr. Mortimer continued: “I do not expect Mr. Ingraham or his government to understand business practices like customer satisfaction, efficiency and cost control. He has no stellar record of success as a businessman and so we expect him to do what he has always done: failed to balance the budget, encourage wasteful spending, increase the national debt and convince the public that he is unfit to lead.”

A DNA government will always put Bahamians first and we will not tolerate the wastage of public funds as Hubert Ingraham has done. Our candidates, who have achieved success in their respective industries, will employ business skills to effectively run the affairs of the country. Mr. Mortimer assured the public, “A government led by Mr. McCartney and myself will set the industry standard for efficiency. We will achieve our mission critical objectives:
(1). Protecting our citizens from crime and danger.
(2). Putting them to work in substantive careers.
(3). Preparing the next generation to compete on the world stage.

We expect to hear a response from the “Minister of Finance,” Mr. Ingraham, on his financial irresponsibility and his justification for accelerating his failed policies.