I must firstly congratulate The Minister of Works and Utilities for the leadership he is providing at The Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) along with the Chairman, Board and Staff members.

Visionary leadership is responsible for this massive savings BEC and the people of The Bahamas will realize as a result of this refinancing arrangement.

Mr. Speaker it is always interesting when you hear members opposite try to convince the same Bahamian Public of their productivity during their Government between August 19th , 1993 and May 2nd, 2003.  What is laughable Mr. Speaker, is that the same stories that they are telling post May 2nd, 2003 is the same ones that they told pre May 2nd, 2003.

Mr. Speaker I must concede that in the absence of the facts all sundry would believe these strange versions of the truth you hear from members opposite everyday.  What I note with interest when you hear stories being told is, you hear 10% truth and 90% fiction.  For instance Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to speak with one of the members opposite about our housing initiative, and amongst some of the things we discussed he said that I failed to tell The Bahamian Public that all of the Subdivisions that we are developing; the land was transferred to the Ministry of Housing during the Free National Movement’s administration; well it is a good thing first of all I was aware that I knew the individual was a stranger to the truth, and secondly that I had the facts, because if I didn’t somebody would have believed what he was saying.  So just for the record Mr. Speaker, the land in Malcolm Allotment was purchased by the previous PLP administration; the land in Jubilee was transferred to The Ministry of Housing by this PLP administration; the land in Moss Town was transferred by this PLP Administration and the land in Pastel Gardens was transferred to The Ministry of Housing by the FNM Administration, but they did not have the will to execute the development.  I think we heard earlier how the former Prime Minister tied the hands of the former Minister of Housing (Hon. Algernon. Allen).

Mr. Speaker just as the truth was being exaggerated about housing; it is likewise being exaggerated about the electrification of the Bahamas.

Just as the former Prime Minister always said; “if I complete all of the projects I start, what will be left for my successors to do”.

What really amazes me Mr. Speaker is that at times when you listen to contributions from members opposite, you get the impression (in the absence of the facts) that development in the Bahamas started under the FNM’s administration.  Thank God we didn’t all just move to The Bahamas.

Mr. Speaker like a few of the other government ministries, The Ministry of Housing has a direct relationship with The Bahamas Electricity Corporation and so we have a greater degree of interest in any measure that would reduce the cost of electricity to the consumer at the end of the day.

As you are aware, The Ministry of Housing is responsible for providing affordable living accommodations for low and middle income families.  This Mr. Speaker includes single family, multi-family and rental units.  By the way Mr. Speaker those rental units which colleagues of members opposite said should not be started until after Christmas, because they could not be completed and that we are breaking up families for Christmas; are all fully refurbished and ready for occupancy again.  Mr. Speaker, those persons will also see the benefit of this loan restructuring.

In addition to the consumers benefiting, the employees will also benefit as I’m sure more monies will also be available for training and upkeep of and providing state of the art technology.

On an annual basis we can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on electrical infrastructure installation and I would like to challenge BEC to be more like Cable Bahamas and absorb more of the costs of the infrastructure.  Hopefully with this and other types of cost savings measure, we can be one step close to subsidizing infrastructure installation.

Mr. Speaker, The Ministry of Housing has always enjoyed an excellent relationship with BEC and we are now pursuing other ways of collectively being more “customer friendly”.

Mr. Speaker I attended and graduated fro DeVry Institute of Technology in Toronto, Canada.  While living in Toronto I had the opportunity to apply for telephone service.  I went to Bell Canada and applied for service that morning and took the bus back to my apartment.  Upon my return which was about a twenty minutes bus ride, I plugged in the instrument that I had gotten and my phone was on.  That was in 1981.

I must concede Mr. Speaker that this type of service is not available in every instance throughout Canada, but I believe it can happen in most cases in The Bahamas.  I believe that in most of the existing building and all new building in the care of BEC, BaTelCo and Water and Sewerage, we can have the connections made straight through to the plant from the house, so that in the case of BaTelCo the internal wires can be jumped from the house straight to the exchange prior to any application for service and once the application is made and the service paid for in a matter of minutes, the telephone can be activated.

In the case of Water and Sewerage all of the connections can be made except the installation of the water meter which can be installed after the appropriate application is made and deposits paid.

In the case of BEC all of the connections can be made except the installation of the meter, which will be installed after appropriate deposits are paid.

Mr. Speaker, what I have just described is what we are in the process of implementing in all of the Government Subdivisions, which will significantly reduce the amount of time for new utility connections.  We’ve already had discussions with BaTelCo who has agreed to accommodate this arrangement, and we are in the process of dialoguing with BEC and Water and Sewerage.

Mr. Speaker, if we are to be successful in becoming more customer friendly, we have to make it more convenient for customers and the consumers.

Mr. Speaker, I have no difficulty in supporting this progressive piece of Resolution which was moved by the visionary member for Bain & Grants Town Constituency.   The member is obviously a consumer’s champion.

Finally Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this time to wish you, my Parliamentary Colleagues, the staff of this House and all Bahamians throughout the length and breath of The Bahamas especially the residents of the Great Constituency of Golden Gates, the best Christmas experience that they have ever had and a most rewarding New Year.

Mr. Speaker, the future looks good for The Bahamas, and like everything else, all will never see, but for those who have eyes let them see and for those who have an ear, let
them hear.  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Golden Gates I support this resolution.