Our family islands must receive equal attention as the island of New Providence. We cannot allow the infrastructure on these islands to be run down and not renovated. Poor infrastructure will not only impact our tourism product, it also poses a risk to the health and safety of workers and visitors.

Given the current state of public finances, we understand that funding the airport projects on Exuma, Abaco, Long Island and Eleuthera will be challenging. However, we question whether funding had been previously secured for these airports and if so, whether the funds were used for another purpose. The government must give an account. Additionally, the decision to postpone certain projects should be balanced against our ability and desire to jumpstart our tourism industry.

The DNA demands that the contracts for the work on these airports be awarded fairly to qualified Bahamians and not the same oligarchic interests who have been benefitting from government contracts for decades. Our people are struggling and need to be given opportunities to participate in their own country. This is why we have called for reforms in procurement and implementation of a real Freedom of Information Act.

Kino Lockhart