Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NASSAU206
2008-03-10 17:54:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Nassau
Cable title:  

PM INGRAHAM OUTLINES ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PRIORITIES

Tags:  PGOV PHUM ECON SMIG BF 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0657
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHBH #0206/01 0701754
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101754Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY NASSAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5282
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 000206 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON SMIG BF
SUBJECT: PM INGRAHAM OUTLINES ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PRIORITIES

REF: A. 07 NASSAU 1458

B. NASSAU 69

C. NASSAU 160

D. NASSAU 71

E. NASSAU 56

------
SUMMARY
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 000206

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON SMIG BF
SUBJECT: PM INGRAHAM OUTLINES ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PRIORITIES

REF: A. 07 NASSAU 1458

B. NASSAU 69

C. NASSAU 160

D. NASSAU 71

E. NASSAU 56

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) Prime Minister Ingraham recently delivered an
upbeat assessment of his government's accomplishments in 2007
against the background of negative economic conditions in the
wider world and worries over crime and economic uncertainty
at home. Ingraham put a brave face on "a difficult year" in
2007 by pointing to his government's investments in defense,
law enforcement, and border security. He identified fighting
crime, providing adequate social services, and revamping the
tourism product among his priorities for 2008. Subsequent
government initiatives to support and train police, defense,
and border security agencies underlined the high priority his
government attaches to fighting illegal immigration and
narcotics-trafficking. His diagnosis of current national
ills was wide-ranging, and his remarks were
characteristically specific and pragmatic. A staunch U.S.
ally, Ingraham will continue to welcome practical U.S.
support to deal with competing priorities amidst societal
anxiety about acute domestic policy concerns, especially
spiraling crime. END SUMMARY.

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PM POINTS TO SUCCESSES
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2. (SBU) In his first major assessment of his government's
progress since taking office in May 2007, Prime Minister
Hubert Ingraham delivered an optimistic assessment January 13
of his Free National Movement (FNM) government's
accomplishments in 2007 -- a year punctuated by economic
slowdown, rising crime, and long-term social and
infrastructure challenges. Ingraham cited the purchases and
deployment (some completed, more planned) of aircraft and
ships (including four from the U.S. under the Enduring
Friendship Program) for the Royal Bahamas Defense Force as a
significant accomplishment. He also noted increased outlays
for law enforcement, the introduction of e-passports and
machine-readable visas with biometric features, the launch of
electronic cruise ship passenger clearances, increased
attention to airport safety and security measures, and

improvements to criminal justice legislation in his laundry
list of successes. These vessels and airplanes will improve
ongoing drug and migrant detection and interdiction efforts,
a pillar of U.S.-Bahamian cooperation for decades through
OPBAT.

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RECOGNIZES GLOBAL CHALLENGES
--------------


3. (SBU) Ingraham acknowledged serious economic headwinds
arising from a decline in investment flows as major hotel
projects wind down, combined with high world energy prices,
whose impact is amplified in the energy-dependent Bahamas.
He pointed to the weak U.S. economy in 2007, particularly the
sub-prime meltdown in the housing market, to explain lower
tourism numbers. Briefly mentioning the Iraq conflict and
worldwide terrorism, the Prime Minister referenced HIV-AIDS,
climate change, and adjusting to international free trade
agreements (with the EU in particular),among the global
forces beyond the leadership's control that contributed to "a
difficult year both at home and abroad".


4. (SBU) Charting his government's course ahead in the face
of the rough seas on the horizon, the Prime Minister was
confident in outlining his government's key goals for 2008.
He stressed that developing a national energy policy, with
attention to alternative sources and energy efficiency, would
be a key priority. He also highlighted his intention to
strengthen financial services, the second-biggest sector of
the economy. "We are positioning ourselves to make a bid to
regain a stronger position in the international insurance
sector which we once dominated," he said.


5. (SBU) The Prime Minister focused attention on the need
to improve tourism offerings, stressing the importance of new
markets in Canada and Europe, especially in an unfavorable
economic climate for the U.S. dollar. He pledged to adjust
tourism strategies to meet evolving, global market demands
such as eco-friendliness and heritage tourism. To enhance
Bahamian competitiveness, he promised to overhaul Nassau's
international airport and its smaller Family Island airports.
Ingraham observed that The Bahamas needed to do a better job

NASSAU 00000206 002 OF 002


of "exploiting the potential for linkages between our
agricultural, fisheries and light manufacturing sectors and
the tourism sector." He also emphasized the need to foster
local entrepreneurship in a globalized economy, reflecting a
broader desire to capture more tourism-related purchases and
decrease the economy's reliance on imports.

--------------
CONFRONTS KEY DOMESTIC PROBLEMS
--------------


6. (SBU) Turning his sights to domestic issues, Ingraham
put crime at the top of his agenda, calling it "our single
biggest national concern." Ingraham cautioned that "this
level of violence, about which we cannot be complacent as a
people, undermines the peace and tranquillity for which our
country has been admired." His focus on law enforcement
reflects how politically sensitive the steady drumbeat of
violent crime has become (see reftel A). Ingraham is also
focused on social development issues, especially given the
links he sees between poor educational achievement,
unemployment, and crime. To this end, he promised
investments in education, health, and road-building
improvements to ameliorate traffic woes.


7. (SBU) Tying together his themes of economic and social
development with tourism, Ingraham ranked redeveloping
dilapidated downtown Nassau, a cruise-ship hub and mainstay
of the domestic economy, first among a number of proposed,
large-scale works projects in the capital. Others included:
dredging Nassau harbor to allow the most modern ocean-going
ships to call in port; rationalizing cargo terminals and
transfer, in part to alleviate downtown traffic congestion
and pollution; construction of public buildings, such as a
Magistrate's Court and Registrar General's Office;
introducing a new town planning act; protecting public beach
access; and re-starting the stalled low-income housing
program, which was suspended due to a shortfall in funding in

2007.


8. (SBU) Finally, the Prime Minister noted his government's
concern for public service reform, promising to increase the
quality and convenience of and customer satisfaction with the
provision of government services. He has also pledged to
overhaul what he termed a heavy legacy of colonial era laws
still on the books to bring the country into the 21st
century. He concluded reassuringly that "overall, 2008
promises to be a better year than was last year."

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COMMENT
--------------


9. (SBU) The Prime Minister's address was characteristic of
his pragmatic, no-nonsense style. His description of current
government challenges was comprehensive and realistic,
eschewing grandiose visions or targets. It was a solid
rundown of his new government's early successes and a basic
blueprint for his next steps, with significant nods to The
Bahamas' susceptibility to the economic climate in the U.S.
and beyond. The Prime Minister's most recent public
statements have increased his focus on tourism and healthcare
improvements, as well as legislative reforms to update
colonial-era criminal laws, giving further shape to
government aims in domestic policy. A staunch ally, the
Ingraham government will continue to welcome practical U.S.
assistance to deal with its immediate problems, and perhaps
defuse some of the political pressure under which it is
operating. The Bahamas embrace of the IOM Deportee
Reintegration Initiative, for example, and its readiness to
engage in diverse law enforcement and border security
training initiatives, reflect its commitment to USG
priorities. With its electoral position now secure, and the
opposition disarray providing some respite (see reftel E),
the FNM government is now in a position to make even more
progress on its own and USG priorities in the year ahead.
HARDT