25th MarchUrban Renewal Gets Special Attention
By Stephen Gay
Prime Minister Perry Christie met with leaders of the Urban Renewal Project in a special workshop yesterday focused on sharing ideas and improving the scheme aimed at meeting special needs in the country’s inner city communities.
It was the first meeting between the prime minister and project heads since Mr. Christie took official responsibility for the Urban Renewal Project, following last month’s Cabinet reshuffle.
He called on all government ministries and agencies - social services, youth, sports and housing, immigration, labour and training, education, science and technology, works and utilities and the Royal Bahamas Police Force - involved in the project to work together in moving the scheme forward.
According to Mr. Christie, the pilot programme in the Farm Road area was seen as a way to develop solutions aimed at improving the life of Bahamians living in the inner city.
"In putting together different ministries and different agencies of the government we must find a way to have them work in an integrated and coordinated fashion," Mr. Christie said.
"The reason why I have chosen, as prime minister, to allocate to myself the responsibility for Urban Renewal is to impress upon all agencies that every aspect of government must now be in evidence in the community in urban renewal."
Mr. Christie said although the project has received "international acclaim," he believes there is still much work to be done, noting that education is a major component of the Urban Renewal Project.
He encouraged project heads to continue to work with non-governmental organisations in their communities, such as churches, to deepen their commitment to the project through education.
"The child who cannot read will obviously be screened and assessed to determine the disability and make a determination as to how best that child should be dealt with. The country needs, wants and demands that," said Mr. Christie.
Since the implementation of the Farm Road project, eight additional projects offices have been established throughout New Providence. Seven offices were established in Grand Bahama and two in Abaco.
Mr. Christie said the project is intended to be the single most innovative intervention in the lives of Bahamians by instilling a greater respect for law and order.
"The country cannot afford to be slack and indifferent to the strong application and enforcement of rules, and Urban Renewal has that as part of its function," Mr. Christie said. "But this is calculated to ensure a society that allows the government of the day to know what is happening and therefore not have to guess on spending money for the benefit and advancement of the people of our country."
As part of the first meeting held at the Radisson Cable Beach Resort on Friday, representatives from various agencies involved in the project presented up to date reports on the project.
Mr Christie said, "There has to be a belief and a passion that we can fix problems that has put some of our children at an incredible disadvantage."
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