The Government refused yesterday to discuss progress on a flagship series of measures designed to get the economy under way in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.

Curtis Dickinson, the Minister for Finance, unveiled the economic recovery plan last March and claimed that the Government would “continue to take timely and decisive action to restore consumer and business confidence, to stimulate our economy, which in turn will create a clear path to growth, employment, and greater equity”.

A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Office minister declined to answer specific questions on what progress had been made on a selection of proposals to boost the economy.

She said: “As the public is aware, the Government has commenced implementation of its Economic Recovery Plan.

“The ERP is focused on a strategy of economic diversification, reducing socio-economic disparities and leveraging its natural resources and geographic advantages.

“This approach will gradually help solidify the country's economic future. Steps have been taken to align the initiatives set out in the ERP to accelerate the economic outcomes.”

The spokeswoman added: “Simply put, while work will continue on all of the initiatives, those initiatives designed to generate a significant socio-economic impact in the short and medium term will feature as the Government’s priorities.

“It’s anticipated that Premier David Burt will provide a broader update to the public regarding the ERP in a statement to the House of Assembly during the current Budget session.”

Among the 29 initiatives of the ERP is the extension of an Economic Empowerment Zone in Hamilton.

The Government website said that it was “envisioned that the extension of the zone will be formally completed by February 2022”.

Other measures included the creation of a vertical farm to grow produce.

The website said the project was “well advanced” – a claim first made by Wayne Furbert, the Cabinet Office minister, in November 2020.

The website added that a feasibility study on medical tourism was being carried out “to determine its potential to create jobs” and that the implementation of a national jobs strategy was “now under way”.

The website also said that a national space strategy policy had been “developed and is currently being reviewed”, as was a business plan for a national digital bank.

David Burt, the Premier, claimed last November that nine of the projects were “substantially complete” – but there has been no update since then.

The Royal Gazette e-mailed questions on some of the projects to the Government more than two weeks ago.

Follow-up questions were sent last week and asked for progress reports on 15 of the 29 schemes in the Economic Recovery Plan.

The Opposition One Bermuda Alliance claimed that the Government’s launch of so many schemes at once was “unrealistic”.

Cole Simons, the Leader of the Opposition and shadow finance minister, said the programme “over-promised” and was doomed to failure.

Mr Simons added: “The PLP has been in government for 19 of the past 24 years and it has not addressed the socio-economic disparities which exist in employment, education, healthcare, housing and economic security for the average Bermudian.

“The Government is unrealistic if it thinks it can execute all of these initiatives which read more like an aspirational wish list as opposed to achievable objectives.

“If it could not do it before Covid, it is unlikely that these economic initiatives can be executed post-pandemic.”

Mr Simons said: “The Government has done very little to close the economic divide between the haves and have nots in our Island home and continues not address the socio-economic divide.”

“Instead of trying to over-promise, why doesn’t it instead choose to prioritise these initiatives and work on one or two, attain measurable results and then work its way down the list?

“At this juncture, trying to do too much will inevitably lead to very little being achieved and the island will continue to suffer economic disparity.”