Column: MP Tyrrell On Budget, Health & More
[Opinion column written by MP Neville Tyrrell]
This year’s Budget is more than numbers:
- It’s about fairness in action.
- It’s about care, and compassion.
- It’s about working towards a Bermuda where everyone benefits.
It starts with healthcare. Free annual checkups for HIP and FutureCare members mean more Bermudians can catch problems before they become emergencies.
Increasing prescription coverage from $1,000 to $3,000 for HIP and from $3,000 to $5,000 for FutureCare we’re helping more Bermudians get more of the medicine they need and reducing a significant financial burden for families across the island.
We’re also:
- Investing heavily in housing with 30 new units being constructed this fiscal year.
- Investing heavily in road repairs and infrastructure
- Increasing our investment in Education by nearly $10 million
- $1.8 million allocated to support post-secondary education
- through scholarships and awards.
- Slashing Fuel duty for power generation, bringing the total reduction made by this Government to 80% in two years, and saving the average household about $300 annually.
- Slashing base land tax rate by 50% for homeowners and renters in 2026
- Cut car licencing fees by 10%
- Cutting monthly tax on mobile phones by 50%
- Cutting customs duty on building materials to reduce the cost of building homes
- Eliminated Customs Duty on vehicle parts
- Gave the first increase in the Duty-Free Allowance since 2012, raising it from $200 to $300
- Eliminated the 12-Month Waiting Period for Home Care for new HIP and FutureCare policyholders giving immediate support to those who need home-based care and easing pressure on hospitals.
Our economic strategy now sees us positioned to see our second budget surplus, repay the debt, build up our reserves and make investments for the future in a time of global chaos.
In crafting the budget, we knew that on the one hand, the economy is doing well and that the wealthy, and privileged already are reaping the benefits.
On the other hand, we knew too many of us not only weren’t feeling the progress in our economy; we were feeling left behind.
We believe that it is only right, and only fair that when Bermuda is doing well, everyone should benefit.
That’s why we’ve tried to share in that success by slashing taxes and fees and by investing in addressing your concerns in our community such as the cost of living, housing, healthcare, and road conditions
Fairness isn’t just a slogan to us; it is at the heart of the way we approach governing.
This Budget may not solve every problem, but it shows where our heart is: with families, with our children, and with the people who need us most.
- Neville Tyrrell
Read More About
Category: All
Mr. Tyrrell.
You comentary is excelent however you missed out on the one thing that keeps Bermuda all nice bright and shiney it is soap.
With out soap and the many other cleaning ptroducts where would we be certainly there would be less madical problems.
Becarefull of certain soap alergies .
Summer is coming people perspire more even when they are sleeping that becomes a paradise for bactreior and leads to many other real medical problems.
It would be good if Government would drop the duty on soap items including house hold as every day things here have to be more afordable for everyone.
We are the Government of the people and not the Government of a select goup of people namely their party .
We ask our Government to work with us not against us it all starts with clenliness.
$45 million for health is that what it is going to goat us?
Are the side effects from COVID 19 still plauging people here with skin and other issures.
Mosquotoes are now becoming a big problem here .
Dont scratch which causes infections .
The slogun here is keep Bermuda beautiful may be we could also include keep Bermuda people beautiful
Normaly people shower everly other day .
In the summer in the summer some take a refreshing shower every day.
Being mind full of your water supply which should be checked at least once a month.
Water pump repair from burn out caus by an empty tank are an unessesary expence
How man water tanks need to be cleaned i Ibet there are thousands as th. water tank is part of the health problem here if the water smell it is stagnent.
Have you got a rat or bird in your tank ??????
Water tanks are considered to be a resivoir for the dry periods in summer so be carefull with your water usage check the lever of water in the tank often, always look for over half full .
TANK CLEANING INFORMATION FOR A GOOD DAY.
i am using strong comanding words here for good reason .
Local Hurricanes can cause most of the problems including vegitation from 90 mph wind and grass cuttings birds rats and their dirt relating to Bermuda water tanks .
Living next to a bussy road does not help at all with more dirt brake dust a tire compound .. .
A dirty water tank can make the residense of a home very sick . XXX there is a fancy word for it
so block the over flow pipr wi a suitable screed mesh wire to prevent vermin from getting in so change the tank over flow drain screen often .
To prevent bad water getting in a tank from hurricanes I block all the gutter down pipes botom up with medium soda pop ot 3.5″ water bottled filled with water for weight, covered with a new socks for a tight fit , the sock is tied at the end for recovery all that will block a large percentage of hurricane water water containing vegitation and salt from getting in the tank the pumped water is not good and deamed useless not even good for the garden .
Cleaning tanks are best done after Hurricane season say late / mid November it is recomended that the work done professionaly it a two man job .
The pumping work is done by useing a 2″ suction /delivery trash pump that takes out every thing as most likely they will find 3 ” to 4″ of grey sludge sand and dirt an grass clipping from contract gardeners lawn mowers and other dirty insects like roaches.
Final cleaning that is a must can be done with a roof power washer B.T.W. only do one side of a double tank ar any one time as you will need the other side for flushing. do no pump i that other side out unles you have a water truck on stand by in your yard
Many water truckers do tank cleaning
Adding large amounts of clorox to save a dirty tank is not a good idea. DO NOT DO IT .
Water tank trucker are require to add one cup of Clorox per 1000 gallon per delivery check on this .
The summer time is over now for the rain season in October to fill up your tank do no forget to remove the down pipe bottles to alow new water into the clean side after that has been cleaned
The whole job can be doin in one day.
It is not advisabl to pump the. DIRTY water over to the clean side if the tank .
also good to took fot tank cracks an fix the woth ceent and sand ony .
Also this present a good oppertunity to replce the the non return valve
s at the end of each suction pipe. thrse fillting do not last for ever .
Do the job properly in a timely manner and you water will be safer to drink providing thst your roof has been newly white ONLY acement type washed with a commersial product sold here in bags .
Every home owner need to take care of two most important at leasr every three years items the roof and the water tank .
The glory of home ownership and inexperianced people shold never go up on any roof if you fall that could be your last ..
UNDERSTANDING THE FUNCTION OF A BERMUDA WATER TANK.
The Bermuda water tank and the method which we catch water in Bermuda is some what unique compared to many other countries in the world . We do have wells here, but not for drinking water, just crop watering .
It is esential that we treat our fresh water with respect and great care.
Previously , I refered to half a tank of water as the minimum of 50 % as the water get lower to switch over from saside “A” to keep as reserves and use side “B” only on a tank with a center devision wall.
Water to falls from the roof gutter say 15 ft doen into the tank causing that water to oxygenate.
The water in the tank can go to stagnation being related to the lack of oxyogen same as home pet fish tanks using bubble system .
Water circulation inproves in the tank when it rains also water pump draws water from say 6″ from the botton the tank to cause for further circulation.
The exclusion of light prevents the water from turning green that can take only about three days in pools an ponds
The water tanks being located below ground keeps the water relatively cool another plus prevents the water from turning green with algie.
All tanks are required to have cross ventalaion with grates .
The roof water down pipes should have screening to prevent birds a vermin from getting into the tank as rats are very agile some fancy over flow pipes unless screened off .
You do no want a rat or frog in your water tank
At a pinch ! a home made tapered cone made from house fly screen say at 4″ at the top to fit the 3″ down pipe secures the screen in place however the fine screen will need to be cleaned from sand tha blows oup on the roof if you live is a low lying area
clean away sand build up say every 3 months .
Do not go up on the roof .
Ideal standard down pipe screens which i am presently using are available locally at a painters shop near Brighton hill .
Tank sized are controled by the D.A.P. personally i like to see 7,000 gallons per bedroom or bath room 15,000 gallon for a two bed home. or say 5,000 per person.
Remember the tank is only a resovouir and not an infinite water sourse .
I personlally do not cared to see my water tank over flow that is alot of pressure on the building.
You would do well to screen off not block off over flow pipe do check that and go frog and rat hunting .
You could water the garden ***with out using add on spray gagets as they are toys *** for volume watering use a straight hose at 30 minute intervals so you do not burn out the pump’s motor from over heating.
Water pump is constant cutting ” in and out” your pressure tank is water logged have a plumber re pessurize the pressure tank . Do not do that you self.
How to tell if your fresh water is no longer fresh, the hot water from the water heater will have rancid type a smell to it andwill go from bad to worse . the cureis not CLOROX .
Houses do not maintain them selves.
It take time an effort and more so than the family car .
“Increasing prescription coverage from $1,000 to $3,000 for HIP and from $3,000 to $5,000 for FutureCare”
Neville, last year the PLP Government had to borrow money to keep HIP and FutureCare afloat. See https://bernews.com/2025/05/budget-56-25-million-to-invest-in-healthcare/
How is this increase in benefits to be funded please?