Prime Minister Hubert Minnis extended condolences to the family of Sir William Allen who passed away on Wednesday.
Sir Allen was a former minister of state in the ministry of finance, a senator and governor of the Central Bank.
What Dr. Minnis says about Sir William Allen
Prime Minister Minnis expressed gratitude for the advice Allen rendered to him when he served as Leader of the Opposition.
He added that Allen “fundamentally bettered” the Bahamas, and was a man of integrity.
Minnis said Allen “loved his country. He was one of the most accomplished Bahamians of his
generation” and made major contributions to the economy of the Bahamas.
“The investments in the tourism sector and expansion of the Bahamian economy due to
the policies of that Administration (Free National Movement in 1994), created new opportunity for tens of thousands of Bahamians,” Minnis said.
Who was Sir William Allen
- Allen was the former member of parliament for Montague in 1994.
- Upon his election he was appointed Minister of Finance, a position he held until May 2002.
- He was named the Deputy Governor General of the Central Bank in 1974.
- Sir William became Governor of the Central Bank in 1980.
- Sir William was called to further service of his beloved Bahamas when the Free National Movement (FNM) won its historic first victory in August 1992.
- He was appointed to the Senate and served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
- Sir William was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 in her New Years Honours List for his service to banking, civics and politics.
Sir William was 83-years-old.