THE RIGHT DIRECTION

The year 2024 has been a good year for The Bahamas in despite of all the negative around us. It is our considered and dispassionate opinion that the positives in our national development efforts far outweigh the negatives.

Before we list the positives, we state without equivocation that in the main, many Bahamians who are detractors of the government in power is for what is called in agriculture “a crop failure.”    We have seen many examples when things are moving in the right direction or when plaudits should be given, nothing is heard from those who oppose.  These people are woefully unpatriotic and unnationalistic.  They are unnecessarily hard on anything Bahamian operated.  While they gripe and complain, the country is enjoying an excellent reputation in the international financial community, among the rating agencies and in world tourism.

We admit that there are social problems, official corruption in some agencies and departments of government, but this is not only an issue in The Bahamas, but this is also the case throughout the Caribbean and The Americas.

The recent arrest of a senior Bahamian policeman and a Defense Force Officer in Florida on allegations of drug trafficking exacerbated criticisms and the negatives of the outlook for the country.   Many Bahamians reacted as if the sky was falling on the country.  This is not the first time such allegations were made, or Bahamians were indicted, and it would not be the last.

The Bahamas is the third border to The United States.  We have some thirty airports that could be used by the Drug Cartel in South America.  If they are not well manned, corrupt Bahamians and foreigners will seek to use them to get illegal drugs to the major cities in North America despite the best efforts of whoever or whichever political party that is governing The Bahamas.   So, calls for a Commission of Inquiry to investigate such matters are nothing more than hot air and totally unnecessary.

We are convinced that the present administration is doing all that is necessary to eradicate corruption and to improve the level of confidence by the public in the Law Enforcement Agencies of the country.

Given the rate of growth in The Bahamas and the systems in place to arrest corruption and improve our quality of life, it is reasonable to conclude that The Bahamas is one of the best governed countries in The Americas.  This is also the assessment of United Nations entities of the Organization of American States.

While many Bahamians are feeling the high cost of living, they must come to the realization that we import inflation from goods coming mostly from The United States.  When Wholesalers in The Bahamas purchase products in the U.S. and pay the necessary tariffs needed to operate the government, the costs are passed on to the consumer.  The Ministry of Finance reported last week that the Bahamian economy continued its stable growth momentum during the initial quarter for Fiscal Year 2024/25 against the backdrop of slowed global growth and moderated inflationary pressures.

The Bahamian economy continued to benefit from robust tourism driven growth and foreign direct investment related construction activity, amid a moderation in inflationary pressures.  As a result, employment is high with those who really want to work being able to find a job.  We don’t hear Taxicab drivers or hotel workers complaining about work.  However, most workers complain about the cost of living, which must receive more attention from the policy makers.  In this regard, we welcome the efforts of the Consumer Protection Commission to address price gouging.

The Minister of Economic Affairs Michael Halkitis said recently that consumer protection was among the government’s key priorities, particularly on the heels of challenges faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As the economy rebounded, we saw supply chain disruptions and massive global inflation that further challenged the Bahamian consumer, especially the most vulnerable in our society.  This further confirmed the need for an increased focus on consumer protection,” said the Minister.

On the international scene, The Bahamas is making its presence felt on the issues that matter to improve the standard of living and quality of life of the Bahamian people; whether it is climate change or political and economic issues in Haiti, among others.

In Education, schools are in a state of readiness to provide quality educational opportunities from the primary to tertiary levels.

Labour relations have been greatly improved with many trade agreements signed by Unions, even though there are misunderstandings from time to time, as experienced with some employees of Bahamasair this week.

We are convinced that the country is headed in the right direction, although the mood of the people is soured by the level of crime and the malfeasance of some law enforcement officers to tarnish the reputation of the country.

The Bahamas has the steady hands of Prime Minister Philip Davis at the tiller of the Ship of State and with God’s blessings and the good intentions of the vast majority of Bahamians, the year 2025 will see even more growth and prosperity.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our readers, supporters and people of goodwill.