‘Creating A World-Class Bahamas’ is the theme for this year’s 27th Annual Bahamas Business Outlook to be held at The Baha Mar Cable Beach Resort Thursday, January 18th.
Headlining the symposium will be Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis who will deliver the keynote speech focusing on the nation’s economic challenges and opportunities.
At a press briefing held yesterday, The Counsellors Ltd (TCL) President Joan Albury, who is chief organizer of the Business Outlook series introduced key persons that will be speaking at this event.
Jump starting the daylong forum discussing “Bahamas Investments Through Law Opportunities” will be Judith Whitehead, Managing Partner of the law firm Graham, Thompson and Company.
Moderating the first series of the year will be Former Minister of State for Finance, Zhivargo Laing.
“Whether you are a business owner, a business manager, an employee, unemployed, a government policy director or a government worker, whoever you are in the Bahamas, there is always a big question at the beginning of the year.
“That question is: What is this economy going to do? What are the prospects for business during the course of the year? So much depends on the answer to that question, but naturally you want to get as much information as you can to answer that question,” said Laing.
He says that in order to get answers to such pertinent questions, one must seek them out from policy directorates, like the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament and successful business leaders; people that have a certain pulse on what’s happening in the economy.
Mr. Laing asked , “ what do you do to get that kind of information in one place efficiently? You pull together something called the Bahamas Business Outlook and that is essentially the premier place to have an answer to questions; what is the economy going to do.”
Carlos Palacious, Director of Operations for Caribbean Coastal Services, another panelist, informed the media he will be focusing on a number of coastal issues specifically, Hurricane Preparedness.
“We are a small island developing state that has a lot of challenges that we have to overcome. The focus this year from my standpoint will be establishing that true connection between our survival in terms of our industries, whether it’s tourism, whether it’s agriculture, whether it’s fisheries; really, the economy that drives us and how that is being impacted by climate change and especially hurricanes.
“We as a nation have spent hundreds of millions of dollars over the last few years trying to recover and prepare ourselves for these storms.
“These hurricanes aren’t going anywhere, so it’s important for us to remember certain things; adaption, how do we change our culture and our livelihood so that we can be prepared,” said Palacious.
He aspires to make The Bahamas stronger, by trying to introduce a stronger foundation to the country as it continues to grow through aiding it’s adaption to better the lives of Bahamians, but in a more efficient, strategic way.
Additionally, Zev Crystal, CEO of Sustainable Energy Limited will present “A Model For The World.” He will be focusing on renewable energy in a small island nation.
“We will be presenting certain solutions that will not only create the power that the Bahamas needs to become self-sufficient, but not just the solar power, but the human power,” Mr. Crystal said.
Mr. Crystal says that when one looks at a country with so many jewels such as the Bahamas, there has to be a three-dimensional approach to everything that happens here.