The Bahamas is opening the door to corruption through its largely unregulated campaign finance system,  offering few safeguards against “quid pro quo” donations, according to the United States’ 2018 Human Rights Report released this past Wednesday.

According to the report, the procurement process was particularly susceptible to corruption, as it is opaque, containing no requirement to engage in open public tenders, and does not allow review of award decisions.

It further stated that the government, nevertheless, “routinely issued open public tenders”.

Throughout the course of 2018, the report said that the government launched a process for all vendors and suppliers to register on an electronic platform to increase transparency and to improve the procurement process.

The Minnis-led government, it said, pursued allegations of official corruption after taking office.

As of November, the report also acknowledged that cases continued regarding two former ministers and a former senator from the Christie Administration charged with corruption in 2017.