The 52nd anniversary of the independence of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas finds the country in a good place; a state of growth and prosperity.  At the same time there is an obvious concerted effort to work on the challenges facing the nation, many of them caused by external forces.

Since the end of COVID-19 and the resetting of the initiatives of the government, all indices are now pointing in the right direction.  The level of foreign direct investment is high, tourism is booming, there is tremendous improvement in infrastructural development in most islands of The Bahamas with emphasis on construction of new roads, docks, airports and the supply of energy with the acquisition of new LNG engines and solar systems.

Even detractors of the government of Prime Minister Philip Davis must admit that his administration is focused on improving the quality of life of the average Bahamian and positive results can be seen and felt.

Since the majority of Bahamians are employed in the tourism sector, there is no complaint from Taxicab drivers, Straw Vendors or others in the hospitality industry.  It is rare to now hear of hotel workers being laid off or not working for the full week.

In industrial relations, the government has signed a record number of agreements with unions, even though there is discontentment by some union leaders.  The popularity of the government was clear during the recent Labour Day celebrations when members of various unions defied calls by the leadership of the Trade Union Congress not to participate in the parade.

Despite the shortcomings in the provision of healthcare in the country, The Bahamas has the best public health services in the region with thousands of Bahamians registered under National Health Insurance.  Construction of a new hospital in New Providence will begin soon with a $300 million loan from China, and in Grand Bahama construction of a new hospital is underway.

Grand Bahamians are more optimistic than ever before for the resurgence of the economy there.  The sale of the Grand Lucayan hotel is about to be consummated in a matter of weeks and a new Carnival Cruise Port will begin operation this month, welcoming an increased number of ships and adding millions to the visitor count in the nation’s second city.   It is anticipated that almost two thousand Bahamians will be employed in the tourism sector in Grand Bahama with spinoff benefits for the economy on the whole.

Over in Abaco, the construction of new homes and businesses has restored a healthy economy since Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc on that northern island in 2019.  Prime Minister Davis said recently in his budget address, “In every corner of the of The Bahamas, one could feel the stirrings of progress — quiet in some places, bold in others, but always there.”

He pointed out that in his government’s Efforts Plan and its Blueprint for Change, it laid out a “detailed vision for recovering, rebuilding, and revolutionizing our country’s economy.  “We knew we had a big task ahead of us — we knew that rescuing the country from the worst fiscal and economic crises we’d ever faced was going to be a big lift, but we also knew — as bad as things were — that recovery could not be the ultimate goal; recovery had to be a stop on the way to something better.  Because even in the best of times in the past, too many Bahamians have been left out of our economy.

“The Bahamas is on the right path.  And if we stay steady, stay disciplined, stay true to the people who sent us here, (the Parliament) we will finish what we started,” Prime Minister Davis said.

Being the honest and objective entity that we are in Media in The Bahamas, while we congratulate the government and the people on this anniversary of Independence on the economic performance of the nation, we must confess that there is much work to be done as we confront the social development challenges.  As in most developing countries, especially in the western hemisphere, we need to redouble our efforts to address the incidences of crime and violence among the youthful population, particularly in the urban areas of New Providence.  We believe it is caused by the importation of negative cultural influences and access to illegal firearms imported from North America.

While the Law Enforcement Agencies and the Judiciary are hard-pressed in addressing the issue, the moralizing institutions, the home, school and the church are called upon to become more accountable and effective in addressing the problems facing young people at risk.  As the standard of living of Bahamians is improving markedly, the concentration must always be for a better quality of life, which is measured by the peace and security of the nation.  In this regard, we must put partisan politics aside and strive for the common good of a peaceful and well-ordered society.

May God continue to bless The Commonwealth of The Bahamas.