Nassau, The Bahamas – The Bahamas’ openness to Caribbean nationals was underscored as the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) annual general assembly conference got underway on Tuesday (Nov. 27) at the British Colonial Hilton.
The Bahamas “has not been a selfish, myopic, parochial sort of country” toward its Caribbean neighbours, declared Prime Minister Perry G Christie, the keynote speaker.
He referred to a booklet which argued that The Bahamas had done more to accommodate Caribbean nationals in The Bahamas than any other Caribbean country.
“Oftentimes you don’t see that and you don’t know that,” he said. “But over the century we have had (Caribbean nationals) integrated into our country to the point where the sons of West Indians have become our leaders.”
He pointed out that Sir Lynden Pindling, the “architect of the modern Bahamas” was the son of a Jamaican. Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes’ mother was of Haitian descent.
“So you can see therefore, that even though I speak of looking inwards and driving forward to take care of our own nationals,” said Mr. Christie, “The Bahamas is not a selfish, myopic, parochial sort of country when it comes down to having Caribbean nationals integrated and becoming full fledged members of our community.”
Streets and schools in The Bahamas have been named in honour of Caribbean families, he noted.
CAIPA annual general assembly is hosted by Caribbean Export Development Agency in its role as the CAIPA secretariat.
It forms part of the regional private sector programme funded by the European Union and in collaboration with The Bahamas Investment Authority.
CAIPA was formed in 2007 with the objective of enabling collaboration among the CARIFORUM investment promotion agencies (IPA).
Its aim is to strengthen the region’s visibility as an attractive destination, provide joint marketing opportunities, facilitate customised training for its members, and give them access to reliable information.
The theme of this year’s two-day conference is “Strengthening our Foundation, Expanding our Reach”.
Government officials in attendance included Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis, Minister of Health Dr. Perry Gomez, Minister of Financial Services Ryan Pinder, Minister of State for Investment Khaalis Rolle, permanent secretaries, heads of departments and representatives from the financial services industry.
Prime Minister Christie pressed for urgent action against coastal erosion.
“We must constantly push forward lifting up the strength of our region,” he said, “but at the same time, as investment agencies, being able to warn our governments of this urgency to protect the geophysical characteristic of our islands because the sea is a constant onslaught.
“If you look at coastal erosion and its impact on all of our islands, it is slowly changing the landscape, and when you look at re-sanding beaches because the sea has taken them away, you are looking at an enormous infrastructural costs.”
Noting that in The Bahamas most souvenirs are imported for the millions of tourists who visit, the Prime Minster spoke of the importance of creating linkages.
“Tourists spend $300 million a year (on souvenirs) here,” he said, “and I can go into a hotel and ask the young lady where those pretty shells come from, and she says Vietnam.
“But we have the most beautiful shells, and if they are different in St Lucia, then let some St Lucia shells come here or if they are different in Guyana because of the mud banks, then let some of them come here. The linkages are so important.”
He said The Bahamas has “always been almost a record breaker in leakage in foreign exchange.
“We make a huge amount of money but 88 per cent of it is leaking out because we are a very ostentatious, consumer society importing most of what we use.
“The challenge for us is to be able to establish linkages in our economy so that the impact of direct foreign investment is of greater benefit to the people of our country.”
When he won the May general elections, he said, Secretary of State for the United States, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, telephoned to congratulate him.
“I told her that the Americans, in my view, could do so much more to help Caribbean countries particularly to help us preventing the guns from coming into our country,” he said.
“And I spoke on behalf of Caribbean countries when I said that because if we don’t solve our crime problems then it makes the investment area very, very difficult and challenging for us.”
Mrs. Clinton, he said, caused a high level delegation to be put together to discuss the matter.
“At the end of the day we are still faced with the fact that we have…to encourage those of you who promote our countries by giving you the confidence to know that what you’re selling…is really based on the fact that we can have a stable environment for them to invest in,” said the Prime Minister.
