NASSAU, The Bahamas. The Bahamas Government has received a grant of $450,000 from the Inter-American Development Bank Multilateral Investment Fund to intensify Nassau International Airport Security Programme, in keeping with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.
An agreement to facilitate the funds was signed at the Airport Authority recently, during which Minister of Transport and Aviation the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin underscored the importance of complying with international standards.
‘This agreement is being executed at a very critical time for The Bahamas where with 28 airports, 16 of which are ports of entry, we are obliged to meet international standards as relates to security systems and aerodromes,’ said Mrs. Hanna-Martin. ‘The upgrade of our 28 airports, requires significant capital outlay, but the 16 aerodromes, which are ports of entry, must be given focused attention and brought up to international standards.’
The Minister noted that although the initiative would not address all of NIA’s needs, the programmes envisioned would accentuate efforts to ensure compliance of standards at the nation’s airports.
The ICAO, of which The Bahamas is affiliated, is the governing body of civil aviation worldwide. It provides standards and recommended practices for all aspects of civil aviation. Member/Contracting states agree to abide by all minimum Standards and Recommended Practices published. The Bahamas, being a Contracting State, has enacted appropriate legislation in order to ensure enforcement of such standards.
The grant, which will facilitate the hiring of international aviation security consultants and trainers, contains three significant components. Firstly, the training of security personnel stationed at NIA, as well as law enforcement partners, inclusive of the police, customs and immigration officers and selective members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.
Secondly, it would provide regulatory oversight requirements for airport security with a view to putting in place sustainable rules and regulations to ensure that international standards are maintained. The facility will also provide training for airport security trainers, including the provision of training manuals lesson plans to be used for future training of security officers.
Thirdly, it provides for the procurement of security equipment, including hand wands, bomb detection kits and related equipment. Security operations and screening will be enhanced particularly at Family Island airports to ensure requirements are met as outlined by the ICAO.
The Minister said the programme, in the first instance, will refine the security needs at specific airports identified by the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, including facilities at Moss Town, Exuma; Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay, Abaco; Rock Sound, Governor’s Harbour and North Eleuthera; and San Salvador.
‘In accordance with the agreement, a security, vulnerability and risk assessment plan would be formulated for the airports, as well as preparation and update of comprehensive security contingency plan for the airports as we seek to meet new standards, coordinated with the most recent procedures and requirements, amongst other things,’ the Minister said.
‘I am very pleased that our Bahamian aviation personnel would benefit from several strategic training programmes, which would include, among other things, aviation security procedures, air cargo and mail security training, hostage negotiations training, incident and crisis management training and training with trainer programmes,’ she added.
To complement the resources from IDB Multilateral Investment Fund, The Bahamas Government is to provide $200,000 for training of personnel, purchasing of security equipment, such as bomb detection kits and enhanced security screening among other things.
‘Law enforcement personnel at the airports, inclusive of the police, customs and immigration officers and selected members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, will also benefit from these training programmes’ Mrs. Hanna-Martin said.
Senator the Hon. James Smith, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, said the IDB assists the Caribbean and Latin American region by becoming involved in the economic and social development process.
‘We could go outside for loans to do things like this, but we sometimes prefer to go to the IDB, because in addition to just making resources available in this case in grant, they also bring to the table years and years of experience in technical assistance. And it’s for this reason, why Governments like The Bahamas would always respond to initiatives like this airport project, because post 9/11 all countries became very sensitive to the heightened security that need to take place at ports and airports throughout this hemisphere,’ Minister Smith said.
Donald Terry, manager of the IDB Multilateral Investment Fund since its inception 12 years ago, said the $445,290 will be used primarily to hire two consulting firms of ‘appropriate expertise’ for the development of security vulnerability and risk assessment necessary to refine the security needs of NIA and other airports in the Family Islands.
‘These are grant resources from the Inter-American Development Bank and they’re precious and we make sure that when we?re proving grant resources, not only is it being used for very important reasons, but that the project is going to be implemented well and we know that would be the case here in The Bahamas,’ Mr Terry said.
He added that the resources would enable The Bahamas to strengthen the regulatory environment for airport security so it could meet international standards.
At least 30 courses will be implemented with an average duration of five days in aviation security procedures for 345 personnel, including 95 from the Ministry of Transport and Aviation, Civil Aviation Department and the Airport Authority. The programme will also train 600 persons in public relations and customer service.
The project is in keeping with the Airport Authority Mission Statement, which is to ‘provide safe, reliable and efficient airport facilities to meet the needs of users and operators.’
Also present for the agreement signing were Archie Nairn, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Aviation; Idris Reid, Airport Authority; Richard Herring, IDB Representative for The Bahamas, and other Government officials.
