The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas is facing “a salvage development plan” rather than a National Development Plan, a former Chamber executive said yesterday, as the nation seeks to “pick up the pieces” post-COVID-19.

Roderick Simms, ex-head of The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) Family Island unit, told Tribune Business that the pandemic had worsened the inequality between Nassau and sparsely-populated Family Islands, especially in the southern islands.

Voicing fears that the rate of depopulation in these islands has only increased, as persons head for New Providence in search of employment and a better quality of life, Mr Simms said reversing this trend will be a critical task for future administrations as part of efforts to reduce overcrowding in Nassau.

“Many Family Islands always struggle even when Nassau does well,” he told this newspaper. “With COVID-19 many of the islands have become increasingly depopulated. People want to provide and have jobs. Nassau has continued to attract them because people want to find jobs, provide and have a better quality of life and standard of living.

“Anchor projects have not worked out, and the numbers houses have been taking money out that does not have an opportunity to circulate on the island. We have to find ways to see how we can best get people to return to their islands.

“They want to return, but cannot find a job and stable employment to provide for their families and children. The southern islands, the struggle has been happening for a while.” Mr Simms said COVID-19 lockdowns and other health-related measures, while implemented to save lives and prevent the virus’ spread, also helped to widen the divide between New Providence and Family Islands.

In particular, he pointed to the requirement to obtain COVID-19 PCR and rapid antigen tests for persons to travel inter-island. Many Family Islands had relied on domestic tourism, and travel by family and friends, to help sustain their economies and much of this was cut-off as persons viewed the testing costs - when added to other travel-related fees - as simply prohibitive.

“It’s the local tourist that keeps some of these islands going,” Mr Simms added. “With that travel shut-off and additional cost of travelling to the Family Islands, it put travel out too much for many. It was a hard time. It was a difficult time.”

Arguing that the National Development Plan remains the best road map for addressing Family Island woes, he said COVID-19 had temporarily changed the focus. “It’s not a National Development Plan; it’s a salvage development plan,” Mr Simms told Tribune Business. “We have to salvage and pick up the pieces shattered by COVID-19 and the social and economic disruption that it has caused.”