The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis officially opened Long Island’s Passport Office during a special ceremony on Friday, saying the move is a part of his administration’s efforts to make essential services more accessible to Bahamians on the Family Islands.

Friday’s launch was attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield, Long Island MP Adrian Gibson, Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell as well as other officials.

It also comes a week after a Passport Office was opened on Inagua in a similar ceremony.

Dr Minnis said the government remains committed to ensuring that all Bahamians have equal access to important governmental services and also, the further economic development of all Family Islands.

He said Friday’s event on Long Island is a demonstration of that. He also pledged that Long Island will soon get a new "state of the art" international airport.

“We are continuing the road to modernisation and introducing the various proper infrastructure in all the Family islands,” Dr Minnis said, adding that the country has been “Nassau centric” for far too long.

“The residents of Long Island should not be unduly disadvantaged because you live outside one of the urban centres of our country. This includes access to a broad variety of government services and that is why we are here today.

“We all know the great importance of having a passport and a means of having an identification and as a means to travel. Indeed, the passport remains one of the most important documents that is required of proof of citizenship and personal identification.

“…The opening of the Passport Office here in Clarence Town is a clear statement of the government’s policy of decentralisation of services.”

With the new satellite office, Dr Minnis said Long Islanders will now be able to enroll for new passports, renew expired passports and have biometric fingerprinting done while on the island.

Turnaround time for passport receipts will be about five to seven days, he added.

Dr Minnis also said since the launch of Exuma and Inagua’s Passport Offices, more than 200 people on those islands combined have enrolled for passports.

He noted: “Since being launched in February 2017, 138,356 Bahamians have been enrolled in the system, over 10,000 minors have been enrolled. Over 100 minors have been enrolled since the online portal opened in December 2020.”

“In the five weeks since opening the Exuma Office, more than 228 applicants have been enrolled and 88 Exumians issued with passports and, in just a week since the opening of the Inagua Passport Office, some 26 Inaguans have been enrolled.

“Meanwhile, the main Passport Office will continue to deploy its mobile team to areas that have smaller populations and are not served by local offices. Some 167 residents of Cat Island were recently enrolled via the mobile team.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield spoke of the many benefits the new Passport Office would provide to people on Long island.

“Today, this Minnis led administration makes it much easier and much more convenient in Clarence Town and the surrounding area to get your passports,” he said.

For his part, Mr Gibson described Friday’s opening as “a red-letter day” for Long Islanders, saying it signaled the beginning of a new era for members in the community.

He said: “Gone are the days when you would need to purchase a plane ticket to take a 50-minute flight to Nassau to apply for a passport. Gone are the days when you would have to rent, get a hotel room, rent a car or taxi or put aside monies or expenses. Gone are the days when you have to make one trip to apply for a passport.

“Soon, you will be able to obtain a new passport right here in Long island to be able to renew your passports right here in Long Island and replace your lost, stolen and missing passports right here in Long Island.”

According to officials, Eleuthera is next in line for a new satellite Passport Office.