The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday that there must be “a new paradigm” when it comes to facilitating investment approvals and minimising bureaucratic obstacles, conceding that the wait time on central government decisions was a major challenge.

Mr Christie, who was addressing the 13th annual Abaco Business Outlook conference, said: “There must be a new paradigm when it comes to functioning, being able to facilitate approvals and minimising bureaucratic obstacles to get things done.

“I concede one thing to the environmentalists; that God has given this country such untold pristine beauty that this generation has an obligation to ensure that future generations of Bahamians are able to see and experience what we now know and share.”

Referring directly to Abaco, Mr Christie said the island has seen growth in 2016 out of its top US source visitor markets.

“In the first half of this year, Abaco experienced incremental growth in each of its top 10 US markets, which puts it on track to deliver solid returns for the full year 2016, with over 99,000 visitors coming by air to the destination in 2015,” the Prime Minister added.

“Abaco is only one of three islands in the Bahamas that was able to meet or exceed the region’s overall growth rate of 7.3 per cent in foreign air arrivals last year.”

Mr Christie stressed that Abaco should be more involved in agriculture, so that linkages could be established between local producers and resort operators, given that the Bahamas imports more than $1 billion in food each year.

“There is no question that Abaco has developed over the years into a market leader, keeping ahead of trends and turning challenges into opportunities,” said Mr Christie.