The Tribune

THE government is moving to strengthen implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP), with plans to establish a permanent national planning institute and increase public engagement in the country's long-term development priorities.

Minister of Innovation and National Development Sebastian Bastian outlined the next phase of the Vision 2040 initiative during a meeting of the NDP Steering Committee on October 9.

The meeting, held under the newly established Ministry of Innovation and National Development, brought together committee members and the NDP Secretariat to discuss institutional reforms, implementation and public participation.

“A plan is how a country decides, on purpose, what it intends to become. Without one, a country does not stand still. It drifts,” Mr Bastian said.

Vision 2040, developed in 2016, outlines national development priorities across four pillars: governance, human capital, environment and the economy.

A central component of the government's plans is the proposed Bahamas National Development and Planning Institute, which would provide a permanent institutional framework for coordinating, monitoring and reviewing national development priorities.

The institute remains subject to the legislative process. “Vision 2040 is the foundation of national planning as we progress. It is being given the machinery it always deserved. We are moving from ideation to implementation, and we want to do that with this Committee, not alongside it,” Mr Bastian said.

Steering Committee chairman Felix Stubbs welcomed the establishment of a dedicated ministry, saying it presented an opportunity to give greater attention to long-term national planning.

Mr Stubbs acknowledged that preparatory work by the NDP Secretariat had taken time but said the process helped identify weaknesses, strengthen the proposed legislative framework and better prepare the technical team for implementation.

Committee members also received updates on the proposed Planning Institute legislation, lessons from Jamaica's planning institute, assessments of planning units across government and consultations with government ministries.

The meeting also addressed efforts to track national development activities and improve public engagement through Bahamas Forward, a new communications initiative associated with the NDP.

The initiative will focus on three objectives — Explain, Engage and Report — through public education, stakeholder participation and regular updates on documented progress.

It is intended to help Bahamians better understand national development priorities and participate in discussions about issues affecting their communities, including economic opportunities, education, infrastructure, environmental resilience and public services.

The ministry, NDP Secretariat and Steering Committee are expected to continue work on strengthening the institutional framework for national planning and improving coordination and transparency.

Members of the public can find more information at www.vision2040bahamas.org or through Bahamas Forward's social media platforms.