Christian Council applauds decision not to legalise the numbers business
By ALISON LOWE
Tribune Staff Reporter
alowe@tribunemedia.net:
THE Bahamas Christian Council expressed its pleasure yesterday at the government's decision not to legalise the numbers business at this time.
In a statement issued after the government announced it had shelved plans to legalise the numbers business despite initial assessments determining that it could bring $30 million to $40 million in revenue into the public treasury annually, the BCC said the decision is "a good step" and one "in the right direction."
The church organisation also stressed that "fundamental long-term changes" are needed if the country is to get through its present economic predicament, which Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham has indicated to be quite dire, with the government having difficulty finding the money to fund essential services.
Referring to the gambling question, the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) held that a country addicted to gambling and "all the social ills that are inextricably tied to it" condemns its people and generations to come to a society "void of creativity and productivity."
Evil
As an "instrument created by God", government should "secure each person and their property, equality of justice between individuals, and constrain the forces of evil in civil society," the BCC said.
Suggesting that the legalisation of the numbers business would encourage more Bahamians to gamble - although it is widely recognised that thousands of Bahamians from all areas of society do so at present, and generally with impunity - the BCC said that "laws shape society" and "human beings generally follow the laws that are set in a society."
The government stated over the weekend that it has encountered strong opinions on both sides of the debate for and against the legalisation of numbers and would put off further consideration of the issue until a referendum can be held after the next general election. The prime minister met with the BCC last month to discuss the possibility of legalising the numbers business.
Speaking to the country's financial situation, the BCC said: "There are some fundamental long-term changes that are required. These adjustments may not be considered favourable in the short-term but are critical to our overall long-term well-being and sustainability."
"The Bahamas Christian Council pledges our support to the government to assist with the sensitising of our people to the need for such measures to be implemented.
"We would also be very willing to participate in any national discussion to devise a national plan for the long-term sustainability of the Bahamian economy," the BCC said.
The organisation suggested that think-tanks with a diverse membership could also help devise solutions to the country's economic challenges by "coming up with alternative solutions to produce and create wealth in our country."
May 26, 2010
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