The love of foreigners over Bahamians by the PLP and FNM when it comes to the BTC privatization process...

Selling BTC a threat to national development
thenassauguardian editorial


National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest escalated the dispute between the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) unions and the government over the sale of the majority stake in BTC to Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC), when he described the unions’ protest as a national security threat.

Turnquest, in an interview with The Nassau Guardian, went further and stated that the security forces are on alert for any eventuality regarding the dispute. The BTC unions have threatened, with the support of the national trade union movement, a general strike.

Union leaders always threaten to strike when they don’t get their way. In order to carry out a successful strike, however, a majority of the workers represented by these leaders have to support the strike call. And these workers have to be prepared for pain and loss.

There is no evidence, thus far, proving that the members of these unions are prepared to go down this rough road.

The unions have been annoying to the government, but they have not been a national security threat. In fact, the union opposition has been somewhat weak.

There were only a few hundred people at the union march on Parliament in December – that number includes the members of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and other splinter parties which participated. These unions represent tens of thousands of workers.

Only a few hundred people showed up at the union-organized ‘mass rally’ at R.M. Bailey Park on Monday night.

These unions can’t even bring out a good crowd.

The minister has engaged in hyperbole. And by invoking the security forces under his command – the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence Force – he appears menacing.

The government and its agencies should be on alert for mass disruptions rather than some nebulous national security threat. The unions are likely to continue with small-scale disruptions.

National security threats are actions that threaten the existence of a state. Strike calls by union leaders who cannot turn out their membership do not threaten the existence of The Bahamas.

The decision to sell a major Bahamian state asset to a foreign company, however, is a threat to the national development of the country.

The policy of all Bahamian governments should be to empower Bahamians. They should especially attempt to create more entrepreneurs and to further empower those already in business.

When Bahamians own enterprises, rather than foreigners, more money stays in the country and more Bahamians are usually hired to operate the business.

Furthermore, empowering Bahamians by making Bahamians owners of BTC would allow those Bahamians to then become players in the regional telecommunications industry. Policymakers should be aiming for Bahamians to someday take over telcos across the Caribbean.

Instead, the PLP and the Free National Movement (FNM) administrations want to sell a major chunk of this major state asset to foreigners.

A privatization policy is needed in The Bahamas. It should state that bidders for state assets either be Bahamian or they should be joint venture partnerships with Bahamians.

The love of foreigners over Bahamians when it comes to the BTC privatization process is the threat Bahamians should be concerned about when it comes to the PLP and the FNM.

1/12/2011

thenassauguardian editorial

Bahamas Blog International

Andros Island Seen as The Breadbasket of The Bahamas

The Potential of Andros as The Breadbasket to Feed The Entire Bahamas

Farming clearly should be and will be the lifeblood of Andros...

North Andros to Feed the Nation

 

By Gladstone Thurston

BahamaSeaWeed@groups.msn.com

Bahamas Information Services

February 6, 2004

 

 

Nicholl’s Town, Andros – The North Andros High School came in for commendations from Agriculture Minister V Alfred
Gray in its quest to feed the nation.

North Andros High is “the model for farming in all the secondary schools in The Bahamas,” added Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Peet, the Member of Parliament for the area.

“I am pushing to get additional scholarships at the College of the Bahamas for those who want to take farming seriously,” Mr Peet told students.  “Until we can elevate farming to the level of respectability where it belongs, then many of you will still look at farming as a blue-collar work for somebody else to do.”

Mastic Point Primary won the H Newbold floating trophy for excellence in farming, a programme spearheaded by North Andros High last year.  Red Bay Primary was second, and Bowen Sound Primary came in third.  All primary schools in the district including those in the Berry Islands participated.

Ministers Peet and Gray led a delegation from Nassau to the North Andros High School agriculture rally and exhibition on Thursday staged by the North Andros High 4H Club in collaboration with the agriculture science department.

Also present were Deputy Permanent Secretary/Ministry of Agriculture Ursula Chisholm, Agriculture Extension Officer Stephen Adderley, District Superintendent Harcourt Davis, Administrator Dr Huntly P Christie, and Chief Councillor Alphonso Smith.  Joel Lewis is the principal at North Andros High.

“(The agriculture exhibition) comes at a time when we feel that providing food for ourselves is very, very necessary,” said agriculture science teacher and 4H Club co-ordinator Rai Budhu.  “We hope to motivate you to strive towards self sufficiency.

“It is important for a nation to be self sufficient in food.  A country, which is unable to provide its own food, can be in great problems.  You can eat every day the things that are produced right here in North Andros.”

Agriculture exhibits at the school’s sprawling farms, adjacent to its campus, featured a wide variety of edibles – pumpkins, cassavas, yams, potatoes, broccolis, cauliflowers, tomatoes, grapefruits and nonis - the latest cash crop.

Chickens, pigs, goats and ducks are also raised as part of the programme.

Already North Andros High provides a Nassau-based hotel and restaurant with fresh fruit and vegetables.

“I see Andros as the breadbasket of today and tomorrow,” noted Agriculture Extension Officer Mr Adderley.  “While there is limited farming going on at present, the potential for Andros is as a breadbasket to feed the whole nation.”

Mr Peet said the government is going to do much more to empower Bahamians, “especially you here in Andros where farming clearly should be and will be the lifeblood of Andros.

“Farming is something to look forward to.  It is a profession, which pays, and you would be doing a very valuable service to yourselves, The Bahamas and the world.

“The farmers in Andros have been frustrated for years.  We are about to ease that pressure for all farmers because farmers need to be respected and given the tools to earn a decent living.

“This exhibition is a very good example of the importance and the value that North Andros High is putting on farming.”

Agriculture Minister Gray urged Bahamians to consider agriculture as “serious business.”

He pointed out that farming provides an avenue through which the country’s economic base could be broadened while contributing to the country’s food security.

He warned of the “almost total reliance” of the country on a single industry – tourism, “an industry that is very sensitive to and is always driven by external forces over which we in The Bahamas have little or no control.

“It is important therefore for us to expand the pillars of our economy to include the agriculture and fishing industries.”

Another reason for agricultural economic expansion has to do with The Bahamas becoming more self-reliant.

“The fact is that we as a country rely too heavily on imports,” said Minister Gray.

In its effort to motivate farmers, the government has put in place a package of incentives, which include the provision of farmland, assistance in land clearing, duty-free exemption on equipment, and loan guarantees.

Mr Gray said he will be recommending to the government the granting of ‘start-up’ money for persons “who are serious about becoming involved in agriculture and who are willing to farm for produce, which are in high demands.

“I challenge you, therefore, to become partners with the government in making agriculture and fishing strong pillars in our country’s economic life,” said Mr Gray.

“I can assure you that those who are willing to become so involved would find this government’s attitude very embracing and supportive.”