JUST 17% OF POOR GETTING BENEFITS
By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
LESS than 17 per cent of poor Bahamian households are receiving social security benefits, an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report highlighting a dysfunctional welfare system that is failing to reach those most in need, and where the potential for fraud and abuse is rampant.
The IDB report, which has been obtained by Tribune Business, also reveals that just 45 per cent of the Food Stamps issued by the Department of Social Services go to the poorest 20 per cent of Bahamian households, raising immediate questions of whether the system is being abused by wealthier persons and those with the right 'connections'.
Noting that there was no 'means testing' of applicants for social security benefit payments in the Bahamas, the IDB report said government officials found difficulty in accessing even the most basic information on welfare programmes, such as how may people were benefiting from them.
Evaluations of the Government's various social security initiatives, to determine whether they were functioning efficiently and reaching their targets, were described as "virtually non-existent".
The IDB report is part of an initiative to Strengthen Social Protection Programmes in the Bahamas, which is seeking to consolidate the various welfare benefits into a more streamlined package targeting the most vulnerable in Bahamian society.
It is also targeting waste, fraud and inefficiency in the system, in a bid to reduce the burden social security spending places on the Government's finances.
"The Bahamas has a range of non-contributory social protection programmes. However, there is considerable scope for consolidating, redesigning and strengthening programmes so that the safety net is better positioned to protect the poor and promote their human capital development," the IDB report said.
"The Ministry of Labour and Social Development implements over 10 cash-in-kind programmes, and households could potentially benefit from all of these."
These initiatives included the Food and Financial Assistance Programmes; the School Uniform and Footwear Programme; School Feeding Programme; Rent Programme; Water Programme; Electricity Programme; Disability Allowance; Emergency Assistance; Medical Care Assistance; and Residential and Non-residential Social Care Services.
Yet the IDB report warned: "Multiple small programmes are administratively burdensome, and increase possibilities for abuse. At the same time, gaps in coverage are present, with only 16.7 per cent of poor households in receipt of safety net benefits.
This suggests that the Bahamas' social security/welfare system is failing abysmally where it is most needed, in providing help to the poorest in society.
The IDB report said all the Government's benefits "rely on inefficient targeting mechanisms", with both those under the Ministry and the National Insurance Board (NIB) involving different applications and targeting procedures.
"Each programme has its own criteria for approval," the report added. "Applications for assistance to the Ministry of Labour and Social Development go through a labour intensive seven-step review process.
"Even with this multi-tiered approval process, only 45 per cent of Food Coupon benefits go to households in the poorest quintile, and this is despite the fact that the programme is ostensibly targeted to the indigent."
All of which suggests that the majority of Food Stamps, some 55 per cent, go to those who have no, or minimal need, for them - indicating the system is being abused.
"Information and monitoring systems are weak," the IDB report added. "Programme information is not fully computerised, and programme officials have difficulty accessing even basic programme information, such as how many programme beneficiaries there are, or beneficiaries' geographic and demographic composition.
"Programme evaluations are virtually non-existent. As a result, we do not know which programmes are achieving their objectives, and if they are efficient and cost-effective."
The IDB said the Government wanted to "improve the efficiency and effectiveness" of its social security spending. As a result, the project aimed "to help lessen, in the medium term, the fiscal burden of the welfare system by reducing leakages of transfers to non-eligible beneficiaries".
Administration was also targeted for improvement, and rationalising the Government's various benefit programmes "to avoid duplication, and restructuring to enhance efficiency and impact, is needed". Consolidation was a priority, along with expanding social security coverage "to a greater share of the poor".
"The consolidated programme should focus on protecting the most vulnerable and on promoting human capital development among children, including promoting healthy nutrition and keeping adolescents in school," the IDB report said.
Means testing, to ensure those actually needing social security support, are set to be introduced. The welfare programmes to be consolidated are the Food and Financial Assistance (rent, water and electricity) programmes; the School Uniform and Footwear programme; School Lunch programme; and Disability Allowance.
The IDB report acknowledged that the programme could be "politically sensitive" given the upcoming election, but the Government is moving to counter this by appointing a broad-based social protection reform working group.
January 06, 2012
tribune242
A political blog about Bahamian politics in The Bahamas, Bahamian Politicans - and the entire Bahamas political lot. Bahamian Blogger Dennis Dames keeps you updated on the political news and views throughout the islands of The Bahamas without fear or favor. Bahamian Politicians and the Bahamian Political Arena: Updates one Post at a time on Bahamas Politics and Bahamas Politicans; and their local, regional and international policies and perspectives.
Showing posts with label poor Bahamians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poor Bahamians. Show all posts
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Monday, January 10, 2011
Majority Rule is a concept that has long been lost in the everyday Bahamian way of life
Who says the majority rules?
thenassauguardian editorial
Today is being observed as Majority Rule Day in The Bahamas.
Historically, the day represents the emergence of a local, black Bahamian government, with the responsibility of helping Bahamians govern their own affairs and their future, as The Bahamas began its trek to Independence.
Now in its 44th year, Majority Rule Day continues to be observed as a day that honors those who contributed to The Bahamas we know today. However, mention the words “Majority Rule Day” to the average Bahamian and ask them what it is about and more than 85 percent will look at you like a deer staring into headlights.
Ask the average young person (between the ages of 15-25) and more than 90 percent will think you’re speaking a foreign language.
Not enough Bahamian history is being taught. Most Bahamians don’t know their history, and for the most part, many could care less.
But that’s another story for another time.
As far as celebrating Majority Rule Day is concerned, some feel it is pointless, considering the fact that The Bahamas finds itself in a contradiction from a socio-economic point-of-view. We live in a society where the minority rules the majority.
The rich minority controls and dictates the lifestyle of the majority of the poor Bahamians. We live in a society where “the rich gets richer” and the poor remains poor.
In addition, the idea of “government for and by the people” is not based in reality.
The Bahamian Parliament, which is supposed to represent and fight for the rights of Bahamians, seemingly pass laws that burden the average Bahamian and gives more power to the wealthy among us.
Majority Rule is a concept that has long been lost in the everyday Bahamian way of life. What it stood for in the past, seems to have less relevance and meaning today.
One of the co-founders of Majority Rule Day, former Governor General Arthur D. Hanna, noted that Majority Rule Day was an uphill battle “in that we couldn’t get a level playing field.
“The government of the day (United Bahamian Party - UBP) wanted to hold on to power, therefore, they had all kinds of tricks. One was how they dealt with constituencies.”
On the surface, it seems ironic that many of today’s governments have used the same “tricks” during elections in The Bahamas, but when one considers the fact that some of our leaders of today learned from those of the past, then we can understand certain similarities.
The concept which our forefathers fought for, does not hold the same significance today. So, we celebrate a day that has somehow lost its meaning and its focus, which is the Bahamian people.
We celebrate a day where the majority does not rule, but rather where the minority rules the majority.
1/10/2011
thenassauguardian editorial
thenassauguardian editorial
Today is being observed as Majority Rule Day in The Bahamas.
Historically, the day represents the emergence of a local, black Bahamian government, with the responsibility of helping Bahamians govern their own affairs and their future, as The Bahamas began its trek to Independence.
Now in its 44th year, Majority Rule Day continues to be observed as a day that honors those who contributed to The Bahamas we know today. However, mention the words “Majority Rule Day” to the average Bahamian and ask them what it is about and more than 85 percent will look at you like a deer staring into headlights.
Ask the average young person (between the ages of 15-25) and more than 90 percent will think you’re speaking a foreign language.
Not enough Bahamian history is being taught. Most Bahamians don’t know their history, and for the most part, many could care less.
But that’s another story for another time.
As far as celebrating Majority Rule Day is concerned, some feel it is pointless, considering the fact that The Bahamas finds itself in a contradiction from a socio-economic point-of-view. We live in a society where the minority rules the majority.
The rich minority controls and dictates the lifestyle of the majority of the poor Bahamians. We live in a society where “the rich gets richer” and the poor remains poor.
In addition, the idea of “government for and by the people” is not based in reality.
The Bahamian Parliament, which is supposed to represent and fight for the rights of Bahamians, seemingly pass laws that burden the average Bahamian and gives more power to the wealthy among us.
Majority Rule is a concept that has long been lost in the everyday Bahamian way of life. What it stood for in the past, seems to have less relevance and meaning today.
One of the co-founders of Majority Rule Day, former Governor General Arthur D. Hanna, noted that Majority Rule Day was an uphill battle “in that we couldn’t get a level playing field.
“The government of the day (United Bahamian Party - UBP) wanted to hold on to power, therefore, they had all kinds of tricks. One was how they dealt with constituencies.”
On the surface, it seems ironic that many of today’s governments have used the same “tricks” during elections in The Bahamas, but when one considers the fact that some of our leaders of today learned from those of the past, then we can understand certain similarities.
The concept which our forefathers fought for, does not hold the same significance today. So, we celebrate a day that has somehow lost its meaning and its focus, which is the Bahamian people.
We celebrate a day where the majority does not rule, but rather where the minority rules the majority.
1/10/2011
thenassauguardian editorial
Monday, November 15, 2010
...we must seriously seek to address the reality that poverty confronts so many Bahamians
Poverty hindering students
By ADRIAN GIBSON
ajbahama@hotmail.com
ALL human beings have certain basic needs--food, shelter, love and affection, respect, trust, knowledge and truth (Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, 1943).
Without question, if basic needs are not met, schoolchildren are liable to display disruptive behaviour.
For instance, if children come to school hungry or are lacking affection at home, possibly from an absentee or abusive parent, they are more likely to be disruptive in schools and have a series of failed relationships as adults.
Poverty--described by Webster's dictionary as the lack of money and/or material possessions--is a major reason why many Bahamian students are performing so poorly academically.
In the Bahamas, poverty is a serious problem that must be contended with in our public schools, as many students are so poor that they live well below the poverty line. Although several public schools have implemented lunch programmes to feed poor students, many of them are so burdened by problems at home that their grades are often not up to scratch.
I have discovered that many poverty-stricken children come from dysfunctional homes, where their parents are usually unemployed, penniless and are themselves poorly educated. In many cases, students who come from single parent and/or abusive homes are often mentally and financially incapable of handling the responsibility of schooling. In more extreme cases, some children are orphaned and most likely must hold a minimum wage job to fend for themselves and, in some instances, their siblings.
To the casual observer, there are many examples of underprivileged children throughout New Providence--on the sidewalks (sometimes selling fruit, peanuts, phone cards, etc), at the malls and in tourist areas such as Prince George Wharf where these youngsters can usually be seen hustling visitors disembarking cruise ships for a dollar or a quarter. Yes, this is a sad reality in our present-day Bahamas!
At the onset, the disadvantageous impact that poverty has on school performance can be seen as children whose parents are poor are unable to buy school uniforms, books and other paraphernalia, lunch and other amenities, and are thereby placed in an unfavourable position when compared to their more fortunate classmates.
Not having food to eat on a daily basis causes the students to lose interest in school/education, as they are many times pondering ways of satisfying their greatest concern--i.e. attaining a meal--and possibly suffering from severe hunger pains (gas). A hungry, mentally disturbed and improperly clothed student's last interest is school!
Indeed, many countries are plagued by widespread poverty. Although the number of people living below the poverty line is not high in the Bahamas, recent statistics are troubling as they show that nearly 10 per cent of our population live below the poverty line and that one in five persons between the ages of 15 and 24 presently lives in poverty.
Around the world, particularly in impoverished countries such as Bangladesh and Haiti, a large proportion of these populations are illiterate and economically hampered by poverty--e.g. many persons in these countries work in clothing sweatshops for an average of 17 cents per week. Astonishingly, two-thirds of all children in Latin America reportedly leave school before finishing the fifth grade!
In the Bahamas, although a student is only legally allowed to quit school at 16, I have been told that many students, for various reasons, drop out much earlier.
Indeed, I have personally discovered that students affected by poverty lack the motivation to complete their schoolwork, hardly attend school, are anti-social and are sometimes violent.
Also, I've found that these students--who may alienate themselves from their guardians and teachers--are usually ill-prepared for classes, displaying poor language and reading skills and usually suffering from malnutrition.
In a Tribune article published a few years ago, former Deputy Prime Minister and St. Cecilia MP Cynthia "Mother" Pratt claimed that government schools in the Bahamas are becoming too expensive for poor students. According to Mother Pratt, if school costs continued to increase, poor people would not be able to afford a good education for their children.
At that time, she said that although Social Services renders assistance to poor parents by helping them to prepare their children for school, Social Services can only do so much. The former DPM stated that it costs $350 to $400 for each government junior/senior high school student to be re-admitted for a new school year--and she felt that many parents were incapable of this. I concur.
A few months ago, social activist and Workers Party leader Rodney Moncur raised similar concerns as he protested registration fees charged by public schools, arguing that these charges were illegal and further dispossessed already impoverished people.
That said, if Social Services are limited in their capacity to assist, what other avenues, besides the few church-related/faith-based feeding programmes, are available to poor Bahamians seeking help?
Poverty greatly hinders school performance. Unfortunately, the unequal distribution of wealth and resources around the world plays a major role in the illiteracy rate of people across the globe, even in this the 21st century.
Although education is an important facet to living in today's world, in families and/or societies that are stricken by poverty, attaining an education is not a priority since bettering themselves financially and having food to eat is at the centre of their attention.
In the Bahamas, a country where education consumes the lion's share of our annual national budgets, we must seriously seek to address the reality that poverty confronts so many Bahamians.
THE EVER CHANGING ROLE OF TEACHERS
The school is where the transmission of moral and occupational education, discipline and the values necessary for the survival of society are taught.
Frankly, the role of a teacher in today's Bahamas continues to evolve beyond that of a facilitator of social and intellectual needs and the maintenance of records, classroom organization and management conducive to the learning environment.
An educator today serves as teacher, role model, parent, preacher, doctor/caregiver, disciplinarian, motivator, police officer, mediator, guidance counsellor, etcetera.
Quality teachers are agents of change who encourage students to achieve their goals and a sense of autonomy whilst becoming dutiful citizens. Although there are critics (many of whom without the slightest idea of intricacies of teaching), teaching is one of the most toilsome and important jobs today, establishing relationships of trust and understanding and helping to foster the development of positive self-image and decision-making skills; assisting students with the development of their skills, competencies, values and preferences; and helping students to realistically examine their potential abilities and also providing clear, dispassionate interpretation of content/information being presented. Teachers continue to be one of the greatest facilitators of a wholesome community atmosphere that, in these times when criminal activity is becoming the norm, is being threatened.
To use the words of the philosopher Cicero:
"What nobler employment or more valuable to the state, than that of instructing the younger generation?"
November 12, 2010
tribune242
By ADRIAN GIBSON
ajbahama@hotmail.com
ALL human beings have certain basic needs--food, shelter, love and affection, respect, trust, knowledge and truth (Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs, 1943).
Without question, if basic needs are not met, schoolchildren are liable to display disruptive behaviour.
For instance, if children come to school hungry or are lacking affection at home, possibly from an absentee or abusive parent, they are more likely to be disruptive in schools and have a series of failed relationships as adults.
Poverty--described by Webster's dictionary as the lack of money and/or material possessions--is a major reason why many Bahamian students are performing so poorly academically.
In the Bahamas, poverty is a serious problem that must be contended with in our public schools, as many students are so poor that they live well below the poverty line. Although several public schools have implemented lunch programmes to feed poor students, many of them are so burdened by problems at home that their grades are often not up to scratch.
I have discovered that many poverty-stricken children come from dysfunctional homes, where their parents are usually unemployed, penniless and are themselves poorly educated. In many cases, students who come from single parent and/or abusive homes are often mentally and financially incapable of handling the responsibility of schooling. In more extreme cases, some children are orphaned and most likely must hold a minimum wage job to fend for themselves and, in some instances, their siblings.
To the casual observer, there are many examples of underprivileged children throughout New Providence--on the sidewalks (sometimes selling fruit, peanuts, phone cards, etc), at the malls and in tourist areas such as Prince George Wharf where these youngsters can usually be seen hustling visitors disembarking cruise ships for a dollar or a quarter. Yes, this is a sad reality in our present-day Bahamas!
At the onset, the disadvantageous impact that poverty has on school performance can be seen as children whose parents are poor are unable to buy school uniforms, books and other paraphernalia, lunch and other amenities, and are thereby placed in an unfavourable position when compared to their more fortunate classmates.
Not having food to eat on a daily basis causes the students to lose interest in school/education, as they are many times pondering ways of satisfying their greatest concern--i.e. attaining a meal--and possibly suffering from severe hunger pains (gas). A hungry, mentally disturbed and improperly clothed student's last interest is school!
Indeed, many countries are plagued by widespread poverty. Although the number of people living below the poverty line is not high in the Bahamas, recent statistics are troubling as they show that nearly 10 per cent of our population live below the poverty line and that one in five persons between the ages of 15 and 24 presently lives in poverty.
Around the world, particularly in impoverished countries such as Bangladesh and Haiti, a large proportion of these populations are illiterate and economically hampered by poverty--e.g. many persons in these countries work in clothing sweatshops for an average of 17 cents per week. Astonishingly, two-thirds of all children in Latin America reportedly leave school before finishing the fifth grade!
In the Bahamas, although a student is only legally allowed to quit school at 16, I have been told that many students, for various reasons, drop out much earlier.
Indeed, I have personally discovered that students affected by poverty lack the motivation to complete their schoolwork, hardly attend school, are anti-social and are sometimes violent.
Also, I've found that these students--who may alienate themselves from their guardians and teachers--are usually ill-prepared for classes, displaying poor language and reading skills and usually suffering from malnutrition.
In a Tribune article published a few years ago, former Deputy Prime Minister and St. Cecilia MP Cynthia "Mother" Pratt claimed that government schools in the Bahamas are becoming too expensive for poor students. According to Mother Pratt, if school costs continued to increase, poor people would not be able to afford a good education for their children.
At that time, she said that although Social Services renders assistance to poor parents by helping them to prepare their children for school, Social Services can only do so much. The former DPM stated that it costs $350 to $400 for each government junior/senior high school student to be re-admitted for a new school year--and she felt that many parents were incapable of this. I concur.
A few months ago, social activist and Workers Party leader Rodney Moncur raised similar concerns as he protested registration fees charged by public schools, arguing that these charges were illegal and further dispossessed already impoverished people.
That said, if Social Services are limited in their capacity to assist, what other avenues, besides the few church-related/faith-based feeding programmes, are available to poor Bahamians seeking help?
Poverty greatly hinders school performance. Unfortunately, the unequal distribution of wealth and resources around the world plays a major role in the illiteracy rate of people across the globe, even in this the 21st century.
Although education is an important facet to living in today's world, in families and/or societies that are stricken by poverty, attaining an education is not a priority since bettering themselves financially and having food to eat is at the centre of their attention.
In the Bahamas, a country where education consumes the lion's share of our annual national budgets, we must seriously seek to address the reality that poverty confronts so many Bahamians.
THE EVER CHANGING ROLE OF TEACHERS
The school is where the transmission of moral and occupational education, discipline and the values necessary for the survival of society are taught.
Frankly, the role of a teacher in today's Bahamas continues to evolve beyond that of a facilitator of social and intellectual needs and the maintenance of records, classroom organization and management conducive to the learning environment.
An educator today serves as teacher, role model, parent, preacher, doctor/caregiver, disciplinarian, motivator, police officer, mediator, guidance counsellor, etcetera.
Quality teachers are agents of change who encourage students to achieve their goals and a sense of autonomy whilst becoming dutiful citizens. Although there are critics (many of whom without the slightest idea of intricacies of teaching), teaching is one of the most toilsome and important jobs today, establishing relationships of trust and understanding and helping to foster the development of positive self-image and decision-making skills; assisting students with the development of their skills, competencies, values and preferences; and helping students to realistically examine their potential abilities and also providing clear, dispassionate interpretation of content/information being presented. Teachers continue to be one of the greatest facilitators of a wholesome community atmosphere that, in these times when criminal activity is becoming the norm, is being threatened.
To use the words of the philosopher Cicero:
"What nobler employment or more valuable to the state, than that of instructing the younger generation?"
November 12, 2010
tribune242
Friday, October 21, 2005
The Promised National Health Insurance (NHI) Plan in The Bahamas
No Definite Plan on How National Health Insurance Would Be Financed in The Bahamas
Timing of National Health Insurance Remains Uncertain
By: Candia Dames
Nassau, The Bahamas
21 October 2005
It remains unclear whether the government will establish the promised National Health Insurance Plan before the end of this term, but Prime Minister Perry Christie said on Wednesday that he is still committed to making such a scheme a reality.
The National Health Insurance Plan was a major campaign promise of the Progressive Liberal Party in 2002, with Mr. Christie continuing to tout the importance of it as prime minister.
Early in his term, he appointed a 15-member Blue Ribbon Commission on National Health Insurance, headed by Dr. Perry Gomez, to examine the feasibility of such a scheme.
On Wednesday, Member of Parliament for South Andros Whitney Bastian asked Prime Minister Christie whether national health insurance will be in place before the end of this term.
It was a question that the prime minister failed to answer in any specifics, saying only that Cabinet will make a decision on that.
He did, however, point to the "urgency" of looking into such a plan.
"From a personal point of view I wanted it to happen," he said. "Cabinet obviously has to make a decision on it. It is something that I heralded from the platforms during the last campaign. It is something that I have always believed to be of vital importance to the poor of this country."
Mr. Christie said the recent poverty study tabled in the House of Assembly by Minister of Social Services and Community Development Melanie Griffin is evidence that there is a significant portion of the population desperately in need of national health insurance.
The poverty study found that just under 10 percent of the population is living below the poverty line.
"Poverty obviously creates a real problem in our country, particularly as you go to the islands," the prime minister acknowledged. "When you reach Andros and go farther south it’s from 12 percent to 20 percent."
The prime minister did not give a timeline, but he said that he will make a communication to parliament as soon as his government makes a decision on national health insurance.
Dr. Gomez told The Bahama Journal several months ago that the government had appointed a planning committee to formulate specifics as it relates to national health insurance after signing off on all of the recommendations of the commission.
But while the committee was working aggressively to come up with the right formula for the scheme, it had not yet come up with a definite plan for how national health insurance would be financed, he said at the time.
Nevertheless, he indicated that the plan is no longer a matter of "if", but "when".
"The social health insurance levels the playing field in health," Dr. Gomez told The Bahama Journal. "I believe that health is a right of individuals, not a gift; it’s not a privilege. All people are entitled to the best of health care that their countries can afford, regardless of the individuals’ ability to pay.
"That’s a problem we have in our country to a large extent. There is a discrepancy between the health care of the haves and those who have not and I think the best way of trying to address this issue is by finding some means of insuring the entire population and the best way to do that from all I have looked at and the Blue Ribbon Commission has studied is through this programme of social health insurance."
At the time, Dr. Gomez indicated that the development of the scheme is "highly technical" and he indicated that one of the more difficult challenges faced by authorities is coming up with a cost structure for the plan.
Friday, March 19, 2004
From Landholders to Landless Bahamians in The Bahamas
Bahamian workers need to be critically concerned about our land resources in The Bahamas, and how they are used in relation to national development
Transforming Landholders Into Landless Bahamians
19/03/2004
At this stage of our National development, Bahamian workers need to be critically concerned about our land resources and how they are used in relation to national development. First, we need to be overly concerned about the use of the Quieting of Titles Act as a method of raping poor Bahamians of land they have had access to for centuries.
And secondly, there needs to be a critical examination of the extension of the Stafford Sands model of economic development which allows for the building of massive high rise hotels on each of our family islands coupled with a casino as instruments of development. All successive governments to date including the current one have used this model of development, instead of being creative in the areas of manufacturing, technology, agriculture and the development of our marine resources.
Workers must shudder when they think about the gleefulness of Prime Minister Perry Christie’s approach of signing the countless Heads of Agreement that signs away so many acres of land when the ink quickly dries on these agreements.
This government is prepared to sign away 870 acres of land in Rum Cay, and additional acreage in Crab Cay. In Bimini, there is the Bimini Bay development and the Bimini Bay Game Fighting Club by a Malaysian company.
In Abaco there is the Winding Bay development in Cherokee Sound and Island Fresh Dairy Ltd. In the Berry Islands there is the Prestine Resort, Chub Cay and Whale Cay development. In Cat Island there are several give aways of large acreage including the Hawk’s Nest and Orange Creek development.
In Eleuthera in the advance planning stages are two developments at Salsa Beach, plus at Half Sound, Winding Bay and Hatchet Bay. All of these the current administration could sign away at the “ bat of an eye”. In West Grand Bahama $2,150 acres of the old Sammons Bay are being considered and the beat goes on and on.
When our politicians announce these projects they tell us only about the thousands of jobs, but not about the transfer of land from Bahamian hands to foreign land grabbers and speculators. Indeed, with these transfers we are transforming The Bahamas, but more importantly transforming Bahamians from landholders to landless people.
I have noted before in this column that too much of our land is already in foreign hands. For example, the company of the late E.P. Taylor owns one tenth of New Providence, which he obtained under the UBP and has retained under the PLP.
The gamblers and the developers own Paradise Island, The Grand Bahama Port Authority controls 230 miles of Grand Bahama that has culminated in Freeport seeming like a foreign city. There is an American company called Columbus Landing, which reportedly controls 75% on the land on San Salvador.
It appears that a great many of the Berry Islands are foreign owned and the same is true of the Exuma Cays. The parties of the PLP and FNM/UBP have caused the best beaches and the best lands of the country to be in non-Bahamian hands with the result that most Bahamians will never own a piece of this good earth.
Additionally, all true Bahamian patriots are appalled by the provision of the Investment Incentive Bill (IIB) for its objectives are to promote the development of the Bahamas by granting the developers the right to control large acres of land, to levy duties and grant licenses. In fact, the concessions granted to developers under this bill virtually set up a state within a state.
The end result of these two pieces of legislation is the same: Bahamians will be robbed of their land. On one hand the IIB will result in Bahamian settlement being hemmed in or squeezed out by some foreign or local behemoth. And on the other hand, under the Quieting of Titles Act (QTA) Bahamians have been robbed by the local land grabbers. In fact if I were Attorney General, Alfred Sears, I would rename these two pieces of legislation The Land Grabbers Act. The Quieting of Titles Act however, has cancerous effects on the land situation in the Bahamas.
This act, which came into effect on November 1, 1959, has turned out to be a nightmare –virtual scourge on the poor Bahamian worker who has been fortunate enough to become legally involved with it. For the local lawyers, however, this Act has been a boon – a bonanza for this already bloated profession. For the unscrupulous land grabber, it has produced the perfect situation for him to ply is trade and swindle the poor landowner.
This present lawyer dominated government is aware of the hardships the Act has inflicted on the Bahamian masses over the years, and the reasons why they have not attempted to rectify this unnecessary and unjust hardship are very strongly suspect. This unfortunate piece of legislation was introduced by the UBP exploiters and presented in the House of Assembly by Mr. Godfrey T. Kelly. The sated reason given for the Bill at that time was to enable persons who own generation property and other land, and who because historical reasons could not produce marketable title to be able to do so. Prior to this informal arrangements regarding land transactions were common.
The hardship caused by the inability to produce good title was most severely felt in the Family Islands, but is was also thought by the ruling class at that time that the impreciseness as to land ownership hampers economic development.
Although a few workers benefited form this Act it is primarily used up this day, by the ruling class and other criminals to rob the poor unsophisticated and unsuspecting owner of his land, and the Pindling, Ingraham and Christie governments has made no effort to correct the practice.
This Act allows fake landowners to petition to the courts for Certificates of Title accomplished by fraudulent affidavits and sworn statements. The petitioners on completion of the legal exercise are then granted land rightfully owned by others without the true owners knowing it, sometimes for years.
The court as institutions of the ruling class, are notorious for handing down decisions in land disputes in favor of the ruling class exploitators, the Higgs and Forbes land cases are glaring examples of this.
Legal transactions involving the Quieting Titles Act are lucrative and the Act is one of the bread and butter tools of the legal profession so to expect the average lawyers to protect the interest of the masses in this is like leaving the wolf to protect the sheep.
All the exploitaters like the owners of New Providence Development, the Grand Bahama Port Authority and Paradise Island etc. have benefited directly or indirectly from using this law. The Port Authority was so ruthless in its land grabbing that adjacent landowners in Grand Bahama had to take up the shotgun to protect their property.
The worker facing a battery of high-powered lawyers, exorbitant legal fees and legal institutions are in a hopeless no-win situation. In such confrontation the ruling class often sometimes winds up winning by default. As I have attempted to demonstrate so often in these columns the average Bahamian in this country will never get justice, will never have institutions functioning in their interest, until they the workers control the country government in The Bahamas. The land fraud phenomenon shows how well the institution functions to protect the monied class and those who are in power.
Charles Fawkes is President of the National Consumer Association, editor of the Headline News, The ConusumerGuard and the Workers Vanguard, Consumer columnist for the Nassau Guardian.
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