Commonwealth
of The Bahamas
Bahamas
Immigration
Department
CONTRIBUTION
by the
Hon. T. Brent
Symonette M.P.
Deputy Prime
Minister
&
Minister of
Foreign Affairs & Immigration
During
Parliamentary
Debate
on the
2010 – 2011
Budget Estimates
2nd
June 2010
CONTRIBUTION
BY THE
HON. T.
BRENT SYMONETTE M.P.
DEPUTY
PRIME MINISTER
DURING
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
OF THE
2010 – 2011 BUDGET ESTIMATES
2
ND
JUNE, 2010
Introduction
Mr.
Speaker,
I wish
to turn my attention to my other Portfolio: The Department of
Immigration
There
is an old adage that says:
“
We
cannot direct the
Wind
But
we can adjust our
Sails”
I find
the aforementioned most appropriate to describe the state of our economy
today. We are undoubtedly influenced by external factors.
This
Budget
is like us adjusting our Sails in face of the Economic Winds.
The
Department’s Mandate
The
Department
of Immigration Mission Statement reads as follows:
“To
regulate the movement of people across the borders of The Bahamas so
as to ensure the
security,
facilitate
economic advancement and promote the
harmonious
social development of The Bahamas through the
collaborative efforts of responsible government and non-government
agencies
both nationally and internationally.”
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Bahamas
Immigration Department is a statutory agency which operates under
Chapter
191 of the Statute Laws of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
The
Immigration
Department is a unique and peculiar government agency. Firstly
the Department is an enforcement Agency which places emphasis on
protecting
our borders against criminals including doing traffickers, terrorists,
and other undesirables, the undocumented and all who would abuse our
hospitality for illegal purposes. The Immigration Act is designed
and intended to control access of non-Bahamians to our country.
Secondly,
the Department is a service oriented entity.
Immigration
Officers welcome and facilitate the smooth and orderly entrance to our
country of those whose presence will benefit our country whether as
tourists Work Permit holders or annual and Permanent Residents;
We also
Process and issue various classes of Permits i.e. Work Permits, Spousal
Permits, Homeowner’s card, General Worker’s Permit etc.
Mr.
Speaker,
Over the
past year and a half, the new management team at
the Immigration Department has devoted much time preparing and
positioning
both the
enforcement and
service areas.
Section
II
Revenue
Mr.
Speaker,
Permit
me to focus my attention on the revenue aspect of the Department.
I am
pleased
to inform this House that the Department of Immigration has placed
tremendous
emphasis on revenue collection over the past year and half.
This
is evidenced by year end revenue figures despite the sluggish economy.
A review of the fees collected for Work Permits, Permanent Residence
and Citizenship inter alia remained steady during the 2009/2010, Fiscal
year.
The
Department’s
projected revenue goal for this fiscal year (2009/2010) is over forty
–two Million dollars ($42,826,211.00) and every effort is being made
to accomplish this .
Mr.
Speaker,
It should
be noted that up to Friday May 28 the Department collected Forty
Million,
One Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand, Six Hundred and Thirty-nine
dollars
and nine cents ($40, 194, 639.09). The Immigration Department
appears to be one of the few government agencies which will meet if
not exceed its projected revenue forecast for the current fiscal
period.
The Breakdown is as follows:
Immigration
fees ………… 32 Million dollars
Naturalization……………… $109,960.
00
Permanent
Residence Fee 1, 145, 500.00
Processing
Fee……………… 3, 429, 676.00
The
Department
has implemented a number of bold new initiatives geared toward improving
revenue collection. These include:
1. The
creation of an Accounts Receivable Unit within the Finance and Planning
Section of the Department. This
Unit sent letters to delinquent account holders and received Thousands
of dollars in overdue fees. It should be noted that this Unit sent 118
to various delinquent companies. 63 of which effected full payment
totaling
$387,654.94. The remaining 55 companies are making every effort
to meet their payments.
New
Strategies for revenue collection 2010/
2011
The
Department
of Immigration will implement additional
new initiatives which should assist in overall revenue intake:
1. We are
exploring ways of improving our billing system. This would
involve either replacing or amending the present letter conveying the
Board’s decision so that there is no mistake that
Invoices or
billing must be paid. In the past
the letter has been interpreted to mean that persons can continue
working
in The Bahamas without paying fees.
I have
instructed the Director of Immigration to seek out proper software to
enable the implementation of the same.
2. The
Department is also collaborating with the Department of Labor
to ensure that
only those positions for which there are no
qualified
Bahamians will be seriously consideration by the Board.
While
the revenue from Permits remains critical to the coffers of The Bahamas,
I wish to state emphatically that I am not prepared
to sacrifice jobs that Bahamians can perform for non-Bahamians.
But make no mistake about it -
if foreign labor is to be imported
then I fully expect for it to be paid for in
full.
3. The
Department will continue to place on
its non-payment list
all outstanding debtors and no further
service
will be provided until such time as fees are paid.
4. The
implementation of the new E-ID System which I shall comment on further
in my presentation.
5. The
display of proper signage indicating
gazetted general fees.
The fee
schedule is to be properly displayed in all Immigration locations.
2010/2011
will see an aggressive approach toward revenue collection by the
Department
Section
III
Expenditure
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Department
of Immigration was allotted Fifteen Million, Six Hundred and Seven
Thousand,
Four Hundred and Seventy-two dollars ($15, 607, 472.00) during the
current 2009/2010.
For Fiscal
2010/11, the Department will be allotted a total of Fourteen Million,
One Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty-one dollars ($14,
150, 641.00).
A variance
or a reduction of One Million, Four Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand,
Eight Hundred and Thirty-one dollars ($1, 456, 831.00).
Mr.
Speaker,
The four
largest items in the Immigration’s Budget over the years
have been:
1. Personal
Emoluments
2. Overtime
3. Repatriation
4. The
Detention Center
Table
1.1 - Represents comparison
Title
of Item |
Current |
New Figure |
Personal
Emoluments |
8,786,518.00 |
9,902,099 |
Overtime |
2,000,000.00 |
Nil |
Repatriation |
1,500,000.00 |
1,000,000.00 |
Detention
Center |
306,788.00 |
250,000.00 |
Personal
Emoluments account for the largest share of the Immigration Department’s
Budget.
There
are 221 uniform officers currently employed at Bahamas Immigration.
Approximately thirty (30) of the two hundred and twenty one (221)
started
employment on Tuesday, yesterday June 1, 2010. Additionally, there
are one hundred and fifteen non-uniform administrative and clerical
staff members currently employed with the
Department. Following the training of Immigration officers, I
fully expect that we would strengthen the ranks of the
Department to allow for better traffic flow at LPIA, and improved
numbers
at our Family Island Ports.
In
addition,
the enforcement unit should get the much needed boost to carry out its
functions. This class of 2010 should be well versed
in customs functions as well.
In the
new fiscal year an additional ten (10)
officers or so should be added to the Immigration uniform branch.
Six
Months Employees
Mr.
Speaker,
I wish
to take this opportunity to express my personal thanks and those of
my government to the six months temporary employees attached to the
Immigration Department in Nassau and Freeport
I am
advised
that the twenty in New Providence and five in Grand Bahama performed
a yeoman’s task, particularly with the backlog of files and records.
Again,
I thank them and wish them well. The Director of Immigration requested
their supervisors to complete appraisal forms for each worker and I
shall personally review each file upon their completion.
Repatriation
The
Repatriation
Programs continues to absorb a considerable amount of the Department’s
Expenditure.
During
this Fiscal Year and up to the time of this presentation, the Department
expended a total of $1,015,198.00. During this Fiscal Year the
Department was able to repatriate violators of the Immigration Laws
on a timely basis. The Department has adopted a speedy repatriation
process which has cost the government thousands of dollars in term of
accommodation, meals, etc.
The new
Repatriation allocation is $1 Million, Five Hundred dollars less than
last year. The Department must repatriate in a smarter way.
The
Detention
Centre budget is now Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars
($250,000.00).
There
are three (3) Government Agencies involved in the Management of the
Detention Centre:-
a) The
Immigration Department which has oversight
of the general management and day to day operations of the Centre;
b) The
Royal Bahamas Defence Force which is responsible for the security of
the centre; and
c) The
Department of Social Services is responsible for the preparation of
all meals.
The
lion’s share of the monies spent on the Detention Centre
is for food, followed by
Upkeep
and maintenance of dormitories
Overtime
For the
first time in many years the Government of The Bahamas has confronted
and tackled the overtime issue. On 18
th
January, 2010 this year, introduced a new shift system for Customs and
Immigration Officers. The monies returned from this item during
this Fiscal Year amount $517,923. Savings from this item will
be used to hire additional officers.
The
shift system has been effectively implemented in New Providence, Grand
Bahama, Abaco and Bimini. The new system has not
been without some hitches, particularly
noteworthy are the long lines at Lynden Pindling International Airport,
as mentioned earlier. However, it appears that this was more of a
scheduling
problem and I am advised that this matter has been rectified.
The additional officers should help the Directorate considerably.
(ii)
Improved
Working Condition
The
Government
of The Bahamas is committed to improving the working conditions of its
staff. Work is currently underway on a Government Complex in Grand
Bahama. The Immigration Department is expected to be one of the
agencies occupying the building.
The
Department
has been identified as one of several Government Agencies
which will occupy the proposed new Government Complex in Central Abaco.
In addition to the huge savings resulting from
no longer having rented premises, the work environment is expected to
be greatly enhanced.
Customer
Service
The
Department of Immigration is placing renewed focus on Customer Service.
The Department recently held its Second Annual Customer Service
Seminar under the Theme:-
“Embracing
Technology for improved Customer Service and Productivity.”
A similar workshop was held in Freeport, Grand Bahama, May 26 and 27,
2010. The Department recently adopted a Five Point Strategic Plan
geared toward improving Customer Service,
The Plan includes:
1) Launch
of its Official Website (
www.Bahamas.Gov.Bs/
Immigration
);
2. Issuance
of Brochures relative to various classes of permits;
3) Creation
of Customer Help Desk at Headquarters (to assist persons in finding-out
status of permits);
4) Implementation
of E-ID System. The E-ID System is
designed to produce a driver’s licence size work and Residence Permits,
Home Owner’s Resident Card, Resident Spouse Permit and Permanent
Residence
Certificate.
The Border
Control Management System is designed to capture the particulars of
all persons (visitors/residents) entering The Bahamas in a PC based
server. The information will be retrieved in real time.
Conclusion
In
closing, I wish to thank the Directorate, Management and staff of The
Bahamas Immigration Department for their dedication and hard work.
I firmly
believe that we are turning the corner at the Department of
Immigration.
We are on a steady course toward accomplishing our goals.
Mr.
Speaker,
It
is an honour to rise today to present my contribution to the 2010/2011
Budget Debate. At the outset, I wish to extend my sincere appreciation
to the wonderful people of the St. Ann’s constituency, for their
constant
and steadfast support.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, inclusive of its Overseas Missions, is
relatively small both in terms of its staffing complement and allocated
budgetary resources, in comparison with other Government agencies.
The Ministry presently comprises a network of Ministry Headquarters,
including the Passport Offices in Nassau and Freeport, and ten (10)
diplomatic missions, including three (3) consular posts, with
approximately
280 employees, including locally recruited staff at the Missions.
The Ministry’s staff complement may be small, but consists of a
dedicated
team of persons, working in concert to promote the critical national
interests of The Bahamas. I wish to acknowledge the outstanding
contribution of all of the Ministry staff, both at home and abroad,
in carrying out their mandate with professionalism and commitment.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been allocated $21,998,344 for the
fiscal
year 2010/2011, which includes provisions for the operations of the
Ministry and the Overseas Missions, as well as funds for contributions
to the various international organizations to which The Bahamas
belongs.
By far the largest share of the budget is allotted to Block 1, Personal
Emoluments. The modest increase in the Ministry’s Personal Emoluments
allocation for 2010/2011 of $109,469 covers transfers into the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs from other Ministries and Departments.
I
am pleased to report that budgetary provision has been made in the
2010/2011
estimates for the engagement of five new officers at the rank of
Administrative
Cadet. It had been my hope that these new officers would have
been engaged in the 2009/2010 fiscal year; however, resource constraints
prevented this from being achieved. The addition of these new
officers in the coming fiscal year should serve to strengthen the
Ministry’s
human resource foundation at the entry level, in order to train a
suitable
cadre of officers to enhance and secure the Ministry’s ability to
sustain, at a high standard, the wide variety of functions for which
it has responsibility.
Mr.
Speaker,
I
am pleased to report that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues
to be guided by the commitments made in the 2007 FNM Manifesto regarding
the conduct of the country’s foreign policy on the basis of
time-honoured
positions of self-determination, sovereignty, mutual respect and
non-intervention,
and in support of The Bahamas’ national economic and development goals.
Since 2007, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has implemented the
commitments,
among others, to ensure suitable accommodation for the Ministry,
implement
machine-readable passports and electronic, secure visas, and negotiate
bilateral visa abolition agreements with selected countries to
facilitate
visitor travel to The Bahamas and Bahamian travel internationally.
It remains a source of disappointment that, despite the Ministry’s
work in this regard, we have not yet been able to achieve the creation
of a separate, statutory Foreign Service. The creation of a separate,
professional Foreign Service would go a long way to ensuring that the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is able to recruit and retain the caliber
of officer that is required to serve in this vitally important Ministry
and in The Bahamas Overseas Missions. It is my hope that progress
will be made in this regard in the context of overall public service
reform, as foreshadowed in the Speech from the Throne.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is perhaps considered a somewhat esoteric
Ministry, particularly by members of the general public, as a lot of
its work is conducted behind the scenes and away from our shores.
However,
the Ministry performs a number of indispensable functions, critical
to The Bahamas’ national security and development and to safeguarding
the well-being of Bahamian citizens overseas. This work includes,
but is not limited to, the representation of The Bahamas at
international
organizations and meetings, negotiations with other States and
organizations
for technical and other assistance such as scholarships for Bahamian
students, negotiations to conclude visa waiver arrangements to permit
freer travel for Bahamians and to facilitate enhanced tourism and
business,
border management through the issuance of visas, and assistance to
Bahamian
nationals residing, studying, traveling, or conducting business abroad.
It
should also not be overlooked that my Ministry is a significant
generator
of revenue for the Consolidated Fund, primarily through the issuance
of passports and other travel documents, visas for foreign nationals
wishing to travel to The Bahamas, and a variety of notarial and
legalization
functions. Taking these into account, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs is projecting revenue for 2010/2011 from these sources of
$3,064,600,
representing an expected increase of $959,270.
Mr.
Speaker,
We
are all well aware of the continuing difficult economic circumstances
in which we find ourselves, as a country and a Government. My
Ministry therefore continues to do its part to conduct its operations
in as cost-efficient a manner as possible, so as to ensure that the
Bahamian taxpayer gets the maximum return on every dollar spent.
The Ministry also continues to engage in revenue collection enhancement
measures to ensure maximum efficiency in the timely collection and
submission
of revenue, including by the Overseas Missions.
The
Ministry also makes every effort to ensure that its work is focused
clearly on those areas of critical national interest to The Bahamas.
This requires continuous coordination between Ministry Headquarters
and the Overseas Missions to ensure that we are all focused on the
priority
needs of the country.
In
pursuit of this objective, the Ministry held its 7th Heads
of Mission meeting in February of this year, to undertake consultations
between the Ministry and the Overseas Missions, to ensure coherence
and coordination in our work, and the maximum return on efforts and
resources expended at home and abroad. The meeting also provided
an opportunity for networking and discussion between the Heads of The
Bahamas Overseas Missions and the Ministry to ensure the proper
harmonization
of our foreign policy priorities. The meeting addressed a number
of important issues, including the importance of fiscal discipline in
the Ministry and Missions’ operations, and policy issues related to
The Bahamas’ response to international political crises, climate change,
tourism, trade and investment promotion, maritime piracy and The
Bahamas’
obligations under international conventions and instruments. The
meeting also considered consular and passport issues, including ways
to enhance service delivery at the Missions. This approach of
continuing to enhance communication, coherence and coordination between
the Ministry and the Overseas Missions will continue to be applied in
the coming fiscal year. By so doing, the Ministry will be positioned
to influence and benefit from major reforms called for in the face of
international crises and challenges, such as international financial
instability, the impact of climate change and water, energy and food
security.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Passport Office is perhaps the most visible department of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, and the one with which most Bahamians would have
direct experience. Members are undoubtedly aware of some of the
challenges we have encountered in making the transition from manual,
handwritten passports to machine readable, electronic passports, as
mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organization. I am
very pleased, however, to report that the Passport Office continues
to make great strides in improving its performance in all areas and
its service delivery to the Bahamian public.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ budgetary allocation for 2010/2011 includes
$1,118,000 for the purchase of blank e-passports, an increase of
$838,000
from 2009/2010. This amount will cover the purchase of 50,000
regular passports, 25,000 children’s passports, 10,000 emergency travel
documents, and 20,000 emergency travel document stickers. It also
includes 40 necessary software revisions. I should point out that
these consumables cover a five-year period; however, as the unit price
for these items goes down according to the number purchased, it is
necessary
to include the entire bundle in the entire order so as to attain the
best possible pricing structure for these items.
Mr.
Speaker,
Perhaps
the most important achievement at the Passport Office within the past
year has been the reduction in processing time for passports.
Earlier this year, the Passport Office had been able to reduce this
time period to two weeks. However, as Bahamians have been encouraged
to submit their applications for e-passports so as to make the
transition
from manual passports, the Passport Office has experienced an increase
in the numbers of persons submitting applications. Turnaround
time has therefore gone back up to approximately four weeks. This
is still a marked improvement from the initial stages of the
introduction
of e-passports when applicants often had to wait up to ten weeks to
receive their passports. This very important hurdle has been overcome
by adding personnel and additional shifts in certain areas, and
redeploying
staff in others to tackle the backlog of applications, while at the
same time increasing the number of enrolled applications. Passport
production was also greatly enhanced by the tripling of the number of
production machines from two to six, which has boosted passport
production
from 300 daily to 900 daily. The number of quality control machines
has also been increased to augment this process.
The
Passport Office has also benefited from utilizing the services of
persons
engaged under the Government’s Six Month Temporary Jobs Programme.
These persons have made a valuable contribution to the functioning of
the Passport Office, and I trust that they will have acquired some
valuable
skills that they can take forward with them as they re-enter the job
market.
Mr.
Speaker,
Having
achieved this very important goal of reducing passport processing time,
the Passport Office remains committed in the coming fiscal year to once
again reducing the turnaround and processing time and will ensure the
necessary deployment of human and physical resources to continue to
improve its service delivery to the general public. This now includes
the implementation of the machine readable Certificate of Identity,
as well as the Mobile Unit, which was rolled out earlier this year,
as well as a facility for online passport applications, which went live
on 1 June 2010. This newest development should serve to greatly
improve the passport application process and enhance the working
environment
at the Passport Office, for their staff and clients alike. It
will help to eliminate the long lines at the Passport Office, as well
as shorten the administrative processing time. This is also in
line with the Government’s overall commitment to facilitating access
by the general public to government services through the effective use
of modern technology.
In
this regard, I wish, once again, to urge Bahamians wishing to travel
in the summer and in need of new passports to submit their applications
without delay, so as to avoid any difficulties. I would also encourage
as many people are as able to utilize the new online application
process.
Mr.
Speaker,
I
am equally pleased to report that my Ministry has completed the process
of enabling Overseas Missions in North America, namely Atlanta, Miami,
New York, Ottawa and Washington, to enroll Bahamian applicants in their
respective jurisdictions for e-passport processing. As was expected
for a project of this nature, some challenges were encountered in the
initial implementation, particularly with respect to applicants having
all of the necessary documentation for enrolment. This particular
challenge has been addressed by having liaison personnel in place to
communicate with Overseas Missions to ensure that all of the documents
can be made available when needed, and to address any general queries
from the Missions.
Having
expanded the issuance of e-passports to some of our Overseas Missions,
I am pleased to advise that The Bahamas Embassy in Beijing, China and
The Bahamas High Commission in London, United Kingdom should begin
issuing
electronic passports early in the 2010/2011 fiscal year. The Ministry’s
Network Administrator will travel to London on 13 June and then to
Beijing
on 20 June in order to bring these Missions online. I expect that
we shall be able to apply some of the lessons learnt from our earlier
challenges in this exercise, in order to ensure that the process is
implemented as smoothly as possible.
Mr.
Speaker,
Members
would be aware that the implementation of the machine readable,
e-passports
and other travel documents has been an expensive but necessary venture
for the Government. However, the production of passports continues
to be a significant source of revenue generation for the Consolidated
Fund. The expansion of e-passport services to the Family Islands
and Overseas Missions, as well as the implementation of the electronic
Certificate of Identity, have resulted in increased revenue, and it
is expected that this trend would continue with the expansion of these
services to Beijing and London, as this will result in increased
passport
fees collected in both of these jurisdictions. Taking all of these
factors into account, my Ministry is projecting an increase in overall
revenue from passports for 2010/2011 from $1,725,329 in 2009/2010 to
$2,070,708, an increase of $345,379.
I
look forward to being able to report to this House at a future stage
on our continuing progress in improving service delivery in the Passport
Office and through the Overseas Missions, for the benefit of Bahamians
both at home and abroad.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
other revenue-generating arm of the Ministry is the Consular Division,
which while less visible than the Passport Office, continues to perform
a variety of services to the Bahamian public and to foreign nationals
wishing to visit or do business in The Bahamas. Through its role
in processing visa applications the Consular Division carries out a
critically important border management function, while at the same time
generating significant revenue. The Consular Division was relocated
earlier this year and now occupies space in the recently-renovated
former
headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on East Hill Street.
This relocation has permitted the consolidation of the Division’s
functions, with resulting efficiencies and expected savings in its
operations.
For
the coming fiscal year 2010/2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is
projecting an increase in the collection of revenue from visa fees from
$253,554 to $820,306, an increase of some $566,752. This increase
is expected to be realized despite the fact that the visa requirement
was eliminated for a number of countries in 2009, as part of an effort
to facilitate ease of travel and business for citizens of a number of
countries, primarily in Europe and Latin America. As the number
of visitors from Asia continues to rise, along with an increase in fees
collected for processing visas for foreign nationals resident in the
Turks and Caicos Islands, the revenue collected under this item should
continue to increase.
Revenue
from legalization of documents and notary public fees is also expected
to increase in 2010/2011 from $126,447 to $173,586, a projected increase
of $47,139.
Mr.
Speaker,
I
wish to now turn away from the revenue-generating arms of the Ministry
and outline some of the other planned activities and expected
achievements
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including its Overseas Missions,
for the fiscal year 2010/2011.
One
of the primary functions of the Ministry and its Overseas Missions is
to raise the profile of The Bahamas in the international arena, and
ensure that The Bahamas’ voice is heard in fora where decisions are
taken that affect the well-being of The Bahamas and its people.
It is for this reason that The Bahamas launched a number of high-profile
candidatures in 2009. I am very pleased to report that The Bahamas
was successful in all of its election bids in 2009, including election
to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, the
Presidency
of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization [UNESCO] in the person of Dr. Davidson
Hepburn,
the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and re-election to the
Council of the International Maritime Organization.
All
of these bodies address issues of vital national importance to The
Bahamas,
including financial services, social development, the environment,
maritime
and international shipping issues, and education. Membership on
the decision-making bodies that determine international policy on these
and other issues will enable The Bahamas to contribute to the shaping
of that policy, to ensure that decisions taken are to the benefit of
The Bahamas and its people.
The
successful campaigns for these elections involved a high degree of
coordination
between the Ministry and its Overseas Missions, and I wish to pay
tribute
to the efforts of all those involved. That same level of coordination
will now be applied going forward, in support of the individuals and
offices that will represent The Bahamas on the bodies to which we have
been elected. This will also require enhanced coordination and
cooperation between my Ministry and those Government Ministries and
Departments whose work feeds into and is directly affected by the
deliberations
of international bodies.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs comprises eleven
issue-oriented
Divisions, all of which play an important role in fulfilling the
Ministry’s
mandate of coordination of The Bahamas’ foreign policy at the national
and international levels, as well as the protection of our national
interest overseas. These Divisions work in concert to enable the
Ministry to play a vital, liaison role between various Government
Ministries
and agencies and the international arena, on a wide range of issues,
in an effort not only to promote the Bahamian brand abroad, as with
the case of tourism, but also to ensure that The Bahamas takes advantage
of developmental assistance and capacity-building opportunities afforded
by a more intensely globalised world.
Mr.
Speaker,
As
a responsible member of the international community, The Bahamas
maintains
membership in and contributes to a number of international organizations
and entities. The Bahamas remains committed to paying its contributions
to international organizations, in full and in a timely manner.
The
second largest portion of my Ministry’s budget estimates therefore
relates to Block 90, Contributions to international organizations, for
which $5,851,384 has been allocated for 2010/2011. This includes
an increase in The Bahamas’ contribution to the CARICOM Secretariat
of $163,774, as The Bahamas and all other CARICOM countries have assumed
responsibility for paying Haiti’s share of the budget for the CARICOM
Secretariat for this financial year, given the devastation in Haiti
following the earthquake that struck on 12 January of this year.
This
amount also includes an increase of $50,000 in the allocation for United
Nations Peacekeeping Operations, from $513,820 to $563,820. As
a word of explanation, I should advise Members that this item has been
renamed in the 2010/2011 estimates of expenditure to ensure that it
is accurately reflected. In previous fiscal years, this item was
incorrectly labelled, therefore a new item number has been assigned
for this fiscal year. Accordingly, while it might appear that
there has been an increase of $563,820 under this item, the actual
figure
is $50,000. The same holds true of the total increase under this
block which is $291,692, although it appears as $805,512. This
correction is reflected in Block 99, Items not repeated.
Mr. Speaker,
The
Bahamas prides itself on, and has a reputation for being a responsible
member of the international community, and extends the hand of
friendship
to other members of that community. In the coming fiscal year,
the Ministry and its Overseas Missions will continue to engage in
activities
and outreach to ensure that The Bahamas is well-represented in
international
fora, and that our voice is heard in deliberations on issues affecting
our social and economic development.
In
pursuit of these objectives, my Ministry will prioritize its
representation
in the various intergovernmental processes ongoing at international
organizations to which we belong, including Caribbean Community, the
Organization of American States, the United Nations and the
Commonwealth.
These efforts will include providing the necessary guidance and support
to The Bahamas’ delegations to the headquarters of these organizations,
as well as coordinating attendance at Summit, Ministerial and other
level meetings of these organizations and the compilation of national
briefing positions for such meetings.
In
this regard, over the past fiscal year the Ministry has coordinated
The Bahamas’ participation, through delegations headed by myself or
other senior officers of the Ministry, at the United Nations General
Assembly in September 2009, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
in November 2009, the Unity Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean
and the CARICOM-Mexico Summit in February 2010, the 25th
meeting of the Community Council of Ministers of the Caribbean Community
in February 2010, the first CARICOM-Brazil Summit in April 2010, the
Sixth European Union – Latin American Summit in May 2010, and the
CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations in May 2010, among
others. The Ministry also provided logistical and substantive
support to The Bahamas delegation to the 21st Intersessional
Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean
Community
in March 2010.
The
final major activities for this fiscal year will be the annual General
Assembly of the Organization of American States, which will be held
in Lima, Peru from 6 – 8 June 2010, and to which I will head The Bahamas
delegation; The meeting will be held under the theme ‘Peace, Security
and Cooperation in the Americas’, and will consider a wide range of
issues related to migration, tourism, human rights, gender equality,
climate change, and follow-up to the Summit of the Americas. I should
also be attending a Meeting of Caribbean Foreign Ministers with the
US Secretary of State which will be held in Barbados on 10 June, 2010.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs also recently coordinated the convening
of the Fourth Caribbean-China Consultations in Nassau on 10 May 2010.
The consultations were attended by Ministers and Senior Officials of
the nine Caribbean countries that maintain diplomatic relations with
the People’s Republic of China, and addressed a wide range of issues
of mutual interest, including the upcoming Caribbean-China Economic
and Trade Cooperation Forum to be held later this year in Trinidad and
Tobago, investment promotion, climate change and technical cooperation.
In
the coming fiscal year, the Ministry will remain engaged, in conjunction
with relevant Ministries and Departments, in the follow-up to decisions
taken by these bodies, particularly those that have an immediate and
direct effect on The Bahamas. The Ministry will also continue
to coordinate The Bahamas representation in various meetings and forums,
which will include the meetings of the standing Councils of the
Caribbean
Community for which my Ministry has responsibility and ongoing
intergovernmental
and consultative processes at the United Nations, the Commonwealth,
the Organization of American States and the Association of Caribbean
States. The Ministry would also coordinate The Bahamas’ participation
in special events, such as the Fourth CARICOM-Japan Consultations and
the aforementioned Third Caribbean-China Economic and Trade Cooperation
Forum, both of which are scheduled to take place later this year.
Mr.
Speaker,
In
implementation of its legislated mandate for the coordination of
foreign
policy, in the coming fiscal year, the Ministry will continue to liaise
closely with relevant agencies on issues of economic and developmental
importance to The Bahamas. This includes close cooperation with
the Ministry of Finance on the negotiation and signature of tax
information
exchange agreements with a number of OECD and non-OECD countries.
This effort included the involvement of a number of the overseas
Missions,
which served as first points of contact for many of the countries with
whom The Bahamas has concluded TIEAs. Several of The Bahamas’
Heads of Overseas Missions also signed TIEAs on behalf of the
Government.
As Members would be aware, the Government has successfully achieved
the removal of The Bahamas from the OECD ‘grey list’ of countries
who are deemed not to be fully compliant with international tax
standards,
by signing 19 TIEAs by the stipulated deadline. Going forward,
the Ministry will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Finance
in this regard.
The
Ministry will also continue to work in tandem with the Ministry of
Finance
on issues related to implementation of the Economic Partnership
Agreement
with the European Union and the process for The Bahamas’ accession
to the World Trade Organization. With respect to the EPA, I was
pleased to head The Bahamas delegation at the Inaugural Meeting of the
Joint EU-CARIFORUM Council convened pursuant to the terms of the EPA
on 17 May 2010, held in the margins of the Sixth European Union –
Latin American and Caribbean Summit, held in Spain. At that time,
the Council agreed to adopt The Bahamas’ Services and Investment
Schedules
to the EPA by written procedure.
There
is also ongoing cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and the Ministry of the Environment regarding climate change,
particularly
the follow-up process to the December 2009 Copenhagen Summit and the
preparatory work for the next major meeting in Cancun scheduled for
December of this year, at which our goal remains the conclusion of a
legally binding successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs deals with a wide range of issues related
to international law, including mutual legal assistance, international
child abduction, extradition matters, ratification of treaties and
agreements
by The Bahamas and coordination of implementation and reporting
obligations
under those treaties and agreements. My Ministry also liaises
with other agencies of the Government and representatives of foreign
governments on matters relating to piracy, illegal migrant flows,
security
issues, transfer of prisoners and crime prevention and criminal justice
issues.
In
this regard, and in pursuit of The Bahamas’ obligations as a responsible
member of the international community, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
will continue to carry out work necessary to submit reports required
under United Nations Security Council resolutions related to
counter-terrorism.
The Bahamas is also party to 13 of the 16 Universal Anti-terrorism
Conventions
and the Ministry has identified two other Conventions for its 2010
Priority
Treaty list, for consideration by the Government.
The
Ministry will also continue to serve as the Chair of the National
Executing
Committee on International Agreements Prohibiting Weapons of Mass
Destruction,
which has responsibility for The Bahamas’ implementation of agreements
related to small arms and light weapons, the illicit trafficking of
which continues to be a major challenge for The Bahamas, the Chemical
Weapons Convention and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Under the latter treaty, the Ministry will continue to liaise with
relevant
Agencies concerning the use of CTBT technologies, for example, to assist
in the early detection of hurricanes and potential tsunami threats.
Mr.
Speaker,
In
keeping with The Bahamas’ obligations under international law, in
the coming fiscal year, my Ministry will also continue the necessary
preparatory work for ongoing negotiations to delimit our maritime
boundaries
with neighbouring countries. This work will complement the submission
in 2009 by The Bahamas to the United Nations of the necessary
preliminary
documentation indicating that we intend to extend our claim to the outer
limits of the Continental Shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, subject to
negotiations with adjacent states. The importance of this to the
future of the Bahamian people is that it is the first step in the
process
for establishing jurisdiction over the continental shelf for exploration
and exploitation of all non-living resources of the seabed and the
subsoil
of the shelf, including oil, gas and minerals, as well as certain
sedentary
marine species.
Mr.
Speaker,
As
indicated earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is perhaps one of
the Government agencies whose role and function is least visible on
the national scene. The Ministry therefore takes great pleasure
in participating in the annual Model United Nations mock UN General
Assembly debate among high school students, organized by the Rotary
Clubs of The Bahamas, with support from the staff of the Ministry.
We certainly feel that the annual Model United Nations session is
invaluable
in exposing the future generation of leaders to the types of issues
considered in international organizations which have a clear bearing
on our development and well-being. The Ministry also hopes that
the event will continue to generate interest in young Bahamians in the
country’s Foreign Service.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Bahamas maintains a small, but active network of diplomatic missions
overseas, the staff of which are literally the face of The Bahamas
abroad
and who work with dedication and commitment in pursuit of The Bahamas’
nationaI interests overseas. The work of our Missions is complemented
by a network of hard working honorary Consuls, located throughout the
Caribbean and Latin America, Europe and Asia.
The missions
are strategically located, and carry out a wide variety of functions
to both promote The Bahamas’ interests and safeguard the welfare of
Bahamian citizens overseas. I wish to highlight briefly some of
the main planned and ongoing activities of our Missions in the coming
fiscal year.
The
Bahamas’ Embassy in Beijing, China continues to consolidate its
operations,
having become a full service Embassy in August 2008 and assumed
responsibility
for all consular functions at that time. In keeping with our ongoing
efforts to achieve efficiencies and savings in our operations, I am
pleased to report that the Embassy in China has been able to achieve
significant savings in rental costs through the downsizing and
reconfiguring
of the premises in July 2009. This has resulted in a reduction
of quarterly rental costs from US$38,340 to US$21,596, a 44% reduction.
The
Embassy issues visas and passports, and provides support and advice
to the small group of Bahamian students in China. In the first
half of the fiscal year that is now drawing to a close, the Embassy
issued 338 visas which generated $735.00, most of them to Chinese
nationals.
Many of the visas issued were for government officials traveling to
The Bahamas with high-level delegations, or for persons involved in
the construction of the National Stadium. The Embassy has reported
that it saw an upsurge in the number of visas issued in early 2010,
as some 600 visas were issued to persons traveling through The Bahamas
to attend a conference in Florida.
As
I indicated previously, the Embassy is about to be brought online to
issue electronic passports and visas, as the Ministry’s Network
Administrator
will travel to Beijing on June 20 to implement this process. Once
this process is complete, the Embassy should be in a position to enhance
its service delivery to Chinese nationals and other nationals resident
in China wishing to travel to The Bahamas for tourism, business and
other purposes. The Embassy also provides guidance and support
to the growing number of Bahamian nationals and entities seeking to
do business in China. As the only Bahamas Mission in the Asia-Pacific
region, the Embassy is also charged with maintaining a watching brief
on countries of interest in the region, particularly those that present
economic opportunities for The Bahamas, through investment and/or
enhanced
trading links.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Bahamas High Commission in Ottawa, Canada continues to perform a number
of very important functions, particularly in terms of providing support
to the large numbers of Bahamians studying at various institutions in
Canada. The High Commission also provides a number of consular
services, including the issuance of visas and passports, notarial and
legalization functions, and assistance to Bahamians in distress.
In the first half of the fiscal year 2009/2010, the High Commission
issued 22 passports, including one emergency travel document, and 88
visas to persons wishing to travel to The Bahamas. The combined
revenue from the High Commission’s consular activities was for that
period was $6765.00. These figures represented an increase of
17.4% in visa revenue and 53% in passport revenue. These levels
of consular activity are expected to continue.
The
High Commission also continues to demonstrate a keen interest in
cultural
diplomacy, and facilitating the exposure of the culture and music of
The Bahamas to a wider audience in Canada. These sorts of activities,
which have included partnerships with cultural and other groups from
The Bahamas, go a long way toward promoting The Bahamas as a tourism
and cultural destination, often with minimal financial commitment from
the Overseas Missions. The same is true of the High Commission’s
participation in the annual International Food Fair organized by the
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which
raises funds for local charities and provides an opportunity to further
raise the profile of The Bahamas.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Bahamas Consulate General in Miami is the busiest of The Bahamas’
consular posts, particularly with respect to the issuance of visas and
assistance to Bahamian nationals. In the first half of the fiscal
year 2009/2010 the Consulate issued 1325 visas and 291 passports, as
well as 165 emergency passports. The Consulate was one of the first
of our Overseas Missions to be equipped to issue electronic visas, and
went online on 1 September 2009, a transition which went relatively
smoothly. Miami is one of the offices that has seen a decline
in visa revenue due to the abolition early in 2009 of the visa
requirement
for the citizens of many European and Latin American countries.
However, we expect that this decline will be offset by an increase in
travel from citizens of these countries to The Bahamas for tourism and
business purposes, particularly as the global economy continues to
stabilize
and recover. The Consulate also went online with the issuance
of machine readable electronic passports on 1 September 2009.
As reported earlier, there were some initial challenges in the extension
of these services to the Overseas Missions; in the case of Miami this
resulted in a lag between enrollment for electronic passports and the
actual issuance of the completed booklets. However, these issues
have now been successfully addressed.
The
Consulate in Miami is also kept very busy with the arrest, detention
and deportation of Bahamian nationals within its jurisdiction.
The Consulate continues to provide assistance, where possible, to assist
Bahamians in detention, and their families. This includes visiting
Bahamian nationals in places of detention in Florida, contacting family
members and providing information on treaty transfer back to The
Bahamas.
Finally, the Consulate also continues to provide assistance, where
possible,
to Bahamian nationals in distress within its jurisdiction, as well as
to facilitate naturalization cases with the Department of Immigration.
Mr.
Speaker,
Our
office in Washington, D.C. is a multifunctional diplomatic mission,
which serves as The Bahamas Embassy to the United States, Colombia and
Mexico, and The Bahamas Permanent Mission to the Organization of
American
States [OAS]. The Mission therefore has a very wide remit, which
includes bilateral relations with the countries to which it is
accredited,
representation in the various meetings and activities of the OAS, and
consular activities, including the issuance of visas and passports and
assistance to Bahamian nationals.
The
Bahamas Embassy in Washington D.C. went online with the issuance of
machine readable passports and visas on 1 November 2009. As with
other Overseas Missions, the Embassy encountered some challenges in
this transition; however, these have now been overcome. In the
first half of the fiscal year, the Embassy issued 813 visas, 45
passports
and 14 emergency passports.
In
the coming fiscal year, as a part of its bilateral mandate, the Embassy
will continue to engage in discussions with representatives of the US
Government on a number of issues of critical importance to The Bahamas,
including trade and intellectual property rights, US legislative
initiatives
aimed at so-called ‘tax havens’, trafficking in persons, and cooperation
with the Food and Drug Administration. The Embassy also remains
engaged in ongoing discussions on CARICOM – US relations, including
issues related to climate change, security, trade, deportees etc.
In
its capacity as The Bahamas Mission to the OAS, the Mission remains
actively involved in OAS discussions on political developments in the
hemisphere, follow up to the Summit of the Americas, the OAS’ role
in financing national and multilateral development projects in Member
States, and the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism. The
Bahamas has taken a particularly active role in the activities of this
Committee, which it Chairs.
As
with all of The Bahamas’ diplomatic missions, the Embassy in Washington
also engages in cultural and public diplomacy, participating in
programmes
which require a limited financial commitment but make an invaluable
contribution to raising the profile of the country and promoting The
Bahamas as a business, tourist and cultural destination. The Embassy
therefore participates in the Embassy Adoption Programme, which is
co-sponsored
by the Washington Performing Arts Society and DC Public Schools. This
programme is designed to inform students about The Bahamas with a view
to them learning to appreciate and respect Bahamian art, culture,
history
and current events. This programme complements the Embassy’s
participation in the ‘Passport DC Open House’ coordinated by Cultural
DC.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Bahamas High Commission in London is also a multi-functional diplomatic
mission, serving also as The Bahamas Embassy to Belgium, France, Germany
and Italy. Further, the High Commission is The Bahamas’ point
of contact for the Commonwealth Secretariat headquartered in London,
the European Union headquartered in Brussels, and the World Trade
Organization
and the International Organization for Migration, both headquartered
in Geneva. The High Commissioner is also accredited as The Bahamas’
Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization,
headquartered in London.
In
the coming fiscal year, the High Commission will remain actively engaged
in the follow-up process to the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting, as well as other high-level Commonwealth meetings throughout
the year. The High Commission will also continue to work closely
with The Bahamas Maritime Authority in ensuring active and constructive
participation by The Bahamas at the IMO, where The Bahamas sits on the
Council.
As
I indicated previously, the High Commission is about to be brought
online
to issue electronic passports and visas, as the Ministry’s Network
Administrator will travel to London on June 13 to implement this
process.
Once this process is complete, the High Commission should be in a
position
to enhance its service delivery to Bahamian nationals and other
nationals
resident in the United Kingdom and Europe in need of passports and other
travel documents or wishing to travel to The Bahamas for tourism,
business
and other purposes. This process has not been without its challenges,
given the difficulties inherent in installing cutting edge technology
in the grand old building which houses the High Commission;
nevertheless,
we believe that these difficulties will be successfully overcome.
Mr.
Speaker,
A
key achievement of my Ministry in 2009 was the conclusion of the
short-stay
visa waiver agreement with the European Community, which was negotiated
through The Bahamas High Commission in London, in its capacity as
Mission
to the European Union. The agreement was initialed in May 2009
and was provisionally in force from the date of signature. As
a result, the numbers of visas issued by the High Commission have
declined
significantly, as all European Union citizens are able to travel
visa-free
to The Bahamas. Since that time, Bahamians have been able to travel
visa-free to all members of the European Union for short stays, and
it is expected that this agreement will reap benefits for The Bahamas
in terms of increased travel from Europe to The Bahamas for tourism
and business purposes. My Ministry, through the High Commission,
is continuing the process of negotiations to conclude similar agreements
with the non-European Union Schengen states of Iceland, Liechtenstein
and Norway. It is hoped that this process would be concluded in
the near future. I am pleased to inform this House also that two
of the EU candidate countries, Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia
have waived the visa requirement for Bahamian nationals, as a part of
their preparation for EU membership.
In
pursuit of our commitment to conclude bilateral visa abolition
agreements
with selected countries to facilitate visitor travel to The Bahamas
and Bahamian travel internationally, the Ministry has also recently
concluded a visa abolition agreement with Brazil, pertaining to
diplomatic
officials and service passports holders, which I signed in the margins
of the CARICOM-Brazil Summit, held in Brazil in April 2010. My
Ministry also expects to conclude a similar arrangement with Peru in
the very near future.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Bahamas Mission to the United Nations in New York continues to employ
all of its resources to ensuring the effective representation of The
Bahamas at that body. As Members would be aware, the United Nations
continues to be the pre-eminent international forum for the
consideration
of a number of issues of critical importance to The Bahamas, including
climate change, the sustainable development of small island developing
states, the law of the sea, crime prevention and drug control, combating
the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons, the advancement
of women, and promoting and protecting the rights of children.
With
respect to climate change, the Mission remains fully engaged, in
conjunction
with my Ministry and the Ministry of the Environment, in the follow-up
process to the Copenhagen Summit and the critical process now underway
leading up to the Cancun meeting. The Mission will also serve
as the principal representative of The Bahamas on the Commission for
Sustainable Development and the Economic and Social Council, to both
of which The Bahamas was elected in 2009.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Bahamas Consulate General in Atlanta is The Bahamas’ newest Overseas
Mission, which opened officially in August 2009, in the presence of
the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister. The decision was taken to open the
Consulate in recognition of the increasing business opportunities
available
in Atlanta as well as the growing needs of Bahamians resident in the
Southeastern United States. The Consulate offers full consular
services to Bahamians residing within its jurisdiction, as well as visa
services for non-Bahamians wishing to travel to our shores. The
Bahamas Consulate General in Atlanta is a welcome addition to the
Consulates
in Miami and New York, and the Embassy in Washington, in expanding The
Bahamas’ consular presence in the United States. The Consulate
in Atlanta is also equipped to issue machine readable electronic
passports
and visas, and in the period up to December 2009, the Consulate issued
266 visas, 144 passports and 11 emergency passports. These levels
of consular activity are expected to continue.
The
Bahamas Consulate General in New York is another key part of this
consular
network in the United States, and performs a wide variety of services,
including the legalization of documents, the processing of visas for
persons wishing to travel to The Bahamas to visit and to do business,
the issuance of electronic passports, the provision of general
assistance
to Bahamian nationals resident in the Tri-State area as well as the
provision of general information on The Bahamas to businesspersons and
prospective visitors and investors, as well as members of the general
public seeking information for educational and other purposes.
The Consulate in New York went online with the issuance of machine
readable
passports and visas in November 2009, and in the first half of the
fiscal
year issued 1031 visas, 43 passports and 2 emergency passports.
These levels of consular activity are expected to continue.
Mr.
Speaker,
The
Bahamas Embassy in Cuba continues to see increased activity,
particularly
with regard to consular matters, given the ever-increasing links between
The Bahamas and Cuba, with Bahamians traveling to Cuba for health care,
further education, tourism and business opportunities. The relationship
between The Bahamas and Cuba will also continue to be further refined
and enhanced through the implementation of various agreements between
our two countries, including in the area of technical cooperation.
Mr.
Speaker,
I
end my reports, on our Overseas Missions with The Bahamas Embassy in
Haiti. The Embassy has over the years performed a yeoman’s task
under difficult circumstances, providing assistance to Bahamians in
Haiti and providing visa and other consular services. We are all
of course aware of the devastating earthquake which struck Haiti on
January 12 of this year. I wish to publicly commend the staff
of the Embassy, both the Bahamian staff and the locally employed Haitian
nationals working for the Embassy, for the tremendous work they
undertook
under unimaginably difficult circumstances in the immediate aftermath
of the earthquake, particularly in terms of facilitating the
repatriation
of Bahamian citizens and residents caught up in the earthquake back
to The Bahamas. I particularly wish to commend Ms. Veldia Coleby,
who was seconded to the Embassy from the Department of Immigration,
who did an outstanding job in this regard. The subsequent appointment
of retired Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Clifford Scavella as
the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Haiti will assist the Embassy
in getting back up and running as soon as possible, as well as in
identifying
ways for The Bahamas to continue to assist our sister country in getting
back on its feet, as our commitment to Haiti and its recovery remains
undiminished.
Mr.
Speaker,
Members
would be aware of the ongoing process of The Bahamas’ accession to
the World Trade Organization, as a part of our efforts to deepen our
integration into the global economy. It had been our intention
to open a diplomatic mission in Geneva, the headquarters of the WTO,
in this coming fiscal year. Mindful however of the economic challenges
we continue to face, and the resulting budgetary constraints, the
decision
has again been taken to postpone the establishment of this Mission at
this time. Notwithstanding this decision, my Ministry will continue
to work closely with the Ministry of Finance in pursuing WTO accession,
and will seek to engage our CARICOM and other partners in the
international
community for assistance and cooperation in this important effort.
Mr.
Speaker,
I
continue to be very pleased with what my Ministry is able to accomplish,
with limited human and financial resources. The Ministry and its
staff carry out their functions with efficiency and professionalism.
I am confident that this approach will continue to guide us through
the coming year. I wish to stress, however, such internal improvements,
because of the coordination role which my Ministry is mandated to play
must be matched or complemented by our partner substantive Ministries
and Agencies. To this end, my Ministry will continue to engage
in dialogue with other Government agencies for practical mechanisms
to achieve our shared overarching goal of protecting and advancing the
national interest of The Bahamas and its citizens.
Thank
you.