People Focused Jobs, NOW!

By Charo R. Walker
BlackFood News Reporter

LAST month local newspapers reported that the number of discouraged workers, i.e. those who gave up looking for work, stood at roughly 9,000. This number is in addition to the number of workers who are unemployed, i.e. those actively looking for work. If the discouraged workers were to be included in the calculations for the unemployed the unemployment rate would stand at 18.2%.

In the same story it was reported that Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, when asked when he expected significant job creation, said this remains a mystery because nobody, including the experts, knows for sure when the global economy will begin recording any measurable growth.

It is unbelievable that the Prime Minister actually said that future job creation is a “mystery”. And why are we waiting for the “global economy” to recover?

The Prime Minister’s response is an eye-opener and lays bare the philosophy that guides the current administration; one of foreign interest over home interest; one of imperialist facilitator.

The Prime Minister’s response also makes it clear that the government is not in the business of direct job creation. Well, ok, the government doesn’t want to be too involved with the economy and views itself more as a regulator of the economy. Fine. But it doesn’t even create an environment that allows Bahamian entrepreneurs to become business owners capable of employing Bahamians.

Instead we are waiting for the rebound of the global economy, i.e. the American economy.

This means that our future hinges on the ability of American investors to reposition themselves after the losses they encountered during the American financial “crisis”. It also hinges on the ability of American nationals to patronize American investments in The Bahamas.

This is madness. How can we expect to grow and develop as a nation if our future rests completely in the hands of foreigners?

What type of economic development plan is this?

In the Free National Movement 2007 Manifesto the party (now the government) stated in order to create new, high quality jobs they would, among other things, expand and simplify the Government Loan Guarantee Programme in support of small Bahamian businesses.

This campaign promise needs to become reality.

Additionally, the Self Starters Programme, a grant based programme geared toward Bahamian entrepreneurs under the age of 30, should be expanded to include those entrepreneurs over 30. The grant amount should also be increased with fewer restrictions with regard to how and where the grant money is spent.

The government also needs to abandon its purported laissez-faire approach to managing the economy. With things the way they are more involvement in directing the economy wouldn’t be any worse than a hands-off approach.

With that said I thought to share some ideas regarding job creation.

First and foremost state of the art libraries should be built throughout The Bahamas. Let’s say the hell with using mass amounts of money and manpower to build hotels. Let’s build places where Bahamians can feed their minds.

There are probably only two libraries in New Providence that are open until about 10pm. Shamefully, The Department of Archives, the place that stores all of the country’s original historical data, closes at 4pm and isn’t even open on weekends.

In many countries, proper libraries and the upkeep and maintenance of them is serious business, employing a sizable number of people and providing them with quality jobs.

Community centers should also be built in every community. This would allow community members to meet, to share, to address their own problems. Just as libraries are serious business, so are proper community centers.

Establishing community centers would lead to the creation of quality jobs that are people focused. The development of real parks (green spaces and water parks) and museums also follow this train of thought.

Creating an extensive transportation industry that runs 24 hours is something that is always talked about and really needs to be implemented. Most people wouldn’t be able to get to the parks, museums, libraries and community centers even if they existed and were open late since most people don’t own their means of transport.

A safe, reliable transportation network that zig-zags through every neighbourhood would provide a whole host of jobs and services (drivers, mechanics, bus depots and the businesses within them, creation and distribution of city maps and bus schedules and the list goes on). It would also allow New Providence to come alive because we would be interacting with each other a whole lot more.

Encouraging a thriving music industry should also be given some attention. Most young people in The Bahamas are right now involved somehow in the music industry; yes, it’s an industry. Involvement in this industry requires technological know-how for the creation of tracks and music videos and all that is required to get to those end products. So, if quality jobs that are of interest to young people are what we want, investing in the music industry in The Bahamas is something to be seriously considered.

Another industry that holds much unlocked potential for economic growth and quality job creation is the agricultural industry. About 80% of the food we eat is imported. But there is no need for this since Andros produces even squash. Learning farming techniques imparts skills to those employed in the industry and the technological advancements in the industry nowadays mean that quality jobs are assured.

These are just some ideas that I thought of. I may be off the mark. But at least taking a stab at them or SOMETHING is better than doing nothing and waiting for foreigners to bail us out with dead-end “plantation” jobs that satisfy their needs.

And if the excuse is that we don’t have the money to implement all these splendid ideas, my response is that we always find the money when it concerns attracting and catering to foreigners. Look at the reported $80-$150 million Arawak Cay/Downtown redevelopment initiative. But then, that’s a whole other story for another day.♦bf