NDP: STATE OF THE NATION- Programme Booklet

Statement by the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas In November 2014, a team of professionals in the Office of the Prime Minister, assisted by local and international consultants, the College of The Bahamas, the Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation and civil society organizations began work on the National Development Plan.

From the onset, I mandated that the process include wide and inclusive consultation across the length and breadth of The Bahamas to develop a strategy that would guide the course of Bahamian society over the next decades. It was imperative that no segment of our society felt excluded.

As a general philosophy, I have always embraced two important concepts: First, I understand the importance of planning; and second, I want to ensure that plans turn into tangible results for the Bahamian people.

Over the next few months, as work on the National Development Plan unfolds, you will see evidence of a transformative approach to governance which places planning and results based management at the forefront of the activities of government so that we can achieve the best opportunities for the people that we serve.

Without question, we can all admit that The Bahamas has been extremely successful as a nation. We have a good quality of life, a stable economy and a strong democracy.

However, I believe we can be even greater, substantially more successful, and emerge as a stronger, more vibrant and sustainable society with a National Development Plan.

The planning process has begun; first, with an in-depth diagnosis of the Bahamian economy and society leading to this State of the Nation Report. Next, each challenge will be addressed by the development of clear, measurable and actionable goals, strategies and actions – a roadmap to the future.

I wish to thank all who have contributed to the work on the National Development Plan thus far and to previous development plans for The Bahamas. This has been a collective effort for the country we love.

May God continue to bless The Bahamas and her beautiful people.

State of the Nation Report

Statement by the Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie, Prime Minister of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas In November 2014, a team of professionals in the Office of the Prime Minister, assisted by local and international consultants, the College of The Bahamas, the Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation and civil society organizations began work on the National Development Plan.

From the onset, I mandated that the process include wide and inclusive consultation across the length and breadth of The Bahamas to develop a strategy that would guide the course of Bahamian society over the next decades. It was imperative that no segment of our society felt excluded.

As a general philosophy, I have always embraced two important concepts: First, I understand the importance of planning; and second, I want to ensure that plans turn into tangible results for the Bahamian people.

Over the next few months, as work on the National Development Plan unfolds, you will see evidence of a transformative approach to governance which places planning and results based management at the forefront of the activities of government so that we can achieve the best opportunities for the people that we serve.

Without question, we can all admit that The Bahamas has been extremely successful as a nation. We have a good quality of life, a stable economy and a strong democracy.

However, I believe we can be even greater, substantially more successful, and emerge as a stronger, more vibrant and sustainable society with a National Development Plan.

The planning process has begun; first, with an in-depth diagnosis of the Bahamian economy and society leading to this State of the Nation Report. Next, each challenge will be addressed by the development of clear, measurable and actionable goals, strategies and actions – a roadmap to the future.

I wish to thank all who have contributed to the work on the National Development Plan thus far and to previous development plans for The Bahamas. This has been a collective effort for the country we love.

May God continue to bless The Bahamas and her beautiful people.

State of the Nation Report

Statement by the Hon. Khaalis Rolle, Minister of State for Investments Traditionally, we in The Bahamas have abandoned long term focused planning. This has led to lack of clear focused national priorities leading to inefficiencies in government and in the public and private sectors.

Hope is critical for development. It makes us look past the present negatives to focus on the future. Hope, however, is ineffective without planning.

We, as a nation, must stand behind the National Development Plan. Once implemented, we must be prepared to monitor and evaluate outcomes and timelines to ensure we remain on our chosen plan. This is how flourishing countries achieve long term growth and success. This is how we will achieve success. The Bahamas National Development Plan is the vehicle by which the hopes of all Bahamians for a brighter tomorrow will be transformed into actionable steps; the vehicle by which their visions will become reality.

It is my sincere pleasure to share with you this State of the Nation Report. This document is very detailed and provides a comprehensive assessment of The Bahamas as it stands today. It takes a hard look at our country: our challenges and our strengths. It is an honest reporting of

the facts and, in many cases, it validates what we have all known but were too hesitant to document. It embodies the views of all stratums of the Bahamian society, from big business to the entrepreneur on the street corner, from the home maker in the island to the academic in the capital. Looking at the governance of the country, the state of the human capital, the environment and the economy, it is evident that there is a lot of work to be done and there will be some pain when making the necessary changes, but the rewards will be great.

I want to add my thanks and congratulations to Mr. Felix Stubbs, Chair of the NDP Steering Committee, Dr. Nicola Virgill-Rolle, Director of the Economic Development and Planning Unit, and their teams for the excellent work they have done. Congratulations also go to the Steering Committee, sector expert committees and the various consultancy groups for their input and general support and to everyone who has contributed to this document.

I also want to remind you that the journey is not yet over; there is still a considerable way to go. I look forward to your continued support as we continue to build the framework for our future development.

State of the Nation Report

Statement by Mr. Felix Stubbs, Chair, National Development Plan Steering Committee As the Chair of the National Development Plan Steering Committee, I am pleased to offer the State of the Nation Report to the Government, the Opposition and the Bahamian people. This report is bi-partisan in nature and provides an assessment of our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in all aspects of our society. The challenges are notable, but so is the will of the Bahamian people if we turn our minds to long term solutions.

In October 2014, I was asked by the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Perry Christie, to chair the Steering Committee tasked with drafting the National Development Plan (NDP). It was an honour I was pleased to accept given my passion for the development of The Bahamas, my many years of community involvement working for the betterment of young Bahamians from all walks of life, and my governance background gained from my previous service to the government, civil society and the private sector.

The Steering Committee is an important component of the governance structure of the Vision 2040 plan. Composed of stakeholders from every facet of the Bahamian society including: governance, human capital, tourism, financial services and the environment, it has been charged with the responsibility of addressing policy issues, finding innovative solutions to challenges as

they arise, monitoring the overall development of the plan and liaising with various stakeholders.

In a project as critical as the Vision 2040 plan, good governance is essential. As part of its oversight responsibility, the Committee provides balanced and careful leadership, working closely with various stakeholders to produce a plan that is politically neutral, implementable and time sensitive. Good governance also gives the Bahamian people confidence that the plan is broad based - includes all of the islands, is fair and honest and truly represents their goals for the future.

Far too often development has been undertaken in an ad hoc basis focusing on small enclaves of the country.

The process of developing the plan brings a strong governance culture to the government and will culminate in the establishment of an Institute of Governance and a Planning Agency which will facilitate the implementation of the plan and enable the vision to be fulfilled. The plan will also have strong legislative support through the development of a NDP Bill that will give the plan durability and permanence and shield it from the impact of political change.

I am pleased with the effort and outcome of this Report. However, much work remains to be done as we develop our vision and plan for 2040. I urge Bahamians from all walks of life, civil society and political parties to join us and help us grow our nation together.

State of the Nation Report

Message by Dr. Rodney Smith, President of the College of The Bahamas The College of The Bahamas’ mission is to “support and drive national development through teaching, research and innovation and service to the community”.

It is a mission that we take seriously. It has become a mantra for our faculty, staff and our College administration. It is because of our commitment to national development and to provide valuable and necessary service to the country, that we partnered with the National Development Plan Secretariat.

From day one, the College has been intimately involved with the plan. Faculty members wrote a series of informational primers to inform the secretariat on all sectors of the country; and, they have participated in all of the “visioning meetings.” The administration has had discussions with members of the government; and facilitated meetings with the Official Opposition of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and leaders of the Democratic National Alliance.

A point of pride for me has been the involvement the College of The Bahamas Union of Students (COBUS) leaders. These students led discussions during the Youth Conclave with maturity, a sense of direction, and the kind of understanding and knowledge which makes us all proud and hopeful of a bright future. I am confident that they, as our leaders of tomorrow, will help to continue the implementation of the plan and its development over the years.

We at the College have been working tirelessly towards becoming the University of The Bahamas – UB. All of our data management

systems will be completely updated with state-of-the-art 21st century systems; including all financial, academic, student records, campus maintenance and other administrative systems. We have committed to an aggressive master plan that will see us build the GTR Campbell Small Island Sustainability Complex, a new Arts building and residence halls for students at both the Oakes Field and Northern Bahamas campuses. We are doing this to ensure that we build the best university possible for our country. A university that can respond to the needs of both public and private entities, Bahamians, as well as international students wishing to study and train, academically and athletically, at our University.

An important part of being the premier national tertiary institution is hosting and playing a significant role in historic events of national importance. This first State of the Nation Address is one such event. It will provide the country with a complete overview of our strengths and our weaknesses, while proposing a viable way forward for the country.

I hope that the country welcomes this communication with enthusiasm and receives the many messages that will be conveyed, with thoughtfulness and the willingness to help bring about positive change.

We can do this – together.

State of the Nation Report

Statement by Dr. Nicola Virgill-Rolle, Director of Economic Development and Planning It has been my pleasure and challenge to work on the National Development Plan and to head up the Economic Development and Planning Unit. The formation of this Unit constitutes a significant step towards strengthening governance in The Bahamas.

The State of the Nation Report is a comprehensive description of the current state of the nation with respect to four key development pillars: Governance, Human Development, Economy and Infrastructure and Environment.

When we were charged to develop the Vision 2040 National Development Plan (NDP) for The Bahamas, we were given three specific directives. First, that the NDP should be truly national in scope. It was recognized that far too many proposals were “Nassau-centric�. The National Development Plan Secretariat was tasked with ensuring that there was a Bahamas-wide approach to the development of the NDP. National consultations were held across the country.

Second, that the NDP process should be inclusive and non-partisan. Bahamians and residents living in The Bahamas as well as Bahamians in the diaspora would be consulted in the formation of the NDP. Everyone would have an opportunity to be heard and no one would feel excluded. The NDP Secretariat ensured that political

parties were consulted and included in the project’s governance.

Third, that the NDP process needed to be evidence based. The NDP Secretariat would undertake a rigorous review of the Bahamian economy and society to identify the key challenges. Once those challenges were identified and using best international practices and consultations, a set of proposals would be devised which would form the basis of the National Development Plan.

I am happy to advise that we continue to do all that is possible to meet these three goals.

The State of the Nation Report represents the first phase of the National Development Plan. It is only through an understanding of exactly where we are that we can make strategic plans for change. The next phase is the strategy work which will include setting specific goals and action plans.

On behalf of my team, I want to thank all those who participated in this assessment, who gave up numerous hours of their time to meet with us, provided us with feedback, answered our numerous questions and generally assisted in this process.

State of the Nation Report

Programme Entrance of Dignitaries National Anthem

The College of The Bahamas Choir

Welcome & Opening Remarks Dr. Rodney Smith President The College of The Bahamas

The Importance of National Development Planning Mr. Jerry Butler Executive Director Inter-American Development Bank

Engaging the Private Sector in National Development Mr. Gowon Bowe President The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation

The Importance of Engaging Civil Society in National Development Mr. Terry Miller President Civil Society Bahamas

State of the Nation Report

Programme cont’d Special Presentation

Mr. Houlin Zhao Secretary-General International Telecommunication Union (United Nations)

The State of the Nation Report: An Overview Mr. Felix Stubbs Chairman The National Development Plan Steering Committee

Introduction of The Prime Minister Hon. Khaalis Rolle Minister of State for Investments

Towards a Dynamic and Vibrant Bahamas The Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Closing Remarks

Dr. Nicola Virgill-Rolle Director of Economic Development and Planning

Cocktail Reception Library Terrace

State of the Nation Report

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