What are we going to do?

Tourism is at an all time low. In June, it was down another 6.5%. At this rate, we will have problems hitting the 4 and half million mark in arrivals. It is the primary pillar of our economy.

Financial services are down. Bad news in the fact that RBC is moving its headquarters out of Nassau.

Bacardi is closing down. Loss of 200 jobs.

Morton Salt in Inagua cut jobs.

Freeport Polymers stands to lose $95 million in sales if the EU trade deal isn't signed by December.

Ginn sales are so slow, that they announced that they are in trouble with their timetable.

Emerald Bay is in bankruptcy.

Montana can't pay their bills.

The business news in the Guardian says that the sub-prime troubles have hit Bahamian shores.

Employment figures dipped, especially with Baha Mar rooms being taken off line.

Domestic debt is the highest that it has ever been in history with Bahamians in hock to their eyeballs.

Savings are at an all time low.

The infrastructure is stressed to the core -- losing around 4 million gallons of water in the pipes.

The downtown is a mess and needs a hundred million dollar facelift, yet Kerzner was granted a billion dollars in concessions -- almost the entire yearly budget of government spending.

Big cruise ships not coming next June, because the harbour isn't dredged deep enough.

Per capita income (GDP) has fallen in the past few years from $21,000 to $17,000

I got to tell you, I am worried.

dont forget some want our broke government to spend $20 mill to build a straw market .. bey if yah broke yah broke .. just tell the people that, they dont like it, tell them to sod off.:sailing:

who is montana?

anyway there is not much you can do. this is the reason having tourism as your bread and butter is a problem

toursim is a thing where your visitors can go down for many reasons beyond your control. ie american economy not doing welll, a new hot destination ie caymans, PR, BVI.

bahamians as individuals can prepare for tough times by saving, becoming independant of some hotel job ie learning a trade

Economies go up down, part of life.

Right now, Canada is up, USA and thus the Bahamas is down.

Dont worry, the Bahamas is bless-sed. :sailing:

Economies go up down, part of life.
Right now, Canada is up, USA and thus the Bahamas is down.


amen

amen

but it still adds credence to the initial question. With the exterior fluctuating negatively.... what are we or can we do to avoid becoming obsolete!

and we're running out of crawfish, conch and scalefish

:what:
and we're running out of crawfish, conch and scalefish


:what: no conch and crawfish??? whatever will i do????

Economies go up down, part of life.
Right now, Canada is up, USA and thus the Bahamas is down.

HHHhhhmmmm Canada the land of the free and equal

but it still adds credence to the initial question. With the exterior fluctuating negatively.... what are we or can we do to avoid becoming obsolete!

stop putting our eggs in the tourism basket. I said this long time ago before internat.

Go to the bank and tell them you want a credit card merchant account for internet sales. I did a few years back and you can't get it. Try having a well made product and need help to develope it. Dont look to the "who you know what you got development bank".

and lets not talk in industries encouragement acts they are not set up for the small mfg business.

Yet merchants get duty free imports of foreign made when some can be made here and in the long run most all can be made here.

HHHhhhmmmm Canada the land of the free and equal


I think you mean the land of OIL!
Or has the agenda of this thread changed?

:what:
:what: no conch and crawfish??? whatever will i do????

starve?
Either that or grow chicken...

starve?
Either that or grow chicken...

Grow some veggies and potatoes too.

Did you know that at one time in the Bahamas there were no tourists in the summer months. Everyone fished or farmed and lived off their savings from the winter months when the tourists did come.

I doubt we could do that now. We have fished out most of the easily accessible areas and who want to get their hands dirty farming? We have house payments to make, car payments. We need our luxuries, if fact we will not do without them. If hard time come we are ill prepared to survive.