Bain and Grants Town MP Dr. Bernard Nottage told House members that 10,000 sustainable jobs can be created within three to five years.
Dr. Nottage said this can be done if some of the money that the government is currently investing to stimulate the economy is diverted into providing the infrastructure, science, technology and training behind the agricultural sector. Dr. Nottage said “Farming must be viewed as a commercial undertaking through which you can make a reasonable living and support a family.” “Secondly, agribusiness must become the centrepiece of any agricultural development programme because it is agribusiness which will stimulate investment, create the jobs, introduce innovation, adopt new technology and identify new career opportunities thereby attracting our youth. Agribusiness development is the most efficient way to achieve these objectives and to expand food production in The Bahamas. Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Perry Christie agrees. “I take this opportunity to endorse the detailed and specific recommendations put forward by the member for Bain and Grants Town, for the creation of up to 10,000 jobs in the agriculture and fisheries sectors,” he said. “There must be a continuous national conversation on the strategies available for job creation so that the entire country can come to understand the very real and growing challenges standing between us and a safe and secure society.” Mr. Christie said given The Bahamas’ natural resources, it would be wise for additional training to be directed to the agriculture and marine sectors. “The traditional areas of employment for the economy of The Bahamas are tourism, financial services and construction. We know that the tourism industry is trying to do more with fewer people,” he said. “We also know of the uncertainty surrounding the financial services industry. The Bahamas must, as a matter of necessity, therefore, develop a resolute commitment to the diversification of our economy, primarily through the establishment of linkages to the tourism industry. This is all the more important because The Bahamas, when I last checked, leads the region in terms of leakage rates, 85 cents of every tourism dollar is lost or spent on importing goods and services, vital to sustain the industry. We have been grappling with these leakage statistics for years, but now, absolute necessity dictates that we aggressively address this issue.” He said this is the main reason why Bahamians must pay particular attention to the creation of thousands of sustainable jobs through agriculture and agribusiness. In fact, Mr. Christie said it seems the government neglected to make provisions in its 2010/2011 Budget for a very important group of people – the thousands of high school and college graduates who enter the workforce or will be forced to join the unemployment line. During the final day of debate on the 2010/2011 Budget in the House of Assembly yesterday Mr. Christie said he wonders why the Ingraham administration did not make provisions, or even mention such a large and important group of people. Mr. Christie said with the economy so bad already, things will only get worse if thousands of graduates are left with nothing to do. “The pressing issue now facing The Bahamas is the creation of some 40,000 to 50,000 jobs over the next four to five years,” he said. “This is critical because without a man or woman’s ability to meet his or her basic needs and those of their family, they can quickly lose their dignity, they can quickly lose hope, and this eventually leads to social instability, which adversely impacts all aspects of national life. “What is the government’s plan for the provision of jobs? What plan do we have for them? Thousands of Bahamians have lost their jobs throughout the economy.” The PLP leader added that by July of this year, some 20,000 students will graduate from high school, and that is not counting those who are graduating from colleges and universities. He said there is no way that the government should ignore this issue as it impacts the future of job security. He said “every effort ought to be made to protect the integrity of our young people through providing relevant training and workable job options for them.”
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