There are those who claim that in a modern age of growing globalisation, internationalism and multicultural education the Bahamianisation policy is irrelevant. Further, it is believed that the force of international and industrial conglomerates may prove to be just too powerful at a time when third world countries like the Bahamas depend upon foreign investors.
However, the government can still make the Bahamianisation policy an effective measure for building a better Bahamas, provided it has the political interest and courage to implement the policy fairly, completely and consistently. A balanced approach that allows for career advancement for Bahamians, economic national growth and reasonable profits proprietors should be an arrangement that is acceptable by all concerned parties.
The question is, how are we to provide prospective jobs in this small country without some form of protective mechanism? The reality is that thousands of Bahamian graduates from the College of The Bahamas, Success Training College, Bahamas Baptist Community College, Galilee College and Omega College are looking forward to staying in The Bahamas to work and to further develop their careers. How about the thousands of Bahamian students abroad who are excited about coming back home for employment? In fact, many received scholarships on the basis of national needs and a commitment on their part to come back to fulfil such needs. We should not disappoint graduates like those who just completed their studies at Northern Caribbean University. Also, most of our college graduates both here and abroad have to make loan payments.
How are we to protect our children’s birthright if we do not put in place a measure that says: ‘The Bahamas is for Bahamians first’. Unfortunately, thereare too many ‘Jacobs’ in the land. Arrogant, unscrupulous and manipulative foreign employees must be made to comply with our country’s immigration policies, regardless of their status, nationality, race, age or years of service.
It appears that they circumvent certain rules, regulations and policies during their work permit period until they position themselves to qualify for permanent residence status.
While there is a significant number of law-abiding and helpful foreign workers in this country who are making tremendous contributions even on a charitable basis, there are still those who are here taking bread out of the mouths of hundreds of ambitious and hardworking Bahamians.
They know that it’s better in the Bahamas so they try every trick in the book to stand in the way of our people acquiring the necessary training for upward mobility in the work place.
A cursory examination of the job advertisements in the local dailies coupled with checking the Department of Labour and making a few phone calls at the companies will reveal much shady business going on. We must not only be educated about our rights and privileges under the Constitution, the general laws and Bahamianisation policy but also, perhaps more importantly, know how the immigration system works.
Could you imagine what opportunities would be embraced by ordinary Bahamians if they knew just how the system works at the Departments of Immigration and Labour? Maybe we all would find out how easy it is for foreign persons to take ‘we things’.
The Bahamianisation policy is consistent with that noble objective of foreign Christian missions that says the missionary’s desire is to work himself out of a job.
By: Perry R. Cunningham
Source: The Nassau Guardian
