What exactly IS Bahamianisation? I am willing to bet that most readers have an IDEA of what it is, conceptually, even theoretically.
Yet, how many of us actually understand and appreciate the underlying key objective of this unofficial policy of the Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas?
I am the first to admit that I have never, ever seen or heard any OFFICIAL definition of Bahamianisation in the almost 20 years that I have been working in this country.
Lacking the same, I will go out on a limb and say that it is, again unofficially, the policy whereby all jobs created in The Bahamas are to go to Bahamians FIRST.
Where there is no suitable Bahamian candidate at the time, the employer is allowed to bring in an expatriate (“expat”) worker to fill the position with the understanding that a Bahamian will be trained to replace that foreign worker in due course.
The crucial rationale behind such a policy is to safeguard the rights of Bahamian workers and, by extension, to allow for the intellectual and professional development of those workers, affording them greater economic participation in their own country.
If we accept that as the definition and objective of Bahamianisation then, too, we must equally accept that this concept, once a dream decades ago, has slowly turned into a nightmare for countless numbers of Bahamian workers. I am one of those disadvantaged workers.
I am no big fan of the press in this country. Going on four years now, I have been the victim of rank discrimination, first by a local bank (against whom I have a civil suit pending in the Supreme Court of this land) then by other employers in the financial services sector of this country.
From the written press, to radio, to the king of all culprits, Dead-NS (aka the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas), on very rare occasions would any of them fully address my plight. My disgust at this lack of true free press here has led me to radically refuse to purchase or listen to ANY of them save on rare occasions.
One such instance came about two months ago when, on BahamasB2B.com, I read an article penned by Mr John Marquis, managing editor at The Tribune. Up until that point, I did not know Mr Marquis from the man on the moon, nor was I aware of the bull’s eye he has on his back in the nauseating political arena in this country. All I know was I had read an article written by a supposed expat on the subject “Anti-Foreign Attitudes Are Not a Good Idea”.
Despite my strong views and stance on Bahamianisation, I always have an open mind to sincere debate on the subject. I was drawn to the article; not because I was in agreement with it, but because the writer was making sense as an “adversary”.
He touched on subjects that hitherto were ignored or only briefly acknowledged as I observed others dealing with this touchy subject over the decades.
There were at least two matters that bothered me so much that I decided to address them directly to the author, who had provided a means of contact for feedback. I will freely admit here and now that I never expected him to acknowledge, much less respond to, my e-mail. For yet another time in my life, I was wrong!
Not only did Mr Marquis acknowledge the response but he also invited me to contact him to arrange an in-person meeting. I did. What ensued was a lesson in history for ME, taught by a foreigner, a white man (the significance of this will be dealt with shortly) and a great intellectual exchange, albeit with someone with whom I would never have anticipated.
At this point, I need to share some personal facts on me. I am black, Bahamian by birth and a professional. I am 100 per cent APOLITICAL. I HATE politricks (sic) in this country. I believe strongly in Bahamianisation. I am NOT a xenophobe. I love and appreciate other cultures and peoples.
As long as they respect the laws of The Bahamas and rights of Bahamians in OUR land, as we would be expected to do in THEIR lands, I am at peace with all. It is astounding how, when one stands up for one’s BASIC human rights, one is labelled all kinds of things. Simply amazing.
Yes, The Bahamas is a developing nation with limited resources and, yes, as a result we need foreign capital. That is not in dispute with me.
What is an issue is when the rights of investors, usually themselves foreign, corporate or otherwise, take constant precedence over the rights of Bahamians under Bahamianisation.
All investors are in it for a profit. In order to achieve that profit, they must generate revenue and control costs. When an employer chooses to hire expats over suitable Bahamian workers, they are making a decision that goes against the goal of profit.
Anyone who knows what I am talking about first-hand knows that the costs associated with expat workers (which are passed onto customers or taken from shareholder profits) are significantly more than that of their Bahamian counterparts. Why would a prudent investor do such a thing?
I separate expats into two broad categories: the good and the bad. The good ones are those who come to this country with pure intentions. They see Bahamians as equals and understand that they are guests in our home.
These expats contribute to the greater society and oftentimes marry, settle and incorporate themselves into Bahamian society.
Their counterparts, the bad expats, come with selfish intentions, treat Bahamians as anything but equals and totally disregard our laws and policies.
They abuse the system and contribute to the corruption of our elected and appointed officials. Having met him but on one occasion, my gut feelings, thus far, say that Mr Marquis is counted amongst the former.
To see how he is being torn apart in this country as both a journalist and individual really bothers me.
In the short time I met with him, I discovered this man knows more about and has lived certain aspects of Bahamian life than I, a Bahamian, do and have. If you are honest, you would admit the same knowing what I learnt. I only judge a man based on MY experience with him.
Compare this to his detractors of the day, many of whom are black Bahamian professionals and politicians. If I detest the “free” press in this country, my disgust for politicians dwarfs that by comparison.
We all know that politricks in The Bahamas is stink and dirty. Those we elect to safeguard our interests tend to be the very ones who turn out to be the source of our woes.
This is no different when it comes to Bahamianisation. It was the Government who came up with this dream concept.
It is the Government, PLP, FNM, PLP again and, if my prediction holds true, the FNM yet again, who have turned this dream into a nightmare.
Rather than first LEGISLATING Bahamianisation into enforceable law, managing the existing policy and otherwise ensuring that the spirit of Bahamianisation is enforced, government after government, party after party, has paid nothing but lip service to the Bahamian worker, all the while cowering in the presence of their foreign gods, rubber-stamping work permit after work permit. Do I lie?
In a period of three years alone, minister Mr Vincent Peet approved no less than a DOZEN work permits, all for jobs I was qualified for and all while I remained unemployed for YEARS.
Other Black Crabs, as mentioned earlier, include those who are attacking Mr Marquis and calling for HIS particular work permit to be revoked and his alone.
Fred Mitchell, Senator Galanis and the like need to shut the (expletive) up! Something as serious as this should NOT be made into a political mudslinging opportunity.
Is this D’Arcy Ryan all over again! You are MAJOR hypocrites! Where were YOU, sirs; when I cried out against the discrimination I suffered and CONTINUE to suffer as a Bahamian professional? I surely don’t see you calling for revocation of the countless work permits granted, to the detriment of your fellow Bahamians, to the likes of Royal Bank of Canada, Dartley Bank and Trust, Banco Santander (if it’s even still around), etc., etc., etc.
Fred Mitchell in particular inspires my ire. As an unemployed yet QUALIFIED Bahamian professional, I offered my services to this country as a trained diplomat YEARS ago.
Mr Mitchell has NEVER responded to me.
Yet, in a time when there is a freeze on hiring in the Government, his Ministry has in its employ, as a representative of The Bahamas in Canada, a retired bigwig of none other than Royal Bank of Canada itself. Is that “funny” or WHAT?
An EXPAT representing The Bahamas through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when a qualified Bahamian is jobless. Now, Mr Mitchell, whose work permit needs pulling? I thank Mr Marquis for his professionalism. I thank him for his contribution. As a white man, as a foreigner, ironically, I also thank him for the sacrifice he is making for the GOOD of this country.
I had learnt before encountering him that not ALL expats are bad. Similarly, Bahamas, we need to wake up and accept that not ALL politicians and fellow Bahamians, particularly us black ones, are ALL good.
The stench emanating from the bad Bahamians is infinitely worse than that of the bad expats.
Bahamianisation was a sweet dream. That dream has long gone. It is now a nightmare at best.
Many, many, many a Bahamian professional and worker continue to go unemployed and underemployed, never seeing a level playing field or having their rights safeguarded. Like in slavery, the culprit is not usually the one you suspect. Check your history. It was blacks who sold blacks into slavery.
Leave Mr Marquis alone. He is one of the GOOD expats. Instead, turn on the bad ones AND the bad Bahamians, including these dirty politicians. Then and only then can we truly look to make the vision and objectives of Bahamianisation a reality.
By: Leslie Moss
Source: The Tribune
