I am often reluctant to use the word "stupid" but if any statement has ever qualified to be labeled stupid, it is the DPM's statement above. The fact of the matter is that our procurement process is nothing more than a black box, intentionally structured by our politicians of both parties to disguise the government interference and self-dealing that is taking place on a daily basis. And by the way, try to read the Statement from the US State Dept. Mr. DPM and you may understand why it is relevant and consistent with the purpose of the report and not interfering in our domestic affairs. .

False statement, proudloudandfnm
I am a Bahamian and I have had several opportunities for contracts in the U.S.A.. I was a non american and had the opportunity to have had those contracts without interference. i have been home for 3+ years and have not received 1 contract neither have i been entertained

So in a country where i have a birth right and have had no opportunities to be an entrepreneur other than being ran around in circles with no answers or transparency there is definitely something wrong, with how business is conducted in the Bahamas.

The U.S.A. watches persons and business activities its there duties to make statement to warn potential investors about standards and vodoo practices in The Bahamas.

ok so why was not RENEW Bahamas picked for the dump? Bahamians first, right? Seems the Government does not even pick Bahamians if they are better.

yes they were, meant WASTE NOT, sry.

DPM, look no further than the Dump and you may get an idea as to what they are talking about. Trash talking is correct!

What this boils down to is that the mighty U.S. does not want another Haiti on it's doorstep. They do not want a failed nation on their doorstep and they see the writing on the wall or more to the point they have been like a fly on the wall and hear everything that is going down. You figure you slick but old Uncle Sam knows exactly what you are doing!

Why doesn't our esteemed DPM head on up to D.C. and have a word with Uncle Sam?

Misses the point. The report was not written for the consumption of the Bahamian public and if my understanding is correct, the report is not solely about the Bahamas. It was written for US investors giving them an overview of the investment climate in several jurisdictions. For anyone to say that corruption is not a **major** issue in the Bahamas, almost scratching African nation levels, that person would have to be a liar. For anyone to say there is no political interference in awarding of contracts, that person would be equally untruthful. Just because Republic of Uncle Sam may be guilty of the same does not remove the fact that it happens here, and just because "they" say it does not give grounds for it to be dismissed.

Comrades what more is to be expected by a people's who over many years have tolerated the raising our politicians in a fraternity-like environment system of displaying a complete disregard over the handling of the hard-earned monies of taxpayers? Our politicians came out of a society - we all helped to create and allow to exist here in 2014. Those of us who have owned small, medium or larger businesses, understand that it is only by holding our employees accountable for their actions that we are able to create successful enterprises. Government is suppose to work for the benefit of its taxpayers.

The U.S assessment of the Bahamas maybe correct, this is a known problem for years to those in The Bahamas, however Uncle Sam need to remove that huge white bolder in it's eyes too. The 'Good Ole Boys' network in the U.S is strong, connected and powerful and corrupt as ever. Ironically this assessment maybe good for The Bahamas because to have a "come one come all, come on in, just as you are without one plea" attitude can eventually lead to history repeating itself, instead of the British, this time its the Americans. I am not against foreign investments, but we need to educate our electorate, we need to make education OUR greatest investment, this is for the survival of our nation and culture. With the increasingly rapid divide between the rich and poor and the systematic annihilation of the middle class, The Bahamas is on a path of civil war. Religion no longer can pacify the poor to be comfortable. There are many documentation to prove this. We (The Bahamas) are at both a huge advantage and disadvantage because of our close proximity to the U.S. We should use this as an advantage and educate our citizens, or, soon our rich educated neighbors will buy all 700 Islands. Educated women/girls/men/boys will make better decisions in finance, family, work ethics and yes, the worse of all political choice and expectation of those in our Government. EDUCATION IS STILL THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL NATION/PEOPLE.

Nothing matters at this point, because "Perception is Reality". The damage is done, the word that the Bahamian government is for sale is out. Basically endorsed by the U.S. government. The messing around with contracts will have two consequences: (I) in the future you attract more scheissters that will try to pay everybody off to get a contract: and (ii) the ones that don't, won't even submit any offers anymore.

Stop Joking Bahamas

Every Business license has to be issued by the Ministry of Finance, for foreign suppliers,buyers, companies etc. to verify that a Bahamian Business is legit they have to contact the Ministry of Finance who then in turn get the same contacts and upperhand of the business making it hard for the original Bahamian business to make a profit they can steal the ideas or outbid the competition easily. Vodoo

So if I have a contact that will supply me 100 metric tons of Beef, and they contact my government and the officials who oversees imports and exports passes my supplier information to eg. their "Cuzin Philip" or Brother "Robert" and they inturn buy the 100 metric tons of beef before my application to import is processed this is what they (U.S.) is talking about

It ain't cheap buy a whole government. It will set your political party back in the many millions of dollars to even take a serious stab at buying your way to control Bahamaland's powerful instruments of governing over a set of like-minded people's. Unfortunately, the minister's explanation may be about nothing more than, he and his colleagues are but victims of what we as a people, since the days of the Bay Street Boys - have allowed our politicians to get away with. Comrades it is all of "we" who have helped in the engineering of a broken, corrupt political system. How can it not be so, when as a political party, you cannot even have a hope in hell of being elected to government, or as Her Majesty's Official Opposition, unless you first mount and run many weeks of a well-funded General Elections campaign of outright lies and you keep telling the same lies over and over again, hoping to be the party chosen to operate the people's public treasury. While it may not guarantee a party's certain victory at the polls, a well-financed campaign is a good indication of how successful your party's candidates will do among voters. Although nether of the two main parties or the fringe DNA have revealed from whom they got monies from, or the amounts, some in the know think it is in the $10 million rage collectively? Comrades spending $10 million to try to win (buy) the government in a Bahamaland - with a tiny bunch of island - where only 80161 registered voters exercised their constitutional right to vote, is not only an abomination but in the opinion of many not only invites corruption, it guarantees it. Per voter, we're talking some big-time dollars? Want to begin to stop corruption? Then damn well get rid of the reasons for corruption ...campaign monies and politicians. Are you as a citizen prepared to return back to the days when you couldn't buy no politician cause you bake a couple pies for they bake sales, to fund they campaigns?

yep, I agree, and people are pissing onto the empty parking lot at the airport in Abaco. But you are missing the point. Bahamians don't get the business from this Government even if they are better, because they did not "match" what was on the table, or better under the table.

Now that it was discovered that a son of a former chairman of the FNM wrote the report you wonder what extent they would go to to bring down this government even if it means destroying the country. On a brighter note the US jobless rate has fallen significantly last month and stocks are breaking through the roofs. Some are at levels they haven't seen in FIFTEEN YEARS!When America sneezes, the Bahamas catches a cold. Meaning if this (Bahamian) government gets it act together and stops slip sliding next year can be one of economic prosperity for the Bahamas. But as of now that is overshadowed by the doom and gloom VAT will bring if introduced with no positive incentives to offset it.

Now that this post has been written we know just how simple minded some people are

How many Bahamians are on the US State Department's pay roll?????