By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie said yesterday he is “confident” that the unemployment rate will fall to “10 per cent or less” in the next two to three years.

Speaking to reporters at the opening at the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation’s executive offices, Mr Christie said that despite criticism from naysayers, he is optimistic that unemployment will continue to drop because of direct foreign investment. He told critics who doubt recent unemployment figures to “eat your heart out” because his administration is on the right track to bring about economic recovery.

“We are going to have the most wonderful experience in the next two to three years and unemployment will continue to go down...over the next 18 months, it will continue to drop to around 10 per cent or less,” the prime minister said.

“The unemployment rate has come down to around 14.2 per cent. I am more than optimistic, almost now certain, that it will continue to drop and the Bahamas is in for a wonderful period of transformative development. One in which people will have jobs and entrepreneurs will have money for opportunities moving into the future. I see a wonderful experience happening in the country in the next two to three years and it is going to have a positive impact. This is nothing to do with politics. Just simply the reality that there are increasing numbers of people with money who have recognized that the Bahamas is the best place to be in this region and the best place to invest and they are trying to do so. The challenge for us is not whether or not there are people to invest, but it is how do we ensure that Bahamians will benefit in a maximum possible way. I am very excited about this.”

The latest Labour Force Survey, released last week, indicated a drop in unemployment in the Bahamas from 15.4 per cent to 14.3 per cent from November 2013 to May 2014.

In the case of New Providence, the rate fell from 15.6 per cent to 15 per cent and in Grand Bahama from 16.8 per cent to 17.7 per cent.

The survey also shows that 8,390 net jobs were added to the economy since May 2012.

On Sunday, PLP Chairman Bradley Roberts said the figures have validated the Christie administration’s job creation claims and confirmed the success of efforts to turn around the economy.

Mr Roberts praised the government over the reduction in the number of discouraged workers, and addition of more than 8,000 jobs as reported by the Department of Statistics.

He told critics to “eat crow, and to do so liberally”.

Mr Roberts also called on Opposition Leader Dr Hubert Minnis to apologise to the Prime Minister and Bahamas Information Services (BIS) for his criticisms over the accuracy of previously reported job numbers.

“Dr Minnis reportedly made disparaging and totally inaccurate remarks to the press about the reported job numbers quoted in the second anniversary magazine published by BIS in May of this year on the government’s accomplishments,” Mr Roberts said in a statement. “Now that the statute authority of the government (Department of Statistics) has reported and supports the job figures published by BIS, Minnis should do the right thing and apologise to both PM Christie and BIS specifically.

FNM shadow minister for Finance Peter Turnquest has maintained that the number of jobs added to the economy was still short of the government’s 10,000 jobs pledge, and that earlier claims still represented an attempt to mislead the public.