By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamian Contractors Association's (BCA) president yesterday demanded to "see the numbers" showing Bahamian participation on The Pointe project has increased 100-150 percent.

Leonard Sands called on the government to show just how many Bahamians are currently employed at the $200m downtown Nassau development, and how long they will be working for, arguing that it is at a stage where more should be engaged.

"I am not the one to say that the minister is not correct, but I'm going to challenge him to take a photo with all workers who are Bahamian at The Pointe," Mr Sands said, in response to assertions by Dion Foulkes, minister of labour, that local participation in the project's workforce had risen dramatically.

"Again, we maintain the position that there isn't a significant number of Bahamians at the job site. I drive past there every day and counted probably 10. The minister says Bahamian participation has increased 100 percent; that could be true. We want to make sure that we are responsible to our membership, the employees and the opportunities that were provided for Bahamians, and we maximise those opportunities. I still don't see enough Bahamian contractors or labourers engaged."

Mr Foulkes said at a recent press conference that the number of Bahamians employed had increased by between 100 to 150 percent. "I have received two reports recently, one from the Department of Labour - which we did about three weeks ago - and we also received a report from The Pointe," he added.

"There has been an increase in the Bahamian participation. In one report it is over 100 percent, and in another report it's over 150 percent. We want to ensure that we are looking at apples vis-a-vis apples as opposed to apples and oranges.

"If you analyse both phases, the garage plus the new development, it's like 73 percent Bahamian and 27 percent non-Bahamian, just looking at those two phases. We want to restrict this analyses to the development going on now." Mr Foulkes said the Government wants to ensure that, at a minimum, The Pointe's workforce is 70 percent Bahamian.

Yet Mr Sands told Tribune Business: "The project is at a point where it certainly could have more Bahamians engaged there. The building is topped off. They're now doing block work and masonry works, where we have an abundance of Bahamians.

"I would just ask the minister to clarify the numbers and speak succinctly to the engagement of local contractors at the Pointe. We definitely want to see the project succeed because it would mean hundreds of jobs for locals in our country. We are eager to have local involvement to be significantly more present and paramount."

Mr Foulkes also said The Pointe developers had given assurances that next summer the Bahamian participation would go beyond 70 percent, and may get as high as 80-85 percent at some points.

To this Mr Sands responded: "That's next summer. Between August and December what will the numbers be? I understand that it could change by next summer but we have persons in the construction industry who are underemployed now. We are concerned about what happens between now and Christmas.

"We would just like some articulated data that could at least satisfy our concerns about the number of persons involved on the project. Give us the number and a timeline on when the engagement of those persons happens. I pass that development every day. I see people going to work in the morning and I don't see Bahamians. In the night I see people leaving and their faces aren't familiar to me."