Which is why their kids can't be automatic citizens.

Are some of us just goofy? This author wants more grotesque, dirty, littering people in these Bahama island gems? You asking for more ape-crapping people. Are you serious? Why don't you just move to Haiti then, if you want to smell more body odour.

Da Bahamas investor has it as 100,000 square miles jan1, 2006 ?.......Glad to find out its 150,000 square miles......
School ATLAS 2009 Bahamas.Longman...land mass 5383..sq miles...way da go we increasing..to 5,500.....!!!!!!

Now I've seen it all. Of all the silly things I've read, this is top of the list: "But our present 400,000 population — actuarially predicted soon to level off and decline — is too small to provide the human resources for a growing economy." Every scholar in the world is calling for a decrease in global populations. Every country (see Venezuela) is struggling to feed its people due to their large amount. Every environmentalist is calling for lowering the carbon footprint. Yet, this "dude" is calling for us to double our population. The Bahamas is BLESSED due to its small population!!!!!

to begin with basic necessary facilities must be in place. necessary ambulances,
fire stations. hospital beds and schools. even jails.

Some of the problems in the Bahamas right now is that the facilities that the Country
has now at 350,000 was accommodations for 150 thousands,

And they say I am a "D" Grader.

If it fits ....

It actually fits you...personal insults in lieu of logical conversation is not a trait of a mature person of average intelligence.

The writer wants the native Bahamian to become a second class minority in this blessed country of ours. If what he wants takes place, Gentrification will be the order of the day in this country Our resources will be further strained and classism will have a new meaning this country.

I say eliminate or reduce the Brain drain, Give Bahamians the same investment incentives as foreigners and we will be just alright.

Not only do we need to give Bahamians the same investment incentives but to eliminate the brain drain we will need to encourage sensible FDI.

BTW the WTO will require us to offer the same incentives to Bahamians.

There is nothing here for our smart Bahamians to come back to. Old minded thought process, complete resistance to change, feeling that young MUST respect their elders even if that stupid elder is holding them back.

Diversity. Yes. We definitely need more of that. Less Haitians and more diverse looking people. I'm 42 years old and this country is less diverse than when I was a teenager. Haiti is pumping in low IQ people into the system, and the people are looking more and more like Africa. We are one of the least diverse countries in the Caribbean it appears (not easy for single men). If the author is speaking of diversifying the population, so we don't have another reign of Brave Davis and PLP: "I can tief what I want because I'm black," I can get behind that. But simply doubling the population with low IQ people would be an environmental disaster. Even doubling the population with diverse, high IQ people would harm the environment and likely be ecologically unsustainable. They should be required to live in Grand Bahama or Andros -- New Providence is completely full.

What about the low IQ Bahamians being "pumped" into the system? Haiti cannot take all the credit!

How can we even tell who is a real Bahamian anymore? Our public schools may have 100% Haitian students, and we don't even know! 90% of out tax dollars could be going to Haitians, and we would be none the wiser.

Only privileged, financially secure individuals have this mindset. The average struggling Bahamian is already having a tough time making ends meet with all the expats hogging up well paying blue collar and white collar jobs across all industries.

The Bahamas need to firstly focus on uplifting the generations of Bahamians left behind educationally and financially by Pindling, Ingraham, and Christie before we can remotely start thinking about increasing the population with more expats!

Culson never identified with the average Bahamian, doesn't understand their way of life, and have absolutely NO CLUE what it's like to have to compete with expats for a meager survival.

Talking plenty sense, SP!

Foreigners only come here to MAKE MONEY, nothing else!!!!!!!!!

To grow the economy we need a properly educated populace, equal opportunities for local and foreign investors, less politics in everyday business affairs, easier access to capital for investors (banks only want to give consumer loans), less stifling regulations, stricter enforcement of immigration laws, lower electricity rates and less uneducated immigrants which will automatically reduce crime too! None of these necessitate MORE immigrants!

Diversification of the economy comes from investor ideas not importation of immigrants!

LMAO

The gene pool needs a little chlorine.

I agree with Coulson. There will be a huge economic impact of doubling the population. Bigger domestic markets, larger pool of capital for businesses to exploit, new fresh ideas and fresh businesses, better infrastructure, forward thinkers, a more global outlook -- everything good from diversity of opinions, culture, business and way of doing things. We currently have a low grade of human capital and legal immigration would help that.

But it will never happen for two reasons. (1) Bahamians are not enlightened enough, and that goes for the Prime Minister on down to the guy who sleeps against the stone wall on Balls Alley and eats coconuts to survive. (2) Due to global warming, most of the Bahamas will be under water in 30 year and a lot of the land mass will be submerged.

Oh great another idiot who thinks economies need to forever grow by adding people.
Well in our little Islands, are we supposed to want twice as many homes suffering power outages, twice as many people getting lousy education and lousy heathcare, twice as many cars, twice as many crimes, twice as many failed water systems, sewerage systems, Twice as many car accidents, twice as many stores
Double every also doubles cost.

Grow our economic prosperity through growth in product by getting smarter and better at what we do. Stop expending efforts on things of low value. Improve our tourist product and invest to have more locally owned hotels. We have much wealth, why are our wealthy not owning these big resorts, developing what land gets developed.

Surely our big wealthy familys could have been behind Ocean Club, Lyford, Old Fort, Albany, Bakers Bay etc etc etc, So why haven`t they..... I`d like to know.

Seems our wealthy only want to invest in things that they can derive revenue from Bahamians. Seems foreigners only invest in things that derive revenue from foreigners.

Why not fix just this issue of locals investing to capitalize on foreigners ..........

If the wealthy wont do it, why not put together a fund where smaller local investors pool resources to do the next big deal

Forget the 400,000 more immigrants, that will just double our problems, ruin what isn`t ruined already.
How many of you have gone back to places that were so pristine when you were children, only to think to yourself `this is ruined now`too much development, too many people.

We don`t need more people.

The country may need foreigners to grow the economy but this cannot continue to be done at the expense of Bahamians. Too many Bahamian businesses are falling because they are not getting the benefits, locally and internationally, that foreign business are getting. Not only in terms of concessions and tax breaks, but greater access to capital at lower rates. Also their labor pool is greater. And while the welcome mat is being put out for foreigners, too many of the country’s brightest and best are fleeing the country to live abroad. This diaspora must be slowed down at least.

Yes, it is ma comrades, tis but way deflect away rumors many street corners which has it Dr. Duane, and KP, are preparing levy special 'sweet VAT' on all ice cream products and plan just-in-time drive up summer season prices be inflicting same VAT both Ice Cream and Snow Cones, as well Popsicle's... yes, no?

They won't stop until there's nothing left to tax!

COULDSON BEEN ROUND FER AWHILE...NASSAU BORN......AINT NO DIFFERENT FROM NO BAHAMIAN JONSERING FOR BUSINESS ......KNOWIN DWINGLING FINANCIAL BUSINESS LiKE ERRYBODY.....now fer dis screwy idea (perhaps populatin under populated Freeport --cheap canal properties couldnt reproduce at present prices) ...but think goodness there aint no ideas about growing acreage of coconut plamtation copra producing in Nassau...knowing dis one hurricane prone area....

For an economy to sustain all these people there has to be an infrastructure in place, people require jobs to live. Times have changed people now do not live as the pioneers did. With an increased population and no available jobs the adverse effect of this will be an increase in crime rate. Furthermore If anybody has seen the Fyre Festival documentary which took place in the Bahamas one could only imagine what would happen if the amount of people suggested are put on islands without proper infrastructure in place and this was on a small scale.

I am very glad to have started this lively debate.
I make one major point: in successful growing countries, essential infrastructure improvements rise in parallel with population growth. In 1800 Manhattan could not have supported present
over one million.
I disagree 100% with just one reader: the guy who compares us to Venezuela!
RCoulson

That would be me. Respect for your effort. The real difficulty with your theory is ensuring that we double our population with "productive" citizens and not criminal-class leachers. You also have miscalculated how important it is to our black leaders that they never lose their black majority. They would rather a million Haitians for every white foreigner, if only to ensure they will always have a black majority and black ownership of the government and its treasury.