85% ............. the other 15% are PEPs or politicians with businesses????????

This quote says it all:

“It took three months-plus to open an account with a bank I’d been doing business with for 29 years since I came home, and I was one of the attorneys for the bank.”

Bingo. The bank even beats up its own lawyers. And most government agencies are far worse to deal with than that bank. Oh, man, he nailed it.

When Sarkis Izmirilian went to , then prime minister, Perry Christie and said ‘help me O Prime Minister, these Chinese are robbing me blind.’ PGC response was ‘The man gone crazy, he losing his mind.’ And, of course, the FNM opposition was the first to jump and holla, ‘help this man, help this foreign investor. Now a few years later another foreign investor , though not as humble and as begging as Izmirilian, presents himself to government and says ‘ hey I love investing in your country, but I’m drowning here, can you throw me s lifeline?’ And so government including the PM and the minister of tourism totally missed the message (despite commercial washers and dryers and aircraft and helicopter parts and caviar being duty free) and called the man a terrorist, a threat, arrogant but they missed the message completely, And having some experience in the hotel industry where they( licensing people) would send you a laundry list of 100 items to be completed for you to get your license. Then when you complete that list, they would send you another and another and just a few weeks before the new license is about to expire, they grant you the license, only for the process to start all over again.

K P Turnquest Economic Policy has caused more money to leave the country in the past year than in a very long time. Bahamians, who are employed, say they just refuse to give government 12% VAT on everything so they travel abroad to avoid it evade taxes. So not only is this over aggressive and burdensome tax cause the erosion of government revenue, but it is also causing more businesses to shut down and more unemployment. And if the downward spiral continues, the economy will go into recession without recovering fully.

Missing the message is exactly right.
We are so busy, and so used to, making excuses for our utter failure that the real problems don't have a chance of being addressed.
We are too focused on castrating the foreign, arrogant investor, who we happened to court and encouraged them to invest here. Oh yeah, but don't make any noise. Sit still with your money, watching your time and talents be sucked away by a group of money hungry do nothings. And, we want to be taken seriously, as if we are capable, competent, well educated and well traveled. Not so. All the metrics seem to suggest that fully 85% of the country is clueless on how to be good neighbors, fair in their business dealings and able to support measures which encourage personal and social growth. Nobody likes to hear the truth about their failures. But, they are here staring us in the face, whether they are the World Bank stats, crime stats, health stats, education testing stats. and on and on. The simple obligation of keeping electrical current on for the smooth functioning of a major city can't even happen. Doesn't this say something important, our ever indignant Bahamian apologists? This is a serious question that stands before all others. If we can not hear and acknowledge the genuine criticisms of our country, knowing deep down that they are legitimate complaints, what chance do we have of actually accepting the challenge to fix them. The kicking the can down the road has gotten us to this point. We, as a society, have managed to incorporate a style of supposed problem solving that has utterly failed. If we can not see this, there is no hope for this country. It is that simple. Mr. American businessperson, while he may be arrogant and demanding, has a perspective that few in this country can conceive. For the most part, American society actually works for many people. The same can not be said for The Bahamas. There is no honest argument of this fact.

Well said.

Say it again!

Y'all think it's bad now. Wait till the new customs single window hits Arawak Cay in Nassau in September like it did Abaco 2 weeks ago. People working night day weekends and holidays just to get freight off the dock.

Yep.. the Compass point owner is only voicing every business owner's issues! It's a real challenge staying in business in this country and the government could care less about the private sector. If we are wrong, prove it- we are fundamentally a service based country plus real estate and a few other areas maybe- we should be doing our best to keep the investors we have. Forget the BS about investors only being guests- they are leaders, pushing hard everyday to keep their businesses open- for example just look what happened with Fast ferries since they first opened- no real government cooperation I don't believe- thus still a crap hole down where they depart from?
Just more taxes right !? (No VAT on home insurance is great but why the heck would you leave VAT on health insurance, office rent say under a threshold, food???!!!!!, BPL!!, and then turn around and continue to run a recurring deficit). Yet no VAT (or import duties) elsewhere - Just plain Stupid. Stomp on the small guy - what middle class lol! It can be fixed if they first admit something is wrong lol.

Boy,! I want somebody to tell me where the VAT-Money is going?. The government is not transparent regarding the amount of money they collect daily only from VAT. The PM (Mr. Perry Christy)who introduced such tax went extra miles,persuading and explaining, with long details,the potential sources of income and he mentioned the various THOUSANDS OF BOATS,(among many others things),who parks all around this Bahamian Archipelago GOT TO PAY VAT even while parks out of any Marina in the family Islands.
How much Money the government collect DAILY ONLY FROM VAT? The best kept secret in The Bahamas,is not longer Inagua . It is the accurate answer to this question.
Eventhough this current administration added or increased VAT more than double,still not improvement in goods & services. Still not sidewalks,in the huge majority of roads,crime still happening by wholesale,too many HOLES ON THE STREETS and Absolutely not transparency in managing the public pulse.I
Where the VAT-MONEY is going?
The government should provides all amenities including available parking lots, beside dignity & respect.
Also they(The Government) should ensure that "The Law is Equal to everyone even if in fact everyone is different,the law should be equal.
All these members of cabinet are serving themselves first ,with the big spoom and displaying too much pomposity with brand new shades like The Blue Brothers ,money hungry people with sticky fingers.

HEAR! HEAR! HEAR! Just wait until you feel the effects of the new Customs ease of doing business nightmare!

Ironic how we over-regulate what's good (land based hotels) and under regulate and approve what is comparatively stranguling the tourist economy (cruise ships and their terminals). Would suggest such high levels of inspection be visited on the cruise industry and Bahamian law be imposed on all cruise ships coming into Bahamian ports or visiting out islands.

Time to jump back in the game Mr. McCartney. Our poor Country can take no more FNM/PLP musical chair parties. The entire governmental system needs a COMPLETE overhaul.