By YOURI KEMP

The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce is teaming with Rotary Bahamas to stage a November 30 telethon that will raise “an aggressive amount” for Hurricane Dorian relief.

Krystelle Rutherford-Ferguson, the Chamber’s chairman, said the effort - part of the body’s Restore Bahamas initiative, and which it unveiled in the aftermath of Hurricane Joaquin in 2016 - was part of a drive to spread the recovery message more widely.

“The Restore Bahamas initiative is progressing rather well,” she said. “A number of corporate entities have pledged to donate. We are also looking at putting on a telethon in partnership with the Rotary of the Bahamas on November 30. We are seeking to raise an aggressive amount. We have developed our key messaging points, and are ready to start spreading our Restore Bahamas mission more effectively.”

Mrs Rutherford-Ferguson, meanwhile, said the $10m made available by the government to aid micro, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) recover from Hurricane Dorian can go far if done right.

“I think the question is more whether or not the $10m will be done right. If you look at using $1m it could have an equal impact. The more important thing is: Will this $10m be used to spur economic activity on the islands,” she explained.

“We also need to take into consideration the whole assessment process of how we determine who really needs the help or not. For example, we need to look at the insurance adjustment process and what amount of money will be paid by insurance to businesses looking for support from the hurricane relief fund.

“Insured businesses may not need the money from the relief fund, and they may have the money on hand to deal with their own repairs. If that $10m is done properly, and it can produce a trickle down effect, then it may be enough. We just need to choose wisely in what businesses we decide to help in this endeavour.”