By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

WITH the government’s unemployment assistance for tourism workers affected by the pandemic expected to end later this month, Labour director John Pinder hopes travel from the US will increase in the coming months to offset this problem.

Mr Pinder estimated the country’s unemployment rate to be between 38 to 42 percent.

If an extension is not put in place in the next two weeks, unemployed Bahamians, who worked in the tourist sector mainly as entrepreneurs, will no longer receive government assistance as it expires on January 28.

Mr Pinder said he is hopeful things will be different at the end of the first quarter of this year.

“We are hoping that the cruise lines will start coming back to the port and then we will start seeing more bookings,” he said. “If the ships are not sailing, then the hair braiders and taxi drivers and straw vendors will not be working.

“So we are hoping by the end of the first quarter the cruise lines will begin to come back in port so that the hair braiders, taxi drivers, straw vendors, beach vendors, tour operators and surrey drivers will be back to work. So the cruise lines will bring us back to some level of normalcy and we will see our economy starting to rebound by the first quarter.”

Asked if he would make a recommendation that the government extends the assistance at this time, he said he didn’t want to commit to an answer as tourism numbers might pick up.

He said: “The government assistance for those employed in the tourism sector will expire when the Emergency Orders expire at the end of this month on the 28th of January. I can’t say I would make a recommendation to extend it now. Again, if we see signs of the airlines and cruise lines making a comeback, then there will be no need for it to be extended.

“That all depends on how quickly the United States can give vaccinations to five, ten, 50 million people. So a lot of things are hinging on that, so I don’t want to state a position on that. We have to see what the trends are like.

“With the vaccination in process now and the new president trying to vaccinate millions of persons within a short period of time, then I believe the people will start travelling.”

Many unemployed Bahamians find themselves in dire straits, even while receiving the government assistance. The Tribune asked Mr. Pinder how many people are employed in The Bahamas, especially now that COVID-19 restrictions have wrought havoc on businesses and sectors world-wide.

He responded: “. . .We can only estimate, based on the number of persons receiving benefits from NIB and the amount of requests we have for persons who are registered, trying to find jobs. I would estimate that our unemployment stands between 38 and 42 percent.”

The Atlantis resort on Paradise Island had an enthusiastic reopening last month, offering a “vacation in place” system that depended heavily on COVID-19 negative tests. However, due to lagging tourists arrivals, Atlantis has since re-furloughed some of its staff until guest numbers pick up.

Weighing in on the sad state of the tourism sector that directly affects the straw market industry, Rev Esther Thompson, president of the Straw Market Association, said she feels like nobody cares about straw vendors.

She said: “The answer to how straw vendors are doing is a no brainer. We are struggling and it is not easy. No one is checking for us and it’s like no one cares about us. The prime minister said our assistance will continue until the end of January. What happens after that? They do not talk to us. We have to listen out for things they say.

“The vendors are definitely hurting. They are getting put out of their houses, left, right and centre and nobody seems to care. Nobody seems to care about straw vendors.

“It is very frustrating. I feel that no Bahamian should be left in this situation to fend for themselves. I feel the government needs to stop all of its projects and concentrate on the welfare of the people. Why are you still going to be building roads etcetera when people are in hardship?”

Rev Thompson said without a freeze on rent and electricity payments, her members, although not making a living, have to pay those bills every month. She expressed concern over what she feels is poor treatment and lack of empathy towards straw vendors who she said contribute to bringing in US dollars and new money into the economy.