By KEILE CAMPBELL

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said he is fighting to see the financial services industry represent 30 percent of the country’s GDP as it was before scrutiny and regulatory pressure from other jurisdictions caused it to shrink.

His comment came during a joint press conference with Botswana President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi yesterday.

He reiterated his familiar criticism of the European Union (EU) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for trying to be “the authoritarian and police of the world in financial services matters”.

He said: “The Bahamas was a leading financial services centre in the world for many years. Come 2000, because of the assault on what I call ‘the offshore jurisdictions’ when that made up over 30 per cent of my GDP, we are now struggling with around 15 per cent, but I’m fighting back.”

Prime Minister Davis said blacklistings by the EU and OECD weakened this country’s financial services sector.

He said there are similarities among countries that have been blacklisted.

“They’re either small countries, small island developing states; they all have been former colonies or protectorates or one or the other of that grouping. They’re all black-governed and they’re all continually exploited or attempted to be exploited by the laws.”

“One thing that the global south cannot escape is that it cannot go at it alone. We have to collaborate. We have to be in partnership. Otherwise, the global north will continue to exploit, dominate, and keep us on our knees.”