If you start asking these questions, you end up down the rabbit hole. Money is created as debt. All countries could print their own money, as does the US.
Where did the US get 16 trillion dollars to hand to banks and corporations? It is all a Ponzi scheme. We are all enslaved. Some with money don't think they are. My wish is that it does all come crashing down, as it well should. The lack of education and total lack of concern will catch up with us. As usual, it will be our children who pay the price. The majority of Bahamians don't live in The Bahamas. Even fewer will be able to live here soon enough.

Nobody named in he above article will personally suffer in the least. They merely play a game decided on by their masters, while the rest of us will be swept away by tides that were long seen coming. The above named will be whisked away to their private enclaves, while their country flounders and sinks below the waves. Only people who have not paid the least bit of attention, instead rallying and cheering on like little children behind the PLP or FNM will continue to be fooled by their fellow fools.
The whole financial edifice is a house of cards. The rich get what they want; which is only more and more. The rest of humanity will be played like a mouse by a cat. As is happening now. Those doing well, will continue making excuses for their comrades in money making, that they are doing the best they can do. Sure they are. The best that they can do: for themselves. Money is created as debt. The bankers, the real bankers, produce nothing, yet reap most of the rewards. While the rest of us remain ignorant by choice and childish by culture. Anyone who places any trust in the major financial institutions, including here in The Bahamas, maintains their place in a fantasy world, with little connection to reality.

Defunding seems to be the correct answer Tal.

So, the message is, quit being silent. Speak up, and speak out loudly against ALL injustice. That is what this is all about. Does justice see color? No, only right and wrong.

“We all keep holding on for a vaccine,” said Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar, “but we can’t remain in a situation for lockdown and curfews until a vaccine is developed, that’s not a viable alternative.”
No, D'Aguilar, it is not viable. However, what would be viable, instead of a vaccine, is widespread testing of everyone entering the country. A 15 minute result Covid test would solve the problem. So what if it costs $25.00 each if that was the case. Take a look at your security charges and taxes on each and every airline ticket. For what, and where does that waste of money go? Until we do develop a vaccine, which will probably not be 100% anyway, we could look into the costs of these tests and test every single person stepping foot into The Bahamas.
Far fetched? Not as far fetched as pinning the existence of your economy, and health of your country's people to a vaccine.
Would this test be too expensive? Ask yourself how expensive these last few months have been? Think any of our eminent financial gurus have an idea? Not a chance. A $50.00 Covid test would still be cheap, if you place a value on starvation. People who are not starving, and I mean literally, rarely stop and think, well, like Christians when you sit down and think about it.

The Ministry of Environment's Ferrieria and BNT's Carey are quick to eradicate the "cane toad". but not so much industries and entities which have political clout and make generous contributions to their organizations. Imagine the same language being used against those wishing to drill for oil, build oil refineries, and dredge multi million dollar harbours for their private foreign-owned islands and selling off our national heritage for money. Poor toads.

Mr. Cash is right on all accounts. ThisisOurs has it right. This is merely one of many canaries which we will be passing by the next few months and years. Some will be starving. Some will hardly notice. Which one will our government be?

I see why you call yourself Jokey.

moncurcool, this is only the beginning and will get us no further along the road to sustainability without major structural changes. These also include major changes of heart which will not come easily, nor in our lifetimes. Yes, these all need to be implemented, however, without the deeper changes, all we are doing is kicking the can down the road. If we don't change the way our global resources are shared, we will simply continue down this road to serfdom. We are all currently enslaved by our banking and economic system and the great divides between rich and poor. Yes, or no?

Here is the math. Anything that grows at a given percentage rate is called exponential growth. As an example, if your population is growing at say 4%, than the doubling time is 18 years. 18 years goes by pretty fast at my age now. The bottom line is this. We have a finite planet. Yet, we want our economy to continue growing based on the basic assumptions of capitalism. Simply put, capitalism is diametrically opposed to every aspect of your call for improving the lives of people in the Caribbean. I take it that this is the basis for your essay. To create better and more sustainable lives for Caribbean people, yes?
Your advice above requires massive change of hearts, minds and works. Yet, even if we follow to the T your advice above, we will still be in the same boat as we are now, by clinging to a failed paradigm that cancels out any gains for humanity.
We haven't talked about money yet guys. All money in the world is now created as debt. This is how money is created. I will not go into all of it here, but it is widely agreed that this is how money is created. Go to youtube or Google and do a little homework to see if I'm right here. And then, begin thinking about the implications of all these bankers, insurance companies and hedge funds which only "skim money" off of the top. What do banks produce? Absolutely nothing that a democracy could not will into existence.
So, here is the problem. While we can address the mechanical and technological aspects of our "crisis" which I believe you are pushing for. I believe this is a short-sighted errand which leads to nowhere without the structural changes in our global economy. The global economy has been "designed" by the major economic powers, mainly the west, for its own benefit. Nothing more. Unfortunately, it usually takes 40-50 years to learn all of the associated history, economics, science and psychology to get a grip on this stuff. That's if you have the money and time to pursue it. I don't know many who do. And, if they do, they often have better things to do. We need a green revolution urgently. However, simply tweaking our production methods will not do.
More than what you are calling for needs to be a complete revolution in our place in this world. A major reduction in personal consumption. I need to say that again. We mostly need a major reduction in personal consumption. Done right, it would liberate humanity into a more free and worthy lifestyle. Capitalism must go. Banks must be made public institutions. And, most importantly, we must revamp our global taxation regime such that we eliminate the growing economic inequality which is at the root of almost EVERY major social problem we face today. It is right there in a growing amount of scholarly research available online.
Guys, you have your work cut out for you. I am not saying to give up, rather forge ahead. Your hearts are definitely in the right place. Intellectually, you are. at best, 20%-25% of the way there.