No other real requirements, just money.
Hard not to see the direction we are headed.
50 more years of existence is not likely.

Clearly, The Bahamas is NOT being led by honest, intelligent, financially knowledgeable people.
No reasonable person would put ANY faith in the PM's statements.
They do not align with reality, and the worst part is, most every educated person acknowledges this.
Lawyers have managed to rewrite the definition of lying to where words are nearly entirely meaningless in this country.
Obviously, when reading this article, it is clear that it was difficult for the reporter and those he interviewed to remain even slightly convinced of the PM's words.
Would they attribute the PM's statements to: exuberant optimism, ignorance of finance, or blatant misrepresentation of the facts? What other options exist?

As the Tribune reports, "However, it has also been forced to push back by one year its ambitions to finally achieve a fiscal surplus."

"No actual figures for the revised deficit forecast were provided,"

"For the past two fiscal years, 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, the Government has sustained deficits totaling $353.5m and $293.7m, respectively, for the fourth quarter as a result of government ministries, departments and agencies racing to bring forth bills that the Ministry of Finance knew nothing about."

“Our historical fiscal performance, particularly in the fourth quarter of each year, is generally a deficit. Projecting that we are going to be producing a surplus is certainly a trend not in line with what we’ve experienced for the better part of our independent life."

“It begs the question: Why was the Prime Minister, as minister of finance, not given a forecast number instead of a percentage?” he added. “Why give a relative range or percentage because GDP can change? You know what the fourth quarter should be projecting: Why cannot you give an actual number?"

When the reporter and the financial experts interviewed by the Tribune make public statements such as those above, it certainly does not suggest that the Ministry of Finance is capable or competent. Or, in equally Bahamian verbiage, "not being truthful by reason of employment."
Is there no honesty in government anymore? It certainly seems that truth is dead.

Absolutely correct!

Only the lucky ones escape.
The rest end up being.............................

Quoting most Bahamian officials verbatim, does not exactly engender confidence in their professional abilities.
If they didn't get a reasonable grasp of basic English in primary school, what is the likelihood they can grasp slightly more difficult concepts and the language capabilities needed to perform their job?
Perhaps this was the intent of the reporter to highlight this conundrum.
Either way, some may suggest that we need to start this country over from square one, yes?

I have no argument with your position, Mr. Moss.
But, I did not hear you address the issue of why so many of our people resort to violence.
Many countries are saturated with guns, yet have a much, much lower rate of gun related crime.
The social conditions, mainly economic inequality, are directly correlated to the level of crime in any country.
Obviously, we have a lot of work to do, since so many of our past and present leaders believe that jail is a substitute for good governance and good parenting, and a fair economy.
Not that our government has ever been good, or honest, in tackling our social issues.
There is a reason why we are faced with the serious issues of crime in the first place.
When a government fails, so do the people.

BOB banking presently costs this country millions in lost productivity, expensive fees, and a solid record of fiscal irresponsibility, poor loan practices, and decades of mismanagement. The Central Bank is another institution which merely places roadblocks up for Bahamians.
Why cannot one deposit a $100.00 check from a US bank to BOB?
It took me 65 minutes to open a US bank account.
Why do we still operate like we're in the last century?

Exactly, if sadly, right!

.The political class of The Bahamas is lost, incompetent, immoral and a total failure.

It used to be, when we had some honesty in government, or in this country, better yet.
We know exactly why the "government run" enterprises have failed.
Our people have stolen everything not bolted down.
I feel ya, Don, but the answer ain't privatization.
The answer is in cultivating a nation to rise to the higher moral ground.
We have not done so.
We are a pirate nation, where far, far too many of our people are on the take.
Our government was not dropped here from space.
They are a fair representation of who we, as a people, are.