Dillytree, you've raised some very important points that I can't take issue with, that's why it's important to obtain wide consultation with all the stakeholders, including local anglers. So keep agitating so that your goods points will be heard and included.

During a recent conversation with a Family Island fishing guide I was told that many visiting anglers now-a-days simply put the coordinates of a good fishing site into their GPS and have no need to call on a local guide again...

Clearly we need to regulate our sports fishing industry both to protect those who make a living in it and to conserve this very important resource. Hopefully these new regulations can protect them both.

Fishing licenses are ubiquitous in many parts of the world, including Europe and North America where so many of our "visitors" originate. It's not too much to ask that they respect the environment and our Bahamian way of life. I suspect most should have no problem complying.

There are always two sides to any issue and when there is lack of transparency or wide consultation it fuels these kinds of rhetoric on both sides. It's not too late to clear this up so we can get on with the business of making it "Better in the..."

Mr. Myers raises some very important issues that should be addressed urgently. Sadly, it seems that none of our political parties see the value of fiscal responsibility or the need for a government hiring freeze. Government salaries pale in comparison to the private sector in the midrange to high end, but outperform many private jobs on the low end, usually exceeding the $12,000/ annum figure. NIB, pension contributions, delinquency and other Human Resource inefficiencies increase these figures even more.

We need policies that encourage entrepreneurship and private sector job creation while phasing out redundant government employment. Government hiring should be restricted to replacing required slots and creating a public sector workforce with Customer Service as important a function as doing the people's business. Among other things Civil "Servants" need to understand that good customer service would improve revenue collection. Bahamians are a very heavily taxed population, we deserve better service and a government that spends within its limited budget. That includes not creating millionaires of our political class or their friends and families.

As the political season heats up it would be good to hear more serious discussions about:
1. Ways to encourage private sector development through reduced tariffs (widespread reductions to Customs Duties could be a start), reducing Red Tape in establishing and maintaining a business and other entrepreneurship development.
2. All new government employees should be enrolled in local private sector pension plans with both employee and employer contributions.
3. A government in more of a "standards" and "regulatory" role, rather that the largest employer in the nation! I hope I live to see the day.

"Mr Cooper said the Bahamas Immigration Department is considering bringing charges against the group and homeowner in the Freeport Magistrate’s Court".

You're kidding me, right?!!!

I'm all for "proper attire", though one always wonders by whose definition? While we need to respect the process and not expose ourselves on the photo, it's silly to say that the photographer can't zone their lens on "the shoulders up" face shot. Their is no law that specifies the code of dress for voter registration and being a country of laws (supposedly) the Parlimentary Office can't go around "making things up"!

Seems like many government works, including those at Customs and just about every department that placed those one way windows, have too much autonomy to decide on policy. Whose running the show in government these days? We need leadership, compassion and common sense...something sorely lacking right now.

People-smuggling will be our downfall much like the drug trade in the 70's and 80's hurt our reputation and economy. There is no moral (or economic) high ground here. People are taken advantage of and many die.

Our government doesn't appear to take it seriously given the paucity of prosecutions of smugglers in our court system. I can only think of two cases (Jamaicans) prosecuted and they were accused of taking their own country-women's passports?!

With all the illegal immigrant "sloops" being captured especially those associated with loss of life, can't think of one (except a case in Abaco several years ago) when someone (a boat captain or mate) where someone was arrested and prosecuted.

What message does this send?

Probably the same message as not prosecuting "Bahamian" bosses and businesses who knowingly hire (and take advantage) of illegal migrants, paying them inferior wages that negatively affect locals' ability to earn a living wage and who despite what they claim don't pass that savings onto the Bahamian consumer. In fact these illegal employers worsen our economy by deflating wages, enlarging an underclass and putting a greater stress on our government systems: education, healthcare, immigration and security apparatus.

Politicians: grow a spine or a heart, whatever it takes to address this problem. This is a government's responsibility!

It is hightime for Bahamians to demand a response or take matters into our own hands if nothing continues to be done.

We have a population of 377,000 (38 seats) one MP/9,900, Jamaica has 2.8 million (63 seats) one MP/ 44,000, Barbados 286,000 (30 seats) one MP/ 9,500, and the United Kingdom 64 million (650 seats) one MP/ 98,000. Barbados has a very high MP/ population and the Bahamas also has a high MP/ population ratio. Any increase in seats, makes this even higher. Adding seats in New Providence can't be explained by our archipelagic geography.

Given the lack of representation in the house by "Back Bencher" MP's and the expense of an MP to the treasury because of the "perks" (financial and otherwise) given to them, I don't think we can justify adding more New Providence seats. We'd do better by providing constituencies with properly financed Local Governments, where local representatives can administer to local problems. But alas, that would require out-of-box thinking not facilitated by our system of winner- take- all nepotistic political parties which form our governments😒

No wonder many Bahamians can't advance beyond their dependence on government when their political associates themselves depend on government handouts?

We need to stamp out government nepotism and stop falling for political parties that promise us jobs, but not entrepreneurship. When we have a culture of ownership facilitated by similar incentives offered to "Foreign Investors", we'll be less likely to tolerate folks who suck the breast of government dry!

We are tired of "double, triple taxation" in this country. While VAT was supposed to give clarity to both businesses and consumers alike, it's only added another layer of taxation (as predicted by the pessimists)!
When you purchase an item and arrive at the border Customs produces a bill with "duty" (variable and arbitrary percentage %), "Customs processing fee" and "VAT". This means a consumer has "no idea" what they're going to pay until they get to the Customs agent.
Why can't we eliminate these excessive Customs charges? Why does our government still need these exorbitant Customs charges that VAT was supposed to fulfill? What happened to the idea of fiscal responsibility and not spending what we don't have? Why can't we reserve these "35% or greater" custom fees for items we'd prefer not to be imported into the country (like items that destroy our environment)? Yes we need reduced Corporate Taxes, but we also need reduced consumer taxation, reduction in government "Red Tape" to ease the ability to conduct business and a government that understands this!!!
Why is it that the Cost of Living is triple in New Providence (worse in our Family Islands) than in South Florida?! (Answer: See above).
Where is the leadership in the business community or "politicians" speaking on these issues? Is "fiscal responsibility" a bad phrase? I see no difference in the three political parties on this very important issue.
"..the end of the Bahamas" will certainly happen if we don't address these issues.

Where to begin?
Governments can practice whichever economic system they wish. They should however fully disclose their intentions so that local businesses and the electorate know what their policy is (or preferably "will be" prior to elections). If our Bahamian government wants to buy drugs directly from the manufacturers they have the legal right to do so. However it's probably not wise to do this given our history of government inefficiencies, although the local distributors have to be policed to ensure they are not price gorging the population (whether PHA or private entities).
It may be unfair to group the pharmaceutical wholesalers with other companies that supply the PHA with medical supplies and other services as these companies have a very bad reputation (deserved or not) with price gorging. Certainly the pharmaceutical wholesalers have been better regulated since the advent of the Prescription Drug Plan and unless they have been found to be unsavory during this relationship, they should be given the benefit of the doubt to continue to be involved in PHA drug supplies. The obvious benefits would be to maintain their high level of expertise and efficiencies, not to mention the existence of private enterprise itself and the jobs they provide within our Bahamaland.