Performance

• Bahamians now experience reduced wait time and can avoid long lines
• Average delivery time 5-7 days for New Providence and 10-14 days for Family Island passports and regular overseas requests
• Since launch of the program in 2019, 14,771 passports have been issued using the online portal

• New Satellite Passport Offices established on the following Family Islands:
  • Eleuthera
  • Exuma
  • Inagua
  • Long Island

• This saves families thousands of dollars as they no longer have to travel to and from New Providence to process their passport applications

LAND REFORM – Building Economic Empowerment

• Increased access to homeownership through the Government’s ready-to-build Serviced Lots initiative in New Providence and the Family Islands
• Phase I of 365 ready-to-build serviced lots and/or homes at Carmichael Village Subdivision commenced with civil and electrical infrastructure, with first 100 commitment letters issued
• Launched Prospect Ridge Community for Young Professionals, including infrastructure design and application process – Environmental Impact Assessment already being reviewed by the Department of Environmental Protection and Planning
• Awarded over 100 Crown Land grants in throughout the Family Islands

SMALL BUSINESS

• Invested in small businesses and young entrepreneurs through the development of thInvest
• Approved to date $68,726,028.69 through the SBDC in loans, grants & equity
• Approved to date 1,947 small businesses and entrepreneurs
• Allocated $25m as seed money for 2021/2022, with the projection that this will result in over $50m investment in small businesses through commercial and international partnerships

RESTORATION AFTER HURRICANE DORIAN

• 5 million cubic yards of debris cleaned up at a cost of over $20 million
• Small Home Repair Programme provided direct assistance to just under 3,000 homeowners
• Secured temporary housing for many displaced residents
• Central Pines Housing Development underway to provide free homes to displaced residents
• More than $100m concessions given across Abaco and Grand Bahama under the Special Economic Recovery Zone Act
• Repaired 28 schools across Abaco and Grand Bahama
• All public medical facilities on Abaco operational
• Restoration of the Rand Memorial Hospital Phase 1 at $15m; Phase II under way at another $15m

TERTIARY LEVEL

• Launched the Bahamas Government Tertiary Grant Program to allow qualified students at UB and BTVI to attend tuition-free
• Started upgrade of the BTVI campus
• Provided a $500 monthly stipend for Family Island students attending UB and BTVI

PRE SCHOOL

•  Invested millions in universal pre-school initiative, providing vouchers for pre-schoolers to attend school
• Partnered with approximately 100 private preschools on New Providence, Andros, Abaco and Grand Bahama to accommodate thousands of pre-schoolers annually
• Gave $1million in grants to pre-school directors, each up to $25k, to upgrade and expand their current pre-schools
• Building the program to provide Crown land and grant funding to increase private preschools throughout the family islands

TECHNOLOGY

•  Launched the ‘One Network Project,’ a $17 million technology upgrade starting with 8 public schools
• Developed tech-smart campuses with fibre optic infrastructure and WiFi on New Providence, Grand Bahama and Eleuthera
• Distributed more than 2,700 tablets, 100 laptops and 100 projectors in public primary and preschools.
• Executed virtual learning following Hurricane Dorian and during COVID 19

FOOD ASSISTANCE 

• The Government has provided $51.7millions in food assistance during the COVID 19 Pandemic
• In the height of the Pandemic 57,000 families were being assisted
• Now that the economy is reopening, 18,000 families are being assisted