The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday said the Government plans to overhaul how national development is managed by creating a permanent institution responsible for tracking progress, updating priorities and ensuring long-term goals remain set despite changes in political administrations.

Sebas Bastian, innovation and national development minister, in contributing to the 2026-2027 Budget debate argued that development plans cannot effectively guide a country if they are drafted and then left dormant as governments change.

"A plan completed in draft, then left largely untouched as administrations changed, cannot guide a nation in real time," he said.

Mr Bastian revealed that the National Development Plan secretariat has completed a comprehensive review of Vision 2040, the existing plan, assessing both the country's progress and areas where objectives remain unmet.

"The National Development Plan secretariat has completed a full review of Vision 2040, measuring what we have achieved, what remains outstanding and what must be renewed,” he added.

Mr Bastian said the review has informed a new approach to national planning that will move beyond static policy documents towards a system of continuous evaluation and implementation.

"The National Development Plan will no longer be a document we complete and set aside. It will be a living instrument — continuously reviewed, always current, resourced by full-time professionals and grounded in real data - that shapes how this government, and every government after it, chooses its priorities,” he added.

To support that objective, Mr Bastian disclosed that legislation has already been drafted to establish a National Planning and Development Institute that would function as an independent statutory body charged with overseeing implementation of the country's long-term development strategy.

"The Secretariat has already drafted legislation for a National Planning and Development Institute — an independent statutory body, with dedicated staff to oversee the plan, measure our progress, and hold the nation's development to account, beyond the reach of any political cycle,” he added.

Mr Bastian said the Government also intends to strengthen execution by creating a ‘delivery division’ within the Ministry of Innovation and National Development (MIND).

"Within MIND, we are establishing a delivery division — the execution engine that turns the plan into action and co-ordinates implementation across government,” he added.

Mr Bastian argued that national development planning must adapt to emerging economic realities and industries that were not contemplated when Vision 2040 was first prepared.

As part of that effort, Mr Bastian announced plans for a National AI Literacy initiative aimed at equipping Bahamians with skills needed for a technology-driven economy. "We will establish a National AI Literacy initiative," he said.

"Through it, we will launch training opportunities both online and in person, bringing world-class courses in artificial intelligence, software development, AI-powered productivity tools, and the emerging skills a modern economy demands.”

Mr Bastian said the Government also plans to work alongside the education system to prepare younger Bahamians for the changing labour market. "We will work closely with the Ministry of Education, supporting them as they introduce artificial intelligence into our classrooms,” he added.

Mr Bastian said the revised development framework will place greater emphasis on sectors that have emerged since Vision 2040 was first conceived. "We will write in the sectors that did not exist when Vision 2040 was penned — artificial intelligence, digital services, fintech, space technology,” he promised.

The minister said those industries will play an increasingly important role in shaping the country's economic future and ensuring The Bahamas remains competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.