The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie said he has accepted the recent unemployment report from the Department of Statistics, which shows a 1.4 per cent jump in unemployment adding that the discouraging numbers will push his government to ensure greater employment for Bahamians.

According to the Department of Statistics, unemployment rose from 14.3 per cent in May 2014 to 15.7 per cent as of November last year.

The report covers the period from October 27 to November 2, 2014. The previous survey completed before that was done in May 2014.

“I have to accept what they (Department of Statistics) say, not because I don’t want to question it, but because I want to use it to drive the investment programme I am responsible for because I know that beginning virtually now, there’s going to be significant employment taking place,” Mr Christie said.

He added that he would not question the statistics. This comes a day after Deputy Prime Minister Philip Davis said he was “not sure” that unemployment is up.

“The Statistics Department, they set out figures, I assume that the figures include 5,000 plus children who came out of school – and they come out every year – in July and I assume that 5,000 added to the unemployment,” the prime minister added.

“Every year, kids come out of school, kids finish university and join the unemployment line and therefore they need employment, so governments are obliged to recognise that as a feature of our economy and to try to have jobs created of a type and a quality for these people to be able to have work. It has no real purpose for me to have a debate over the legitimacy of the statistics . . .we know that people were laid off at Melia, or the Wyndham and they’re not working. We know these things and we have to prepare for it.”

Reacting to the opposition’s criticism of his administration’s record with providing jobs, he said: “The opposition has to take a position and they have to take a position no matter how scandalous their own position was and they have to pretend they didn’t do wrong and that they didn’t have the problem.

“Their job is to be able to say we could do better, we could do more, we’re not doing enough. That’s their job.”

Mr Christie pointed to numerous developments he believes will spur greater employment beginning this year.

“In China, Mr Sarkis Izmirlian (Baha Mar CEO) and myself, we met with China Export Import Bank, we met with the leadership of the construction company, China Construction Company and we agreed that at the end of March, they will commence operations,” he said. “That means a few thousand people will be employed. That in itself will trigger off better statistics, so whatever the position is today, the position will change dramatically in a few weeks . . .a couple months.”

Mr Christie also said that the Chinese construction company that purchased the Hilton hotel last year will begin construction on the site in April, ensuring that jobs will be created for the project at that time.

“I know we have approved Lyford Cay for a major expansion and that they have the money in place and they are ready to put the shovel in the ground, so I know construction jobs will be created there and ultimately whatever other jobs to manage the property once that is developed,” he said.

He added that planned development in Exuma should have “a profound impact” on the island.

Mr Christie referred to Resorts World Bimini, saying that 200 rooms for the island of Bimini “should come on stream at the end of this month, which means more people to come on to manage these rooms.”

Mr Christie added that proposed work on airports around the country could also lead to more jobs.