The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Construction approvals declined in value by 24 per cent or $1010.3million for the first three quarters of the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday.

During his contribution to the 2016-2017 Budget debate, Philip Davis, who has responsibility for the Ministry of Works and Urban Development, said data from the Building Control Division showed the continued stagnation in the construction industry.

Building permit fees for that same period, however, saw an increase of 8.4 per cent over the previous year, totalling $864,207.      

Mr Davis said that to address challenges with the ease and timeliness of the construction approval process, the Government will introduce an  electronic processing solution.

“The approval process for construction is cumbersome, labour-intensive and needlessly expensive to the customer,” he added. 

“Currently, a customer has to submit several copies of a plan, each to go to various agencies of Government for consideration, wasting time for circulation and money for printing.

“To address these challenges, it is intended to introduce an electronic plan-processing solution that will have the capability to greatly impact the efficiency and security of the processing of building permit applications,” Mr Davis continued.

“The software tool will have tremendous impact on improving the efficiency and access to individual file data for both the administration and the public.  This, I am sure,is welcome news to all who require the services of the Building Control Division.”

Mr Davis added that the long-awaited Contractors Bill has been finalised. “Just last week we secured a final amendment, which was advanced by the Bahamian Contractors Association,” he added. 

“My Ministry is assured of their support for the Bill and have advanced it for the approval of Cabinet to lay on the table of this House for debate.”

The Bill, if passed, would introduce a system of licensing and self-regulation, where Bahamian contractors would be certified according to their qualifications and scale/scope of work they are capable of undertaking.

It also includes provisions giving Bahamian consumers means of redress against shoddy workmanship and other frequent complaints made about Bahamian contractors.

   Mr Davis said a draft of the Planning and Subdivisions Bill 2016 has also been advanced. “This Bill seeks to repeal and replace the Act that came into force in 2010,” he added. 

“While the new Bill has been the subject of contention for some, the same should know that the current legislation and my Ministry have been the subject of much criticism by the courts, citing non-compliance with a number of the unworkable provisions of the Act. When the new Bill is tabled and its content justified, I look forward to bipartisan acceptance.”