Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Deputy Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has hit back at critics of his administration’s Labour on the Block initiative, which has assisted approximately 1,000 people with jobs.
“Those who have criticised the programme for political reasons should be embarrassed for attacking an initiative that is empowering so many Bahamian families,” Dr Minnis said during his mid-year budget contribution earlier this week.
The initiative has seen a large turn out every time it has been hosted and paints an accurate picture of the state of joblessness in the country.
However, some have questioned the sectors benefitting from the exercise and whether these jobs are long-term or sustainable.
However, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes said these employment opportunities are “definitely” long-term.
“I can say the majority of them are in the construction industry and the hospitality industry,” the minister told The Tribune yesterday.
“Also landscaping accounts for about over 100 of them. In addition to hospitality and construction they have the bulk. There were also two jewellery stores that hired quite a lot. I think over 30 people were hired by those stores.
“Security companies as well - one hired about 15 in Nassau and in Grand Bahama two security firms, hired about 10.”
He continued: “A large manufacturer in the food services industry. One hired 25 as well as a local grocer hired about 10.”
(But) I would say the hospitality industry is close to 500 jobs and construction close to 300.”
Banks, food service establishments, landscaping companies as well as entertainment entities also took on new workers.
As if these were long term sustainable positions, he said: “Yes, definitely. These are jobs at major hotels some people also went to work in Exuma. So, yes, these are permanent jobs.”
Another Labour on the Blocks event will be held on Saturday at Windsor Park Wulff Road and East Streets.
Last month Robert Farquharson, director of labour, told Tribune Business the department had registered 2,500 job seekers due to the event.
This is in an effort to aggressively dent the Bahamas’ 10 per cent unemployment rate, he said.
Comments
BahamasForBahamians 6 years, 7 months ago
Where are these 1000 people who got jobs? We don't feel this change in the community or the economy.
ohdrap4 6 years, 7 months ago
no, for that, you need 10,000 jobs which the plp created on day 1 in 2012.
stop saying stupid sheet just to hear yourself talk.
there are sufficient fnm blunders for you to pick on.
this is a decent programme , make easy for people to apply and cheaper for employers to recruit.
licks2 6 years, 7 months ago
Stupid statement man. . .
ThisIsOurs 6 years, 7 months ago
People criticized the programme?
John 6 years, 7 months ago
Any efforts for Minnis and his government to revive and rebuild the inner cities must be accompanied be a corresponding increase in employment. If you rebuild and there is massive unemployment then destruction and decay will follow naturally. And if you give businesses motivation and incentives to invest in areas where there is no money, they are doomed to failure. And since many in the inner city can get employment on those projects, Minnis plan to start major infrastructural work is on point. However it must not be like the Ingraham Road Works project, where the work did not progress on schedule and this caused more damage to existing businesses that many never recovered and had to close down. And also the government has to ensure that there is sufficient activities in the economy so when projects are completed persons can find other employment and not have to go home and return to being idle. And as the economy starts to move government must seek to reduce the overburdened taxes on local Bahamians. The VAT was not designed to run concurrently with customs duties and some other taxes and hence its draw on the economy has caused contraction or made it deeper.
licks2 6 years, 7 months ago
Yinna don't read the news papers and listen to radio shows that deal with economic growth in this country aye? I think that yinna did not expect the new government to do anything with sense. . .but to the contrary they are "pushing" us into a healthy economic state. . .slowly.. .but surly! Yet I do agree with John. . .I can see his/her reasoning on concurrency of Vat and other taxes. . .the unforeseen draw-down of otherwise cause the "sucking" in of liquidity from the society sound logical to me. . .but I give you the shine on this. . .you sound like the economically trained person. . .I concedes to you. . .it sound logical there!
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