The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Harbour Island’s 72-hour Christmas blackout paves the way for discussions on how to “bump up” infrastructure improvements that are vital to Eleuthera’s growth, the private sector is urging.

Thomas Sands, the Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce’s president, told Tribune Business that the business community and government needed to turn Briland’s woe into a positive by “taking the opportunity” to collaborate on how utilities, roads, docks, airports and the like can be upgraded to support planned investment on the island.

Pointing to Disney Cruise Line’s planned destination experience at Lighthouse Point on south Eleuthera’s tip as an example, Mr Sands said there was simply insufficient accommodation in the area to house both workers required for the project’s construction and to encourage former residents to return and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities created by project spin-offs.

And, with the peak winter tourism season’s start marred on Harbour Island by the power outage, Mr Sands said companies “cannot afford to lose anything in this period of time” as they typically rely on profits here to carry them through the quieter parts of the year.

“Moving forward, in order to encourage economic development and growth, we have to have a real honest discussion about the infrastructure needs, and how we plan together as a group to position the island for growth and to take advantage of those who are coming and have chosen to visit Eleuthera as an option,” the Eleuthera chamber chief added.

Agreeing that a multi-million dollar investment would be required for “all-around improvement”, Mr Sands said: “We understand the government is in a challenging position, but the reality is if the level of projected growth is to take place it means increasing the traffic, the number of bodies coming here, increasing airlift and, to be more efficient and productive, all these areas need improvement.”

With The Bahamas promoting that it is “open for business” post-Dorian, he argued that “to make that tagline a success the infrastructure that supports that, which is already challenges and needed some level of improvement, needs to be bumped up and improved further to make sure there’s a good experience for guests and visitors, and people who live and work here.

“It’s an opportunity. We want to take the positives from this. It’s how we work together for the success of the country. We need the Family Islands to make this country succeed because it cannot afford to lose that revenue. It opens up a new avenue for discussion in the New Year. What does it take to make that a success and to maximise this opportunity.”

Describing the blackout’s impact as “really tough” for Briland resorts and businesses, Mr Sands said: “This is the window of opportunity to have enough revenue to get through the tougher times. Harbour Island has very strong, successful winter seasons but there are times in the summer when there is hardly anybody there.

“We need every window to maximise that opportunity. We need to succeed with every one of those guests as much as possible... Operating my own businesses, you cannot afford to lose anything in this period of time. You just can’t afford it. Any loss you cannot recover it, it’s gone, but your operating and fixed costs remain the same.”

The Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce, in a statement, said the power outage “crippled many businesses during the peak retail season”. It added: “As many of you know, mid-December to mid-April constitutes the busiest retail period for our economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism.

“According to Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce (ECC) director Ryan Austin, who resides on Harbour Island, a number of local businesses were closed during the outage. Those closures signalled a loss of revenue for businesses, and likely a loss of income for persons employed by those businesses.”

While praising Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) engineers for their efforts, the Eleuthera Chamber added: “We think it important to highlight the need for a swifter response strategy (like increased BPL manpower) when major incidents like this occur.

“Also, a number of persons noted that there was no clear timeline given for the restoration of power, which meant that businesses without generators were left helpless and uncertain regarding when they would be able to resume business.

“Throughout the island of Eleuthera, businesses frequently lament that they cannot rely on the current power grid. Reliable infrastructure is paramount to the further growth and development of our island, so more investment is required if we are going to grow this economy,” it continued.

“We have all heard about the major direct foreign investments planned for the island, but these investments will not succeed unless our infrastructure challenges are addressed. Following the devastating hurricane that impacted the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama, and given the Ministry of Tourism’s herculean effort to promote the other islands of The Bahamas; Eleuthera is poised to increase its visitor arrivals.

“That’s why it is imperative that all Eleuthera stakeholders come together with BPL and the government in an effort to see how we can mitigate long down times when incidents occur. Businesses who can afford to invest in generators do, but let’s face it, many of the smaller businesses are not in a position to make such a significant investment,” the chamber added.

“And to provide our guests with an enjoyable and engaging ‘Bahamian’ experience, we need those small businesses just as much as we need the multi-million dollar resorts. What took place over the Christmas holiday was unfortunate but it provides us with an important opportunity to revisit our vulnerabilities in an effort to build a stronger Eleuthera.

“In 2020 we, the board of the Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce, hope to reach out to the various stakeholders and begin meaningful dialogue in an effort to develop a strategic plan that will mitigate losses due to power outages and other infrastructural challenges on our island.”