The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday pledged that the electronic submission and approval of building plans “will happen this year” once the necessary funding is in place.

Desmond Bannister, minister of works, acknowledged to Tribune Business that the planned process needed to improve as “too many people depend on us to continue operating the way we do”.

Responding to concerns raised by the Institute of Bahamian Architects (IBA) that efforts to upgrade the Building Controls Department’s practices “to the 21st century” were constantly being rejected, Mr Bannister said the department itself had already bought into the need for change.

The IBA, in a Wednesday statement, reiterated its call for licensed Bahamian architects to be able to submit plans and drawings electronically, and make the approvals process both more efficient and less costly and time consuming - something that Mr Bannister yesterday said was already in train.

“We expect that all of the funding will be provided and we will be able to get that moving this year,” he told this newspaper of the electronic submissions. “We anticipate this year that that is going to happen; that things will be in place for it to happen.

“We’ve done all the research, and it’s only a case of putting limited funding in place to make sure it happens. There’s only a few million dollars involved. We’re going to have the funding; we’re going to have the money to be able to do it.

“We really have to improve the process. It’s important to do that. Too many people depend on us to continue to operate the way we are. The Department of Building Control knows that and wants to see improvements. That’s going to happen.”

Mr Bannister said many of the issues raised by the IBA had been discussed with him before. He rejected assertions that comments by Ministry of Works parliamentary secretary, Iram Lewis, relating to the number of hurricane-damaged properties that were non-compliant with the Bahamas Building Code represented an “indictment” of Building Control.

“People are before the court because of that,” the minister revealed. “There was a very serious issue. Anyone responsible for that will have a very serious problem. What we found in Grand Bahama, in my view, was a crime and we’ll see what the courts say about that.”

Mr Bannister branded the IBA’s concerns over the alleged failure to appoint a new Professional Architects Board since the Minnis administration came to office in May 2017 as “disingenuous”, saying he had requested and received the industry’s proposed nominees to the Board.

Revealing that initially there were “some challenges” with those nominated, Mr Bannister said he had taken all the names to Cabinet “once the persons were clear”. Indicating that Cabinet had approved the Board members, he added that those involved “should be informed by now”.

The minister also expressed disquiet that the IBA had gone to the media rather than discussing its concerns with him first. “None of this in the media helps them, helps them as professionals and makes them look good as professionals,” Mr Bannister argued.

“They know I’m available to them and working with them through these challenges, bringing them to Cabinet and addressing them. I’m trying not to respond to Bahamian professionals in the media. I try to give them the respect I’d like them to give me.

“I’ve sat down and had discussions with respect to these issues with any number of professionals, and I anticipate just like those other professionals they’ll come and sit with me as I’m open to sitting with them.”