Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.
By Leandra Rolle
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
NEARLY 300 local and international delegates, including representatives of governments, multilateral agencies and financial institutions will convene at Baha Mar Convention Centre today for the widely anticipated Hurricane Dorian Pledging Conference.
The conference will mobilise recovery financing while the country’s reconstruction and recovery efforts are expected to get a boost at the event which is organised by the government in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis heads the list of attending dignitaries who will be joined by other representatives of government. Others in attendance will be Luis Felipe López-Calva, United Nations assistant secretary general and UNDP’s regional director for the Latin American and Caribbean region; and Denise E Antonio, UNDP resident representative for The Bahamas, Jamaica, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. There will also be representation from the diplomatic corps and international organisations.
Last night, Katherine Forbes-Smith, managing director of the Bahamas Disaster Reconstruction Authority, could not put a monetary value on the pledges the country will receive.
“When it comes to money, there’s no limit,” Ms Smith told The Tribune. “We’re not trying to limit ourselves in what we can get from our donors and the other thing that’s very important too, this pledging conference is not just about the money itself, what’s important is also the technical support that people are pledging. As you are aware, the Bahamas has never been in this situation, so the money is wonderful, support is also wonderful, that’s very important.”
A number of high-level commitments consistent with the government’s stated priorities are expected, a government press release noted. Representation has been confirmed from several governments, financial institutions such as the Caribbean Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), several United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, charitable organisations and philanthropic individuals
In addition to a segment devoted to pledging statements, the conference will also feature presentations on a specially tailored fund that will be used to manage finances for the reconstruction effort, as well as a panel discussion on recovery and resilience, and building back better, the press release noted.
There will also be a presentation on government’s recovery priorities and several high-level sector projects, geared towards rebuilding a stronger, more resilient Bahamas.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and North Abaco MP Darren Henfield said the conference will hopefully inspire resilience, while creating paths for people to continue to assist with storm recovery.
“We are really pleased for the assistance, aid and solidarity we’ve gotten from the international community through organisations like the UN Development Programme and other NGOs that are here in the Bahamas,” Mr Henfield said last night. “No country could recover from the catastrophic event that we saw on September 1 in Dorian. . .we expect this pledging conference will inspire resilience, it will give people an avenue to continue to help the Bahamas to recover and we look forward to great participation from the international community and the companies that are here.”
Hurricane Dorian, a Category Five storm hit the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama in September leaving widespread devastation estimated at $3.4 billion, according to assessments conducted by the Inter-American Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The pledge conference aims to galvanise support from the private sector, philanthropic individuals, other governments and donors who have expressed interest in assisting with the recovery.
Comments
BMW 4 years, 11 months ago
Why did they block samaratans purse, all the supplies still sitting in a yard on trailers? Someone wanna get in the cookie jar.
DWW 4 years, 11 months ago
I've heard that every NGO that comes here has to come with plenty palm grease. I never heard anything else from the PM when he said he would investigate the claims. nothing but crickets on that topic... ;0
Hoda 4 years, 11 months ago
Well I’ve also never heard a white man being shaken down for money who can’t remember anyone or anything about the said incident when he was apparently shaken down. Before you start with the maybe he scared, he doesn’t live here.
bogart 4 years, 11 months ago
Noone comes here has to hav palm grease. In the reconstruction works, not palm grease, not money BUT SHINGLES.
DWW 4 years, 11 months ago
Meanwhile in Marsh Harbour, the work restoring utility poles came to a screeching halt for 3 weeks for the holidays. But that's ok, its not an emergency or anything, we can wait another 8 months.
The_Oracle 4 years, 11 months ago
If this yields 10% of what it could and should, i'll be surprised. It will get bogged down in Ministry this, permitting that, and yes, the "what for me" and skimming. Meanwhile, 9 Major Hurricanes later we still have no OPERATIONAL MANUAL for NEMA or otherwise. Legislation alone does not success or action make, particularly with no continuity in Government appointee succession. A new crew every time we have a storm. Our learning "curve" is a saw tooth.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago
AND A NATION OF BEGGARS IS BORN.
This is what our nation has become as a result of the incompetence, arrogance, nastiness and shamelessness of Minnis. He won't even cut the budget of the Office of the Prime Minister's Wife, which is allocated $10,000 a year for tea parties alone!
Haiti and Venezuela are infinitely more needy and worthy of the loans, financial pledges and freebies our corrupt Minnis-led FNM government is hoping to receive from non-Bahamian sources by begging. And the "goodies" Minnis is hoping to receive and have placed under the control of his corrupt government will quickly be frittered away just like our tax dollars.
But here we are, now reduced by the corrupt and incompetent Minnis-led FNM government to being a nation of beggars. I'm frankly ashamed to say I'm a Bahamian today. My God, just how much more worse can it possibly get under Minnis?
Sickened 4 years, 11 months ago
Can you give us some insight into why you have such hatred for Minnis? Something personal? Sexual maybe?
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago
I just want you to think much more carefully before you cast that most important vote of yours next time around.
Godson 4 years, 11 months ago
As constructive as Well_mudda_take_sic comments are, how is it that you, Sickened, see hatred in constructive criticism that resonates with everyone else?
Sickened 4 years, 11 months ago
Is this the first post you've ever read from Well Mudda? Let's be clear... I agree with a lot of what Well Mudda says, but I read a lot of anger in his comments about Minnis. Maybe I'm wrong!
bogart 4 years, 11 months ago
Mudda just talks his mind.
Not referring to Mudda but many of us have seen a lot from top to bottom, have seen, experienced absolutely gut wrenching wrongful things, egregious, blatent wrongs, have seem and been victims of blatent wrongs, victimizations. Intentional wilful actions and have hurt inflicted and noone to resolve. Lots of people are upset just trying for a better nation and so far knowing potential changers are both sides same coin.
Bahamian saying "catching hell, calling it a good time" needs revising.!!!!!
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago
This is what incompetent far left leaning Robin Hood socialists always end up doing. Once they realise the cupboard has been stripped totally bare by their waste fraud and corruption, and upon realising that they have taken all they can possibly take from the always hardworking self-made Peters to give to the always lazy handout dependent Pauls, they then go to the international community with cup in hand begging for even more to squander.
All Bahamians should be asking themselves the following three questions:
1) Why did the corrupt Minnis-led FNM government give nearly all of the NGOs and helping relief and recovery agencies of international organisations and other governments such a hard time in the first months after Hurricane Dorian?
2) Why has our corrupt Minnis-led FNM government incessantly sought to micro-manage and control just about every aspect of the Dorian-related relief and recovery effort, rather than leaving these key tasks to the charitable initiatives and undertakings of NGOs and agencies of international organisations and other governments that possess much greater expertise and have the available resources?
3) Why does our Minnis-led FNM government behave like control freaks and interfere with or obstruct what would have otherwise been even greater successful efforts made by others from aboard on behalf of the suffering Dorian-impacted Bahamian people?
And the obvious answer to all three questions lies in the Minnis-led FNM government's incessant desire and manifest mission to do nothing but inject well-established corrupt practices into the relief and recovery process whereby only the political elites and their select few cronies unjustly and greatly enrich themselves to the detriment of the truly needy in our society.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago
"aboard" s/b "abroad" in 3rd question
Hoda 4 years, 11 months ago
That conference did not only concern money, technical experts and others also came to exhibit their services.
birdiestrachan 4 years, 11 months ago
Doc says can you help us the FNM party so they can have more money to spend on good times for themselves. Have they said how much they will be paying Kay Forbes Smith to do what? just extra money for their pocket books.
the Nincompoops said they are getting rid of the cents they will be rounding every thing. VAT is 12 % or 12 cents will they make it 15% 15 cents.
So far this FNM Government has done nothing to help the poor. They have hurt the poor. But God will make a way for the poor. even if doc and his FNM crew do not like it,
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago
No Birdie. Try as hard as you may, the solution to our woes will never ever again lie with the now totally defunct and completely irrelevant PLP. Only the most corrupt few remaining PLP diehards like yourself, who foolishly choose to remain within the imaginary hierarchy of what remains of the PLP, have the very delusional belief that the very dead PLP will somehow one day rise up from the ashes like a phoenix. The stark truth though is that the UBP of yesterday stands a much greater chance of resurrection, and we all know for sure that ain't gonna happen. LMAO
Hoda 4 years, 11 months ago
Many countries have stopped producing pennies because they cost more to make than they are worth, and do not often return back into circulation. Many countries have stopped using plastic bags, per haps they should have just banned it instead of the 25 cents fee, because I guess we can’t resist the urge to buy a plastic bag. One week you talking about how govt don’t care about the environment, the next week you want plastic bags.
It’s ignorance like this that is disturbing. A reusable bag is a 1.40. But, maybe one morning when i drive down the street and don’t see Kentucky box, beer bottle and whatever people eat from fish fry lining the streets I will believe that a ban on plastic bags in not necessary.
Hoda 4 years, 11 months ago
I see the PLP agents and trolls have been activated.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 11 months ago
no they haven't. When persons were pointing out that something was wrong in the FNMs first year this same "PLP haters" argument was thrown around. FNMs should have been doing like Hubert Ingraham say, monkey guh put question to he ma in the mornin. They should have fixed it. But they've let the problem run on and on from one fiasco to the next. Two more years maybe they'll learn before election day.
Hoda 4 years, 11 months ago
Yeah, the trolls are activated. The thread concerned plastic bags and the pledging conference. The only thing that trolls could offer was vague comments about how someone have their hands in the cookie jar; how poor people shouldnt have to.pay 25cents for a plastic bag. If you dont think that is political fodder being dropped all across media platforms to incite the the grasssroot Bahamian voting base and a blatant poltical attack, i would suggest u wake up.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 11 months ago
I just pinched myself to double check and apparently I'm up. I don't have any allegiance to any party and I see fumble after fumble. As Dwayne Sands described it, policy by sticking your finger in the air and seeing which way the wind blowing. If FNMs were awake they would be having all kinds of emergency meetings to fix this.
Hoda 4 years, 11 months ago
Pinch yourself again, when you and the trolls are prepared to talk about the topic at hand, pledging conference, and not your napolean complex then ill be back.
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 11 months ago
Roda: You just let us know when directionless Minnis has figured out whether he's headed east or west. LMAO
Godson 4 years, 11 months ago
Prime Minister Minnis, if you had charisma and personal appeal you would not need to solicit the outer-nations of the world for help. We, the People of The Bahamas, are willing and able to rebuilt our own Beloved Bahamas. The problem is, we don't have competent leaders at the fore of the Country's government who can make a clarion call and inspire revitalization.
joeblow 4 years, 11 months ago
... forget charisma and personal appeal I would prefer a PM with common sense and at least a pinch of integrity tossed in!
bogart 4 years, 11 months ago
The Dorian recovery needs to go beyond rebuilding structures. Future needs to ppay viability to settlements. Increased water levels being accelerated coming decades, frequent above average tide, increased winds.
Surviving as nation needs entire survey starting from underwater sea channels, low gradient shores, coral reef dying off, etc., Just structures building it back on high grounds needs to have consultants from Holland full experience tried an tested programs.and surveys using dykes, ditches, dams their expertise. Areas elevated needs elevated roads going to other access points. Just rebuilding has to totally involve all these factors for most if not all people to survive, access to power, water, food supply, essential services, Hospital, Communications, airport, police, harbour. And rebuilding of any island survival in disaster has to be in connection of all other islands in chain and even neighbouring countries also in path of Hurricane damages.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 11 months ago
That boat sailed when they put a structural engineer in charge of the disaster recovery ministry. big money to Oban...move to PM office...big money to marijuana..move to PM officd...big money to disaster recovery...move to PM office.
TalRussell 4 years, 11 months ago
Here again I have be careful how I comment this topic? What level jib corner discussions can we expect hear coming out the Abaco's - now that all Abacoians are certain that the elected red shirts governing is so wicket that its mentioned 4 times in bible? You can't write this stuff, you just, cant.
TalRussell 4 years, 11 months ago
Comrade ThisIsOurs, seems the colony's First Viscount a.k.a prime minister's red boat has sailed without your choice replace man in PMO, who just had his substantive crown minister passenger Duane's Weed responsibility snatched away from health ministry. If Minnis, hadn't just done this I couldn't blog it.
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