By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A businessman yesterday blasted the bureaucratic obstacles further frustrating his family's near three-decade wait to launch an Andros farming venture, saying: "The system is set up to stop business."
Ethric Bowe, who played a key role in seeking compensation for businesses impacted by the New Providence Road Improvement Project almost one decade ago, told Tribune Business he was being forced to "run in a circle" over efforts to obtain a bank account and Business Licence for his Family Farm Ltd venture.
He revealed that it was "over 10 weeks" and counting since he applied for the Business Licence that will allow him to open the company bank account for the proposed entity. However, Mr Bowe disclosed he had been informed no Business Licence would be forthcoming until he first produced a farming certificate from the agricultural authorities.
And those same authorities had told him he needed to be farming before he could obtain such a certificate - something that Mr Bowe said he interpreted as meaning he must first farm illegally in order to become legitimate.
"It has taken from 1993 to now for us to get 25 acres in Andros," he told this newspaper. "We've been leased the 25 acres but have not been given permission to farm. You figure that out. We don't have the certificate to actually farm, so they're telling you in their terms to go farm illegally, then apply for permits.
"There's something wrong. These are people with masters degrees, and they're running you in a circle. It's fantastic. We started a company called The Family Farm Ltd to start farming. We have the company formed, but are having issues with the bank because we cannot open a company bank account.
"The bank says to open a company account you need a Business Licence. You go to the Government and they say we need a farming certificate and, when you go for that, they say to get a farming certificate you need to be farming," Mr Bowe continued.
"We've been over 10 weeks trying to get a Business Licence because we want to open a bank account. I've spoken to the minister of finance (K Peter Turnquest), I've spoken to the minister of agriculture (Michael Pintard), so I'm getting ready to address a letter to the Prime Minister, minister of finance and minister of agriculture saying this doesn't make any sense.
"I've got to do that so no one can say they were unaware. The whole way the system in this country works is to stop business, not facilitate business. The Business Licence should not be about giving you permission to open a business; it's about getting revenue from your business.
"You have the constitutional right to work and earn, but we use it as a permission to do that. We need to be encouraging people to do so we have revenue streams pouring into the Treasury. But they don't understand that, and it's killing the economy."
Mr Bowe said suggestions to improve The Bahamas, its economy and quality of life were too often treated as "political" and ignored by those with the ability to implement much-needed reforms. "We cannot make a country work like this," he added. "Many of my friends in the US say The Bahamas is not a real country, not a real place. We see that every day......
"Let me give you a real story. My son in Canada, he has no money, but he is starting an investment bank. I'm in The Bahamas, associated with people. He can open an investment bank and I cannot open a bank account.
"We tried to start a credit union and the Central Bank said: 'No'. My eldest son is here with me, and I told him today that the only thing keeping him here is COVID-19 and the fact no airlines are flying. It does not make sense to be in The Bahamas if you can be somewhere else. People can take that how they want to take it."
Mr Bowe said his multiple business interests have all been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the associated lockdowns and restrictions. "Sales are down tremendously," he added. "On some sides we're building back from zero.
"On the retail side we've got a multi-shop selling technical items, supplements. For a period, from mid-March to May, we were just shut down. Sometimes we were on for a piece of the day, not sure if we were open or closed. That was devastating, and we're just starting to be open again."
Mr Bowe added that business volumes at his AFS insurance brokerage/agency business "went way down" during the first COVID-19 lockdown, although they were "showing some signs of coming back" as persons needed to insure vehicles and homes.
"On the insurance side it's down 20 percent from where we expected it to be for the year," he told Tribune Business. Mr Bowe also revealed that he had decided to discontinue his plastic cups manufacturing business, and a planned switch to biodegradable products even though these were not banned, due to the loss of clients - such as hotels - and subsequently staff due to the pandemic.
"The working class have to be encouraged to be productive, and the other classes have to be encouraged to pay their fair share," Mr Bowe said of the way forward. "I don't see how the public service cannot recognise the Government will be unable to pay them for doing nothing. People need to go back to work safely or the Government will run out of money.
"The fella arrested for selling coconuts on the side of the road, arresting him was the crime. Send someone to him to get him licensed, registered and sorted out. Serve the public, set them up properly and they start paying into the Treasury and secure the public servant's salary. They need to see that and understand that. Every business that gets going, and keeps going, secures their salary."
Comments
Porcupine 4 years, 2 months ago
Thanks for speaking the truth Mr. Bowe, as painful as it is sometimes.
happyfly 4 years, 2 months ago
I wouldn't start a small business in this country if you put a gun to my head. You have the big politically connected monopolies beating you over the head, the small-time unregulated and unlicensed guys clawing at your feet and the government kicking you in the guts all day. And once you get tired of swimming against all those currents, your bank manager will humiliate you and your staff will call the labor board to come finish you off
alfalfa 4 years, 2 months ago
Agree with your sentiments Sir. When it comes to helping the Bahamians who are trying to get a business started, Government departments frustrate you to the point of giving up. This is sad.
KapunkleUp 4 years, 2 months ago
Pindling, Ingraham, Christie, Minnis. Nothing really changed and nothing ever will.
bogart 4 years, 2 months ago
Mr. Bowe who have good acumen knowledge than most on computers, politics and business ought to know that blaming bureaucratic obstacles is like fully knowing to blame the computer, its usually people at certain levels who make it difficult with bureaucratic output...not the computer or system.
These bureaucrats?, some appointed to political positions have paper qualifications an never run business, some repeatedly have run litany of blatant wrongs still in system, some with areas where forensic audit never comes out, some forensic audits come out questioaable finanvial practices etc noone accountable, some with position published in newspaprrs wrongs never held accountable, seem to go contra to Govt policies to desperately create new businesses to impress voters. Business people have complained frustrations, blatant egregious wrongs from previous govt all the way now. Many business difficulties, many failed businesses, many businesses never got traction. Kudos to coming forward Mr. Bowe.
KapunkleUp 4 years, 2 months ago
Different PM, same issues.
trueBahamian 4 years, 2 months ago
Wow! Mr. Bowe is clearly frustrated and rightly so. We live in a country that was ranked lower than the West Bank and Gaza Strip for ease of doing business. Think about that for a second. As a Bahamian who loves his country, I see that we are a disaster. We're suffering from the mistakes of several administrations with the hiring of people for votes who are completely inept or lazy or both. We also hire others in the public service who are just collecting a paycheck. These individuals clog the system. There obstacles rather than solutions to regular BAU processes. Added to that the system has layers and layers added to it that adds no value and no one sits for a second to ask, why do we need all of this? Added.to that and as an agreement to one of Mr. Bowe's point, the worker bees can't see the correlation between movements in the process and their continued employment.
I'm sick and tired of what we became. We're a disgrace. A oval joke from PM down to every last citizen. Our leaders don't have a clue and they surround themselves with the lost and the "suck ups". True Banana Republic style!
I'll take whatever passport from a first would nation that o can get. This country is a real life sitcom.
trueBahamian 4 years, 2 months ago
Typo,.a global joke from the PM down to every last citizen.
bcitizen 4 years, 2 months ago
Took me over 7 months to get a new business license and bank account open. The government is in you way every step of the way to stop you from getting into business. Another business I have been working on for 11 months and still no license jumping through hoops, one piece of paper after the next, come back tomorrow, same old BS.. It is insane it is as if the government does not want people in business. No one knows how you get your bank account open to borrow money for a new business before you have a business license. This nonsense could be ended tomorrow if the PM or DPM want to stop it but government is to addicted to its paperwork, red tape, and creating more paperwork to giver more people a government job and a piece of paper to stamp.
mandela 4 years, 2 months ago
Why be surprised just like illegal immigration, this is the only place or country in the world where you can enter illegally and become legal in an instant. So the D-average Government wants its business citizens to do business illegally first and then proceed to become legal, yea that sounds like our governments. Having a Master's degree or any paper issued Degree does not mean or guarantee the holder is competent in their field. I am sure the builders of the great pyramids of Egypt did not sit an exam or whatsoever to become the great engineers that they were. What is so so sad is that we the citizens have to bring our plight or grievance out in the public domain just to get results. SAD, SO, SO SAD. The foreigners, on the other hand, are looked after instantly. SAD, SO, SO SAD
Porcupine 4 years, 2 months ago
Mandela, the foreigners, with money, are looked after instantly. Trust me on this one. We are motivated by money, and money alone. But, we want it instantly, not through hard work, vision and planning.
BMW 4 years, 2 months ago
This is the drug trade in the 70s haunting us! Thanks to the leader's of the day
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