The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

An ex-Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) president yesterday said enforcing legislation to protect the industry was “foremost” among its concerns as operators are at “great risk” without it.

Leonard Sands told Tribune Business that contractors still require full implementation of the the Bahamas Construction and Contractors Act. The law, which was published in the Government’s official gazette in May 2017, has yet to be implemented because the Board that will oversee its implementation - and bring self-regulation to the construction industry - has yet to be appointed.

Mr Sands said: “Contractors are at great risk out there because the persons who are practitioners now can be anyone rather than persons who have been vetted to ensure that the public is getting the best outcome.”

The failure to apply the Act continues to leave consumers exposed, and lacking redress for shoddy workmanship and other poor practices, other than to initiate expensive court actions that can take years to deliver justice.

Meanwhile, Mr Sands said building materials prices are currently “holding steady and not rising”. He added: “I think they’ve gotten to a ceiling and they are just staying there. They’re not increasing; it just plateaued for right now.

“The construction sector is moderate right now. There is still some activity but there always can be more as always. There are still lots of opportunities for local work, which is not slowing down the pipeline.”

Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister, earlier this week said the Government’s National Economic Council (NEC) had given final sign-off for $1bn in new investment projects to proceed.

This, though, did not greatly impress Mr Sands, who challenged the Government to explain what this really means “One billion dollars in investments could mean $1bn worth of uniforms for an airline agency,” he added. “It does not mean $1bn in real estate development for tourism-related projects.

“This could be in infrastructure or non-infrastructure projects. It can be in platform production or all computer-based; it does not have to be in the construction of a resort. So I think we have to be cautious in how we move forward and assess it. The Government needs to give us more details.”