The Tribune

THE trip by a Bahamian delegation to Dubai was always going to raise questions about the cost.

The inevitability of those questions stretches back as far as the last PLP administration when questions were raised over the cost of trips, and Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell was given the nickname Flyaway Fred.

Some of the criticism is unfair. This is a new government, after all, and should be judged on its own actions, not those of its predecessors.

What is fair is for the questions about cost to be raised, however – and the government has provided that, with up to $1m earmarked for the trip.

What we don’t know is how much the government expects to make in return for the country. The destination is a place rich in investors, and ripe as a showcase for tourism.

How well our Christian choir or our Junkanoo dancers will fare in Dubai, in a country where Islam is the main religion and where people are expected to cover more of their skin with clothing, is one consideration.

Former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis raised another good question – that of priorities. Could that $1m be spent in a better way?

Dr Minnis talked of Bahamians who haven’t been paid for contracts and asked why should the government be flying to Dubai and eating steak and lobster when Bahamians at home can’t get paid.

In today’s Insight section, the lead article highlights the Inter-American Bank report that highlighted the need to spend $30.7m on digital infrastructure such as broadband and mobile broadband – which it is forecast would bring a return on investment of $715m.

There are a lot of calls for the government to spend money in different areas – and only so much money to go around.

The Dubai trip may well be worth the investment, we shall have to see. But if it doesn’t show tangible results, the government will have to explain why this was what they chose to invest in rather than something closer to home.

We absolutely hope it benefits the nation, for the sake of us all.

Cuban nurses

The Bahamas has welcomed 50 Cuban nurses into our healthcare system – and they are very much needed.

Fighting the pandemic has taken its toll on us all, but most especially on the frontline of medical staff. The addition of 50 nurses will help keep our healthcare system going at a time when many members of staff have caught the virus themselves. Even former Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands’ family has been battling COVID.

It is also a pleasure to see how excited the new arrivals are at playing their part. Head nurse Glenda Gonzalez Cursta said: “We are very happy and excited to be here because it’s a country that is a friend to Cuba.”

What a delight it is to see diplomacy and international friendship built up through countries reaching out to care for one another.

These new recruits will join others in our medical field, both those born here and those who have come from other countries. As they care for us all, if you happen to encounter them as they work, thank them for all they are doing. As a nation, we should be grateful.