The Tribune

IT IS worth noting the defensiveness currently taking place over the Chinese workers who were released from custody after the intervention of Immigration Minister Keith Bell despite irregularities in their status.

First, Mr Bell – while confirming that irregularities were discovered among Hilton workers – declined to answer any questions from reporters on the matter.

His seemingly prepared statement said that it was determined that detaining the workers was unnecessary – while not identifying who made that decision or how it was arrived at.

He said that the irregularities were “expeditiously cured by the employer” although any business that deals with work permit applications will know that the word expeditious seldom describes dealing with the department concerned.

And he said that the completion of works at the hotel “will address and add critically needed hotel rooms on New Providence and create additional employment and opportunities for Bahamians”. Well, so will any resort – does everyone else get a pass over irregularities as long as they’re building new hotel rooms?

The FNM have rightly raised questions on the matter – but when party leader Michael Pintard attempted to raise those questions in Parliament, he was told by Speaker Patricia Deveaux “we are not talking about immigration today”.

Mr Pintard pressed his case – claiming the Speaker was employing double standards.

Debate often wanders from the matter at hand – indeed, during his Budget contribution, Mr Bell managed to find time to blast the new cruise port, saying it was the worst deal in history, rather than the line items in the Budget itself.

The Speaker called on the sergeant at arms to prepare to intervene – but in the end the House was suspended instead. The questions about the release of the Chinese workers went unanswered.

Given the opportunity to answer questions by reporters, and given the chance to answer Opposition concerns in the House, the government has chosen not to do so, it would seem.

That simply raises even further questions about the matter – more broadly as well, with the president of the contractors association now adding his own concerns about a situation which seems to favour some projects over others. Is everyone to benefit from this new laissez-faire approach to work permit irregularities? If not, then why does one benefit ahead of others?

That government does not seem to want to answer such questions is very telling.

Banks

A frustrated traveller contacted The Tribune yesterday to lament that despite their bank being informed ahead of time of their journey, they found their cards had been blocked when they attempted to use them on arriving at their destination.

In trying to speak to a representative at the particular bank concerned, The Tribune found a telephone number that rang, and rang … and rang.

Many Bahamians will have heard similar tales. Banking problems are a common woe. The Tribune has also recently heard from residents in Andros who have experienced issues with banking there and access to cash.

Across the Family Islands, there have been a number of issues with banking facilities closing, while in New Providence, the number of services available at the bank counter seems to be ever-diminishing.

There are other issues too – The Tribune recently spoke to people in two separate cases with two different banks where efforts to secure a mortgage took more than a year in each case, despite there being no significant irregularities on the part of the client to overcome.

The Tribune finds itself agreeing with PLP chairman Fred Mitchell, no less, who has also called for some form of action to improve services. Back in the House in April, he too was lamenting those telephones that always ring and are never answered.

The most frustrating thing for many is that even when a customer takes every step required to make things as simple as possible for a bank – as with yesterday’s traveller – still they find themselves let down.

Bahamians really do deserve better banking services than they often receive.