The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

WORKS and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears said the government’s plan to remove shanty town communities would be costly and that a comprehensive plan to demolish structures would be unveiled soon.

His comment came after a recent ruling from Chief Justice Ian Winder set back the government’s plans to begin demolishing structures.

“The committee has been putting together a comprehensive plan not just for New Providence and Abaco, which relate to the action, but throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” said Mr Sears, head of the Unregulated Communities Action Task Force.

“On a number of our islands, there are unregulated communities so we will be unveiling shortly a comprehensive national plan and because of the implications in terms of the international obligations of the country, we’re also communicating with some of the multilateral agencies because it will involve a major undertaking of expenses.”

“We are also trying to see how we can get the maximum support and multilateral partners so that we can address this situation in a comprehensive way.”

His comment to reporters came after recent aerial surveillance showed the expansion of a shanty town community off SC Bootle Highway on Abaco.

Abaconians sent footage of the expansion to The Tribune yesterday.

Roscoe Thompson, head of the Marsh Harbour/Spring City Township, said the government has allowed the shanty town situation to get out of hand.

“The problem,” he said, “that we’re finding here in Abaco, as Bahamians, is how can the government allow people to build without a permit, without town planning approval, without the Ministry of Works stamp, without the Department of Environmental Health inspection and have a certificate of occupancy.”

Mr Thompson said the shanty town expansion is causing tension on the island.

He said some Bahamians suggest they should clear land and build shacks to test the government.

Last year, a special committee was formed under the auspices of the Ministry of Works to examine these unregulated communities.

According to Mr Sears, a budget has been created for the committee to work, though he declined to give details.

“We’re speaking with the Ministry of Finance and also seeking the Cabinet’s approval,” he said.