The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

PARLIAMENTARIANS debated and passed three amended bills that would give the Civil Aviation Authority more autonomy and empower the Governor General to appoint up to four law reform commissioners instead of three.

The Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (Amendment) Bill 2024, Civil Aviation (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the Law Reform and Revision (Amendment) Bill 2024 were widely supported by all MPs - although not without recommendations from the opposition.

Mr Cooper, who moved the debate on the bills, spoke mostly about the amended civil aviation bills which he said were essential for advancing the aviation sector and ensuring our aviation practices align with international standards.

He said the two pieces of legislation were amended to address concerns raised in last year’s findings from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) International Aviation Safety Assessment on Civil Aviation Authority of The Bahamas.

He said the report’s findings revealed the CAAB did not have autonomy in its technical decision-making processes. 

Under the Civil Aviation Amendment Bill 2024, the authority would be able to inspect air operators’ personnel, aircraft, operations facilities, and associated records for the purposes of certification, continued surveillance, and resolution of safety concerns.

The amendments, among other things, also empowers the director general to authorise persons or entities outside The Bahamas to perform specified regulatory oversight responsibilities, enhancing the country’s capacity to leverage international expertise. 

“Most of these amendments simply rephrase the content of the section to give CAAB or the Director General autonomy in its technical decision-making processes,” Mr Cooper said.

“These amendments are designed to enhance regulatory oversight, streamline processes, and ensure that our aviation practices align with international standard.”

FNM leader Michael Pintard said while the opposition supported the changes and believed it was a step in the right direction, there were still some concerns about compliance and potential government interference.

“One of the concerns that we have on this side, Madame Speaker, is that it is possible to put in place legislation that in its language give on the surface compliance by the Bahamas,” he said.

“But, we do know that there is a temptation among some policymakers to interfere in the operations of what would ordinarily be independent bodies whether its the director general or persons who hold key positions.”

“So, we believe the government should give consideration to how can we not only have the appearance of us being compliant but that we would undergird the  independence of these actors.” 

He recommended that government include measures that would protect the authority of such independent bodies as the director general.

This, he added, can include creating a hiring process that guards against “narrow political hires” and imposing legal penalties to prevent political interference. 

Meanwhile, Mr Cooper also had words for the opposition in response to their criticisms surrounding the country’s economic performance amid increasing tourism arrivals.

Mr Pintard has previously claimed that revenue from tourism is falling despite increasing numbers of tourists.

“When we hear someone on the other side talking fool about tourism numbers, I am troubled by their apparent need to talk down our number one industry and its impact on the economy,” Mr Cooper added. “I would have them know that as of May 31, overall stopover arrivals are up 5.8 per cent ahead of the prior year.” 

He said due to increased airlift and overwhelming traffic, the government would need to invest an additional $200m to support this growth and promised to give more details on this expansion another day.

“And whilst they persist on talking down on Grand Bahama where they ought to be grateful to represent, I am happy to say that Grand Bahamas’ growth is 14 per cent, one of the fastest in the islands of The Bahamas. We are working for the people.”