The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

AS the cost of food continues to rise, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis visited several convenience stores and small businesses in the Fox Hill area yesterday to discuss a trade diversification programme aimed at helping small grocers make bulk purchases from new trade centres.

Patrice Williams, owner of the convenience store “A Little Bit of Everything”, said it has become increasingly difficult to purchase supplies for her store as prices have doubled on nearly every item. Ms Williams noted that many business owners have been forced to close because they can no longer afford to import goods while also covering the costs of utilities, such as electricity and rent.

She hopes that the diversification programme will enable her to offer more affordable prices on canned goods, vegetables, and other food supplies.

Mr Davis told reporters that for too long, the cost of food has been a heavy burden on the Bahamian people. He explained that his visit to the stores was intended to listen to their concerns and help reduce the cost of goods for the public. He added that officials had discovered the food supply chain for convenience stores is heavily influenced by a “monopoly”.

“The merchants they buy from, the ship that brings the food in, the port it lands at, are all in the same conglomerate and this in our view is a monopoly,” Mr Davis said.

The government has launched the Trade Diversification Programme for Affordable Food, which encourages convenience stores to collaborate and make bulk purchases from new trade centres. He gave an example of sourcing products from Latin America and bringing them directly to The Bahamas.

Mr Davis said officials are already receiving the programme’s first shipment within the next three weeks and will assess the programme’s impact and new sourcing markets.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump launched a trade war against America’s three largest trading partners, prompting immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada, and China. President Trump also increased tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to 25 percent, challenging US allies and vowing to take back wealth “stolen” by other countries.

When asked if the programme was a response to the trade war, Mr Davis said it was not, but the trade war had heightened the government’s urgency to implement the programme. He explained that the programme had been in development for the past year and a half to determine why food costs are so high in The Bahamas.

“We are attempting to diversify that product by going into new markets and obtaining new transportations.”

“There’s no reason why a pilot from Miami to Nassau to cost about $300 and that same pilot to Barbados will only cost $150 something seems wrong about that.”

Meanwhile, Anthony Wallace, a chef at Nishmars convenience store, expressed some doubt about the programme. He emphasised that while the concept is promising, the real challenge lies in ensuring the programme materialises in a way that benefits the public.