MARCH 19th, 2003
 

MY FELLOW BAHAMIANS:

Over the last six months, in common with other members of the international community, The Bahamas had hoped and prayed that diplomacy would emerge triumphant so that war in Iraq might thereby be averted.

Sadly, all efforts to secure a peaceful resolution of the Iraqi crisis have now ended in failure.  In the result, the quest for peace has now given way to the drumbeat of war.  That is the stark reality with which we, in common with all the world, must now contend. The time for moralizing about the rightness or wrongness of the cause for peace versus the cause for war has now ended.  It is reality we must face now. And the reality is that war is now both inevitable and imminent, perhaps only hours away.

It is our fervent prayer that the war in Iraq will be of short duration and that the casualties of that war, especially innocent civilians, will be few. That the armies of the military coalition spearheaded by the United States of America and Great Britain will emerge victorious is, I think, a foregone conclusion. Still, there are bound to be casualties. In this particular regard, we have in our prayers tonight, scores of U.S.-based Bahamians and descendants of Bahamians who form part of the American armed forces that have been deployed to the theatre of war in the Middle East.

Even in my own cabinet, two of my ministers have close relatives who are about to experience first-hand the horrors of combat as members of the American military forces now poised for attack on the borders of Iraq.  Many other families in our country are in a similar position of personal anxiety for the safety of their loved ones. For these soldiers of Bahamian extraction who are now in harm's way and for their families both here and in the United States, we pray a very special blessing tonight.

MY FELLOW BAHAMIANS:

It is inevitable that the outbreak of war will pose new challenges for us as a nation.  The severity and duration of these challenges, especially on the economic front, will depend in large measure on the duration of the war itself and whether there are any fresh occurrences of terrorism in or affecting the foreign markets from which our tourists are mainly drawn.

A short war, unaccompanied by any major incidents of terrorism against America, would likely translate into continued growth in our tourism sector with possibly only a temporary decline in arrivals during the period of hostilities.

On the other hand, a protracted war coupled with renewed terrorist activity would almost certainly result in a sharp reduction in U.S. consumer demand for air and cruiseship travel abroad.

Needless to say, the ill-effects of such a scenario upon our nation's fortunes would be quite profound.

This is not, however, virgin territory for The Bahamas. We have been there before. And we have met the challenges before.

The economic experiences of the Gulf War in 1991 and, more recently, the aftermath of September 11th, 2001 presented us with daunting challenges.

But in each of these crises, we demonstrated our resilience and adaptability. By our collective resolve and discipline, by our creativity and innovation, we were able to successfully overcome the adversity that was visited upon us.

That we have met similar challenges before should therefore strengthen us in our conviction that we can and will overcome the challenges that now confront us once again.

Having consulted in recent days with key tourism planners and strategists in the Ministry of Tourism and our industry partners in the airlines, hotels, cruiseship lines, and unions, I am satisfied that all necessary contingency plans are in place to help sustain our viability as the region's leading tourist destination and to cushion any fallout from the war.

In particular, we are in a position of readiness to re-direct our marketing focus and promotional resources in a way that will help sustain the appeal of The Bahamas during and after the hostilities in Iraq.

We will be aided in that endeavour by simple geography. We are America's closest neighbour along its southern and eastern borders. At a time when most Americans will be disinclined to take long plane-rides or to venture far from home, the psychological appeal of a destination with a strong tradition of friendship with the American people that is just 30 minutes away is both obvious and compelling.

Indeed, as it has all through our history, it is this close proximity to our great friend and neighbour to the North that has not only ensured our economic survival as a people but enabled us to sustain a standard of prosperity that is second to none in the Caribbean and in Latin America.

Our optimism in these times of global tension and uncertainty is also anchored in the fact that the underlying fundamentals of the Bahamian economy continue to be sound. This fact coupled with the prudent conservation of our fiscal resources and careful control over public expenditure in times of difficulty will, I am convinced, help us to weather the approaching storm.

However, in the same way that the national government will be obliged to hold an even tighter rein over our, fiscal resources until the gray clouds have given way to clearer skies, it behooves all of us, as citizens of this Commonwealth, to also now exercise greater prudence and foresight in the management of our personal financial affairs.

Should there be a reduction in tourism business for a protracted period and should there be, on top of that, increases in the price of oil, Bahamians will find that the cost of living will rise all around, placing new stresses upon their paychecks and personal savings. This may never happen, of course.  Hopefully, it will not come to that. But we need to plan for it all the same.  Good sense and prudent planning compel us to do so.

All Bahamians should therefore exercise a higher-than-normal standard of prudence in their personal financial affairs, especially when it comes to the expenditure of their disposable income in this period of uncertainty.  This is not the time for reckless or unnecessary spending on things that you can do without or things you do not really need to have right now.

MY FELLOW BAHAMIANS:

Having briefly addressed the economic challenges we face in this time of international turmoil over the crisis in Iraq, I turn now to the "national security" challenges that the current international crisis poses for our nation.

It goes without saying that ever since the dreadful events of September 11th, 2001, successive Governments of The Bahamas have been keenly aware of the responsibility we have as full partners with the United States of America and other committed nations in the international campaign against terrorism.

Quite apart from the moral imperative of fighting terrorism, the sudden and frightful shock inflicted upon our tourism economy in the wake of September 11th served as a powerful reminder that it is in our self-interest to ensure, as far as is humanly possible, that The Bahamas remains a destination that is perceived to be a safe and friendly place for American and other foreign tourists to visit.

Remember, this is our livelihood we are talking about here.

But being perceived to be a safe and friendly place to visit goes beyond smiling faces and courteous service nowadays. In the wake of September 11th, it is also requires that we be able to demonstrate that our airports, cruiseship terminals, other ports of entry, and the resort areas that cater to our tourists are in line with the still evolving international standards of surveillance, inspection, vigilance and intelligence-sharing that are so vital to the global counter-terrorism strategy.

We have embraced that challenge not only because it is, as 1 have said, morally imperative that we do so but also because it is in our national interest that we bring The Bahamas fully into compliance with the counter-terrorism norms so that foreign governments can continue to give their citizens the "green light" to visit The Bahamas.

It needs to be emphasized, however, that it is not just for our tourists that we have adopted these new measures. Bahamians themselves are, in per-capita terms, some of the most frequent air-travellers in the world. It is therefore as much in our interest as
Bahamians, as it is for us as a tourism destination, that we take all necessary steps to enhance our own safety and security at airports and other ports from which we enter or leave The Bahamas.

I know that the new security measures at our international airports have proven irritating for the traveling public. Long lines and the intrusiveness and embarrassment of personal and baggage inspections have become rather commonplace. At the same time, however, let us remember that at the end of the day it is all directed towards ensuring our safety and the safety of others in the same position. These are not normal times in which we live. The times are extraordinary. And in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are required.

I exhort all Bahamians, therefore, to be patient and understanding.  Let us realize and appreciate that the inconveniences we must now endure are for a larger and necessary purpose.

In more recent times, as the hopes for a peaceful resolution of the Iraqi crisis began to fade, my Government, under the umbrella of the National Security Council, intensified and expanded its audit of our state of preparedness. This need for increased vigilance has now become even greater because if there is one thing that nearly all nations of the world agree on it is that the risk of further terrorist attacks is likely to increase significantly once a military assault is launched against Iraq.

Having just completed our latest security-preparations audit, however, I am happy to report to you tonight that all of our security and law enforcement agencies, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, The Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Departments of Customs and Immigration, together with the Department of Civil Aviation, the Airport Authority and the Port Authority are all on heightened alert and in a co-ordinated state of readiness for any contingency that may arise.

Our intelligence-gathering capabilities have been strengthened; undercover human surveillance and other technically sophisticated surveillance systems are now in place at key security-sensitive locations; mobile patrols have been increased; and special security measures too sensitive to mention have been introduced at our airports and ports and in and around their perimeters.

In executing these preparations, I wish to publicly acknowledge the tremendous support we have received from U.S. Ambassador Blankenship and our other American friends.

The combined effect of these measures will enhance the already high level of security our visitors enjoy. But these measures will also do something else. They will act as a substantial deterrent to the use of our airports and marine ports as entry or exit points for illicit narcotics, guns, ammunition and other contraband.

Thus, the measures we have taken are truly of a dual-purpose nature: they will not only reduce the threat of terrorism within our borders; they will also, at the same time, strike a heavy blow against the "guns-and-drugs" sub-culture that lies at the center of our crime problem in The Bahamas.

MY FELLOW BAHAMIANS:

Though the times ahead will test us, we must continue to press ahead. Life must go on. I have sounded a note of caution concerning the need for financial prudence. The times in which we live also call us to a higher standard of vigilance. But these things apart, we must endeavour to maintain the rhythm of our everyday lives, only this time we should, if anything, pick up the pace and apply ourselves with even greater energy to the role we each play in the life of our society and in the continued building of our nation whose 30'" birthday we will celebrate just a few months from now.

As the head of your elected Government, I want to assure you tonight that we intend to lead the way as we press ahead and that in leading the way we will act in faithful accord with what we honestly believe to be in the best interests of our nation and its citizenry.

I know that many of you may feel that not enough is being done or that things are moving too slowly. Still others of you who are listening to me tonight may not be sure of exactly what we are doing or how fast or slow we are doing it simply because you have not been receiving progress reports from me and my ministers as often as you should.

Still others, I regret to say, are not honest in their criticisms at all because no matter what we do they will always say we got it wrong and no matter how fast we do it, they will still say that it was too slow. The cynics, naysayers and politically-inspired mischief-makers who comprise this last group, I shall simply have to live with because that is the price we gladly pay for living in a free and democratic society.

But every single day I am lifted by the very many well-wishers who take the time to let me know the good our Government is doing. This is heartening and encouraging.  I am most grateful for these many expressions of support and encouragement.

As for the honest, well-intentioned critics whose voices I have heard, I want you to know that I appreciate your criticisms.  This, after all, is your Government. You are the bosses. We are only your servants. And as your servants we are accountable to you for what we do and for what we fail to do.

So let me assure you tonight of a couple of things:

FIRSTLY, a great deal has already been done by my Government and a great deal more is in the process of being done, whether it be in relation to the approval of important new investment projects, or in relation to social problems such as crime, community rehabilitation, affordable housing, infrastructural improvement, and so on. Some of these accomplishments you have heard about in specific detail already but I have come to realize that we have been deficient in presenting regular progress reports to the nation on exactly what the Government has accomplished and what the Government is doing. This deficiency in public relations, however, is now being rectified. Bahamas Information Services is being completely re-vamped with a mandate to more effectively co-ordinate the dissemination of news concerning the concrete accomplishments of the Government. In addition, progress reports will now be made both by myself and my ministers to the nation with greater regularity so that the Bahamian people can be kept more fully abreast of exactly what is happening.

SECONDLY, new measures and procedures have, in fact, now been introduced at critical points and levels within the Government, including the Cabinet, the National Economic Council, the Ministry of Financial Services & Investments, the Investments Board, the Securities Board, the Registrar-General's office, and the Immigration Department, to expedite the processing of applications. The results of these new initiatives should soon be made manifest. Already, the time between application and the notification of approval or otherwise has been shortened considerably in most areas. I will ensure that we continue to introduce the innovations that are necessary to eliminate bottlenecks and unnecessary red-tape in the bureaucracy of Government.

MY FELLOW BAHAMIANS:

We are all in this together. And together we will continue our forward march. This is a trying time for us and for all the world. But we have been through trying times before and just as we did before we are going to come through this one just alright.

Be of good courage therefore. Keep faith with each other. In the end, all will be well.

Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to me this evening.

May God bless you all.

And may Almighty God continue to guide and bless the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and all the peoples of this planet in this time of peril.

Thank You and Good Night.