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Friday, June 19, 2026
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Civil service compensation to breach $1bn for first time BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net TOTAL compensation paid to the Bahamian civil service will breach the $1bn mark for the first time in the upcoming 2026-2027 fiscal period, it has been revealed, with its ranks having expanded by 2,342 persons over the past four years. Budget documents show that the total bill for central government employees is forecast to hit $1.013bn during the 12 months to endJune 2027, all of which will be funded by Bahamian taxpayers. The just-disclosed Fiscal Strategy Report 2026 breaks
this figure down into $868.2m in wages and salaries; an additional $96.9m in allowances; and some $47.9m in National Insurance Board (NIB) contributions. The all-in figure represents a near-$73m, or 7.7 percent, increase on the $940.3m payout forecast for the current fiscal year. And Tribune Business’s review of Budget records shows that the civil service has expanded by more than 11 percent over the past four years, growing from 21,082 total workers in the 2022-2023 period to 23,424 for the upcoming Budget year. The Davis administration’s projections give the impression of an ever-increasing size
HGTV-featured developer says land title woes ‘real hindrance’ BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A SOUTH Andros resort developer well-known internationally through his starring role in an HGTV series yesterday stressed the area faces a “real horse and cart and chicken and egg situation” as he warned that land title woes are deterring fresh investment. Bryan Baeumler, co-owner of Caerula Mar Club Resort,
told the Andros Business Outlook conference that south Andros faces the dilemma of needing to attract more visitors and investment but currently lacks the means - via infrastructure, airlift connectivity and activities - to do so. Asked to identify the most pressing issue in south Andros that must be addressed over the next five years, he replied: ”It’s really tough to boil it down to an only single issue, and as was said it’s not as simple as putting on another
Tourism ‘rethink’ must treat Bahamians as greatest asset BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A SENIOR government official yesterday argued that The Bahamas needs to “rethink” tourism by treating its people as the country’s greatest selling point while also targeting “value” rather than visitor volume for its Family Islands. Dr Kenneth Romer, deputy director-general of tourism and the Government’s aviation chief, told a panel discussion at the Andros Business Outlook conference that The Bahamas needs to “put our people ahead of product” and view them as the most
important asset for this nation’s largest industry. And he also asserted that Bahamians needed to broaden their definition of “sustainable tourism” beyond just environmental and marine protection to embrace “the preservation of our cultural and heritage assets” - elements vital to deliver the authentic local experience that world travellers are increasingly demanding from all destinations. While acknowledging that Andros’ “natural assets”, such as its concentration of blue holes and the world’s third largest reef at 190 miles long, are vital to its economic sustainability
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Florida jet ski operator hits out over US alert BY FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net A SOUTH Florida operator yesterday pushed back against a recent US Embassy alert warning Americans not to rent jet skis in The Bahamas, arguing that the industry's safety record does not justify such a sweeping move. John Rosen, who owns Jet Ski Fort Lauderdale, and operates the rental platform JetSkiFL.com, said he felt compelled to defend Bahamian operators after the
Embassy issued what he described as an exaggerated warning that could damage legitimate businesses throughout the country. "I just didn't agree with the US Embassy going to the extreme and telling US citizens not to rent jet skis," said Mr Rosen. "If you look at the numbers, it doesn't make sense." Speaking to Tribune Business, Mr Rosen said the statistics cited by the US Embassy do not support the conclusion that tourists
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of government whose cost burden will have to be funded by Bahamian taxpayers. Total civil service compensation is forecast to grow by almost $300m over the next decade to hit $1.3bn by 2035-2036 a projection that, if it comes true, will represent a 28.3 percent hike over ten years. Wages, salaries and NIB contributions on behalf of public officials remain the largest line item in the Government’s recurrent spending Budget, which represents its fixed operating costs for a single Budget period. They are projected to account for 27.2 percent of all recurrent expenditure in 2026-2027, which means more than $1 flight. It’s not as simple as having more rooms available for tourists. It is about having that widespread strategy where we stop talking and start doing. “There’s been a lot of talk for years, and we love south Andros, but there’s a lot of challenges - from cost to access to skilled labour to a marina. It’s about making the business and, from an investor standpoint, to make the business sustainable so we can make these changes. We have incredible natural assets but we have got to draw people with facilities and infrastructure that we don’t have.” Besides detailing his concerns about the current condition of Mangrove Cay airport (see other article on
$ 6.89 Ranks swell by more than 2,300 new hires in four years Wages and salaries forecast to jump $113m in two years Staff, debt interest, subsidies over 60% of recurrent costs out of every $4 spent by the Government - or over one-quarter of its fixed costs outlay - will go towards covering personnel related costs. The next highest recurrent spending item is interest payments totalling $711m, which must be paid to holders of the Government’s existing debt, also representing a new annual record high. This is closely followed by subsidies to loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to keep them operational and financially solvent, which are forecast at a collective $517m.
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‘Forced back in time’: Aviation chief pledges new Mangrove Cay airport by ‘end 2027’ South Andros residents and hotels cite multiple airlift woes Resort living in ‘bubble’; forced to bring guests in by boat Airline: Customs and Immigration presence ‘no.1’ priority BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@ tribunemedia.net
Page 1B), Mr Baeumler also cited “partially paved roads” and his resort’s marina, which he described as being in “a battle zone”. “There are a lot of land title issues in south Andros,” he added. “That’s a real hindrance, I think, to attracting new investment and new property ownership. I love the concept of bringing some of that responsibility to Andros because, as we know, nobody is coming to help us. “We have to get ourselves to a certain point, and hold ourselves accountable, because we are in a real horse and cart and chicken and egg situation. We need to bring in more people, but when
THE Government’s aviation chief yesterday promised long-suffering Mangrove Cay resiDR KENNETH dents they will enjoy an ROMER improved airport “by the end of 2027” amid complaints they and visiting tourists have been “forced to go back in time” over airlift connectivity woes. Dr Kenneth Romer, director of aviation and also the Ministry of Tourism’s deputy director-general, told attendees at the Andros Business Outlook conference that muchneeded upgrades will soon forthcoming after he was repeatedly pressed on the issue by Elizabeth Bain, principal of the Mangrove Cay Club. “For the airport in Mangrove Cay, give me a date,” Ms Bain asked. “Soon” was the initial reply but, not satisfied, the resort owner and operator persisted by retorting: “I’ve been hearing that for a very long time.” This drew a more fulsome response from Dr Romer, who said the improvements would be based on the upgrades made to Great Harbour Cay’s airport in the Berry Islands. “I’ve been hearing about airports for a very long time; since 2022,” the aviation director said, seemingly referring to the Government’s Family Island ‘renaissance’ programme that is overhauling and upgrading multiple airports via public-private partnerships (PPPs) and other financing/operating arrangements.
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