#Nassau, Bahamas – January 6, 2010 —Discussions focus on post-Hurricane Dorian recovery and bilateral relations
During a
courtesy call at the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday, Chinese Ambassador
to The Bahamas H.E. Huang Qinguo and Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis
discussed how the People’s Republic of China may further assist in recovery and
reconstruction efforts on Abaco and Grand Bahama.
The
Prime Minister invited China to partner with The Bahamas by participating in
the upcoming United Nations Development Programme Donor Pledge Conference to
aid the Government’s reconstruction program post-Hurricane Dorian. The
conference is scheduled for 13 January at Baha Mar.
The
pledging conference will leverage resources of domestic and international groups
who want to partner with the Bahamian people and the Government to rebuild
affected areas stronger, and with more resilience, especially in light of the
global climate emergency.
The
Conference is a part of a broader program and strategy for reconstruction led
by the Government of The Bahamas.
Prime
Minister Minnis noted that in addition to the reconstruction of hospitals and
schools, housing remained a key priority for the Government.
“If
affected residents don’t have homes to return to, there will be little use for
hospitals and schools,” said the Prime Minister.
Prime
Minister Minnis also reiterated the Government’s position that all projects in
The Bahamas carried out by international contractors are required to have an
80:20 Bahamian to foreign employment ratio.
As a
part of its reconstruction strategy, the Government will launch a new housing
project that will provide free Crown land complete with infrastructure to
affected residents. It is hoped that funds raised at the Conference will help to
fund the cost of the infrastructure.
Prime
Minister Minnis said the Government also has plans to use some of the funds
raised at the conference to provide sustainable energy to individual homes in
areas affected by Hurricane Dorian.
“We are
being directly impacted by Climate Change. Our response must include rebuilding
smarter and with resilience,” said the Prime Minister.
The
Government has already prepared specific reconstruction delivery plans, which
have been cross-referenced with the damage and loss assessment conducted by the
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the United Nations Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC). Total damage, loss
and additional costs in four primary categories on the affected islands is
estimated at approximately $3.4 billion.
The six
sectors identified by the Government include housing, the environment and
debris clean up, education, health, infrastructure and the economy.
Prime
Minister Minnis thanked the Ambassador for China’s assistance in the immediate
aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, and for its continued long-standing partnership
in areas of education, trade and infrastructural development.
Press Release: Office of The Bahamas Prime Minister