By Sam Smith, Guardian Staff Reporter

samsmith@nasguard.com

The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce is calling for the Christie administration and the Bahamian business community to reevaluate their broad support of Family Island anchor projects.

The "macro view" the government has taken in attempting to stimulate Family Island economies from Nassau may eventually backfire, corrupting the culture that "makes our tourism product so diverse and marketable," said Chamber president, Tanya Wright.

Recent projections assert that at least $12.6 billion will be pumped into the Bahamian economy through 112 international investment projects, the most ambitious of which is the $5-billion Ginn Sur Mer in Grand Bahama's West End, according to figures from the Ministry of Financial Services and Investments.

Wright's comments echo those of Reginald Smith, president of the Exuma Chamber of Commerce and sales manager for Emerald Bay Exuma, who also spoke at Tuesday's business outlook. Both Wright and Smith believe the government should examine the cultural context and microeconomic status of each island before committing to developers.

"Who are we building these projects for?" Wright asked rhetorically. "If we develop the other island economies, we have to take a separate look at them first."

Wright's concern was sparked in part by a last-minute appearance from Ginn Company vice president, John Davies, who reported having difficulty recruiting 2,000 more employees on the country's second-most-populous island.

"We can't be ... at a business outlook and be told that by one of the investors we're already committed to," Wright said. "I suspect that sentiment will be echoed throughout the Family Islands."

Both she and Smith caution against putting the brakes on investment, wanting to keep the economic wheels spinning. Their concern is contextual.

"I'm not saying 'slow down,'" Smith said yesterday in a telephone interview. "I'm saying let's take a look at our surroundings."

Wright was on the same page: "Growth and development is great, and it's what we all want to see. But when I hear islands not expressing the same kind of enthusiasm I am, it causes me to recognize how extremely different our island economies are." A second facet of Wright's call to the Bahamian business community was the development of chambers of commerce across all of the Family Islands, creating a network of community-level input and greater resources for entrepreneurs on the islands.

The anchor project initiative is part of Prime Minister Christie's effort to spark the sagging economies of the Family Islands and has evoked controversy on the Out Island communities who welcome the employment but lament what many see as the re-colonization of the Bahamas.