By Sam Smith, Guardian Staff Reporter

samsmith@nasguard.com

For better or for worse, the government has pinned much of the country's economic growth on the success of anchor projects to be scattered across The Bahamas and led by wealthy international developers.

According to the Ministry of Finance, there is currently $12.6 billion worth of projects underway and an additional $8 billion in the pipeline. With such a large percentage of the country's future growth dependent on those outside dollars, there seems little chance of the government changing direction.

On the heels of public concern surrounding the projects, Deputy Director General of Tourism David Johnson addressed the government's ambitions and its struggles in keeping each of the developments on course.

At the Ginn property on Grand Bahama's West End, for example, the developer has publicized his difficulty in recruiting enough workers to complete and staff the $5-billion resort. At the Four Seasons on Exuma, shortages of all kinds are compounding the problems of investors. Concrete is prohibitively expensive, as Emerald Bay's Grand Isle Villas remain incomplete. Bahamians who have moved to the island for work are paying as much as $2,000 a month in rent because of a housing shortage. Others in worker camps are finding the accommodations "unacceptable" for families, Johnson said.

The question he wants the government and the Ministry of Tourism to direct themselves to answering is, "What are some of these opportunities and how do we move towards reducing leakages and boosting the linkages?"

His questions echo those of Bahamas Chamber of Commerce President Tanya Wright who recently suggested the Family Islands develop local chambers of commerce to stimulate business thinking. She also asked government to develop a more island-specific approach to each of the anchor projects.

Both Wright and Johnson agree that each development must compliment its surroundings. "I don't want to go to Inagua and say what's good for Inagua," Johnson said. The Bahamas must "regroup and ensure that we get it right while we are still near the beginning of our development as a country of islands," he said.

In outlining how to maintain symbiotic relationships with international developers, Johnson urged Bahamians to take advantage of business opportunities surrounding the projects while lending a hand in the planning process.

"We are simply not taking advantage of the spin-off opportunities tourism provides, in general, and not just from the large-scale properties," he said.