Bahamas News

Cost of living pressures are taking quite a toll on citizens in some of the far flung islands of The Bahamas, as they struggle to stay on top of rising costs for essential goods and services.

Some citizens in Mayaguana, Acklins and Crooked Island complain about having to shell out more money for the things upon which they depend for their very survival like food, energy and the precious inter-island mail boat service, whose operators lament that they are also caving under high fuel prices.

“The mailboat service is very poor. You are looking for the boats to come every week and instead it comes every two to three weeks and [food items] are spoilt,” said Rev. Lester Bain, a Mayaguana resident. “Captain Eddins Taylor used to make it here twice per month, but it is getting [worse] with increased prices. People need their stuff every two weeks so things don’t go bad.”

Others complained that they are essentially held hostage by the infrequent shipping calls. The situation appeared to have heightened their frustrations about other high consumer expenses; the cost of a gallon of fuel in Mayaguana has risen to $7.25 per gallon. There are also increased freight costs and the price of food has gone up.

“I try not to raise my prices took much,” said Rev. Bain, the proprietor of a local grocery store. “I take a beating sometimes.”

Mail boat operators have complained that the rising cost of diesel fuel, dilapidated docks in the Family Islands and stagnant tariffs over a decade were among the problems that they faced.

Earlier this year the government approved a package of subsidies to mail boat operators aimed at helping to improve their service standards and profitability.

The infrequency in shipping to some Family Islands that are farthest away from New Providence was a matter that MICAL MP V. Alfred Gray raised in the House of Assembly on Monday during its last sitting before an almost two month long summer break.

He told house members that he had been informed that heavy fuel costs was the reason for the irregularities.

“Please, I am asking the government to look at those far flung islands in the southeast Bahamas because now these mailboats are only able to go every 12 – 15 days,” he claimed.

“That is not acceptable. They are saying because of the high cost of fuel and lack of subsidies, they cannot go more often. Now that is something that I do not want the government to take lightly.”

For many weeks, he had been agitating for an improvement.

“My people cannot be starved because of the lack of government funding. We have to get the mailboats to Inagua and Crooked Island and those places because that is how they live. That is their lifeline.”

That lifeline is what the administrator for Acklins Steve Wilson said has been relatively regular for the last five weeks, at least. He told the Bahama Journal on Tuesday that the government had addressed the matter of subsidies for mailboat operators and there have been positive changes in the way the operator that services the island does business.

Other Acklins residents confirmed that the vessel services the island at least once per week. However they complained about the inefficiencies of the collection system on the island and the past trend of Sunday ports of call. Sunday is the traditional day of worship for many residents who prefer not to deal with any other distraction.

“The prices for the goods are high and they don’t appear to go by the tariff at all. It is a mess at the mailboat to get your freight,” said Cyril Ferguson, a Salina Point, Acklins resident.

“They don’t have regularly scheduled service and sometimes they would be to the dock from 3p.m. to 8 or 9 o’ clock in the night,” added Alma Beneby, who lives in Masons Bay, Acklins.

They both said they could do without the complications since they are already burdened by the high prices of other critical goods like gasoline which has reached $7 per gallon.

“Everybody is complaining. People have to go to work, so they have to buy it. The only people who would not feel the pinch [of high gas prices] are the police, BTC and National Insurance because their firm supplies them with fuel,” Ms. Beneby said.

The Bahamas mailboat network currently covers 22 routes with almost two dozen vessels that ship over $9 million worth of goods annually.

In Crooked Island, the complaints about mailboat operations continued, but Kermit Farquharson said he has noticed an improvement in the service rendered by Captain Tom Hanna.

He said the frequency has improved.

However, expressed a concern about another key area on the island.

“To be honest prices on the island are pretty stiff and what we need is price control over here to go into some of these shops and deal with these people. I know the cost of living is rising but some of these costs are very stiff,” he said.

Source: Bahama Journal