The Free National Movement believes that The Bahamas must be developed for the economic and social benefit of all Bahamian citizens. To achieve such benefit, the Government acknowledges the need to maximise employment opportunities and, to this end, welcomes to The Bahamas legitimate international investment, in particular multinational hotel chains and resort development, financial services institutions, head office operations, assembly plants and second home and condominium developments.

The Free National Movement is conscious, however, of the continuing concern and frustration within the ranks of Bahamian Banking and Finance professionals with the existence of a "Glass Ceiling" which limits career development for competent and deserving Bahamian professionals.
While appreciating that by its nature, the international financial services sector will always require the presence of some overseas executives in its operations in The Bahamas, the Free National Movement is committed to ensuring rapidly expanded opportunities for greater exposure and advancement for suitably qualified, trained and competent Bahamians.

The Free National Movement is concerned that over the decades trained, experienced and competent Bahamian professionals in the hospitality industry have been denied the opportunities for career development enjoyed by overseas staff of similar qualifications employed in the hotel sector in The Bahamas.

But, the FNM is convinced that the new genre of hotel owners and operators attracted to The Bahamas hotel sector since 1992, accepts that competence and ability ought to be recognised and rewarded irrespective of nationality, and that Bahamian nationals must have first callwherever all relevant things are relatively equal.

The Free National Movement is committed to working with existing and new entrants to The Bahamas hotel industry to maximise opportunities for career development of Bahamian professionals throughout the international hotel industy. During its first term of office the Free National Movement Government amended the policies and practices which had led, during the previous administration, to victimisation of Bahamian citizens with foreign-born spouses and inordinate delays in processing applications and the issuance of long-term work permits.

Having enacted legislation to grant a Special Spouse Residence Certificate to foreign-born spouses of Bahamian citizens to cover the first five years of marriage; having instituted policies and procedures to facilitate processing of applications for work permits, permanent residence and citizenship; and having established agreements to repatriate in an orderly manner, illegal immigrants from Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and elsewhere;
the FNM Government in its second term will:

Approve work permits for foreign persons to be employed in The Bahamas only as and when suitable and competently trained Bahamians are not available, or are unwilling, to accept such employment.

Introduce a training levy, to be paid into a training fund by employers of work permit holders, to fund skills training programmes at the College of The Bahamas, The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute and The Bahamas Hotel Training College.

Expand dialogue with international banking, trust and investment houses, and owners/operators of hotel and resort properties in The Bahamas, to ensure that Bahamians are granted equal opportunity with foreign staff for career development, through the highest levels of management.

Work with the management of international financial institutions and international and locally owned hotel and resort operators in The Bahamas to develop training programmes to expose Bahamians to the requirements of the industry, beginning at the secondary school level.

Encourage the development of international and professional attachments and staff exchanges within the network of international financial institutions and hotel chains, so that Bahamian professionals are afforded similar international exposure as that afforded to international staff posted in The Bahamas.

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