A press conference was held March 19 to announce the upcoming open house and expo at the Government Printing Department. Pictured seated from left: Senior Superintendent, Ministry of Works and Urban Development, Roscoe Rolle; Director, Child Services, Department of Social Services, Lorraine Duvalier; Chief Petty Officer, Royal Bahamas Defence Force on secondment to the Government Printing Department, Jeff Evans; Interim Manager, Government Printing Department and First Assistant Secretary, Cabinet Office, Michael A. Humes; Director, Professional Development & Career Institute, The College of The Bahamas, Lorraine Bastian Jones; Computer Programmer I, Training Unit, Bahamas Customs and Excise Department, Chantell Varence-Pratt and Representative, BAMSI, Culean Major. (BIS photo/Raymond A. Bethel, Sr.)

NASSAU, The Bahamas -- The Government Printing Department in collaboration with other government agencies will be holding an open house and expo to showcase the Department’s achievements.

Interim Manager, Government Printing Department and First Assistant Secretary, Cabinet Office, Michael A. Humes explained that this is the second open house and expo for the Department and it will take place at the Department’s Headquarters on Old Trail Road, Friday, March 27, 2015.

During a press conference, Thursday, March 19, Mr. Humes said this year in observance of its 42^nd Anniversary, the Department will highlight the public sector initiatives that it documents for the Government. “This open house and expo will also allow the Department to pause and reflect on the past year and determine to what extent it met goals and expectations.”

“The future of the Government Printing Department is assured if for no other reason than for the large and growing volume of printed materials required by agencies of the Government,” Mr. Humes said. “As the Government owned and operated print shop, the Government Printing Department has always and will continue to play an important role in the national development process.”

He explained that the demand for high quality and cost effective print material has already increased since the establishment of the Bahamas Agricultural and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) in North Andros and is expected to further increase when The College of The Bahamas crosses the threshold to full university status.

The Department takes care of the printing needs of the 71 Government agencies, Mr. Humes said.

Representatives from agencies who will also take part in the open house and expo also attended the press conference. They included the Director, Professional Development & Career Institute, The College of The Bahamas, Lorraine Bastian Jones; Director, Child Services, Department of Social Services, Lorraine Duvalier; Computer Programmer I, Training Unit, Bahamas Customs and Excise Department, Chantell Varence-Pratt; Representative, BAMSI, Culean Major; Chief Petty Officer, Royal Bahamas Defence Force on secondment to the Government Printing Department, Jeff Evans; and Senior Superintendent, Ministry of Works and Urban Development, Roscoe Rolle.

These partnering agencies will showcase upcoming projects or services they offer. The College of The Bahamas will promote the many opportunities available at the College for personal and career development, including academic upgrading, learning foreign languages and professional development.

The Customs Department will highlight its modernisation plan being supported by the Inter-American Development Bank Trade Sector Support Programme that is intended to create a more flexible and responsive Customs organization.

Improvements are expected to be made in trade facilitation, revenue collection and the protection of the borders of The Bahamas.

The Social Services Department will promote its new and improved services for those persons who are in need including the new pre-paid visa card, which is taking the place of the food coupon and is intended to preserve the dignity of its users. The Department will also highlight its “conditional cash transfer system” where persons have to verify that they need the funds and there will be monitoring of those benefiting from the system.

The RBDF exhibit will feature the “Sandy Bottom Project,” which represents the single largest capital investment the Government has ever made in the RBDF since its inception in 1980. Total cost of the project is $232 million dollars. This Project includes the acquisition of patrol craft, dredging of harbours and the development of bases and port facilities.