From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Public-Private sector approach to Hurricane Matthew speedy restoration, says Gibson
By Lindsay Thompson, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA
Oct 18, 2016 - 2:03:45 PM
The Minister responsible for Hurricane Relief and Restoration the Hon Shane Gibson on
On Monday, October 17, at Diplomatic Week conference at the Melia resort on Cable Beach, addressed the Diplomatic Corp on the topic: “The Magnitude of Damage Caused by Hurricane Matthew and what’s needed for speedy Recovery".
(BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
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NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Minister responsible for Hurricane Relief and
Restoration the Hon Shane Gibson said it is going to take a
public-private sector approach towards a speedy recovery in the wake of
the powerful Hurricane Matthew.
Mr. Gibson, who is the Minister
of Labour, National and Minister of the Public Service was appointed by
the Rt Hon Perry Christie, Prime Minister immediately following the
passage of the storm to spearhead the massive recovery efforts.
On
Monday, October 17, at Diplomatic Week conference at the Melia resort
on Cable Beach, Mr. Gibson addressed the Diplomatic Corp on the topic:
“The Magnitude of Damage Caused by Hurricane Matthew and what’s needed
for speedy Recovery".
See below his speech at that event:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This
is the second consecutive year that The Bahamas has been severely
impacted by a hurricane. Hurricane Joaquin, a Category 4 storm, impacted
islands in the Central and Southeast Bahamas from 30th September to 2nd
October, 2015, resulting in major damages on five (5) of our Family
Islands, Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador.
Now,
one year later, Hurricane Matthew, moved through our islands between
October 4-6, 2016, as a Category 3 system in New Providence and as a
Category 4 storm in West End, Grand Bahama and North Andros; severely
impacting the lives of residents.
Our capital city, Nassau, is
located on the island of New Providence where the majority of our
population resides. All of the amenities and institutions that are found
in a capital city are located on New Providence.
It is the seat
of Government; it is the island that welcomes the majority of visitors
for as you know, Tourism is our main industry. Our principal
international airport is located on New Providence and the majority of
cruise ships call on the port of Nassau. Financial Services is our
second major industry and the majority of the financial institutions are
located in New Providence.
Moreover, New Providence is also the
link with our Family Islands through mail boat services, private
charter airlines and our very own national flag carrier, Bahamasair.
Domestic
air travel and shipping services to the Family Islands originate from
New Providence. The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, which
provides radio and television services to the entire Bahamas, is located
on New Providence.
Grand Bahama is the second largest island in
the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the second most populated. It is
also the home of our second major city, that of Freeport. Grand Bahama
is the industrial hub of The Bahamas; The Bahamas Oil Refining Company
International Limited, (BORCO) is the largest storage terminal in the
Caribbean. The Freeport Container Port is also located on Grand Bahama.
Several other industries of a smaller scale are based on Grand Bahama.
You
therefore can appreciate the challenge we are facing as Hurricane
Matthew caused extensive damages to the two major islands which house
our two major cities, the two islands where the bulk of our population
resides and that two islands responsible for the major economic activity
of our country.
The north portion of the island of Andros, which
is the largest in our archipelago, was also severely damaged by
Hurricane Matthew, particularly the small settlement of Lowe Sound with
just about 700 people.
New Providence, Grand Bahama and North
Andros received extensive damages to homes, buildings and infrastructure
from storm surges and excessive flooding.
Teams comprising
representatives from the Ministry of Works and Urban Development the
Department of Social Services, the Urban Renewal Programme and the Royal
Bahamas Defence Force are conducting door-to-door assessments and we
should shortly have preliminary data on the number of homes and
buildings destroyed or damaged and the severity of the damages. We are
already aware however that the majority of homes in Lowe Sound have been
extensively damaged or destroyed and a number of residents had to be
relocated.
Prior to the arrival of Hurricane Matthew, technical
experts warned of the potential of storm surge especially along with
southern portion of New Providence. In addition to the damages caused by
the high winds, the storm surge also caused considerable water damages
to a large number of homes and extensive flooding in several
communities.
Utility services were extensively and widely disrupted in the three impacted islands due to the
damages to power lines and poles. Bahamas Power and Light Company Limited, BPL, as of
Sunday, October 16, reported restoring power to more than 80 percent of residential customers
on New Providence and is aiming to be closer to full restoration by the end of the week.
Grand
Bahama Power Company (GBPC) has moved with haste to replace fallen
poles and repair transmission and distribution infrastructure, and as of
Wednesday, October 12 2016, power has been restored to some 4,000
customers with increasingly more homes and businesses being reconnected
to the power grid in the City of Freeport.
The company is
currently being assisted by its international partners and accordingly,
200 additional support staff and 100 additional emergency vehicles to
supplement its on-island workforce have arrived in Grand Bahama.
In
New Providence, technical teams from sister Caribbean countries
facilitated through The Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation
(CARILEC) are assisting with the restoration of power in New Providence
and North Andros.
RECOVERY
Firstly, for speedy recovery we need a full and complete assessment of the damages and this process is underway.
Secondly,
there is need for a strong coordinating mechanism and in this regard, I
have been designated Minister with responsibility for Hurricane Relief
and Restoration.
Thus far, the team assisting me includes a
coordinator for both Andros and Grand Bahama here in New Providence;
ground coordinators have also been identified in Grand Bahama and North
Andros.
Both the public and private sectors will have to be involved in the recovery process.
The
Government has signed an Exigency Order that allows for the duty free
importation of building materials, vehicles, furniture and other items
that were lost or damaged due to the hurricane. This will assist persons
with the replacement of these items.
The Government has
identified a number of programmes to assist persons in facilitating
repairs to their homes. These will include repairs for qualified
homeowners, the provision of materials for the repair of homes and small
loans for certain qualified persons without insurance.
The
Government will have to work with the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce on
strategies and programmes to assist small businesses in restarting so as
to get the local economy moving again especially on Grand Bahama and
North Andros.
We will have to demonstrate that while The Bahamas
was impacted by Hurricane Matthew, we are open for business and the best
demonstration of this was the fact that several cruise ships were in
port on Sunday, October 9, 2016, three days after the passage of
Hurricane Matthew.
Again, realizing the mammoth task in
rebuilding these severely damaged communities, the Government is aware
of the role the Diplomatic Corp and values our relations with countries
such you, in this massive restoration process.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
THANK YOU.
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