by Rick Lowe
Back in July Mr. V. Alfred Gray (PLP) Minister of Agriculture threatened to ban chicken imports if enough local chicken was not purchased by the wholesalers.
Fast forward to August 28 and Mr Gray is reported to have said: “I have reorganised some words. I am not sure that we will totally prohibit the import of anything totally because to do that might put some strain on the consumer. But what I have been able to gather and achieve with the producers and the purchasers is that they will be prepared to purchase 30 per cent of what their needs are locally and import the other 70 per cent. That is acceptable to both sides, and so far so good.”
You might ask why only two cheers? Well that's because he's left a policy in place that says: "the Bahamian buyer must show that he purchases 30 per cent of the chicken he needs, (or) 30 per cent of the eggs he needs, in order to get a permit to bring in 70 per cent."
Surely this is wrong? What gives the Minister the right or power to decide which business people he will lend support to while denying similar support to others?
So he gets two cheers for realising banning all imports impacts more people than if no ban is implemented but he's yet to realise forcing a business to buy certain items might also be unconstitutional by serving the interest of a few at the expense of many.
Remove all barriers to trade and you'll get three cheers from this blogger Mr. Gray.