A team of delegates from the Turks and Caicos Islands recently visited the Bahamas on a comprehensive fact-finding mission on local government structures.
This visit was a part of the Turks and Caicos Islands' effort to develop a suitable structure of local governance for its islands.
From March 16-26, 2023, the Bahamas Government, through its Ministry with responsibilities for Local Government, hosted the team of four delegates from the Turks and Caicos Islands: Deputy Permanent Secretaries for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr. Fredrico Johnson and Ms. TeAnn Thomas; District Commissioner, Mrs. Yvette Cox, and administrative support, Mrs. Bernadine Smith.
During their visit, the team, through a well-planned and strategic itinerary, witnessed and experienced local government in action, having attended real meetings conducted by elected district councils and town committees, as well as appointed boards, throughout different islands and cays.
In addition to learning about the local governance structure of the Bahamas, the team also had opportunities to experience the culture of the country through its festivals, cuisine, tours of its islands and cays, historical sites, and tourist attractions.
These were intentionally selected to expose the team to different ways local councils could utilize resources within their communities to generate revenue and enhance their communities.
To further enhance the team’s knowledge and understanding of the local governance structure of the Bahamas, and help them determine what best practices from there could be adopted and utilized in a Turks and Caicos Islands model of local governance, the Bahamas delegation arranged meetings with key stakeholders, including the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, the Minister of Local Government, the Parliamentary Secretary (Supervisor of Elections), various council and town committee members, and Family Island Administrators.
These meetings provided great insights into the electoral process, the benefits and challenges of local governance, as well as the relationship and synergy between District Councillors and Family Island Administrators - which is critical to the success of local government. The team also had an opportunity to attend the swearing in ceremony for their Family Island Administrators.
The visit to the Bahamas was a culmination of dialogues that commenced months ago, when a team from the Ministry of Home Affairs, on official duties in the Bahamas, met with relevant stakeholders from the Ministry with responsibility for Local Government.
As a follow-up measure, In February 2023, a five-member team of delegates (led by the Acting Permanent Secretary) from the Department of Local Government, Bahamas, visited the Turks and Caicos Islands to better understand the governmental structure and geographical structures of the islands.
This visit provided an opportunity for both teams to learn from each other's experiences and share insights on local government structures that would be beneficial to their respective countries. In similar manner, the Bahamian delegation had the opportunity the visit our family islands, experience our culture, and see revenue generation opportunities that exist in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
This knowledge was then used to compile a strategic and beneficial itinerary, from which the TCI delegation could glean.