Overview:
An archipelago of 700 islands and islets, the Bahamas attracts millions of tourists each year. The visitors come to enjoy its mild climate, fine beaches and beautiful forests. A former British colony and now a Commonwealth member, the country is a major center for offshore finance and has one of the world's largest open-registry shipping fleets. The Bahamas enjoys a high per capita income. The huge growth in the services sector of the economy has prompted people to leave fishing and farming villages for the commercial centers in New Providence Island, Grand Bahama and Great Abaco. As with other Caribbean countries, The Bahamas faces the challenge of tackling drugs trafficking and illegal immigration. It has taken steps to clean up its offshore banking system. Dr Hubert Minnis was elected prime minister on 10 May 2017, when his Free National Movement (FNM) soundly defeated the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).
Source: BBC Country Profile
American Embassy Nassau:
We only had ten days in Nassau from June 19-29 so we were really pressed for time to complete our interviews and draft the report. The embassy staff included over 150 U.S. direct-hire Americans but half were with DOJ/DEA/INS and Coast Guard given immigration and customs inspections in Nassau and Freeport and drug trafficking. The Management
Officer was Andrew “Drew” Oltyan who is still around working with INL at the
Department.
Findings:
A real property concern was the status
of the government-owned vacant Great Inagua Aerostat site, OIG recommended the
Office of Overseas Buildings Operations, resolve the disposal. The post needed to establish a
comprehensive maintenance program covering all facilities in accordance with the Office of
Overseas Buildings Operations Facilities Maintenance Handbook.
The embassy needed to implement the electronic funds transfer of local employees' net pay to individual bank accounts. There were issues with processing official residence expense vouchers that should be borne by the representational appropriation. Embassy Nassau had serious issues with the former cashier's account and OIG recommended that the issue be submitted to the committee on fiscal irregularities for a decision on whether to close out the former cashier's accountability. The embassy also needed to establish a centralized system for maintaining accounts receivable records and institute a procedure for following up on outstanding bills. The embassy should clear the remaining funds in its suspense deposit abroad account and review prior-year travel advance accounts and proceed with collection action for those advances that are still outstanding. The FMO should establish procedures to review and verify the monthly summary of daily accounting sheets of consular receipts from the accountable consular officer.
After returning home and reviewing the final drafts of our inspection report I had contact with WHA/EX and a former colleague, Wayne Logsden, who was with me in Kuwait following the gulf war when we reopened the embassy there. We also sorted out the recommendation regarding a bi-lateral work agreement with the bureau.
- Straw Market
- Fish Fry Restaurants
- Atlantis on Paradise Island
- Cracked Conch, fritters, chowder and salad
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| Holiday Inn downtown where we stayed |
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| Cruise ships at the port |
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| The Atlantis, Paradise Island |
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| Downtown Nassau |
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| Straw Market |
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| Seafood restaurant famous for Cracked Conch (Fritters) or Conch Salad |
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