In the aftermath of the devastation caused to two major islands in the northern Bahamas by Hurricane Dorian, the speaker of the Bahamas’ House of Assembly recommended to a visiting delegation from the People’s Republic of China that their country should consider developing the southeast region of the Bahamas to shift the population concentration from the northwest.
Speaker Halson Moultrie also suggested that China help with relocating the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services from New Providence to Little Inagua, according to The Tribune, one of the Bahamas’ major daily newspapers, in an article published Friday.
Moultrie made the recommendations during a courtesy call with Cai Dafend, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China.
Dafend and a 14-member delegation held brief discussions Friday in the Senate with the speaker, his deputy, Donald Saunders, and Chief Clerk David Forbes.
At the time, the Chinese official announced his government would give an additional $500,000 to the Bahamas for Hurricane Dorian relief efforts.
Following the visit, Moultrie explained that the intent was to seek mutually beneficial opportunities to advance the people of the Bahamas and citizens of China, according to The Tribune.
As he thanked China for whatever assistance it could provide as the Bahamas seeks to rebuild after Dorian, Moultrie said the Bahamas could benefit from scientific research on the impact of global warming; research on the development of marine industries, educational grants, cultural exchanges and technical assistance; industrial development of the southeast Bahamas; infrastructural development throughout the country especially a deep water harbor; a maximum security correctional facility.