A newly released national survey spanning public and private sector respondents across New Providence and the Bahamian Family Islands has identified exorbitant electricity costs as the most pressing, widely cited quality-of-life pain point for local residents, according to the National Productivity Task Force. Chaired by Edison Sumner, the task force gathered feedback from over 1,000 participants as part of its months-long consultation process, finding that an overwhelming majority flagged both the overall cost of living and steep energy bills as unsustainable for ordinary households. Many respondents noted that electricity costs consistently outstripped other recurring financial burdens including rent, mortgage repayments, and grocery expenses, leaving low- and middle-income earners, a large share of whom make minimum wage or only marginally more, stretched to breaking point each month.
Beyond crippling energy costs, the survey also surfaced three other top systemic barriers to household and economic stability: restricted access to affordable credit, prohibitive capital raising conditions for new and expanding small businesses, and a critical shortage of affordable housing stock across the archipelago. Sumner emphasized that the task force’s definition of productivity extends far beyond extracting greater output from existing workers, framing the proposed reform agenda as a holistic strategy to cut unnecessary operational costs via energy efficiency innovation, expand access to well-paying formal roles, and eventually establish a formal living wage framework calibrated to keep pace with annual inflation. Sumner declined to name a specific dollar figure for a mandatory living wage, noting that ongoing research led by the National Tripartite Council would inform evidence-based policy design to ensure all salaries can cover core household needs without pushing working families into debt.
These findings and recommendations are laid out in the task force’s final June 2026 report, which formally proposes the creation of the independent statutory Bahamas National Productivity, Innovation and Competitiveness Council. The 5-year operational blueprint for the body, running from 2026 to 2031, carries a total estimated price tag of $29.9 million, with annual budgets phasing up from $4.75 million in its launch year to $6.95 million by year five. Allocated funds are earmarked for a range of core functions: salaries and benefits will rise from $1.005 million to $1.305 million, program implementation spending will grow from $350,000 to $1.2 million, and a dedicated enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to manage the council’s finances, staffing and operations will receive $2.4 million in both the first and fifth years of the term. Additional allocations include a doubling of research and analytics funding from $100,000 to $200,000, scaled communications and public outreach support rising from $80,000 to $110,000, and expanded workforce training budgets increasing from $100,000 to $140,000.
The task force projects that the new council and accompanying national productivity standards will unlock a minimum 2.5% annual GDP growth rate, generate a larger pool of high-skilled, well-paid jobs, and lift The Bahamas at least 15 positions in global competitiveness rankings over the next five to seven years. The report notes that the country’s long-running productivity stagnation stems from three core structural challenges: a widespread systemic skills gap, overreliance on the tourism and broader service sectors, and persistently high operational costs for households and businesses alike. Citing data from the Caribbean Development Bank and national economic accounts, the report notes that average output per Bahamian worker between 2015 and 2019 stood at roughly $56,400, outperforming the regional Caribbean average but falling far short of the $92,300 average recorded in peer high-income economies. Productivity growth was either flat or negative in five of the six years leading up to 2019, a trend Sumner attributes in part to the complete absence of a formal national productivity tracking system, which leaves policymakers with no consistent framework to benchmark local performance against global standards.
Sumner also highlighted overlooked everyday drains on national productivity including severe peak-hour traffic gridlock, poorly maintained roadways riddled with potholes that impose unexpected vehicle repair costs on commuters, and under-maintained public and commercial buildings. He noted that rolling out structured hybrid work policies that allow 30% of eligible office staff to work from home could drastically cut rush-hour congestion, reduce unnecessary transportation costs, and keep output levels consistent with in-office performance. The full suite of recommendations in the final report includes formal national productivity metrics and benchmarks, targeted workforce upskilling programs, upgraded public infrastructure, scaled adoption of technological innovation, and deliberate economic diversification efforts to reduce overreliance on tourism. Deliverables attached to the report include draft legislation to formally establish the new council, the 5-year strategic implementation plan, a detailed rollout roadmap, and full governance and operational frameworks, all developed after cross-sector consultations with government agencies, private industry representatives, labour unions, academic institutions, and civil society groups.
Originally convened in September 2025 under the purview of the Ministry of Labour and Public Service, the task force completed its full mandate well ahead of its initial 8-month deadline. Sumner confirmed earlier in January that the task force is on track to have the founding legislation tabled before Parliament by May 2026, with the new independent council fully operational by July of the same year.
Energy costs one of biggest issues for Bahamian workers
