The National Market Exchange - NMEX

With the impending opening of Cuba to U.S. based Tourism and Investment, the economies of many Caribbean Countries dependent on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) such as the Bahamas are predicted to be seriously impacted. The Chinese meanwhile have been surreptitiously moving into these small and FDI dependent Countries. In some cases the Chinese now represent not only the majority of Foreign Direct Investment, but more importantly the only Foreign Direct Investors in light of the current Cuba opening.   

The Chinese are apparently the only foreign investors interested in these Countries because they have a geopolitical purpose rather than a purely profit driven interest as most other investors would have.

Some like the Bahamas face the possibility of becoming neo-colonies of China due to the lack of interest by other investors and the inability of the Government developing any self operated system for economic development. Governments of the Bahamas have failed to develop a Capital Market Driven Economy (CMDE) as previously proposed by the Council for Concerned Bahamians Abroad (CBA).

The question then becomes whether it is beneficial to the economic future of the citizens of the Bahamas to become de facto citizens of a Chinese neo-colony. Can Bahamians exist with financial support primarily from the Chinese?

Due the small population of the Country it is entirely conceivable that the Bahamas can achieve financial stability for its small population of citizens totally from Chinese largess. The further question is whether the citizenry is prepared to pay the price of Chinese neo-colonization for benefits of financial gain?

In other words are Bahamians willing to sell their souls and future ability to control their own destiny for money? Some may feel that this is the history of the Country and its people, all we really know to do, and in order to maintain an adequate standard of living becoming a Chinese neo-colony should be okay. This however is not the opinion of the Council for Concerned Bahamians Abroad (CBA), or most Bahamians and friends of the Bahamas that the CBA has polled.

It is therefore incumbent on the current Government, and those who aspire to become the Government to put in play some method of self controlled and directed economic development plan. This is particularly so since many of the experts seem to feel that the opening of the doors of Cuba, will mean the closing of many doors to future economic development for Caribbean countries, and particularly for the Bahamas.