PM Golding for Commonwealth Local Government Conference in the Bahamas

Prime Minister the Hon. Bruce Golding leaves the island tomorrow (May 13) to participate in the Commonwealth Local Government Conference in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
Mr. Golding is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the closing ceremony on Thursday, May 14. He will also be participating in other activities to mark the opening of the new Beaches Resort Villages and Spa in the Turks and Caicos Islands from May 14-16. The Commonwealth Local Government Conference 2009 is being hosted by the Government of the Bahamas. This will be the first time that the conference is being held in the Caribbean, providing a unique opportunity for politicians and practitioners from the Caribbean and the Americas, to meet their peers from across the Commonwealth and to hear about local government innovations in the region. The conference will highlight some of the recent thinking and innovations in local government, and will examine case studies of successful local government projects in the Grand Bahama. It will examine several other issues including local government’s role in the future, how councils can involve local people in planning and decision-making, building capacity and strengthening local governments to be more effective and efficient.
Local government is the sphere of government closest to the people, providing vision and leadership for local communities and many of the basic services needed to improve their day-to-day lives and meet the Millennium Development Goals. While Mr. Golding is away, the Minister of Water and Housing, Hon. Dr Horace Chang, will take charge of the Government. The Prime Minister returns to the island on Sunday, May 17.