Good Governance: Transparency and Corruption

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NASSAU , BAHAMAS – Calls for greater transparency and a zero-tolerance approach to corruption have long been a fixture of Bahamian politics, promised by successive administrations over the years.

The Davis administration is no different, pledging during its term to advance legislation aimed at strengthening accountability and good governance.

In September 2024, Prime Minister Philip Davis insisted his administration hadn’t abandoned anti-corruption laws.

By January 2026, with the next general election approaching, the administration reiterated its “zero-tolerance” position on corruption after a U.S. defense attorney publicly accused Bahamian institutions of being steeped in drug money and corruption.

In December 2024, then Police Commissioner Clayton Fernandez resigned following a U.S. indictment which alleged that several law enforcement officers had used their positions to assist in drug smuggling operations.

Those matters remain before the courts.

Questions remain about what progress has been made on the government’s promised reforms.

The watchdog group, Organization for Responsible Governance, has repeatedly raised concerns about chronic underfunding of the Freedom of Information Unit and the Office of the Ombudsman, as well as gaps in the enforcement of the Public Procurement Act.

Executive Director Matthew Aubry spoke to those concerns in December 2025.

They’re not the only ones calling for more to be done.

In March, the U.S. State Department urged The Bahamas to further strengthen legislation addressing conflicts of interest in public procurement and to improve enforcement of existing anti-corruption laws.