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MPs Debate Disaster Risk Management Bill 2022

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Parliamentarians debating the Disaster Risk Management Bill 2022 in the House of Assembly, Wednesday morning.

Published

1 year ago

December 7, 2022

Megan Shepherd

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Parliamentarians debating the Disaster Risk Management Bill 2022 in the House of Assembly, Wednesday morning.

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, Myles Laroda telling Parliament that The Bahamas’ disaster risk management governance is mainly legislated by the Disaster Preparedness and Response Act of 2008 and the Disaster Reconstruction Act of 2019.

However, both of these acts still leave the country with gaps.

Previously, anyone who refused to evacuate without justification could face penalties or fines. Laroda says part 9, section 56 makes provision for the prime minister to demand the evacuation of any person or group of persons from any specified area or island.

Minister of National Security, Wayne Munroe, adding that everything cannot be done by the central government.

He says during the last hurricane, the MARCO alert system was used to share information with the general public.

Now that the system has been fully launched, it will continue.