Labour Minister Senator Dion Foulkes said on Monday that the government will assist those workers who may be laid off by gaming houses in the wake of the pending tax increases.
Going into detail, Foulkes explained that these workers would qualify for the unemployment assistance from the National Insurance Board (NIB) for a specific period of time. He also noted that family island employees who are impacted could benefit from additional assistance.
“If one Bahamian loses his or her job then the government is concerned about it,” Foulkes said.
“The prime minister and all of us are concerned about it. But, in any event, we will do whatever we can to bring comfort if it does happen.”
The minister said that, while it is unfortunate that some operators will have to downsize, he praised operators like Craig Flowers, who have gone on record to say they will seek to preserve the jobs of workers.
Nonetheless, he said the govt is committed to providing support for anyone impacted.
“We are still hopeful that (the layoffs) will not happen,” he said.
