Economic overview
The World Bank perceives The Bahamas as a big time salary, created country with a GDP for each capita of $34,864 (2020) and a Gross National Income for every capita of $33,460 (2019). Be that as it may, the measurements are driven by a little level of high-total assets people, while most Bahamians procure undeniably less. The Bahamian economy keeps on wrestling with the double, exceptional monetary emergencies created by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019 and the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. As indicated by Standard and Poor’s (S&P), The Bahamas’ GDP development is relied upon to start bouncing back in 2021 from a decrease of 16% in 2020 that compared to a deficiency of more than $2 billion in genuine GDP. S&P additionally brought the nation’s FICO score down to BB-from BB due to more profound than anticipated monetary shocks to the travel industry and developing obligation concerns. Unemployment projections range somewhere in the range of 35 and 45 percent.
Full financial recuperation isn’t expected until 2022, subject essentially to the lightness of the travel industry area and post-pandemic monetary recuperation. Both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) foresee The Bahamas could experience the most serious COVID-19 financial constriction of all Caribbean nations.
Main sectors of industry
The Bahamian economy depends principally on the travel industry, which is packed fundamentally in Nassau and Grand Bahama. As per the Economist Intelligence Unit, the travel industry and development are generally liable for a genuine GDP development of around 4% yearly beginning around 1996. Another significant monetary area is monetary administrations, which puts the Bahamas among the world’s driving monetary focuses.
The monetary administrations area is the second biggest industry, containing somewhere in the range of 15 and 20 percent of GDP. Other more limited size businesses incorporate farming, retail and discount exchange, fishing and assembling.
Significant businesses incorporate the travel industry, banking, concrete, oil refining and parcel, salt creation, rum, aragonite, drugs, and winding welded steel pipe. Major horticultural items incorporate citrus, vegetables, and poultry.
Taxation for businesses in Bahamas
There is no corporate tax, withholding tax, payroll tax or transfer tax levied on businesses in the Bahamas. Notwithstanding, organizations require a permit to work, which is charged at either a level pace of $100 or at up to 3% of turnover relying upon the measure of income produced.
As a general rule, the partnership charge rate is 25% for recorded organizations and is 35% for unlisted public and private restricted organizations. For Banks, protection and other monetary organizations, the enterprise charge rate is 37.5% whenever recorded and 40% if not recorded.
Investing in The Bahamas
The public authority supports unfamiliar direct speculation (FDI), especially in the travel industry area, however holds specific areas of the economy for Bahamian financial backers.
Foreign direct investment is supported through industry-explicit enactment, which regularly gives exclusions to Customs obligations or different motivations to venture. Instances of such motivations incorporate the Hotels Encouragement Act, the Export Manufacturing Industries Encouragement Act, and the Industries Encouragement Act.In 2015, the Government authorized new and corrected laws to give upgraded security of licensed innovation freedoms; nonetheless, these laws are not yet in full power forthcoming reception of carrying out guidelines.
The National Investment Policy energizes and, for specific enterprises, gives impetuses to unfamiliar direct interest in the accompanying need areas: traveler resorts, conveniences and attractions; townhouses; time offer and second home turns of events; marinas; data and information handling administrations; get together ventures; innovative administrations; transporting; transport fix and different administrations; light assembling for send out; agro-businesses; food handling; hydroponics; banking and other monetary administrations; hostage protection; airplane and yachting administrations; drugs; petro-synthetic compounds; mining; and clinical the travel industry focuses.
These chances are generally publicized in the advertising material upheld by the Government, limited time material created by the BIA, and on a scope of web assets.