Urban municipal financing system of Bahamas
The Bahamas is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, with two levels of government: national and local. The Local Government Act 1996 is the principal legislation that regulates them and classifies them between second-schedule composed by town committees and third-schedule district councils.
Local governments in Bahamas do not have the faculty to generate their own income they mostly depend on government transfers trough the consolidate fund.
Subnational and local institutions
International institutions
- Development Bank of Latin America (CAF)
- European Investment Bank (EIB)
- Green Climate Fund
- Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
- International Monetary Fund (IMF)
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCDE)
- United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT)
- World Bank (WB)
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Financing instruments
Select the type of Financing instruments from the following list:
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The consolidated fund is where all the revenues collected in Bahamas are deposited and later redistributed within the different kinds of local government.
Legal base
Local governments in Bahamas do not have a recognized autonomy, they do however have administrative delegations and tasks in charge of providing basic services to the citizens.
(1) Subject to subsection (2), the funds and resources of each committee shall consist of — (a) any moneys as from time to time are provided by Parliament; and (b) such other sums as the Minister of Finance may by order direct. ...
(1) Subject to subsections (2), (3) and (4), the funds and resources of each Council shall consist of — (a) any moneys as from time to time are provided by Parliament; and (b) such other sums as the Minister of Finance may by Order direct. ...
Local governments in Bahamas do not have the capacity to raise their own tributes.
The expenditure responsibilities are divided between the town committees and council districts each having its duties specified in the articles 9 and 14 of the Local Government Act.
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, each town committee of a town area in a district shall have, in relation to that town area, the following functions, namely — (a) in conformity with national standards — (i) to provide for general health and sanitation, including stre...
(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law but subject to subsections (2) and (3), each Council of a district (other than a district specified in the Third Schedule) — (a) shall appoint boards which shall have and exercise, in relation to that district — (i) the powers of the R...