The annual Bahamas Business Outlook (BBO) Seminar will be held on January 14 at the Wyndham Nassau Resort. Theme: 2010-2020: A Decade For Action & Accountability.

Hosted by The Counsellors Limited (TCL), the event has been billed as the most important ever. "At this point, no one doubts that the greater part of the world economy is in recession and a few of the economic gurus have flirted with the idea that we are on the leading edge of another great depression," said Joan Albury, TCL President. "But we at TCL firmly believe that what happens, good or ill for the local economy, will depend on the quality of financial and business decisions we make now."

Mrs. Albury pointed out that some companies made healthy profits in 2009, noting that the secret would appear to lay in recognizing trends, analyzing them for business opportunities and being willing to change strategy in a timely fashion. "The time is past for hand-wringing over who or what is responsible for the recession. There are great gains of our country, if we do more informed planning, be more proactive, and above all demand accountability of ourselves, our employees, our government, colleagues and partners," she said. "We need current and accurate data from every sector at timely intervals. We in The Bahamas need to move into the 21st century of technology, especially communications technology. This is the way ahead and these are the things that BBO is to determined to confront each year and present to the public for consideration."

Mrs. Albury further reported that the 2010 BBO agenda will focus on sectors such as tourism and financial services, but will also include a presentation from the National Insurance Board on initiatives such as its Chronic Disease Prescription Drug Plan, and an outlook for the electronic communications industry in the wake of the expected privatization of BTC.