Ms. A. Gabriella Fraser, Chairperson
Gabriella Fraser is the Founding Principal and Managing Director of The Vivian Group, an independent research, policy, and management organization, based in The Bahamas and devoted to providing clear, comprehensive, and thoughtful analysis and research; and delivering sound well-purposed organizational capacity building services.
Her career achievements cross key sectors of the Bahamian economy, including, higher education, tourism, financial services, and the electronic communications sector, in core responsibility areas of administration, policy, and regulation. Notably, The College, now University of The Bahamas where she served as an Associate Vice President with responsibility for External Affairs; the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation, where she was the Director for Onshore Communications; The Central Bank of The Bahamas where she spent
a significant proportion of her career, in various positions in the Research Department including, Economist and Assistant Manager; and the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) where she was the Corporate and Consumer Relations Manager.
To be the leading resource center and provider of high quality statistics, easily accessible to our clients, and responsive to their needs.
To ensure that the Bahamian Government, businesses, and people are never hampered in their activities by inadequacies of statistics, their recent trends, or their interpretation; and in particular, to ensure that the managers of the Bahamian economy in the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank and elsewhere, never lack adequate statistics nor argue about them.
With the passage of the Statistics Act, 2021 in March, the Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) now has the statutory mandate for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of statistics, including the national census. The transition to take over from the Department of Statistics will take place over time.
FUNCTIONS OF THE INSTITUTE.
The functions of the Institute are —
- to collect, compile, analyze and disseminate official statistics;
- to conduct censuses and surveys as may be necessary from time to time in relation to the matters specified in the First Schedule;
- to promote, develop and maintain a National Statistical System in The Bahamas;
- to direct, monitor, and evaluate the operations of the National Statistical System;
- to carry out the National Statistical Strategy;
- to make recommendations to the Board with respect to the annual budget of the Institute;
- to ensure compliance with international best practices on the production of official statistics;
- to liaise with other countries and regional and international organizations in relation to statistical matters;
- to collaborate with individuals, firms, partnerships, associations, unincorporated bodies, companies, statutory corporations, ministries, departments, and agencies of Government in the collection, compilation, and publication of statistics;
- to establish a fee structure for publications and data sets that may be produced and compiled by the Institute and effect charges related to the publication and data sets; and
- to do all things which may be necessary or incidental to the discharge of any of its functions and powers under the Statistics Act, 2021.
For complete details about the Institute view or download the Statistics Act, 2021 under the Legislation tab.
BOARD MEMBERS
- Chairperson- Ms. A. Gabriella Fraser, Founding Principal and Managing Director of The Vivian Group
- Deputy Chairperson- Mr. Zhivargo Laing, Executive Director and Senior Policy Fellow of the Government and Public Policy Institute
- Board Member- Dr. Anthony Hamilton, President of Civil Society Bahamas
- Board Member- Mr. John A. Rolle, Governor of the Central Bank of The Bahamas
- Board Member- Mrs. Khrystle Rutherford-Ferguson, Chairman of The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation
- Ex Officio Member- Ms. Elise Delancy, Permanent Secretary for Transformation & Digitization in the Office of The Prime Minister
- Ex Officio Member- Ms. Tami Francis, Assistant Director Analytics, Research and Actuarial Services, NIB
- Ex Officio Member- Mr. Marlon Johnson, Acting Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance
- Ex Officio Member- Ms. Leona Wilson, Acting Managing Director, BNSI
The Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI), formerly known as the Department of Statistics, has a rich history of collecting and disseminating aggregated results since its inception in 1968. The newly established statistical institute will help to modernize the collection, analysis and dissemination of official statistics for the country.
2021
2015
Leona Wilson Appointed Acting Director (October)
2013
Household Expenditure Survey/Poverty Survey
2010
Census of Population and Housing
2008
Kelsie Dorsett Appointed First Female Director of Statistics
First Economic Census
DOS Website Launched
2006
Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) Produced
Household Expenditure Survey/Poverty Survey
Customized Application Systems Introduced
2003
Occupations and Wages Survey Introduced
2001
Bahamas Living Conditions Survey
Hosted 26th Annual SCCS Meeting
2000
Census of Population and Housing
1996
World Customs Organization
Harmonized System for the Classification of Foreign Trade Introduced
1995
Local Area Network Introduced
1994
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Revised –New Base Year
1993
Charles Stuart Appointed Second Director
1991
Hosted 16th Annual SCCS Meeting
Institutional Strengthening/Technical Cooperation
1990
Census of Population and Housing
1986
First Personal Computer Introduced
1980
Census of Population and Housing
1978
Bahamas in Figures Introduced
1974
Relocated to Clarence A. Bain Building
Population Projections Produced
1973
Statistics Act Passed
Freeport Office Established
National Accounts Estimates Produced
1972
Retail Price Index (RPI) Revised –New Base Year
1971
Monthly Newsletter Introduced
1970
Census of Population and Housing
Household Budgetary Survey
1969
J. E. Tertullien Appointed First Director of Statistics
First Statistical Abstract Published
Department of Statistics Established