Poll: Public split on WTO

29 Oct 2018

 

SurveyThe poll surveyed over 900 Bahamian households

A poll by research firm Public Domain has found that the number of Bahamians who support acceding to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is almost identical to the number of Bahamians who oppose the move.

The poll also found that almost as many people say they need more information before they decide where they stand on the issue.

The poll, which was conducted August 9 through August 20, randomly surveyed 998 Bahamian households by telephone.

Thirty-three percent of those surveyed said they support “joining” the WTO; 31 percent of those surveyed said they oppose joining the WTO, and 26 percent of those surveyed said they “need more info”.

Many people would like more information on WTO accession

Ten percent of those surveyed said they did not know or failed to provide an answer.

Public Domain President M’wale Rahming said he was surprised by how many people had not made up their minds on the issue.

“That’s a really large number of people not having a firm opinion and wanting more information,” he told Guardian Business.

“We’ve never seen anything like that. Most of the stuff that we poll on is quite polarizing, so people usually feel one way or the other.

“But I think here the interesting thing is people are saying, ‘I need more information.’”

Forty-two percent of residents in western New Providence support WTO membership

Thirty-eight percent of men supported joining the WTO, while 30 percent of men opposed the move. Twenty-four percent said they needed more information.

Twenty-eight percent of women said they supported joining the WTO, while 32 percent of women opposed the move. Twenty-eight percent of women said they needed more information about joining the WTO.

That trend holds throughout age groups and income levels of all those surveyed.

Of those surveyed making under $30,000 annually, 35 percent supported joining the WTO; 28 percent opposed joining; and 27 percent said they needed more information.

Of those making $30,000 and $60,000 annually, 41 percent supported joining the WTO; 28 percent opposed joining; and 24 percent said they needed more information.

Of those making over $60,000 annually, 32 percent supported joining the WTO; 35 percent opposed joining the WTO; and 24 percent said they needed more information.

Thirty-six percent of those surveyed in Grand Bahama supported WTO accession; 32 percent opposed joining; and 23 percent said they needed more information.

Thirty-one percent of residents in eastern New Providence supported joining the WTO; 35 percent opposed joining; and 29 percent said they needed more information.

Thirty-one percent of residents in central New Providence supported joining the WTO; 27 percent opposed joining; and 26 percent said they needed more information.

Thirty-three percent of residents in southwest New Providence supported joining the WTO; 30 percent opposed joining; and 27 percent said they needed more information.

Thirty-three percent of residents in southeast New Providence supported joining the WTO; 28 percent opposed joining; and 29 percent said they needed more information.

Forty-two percent of residents in western New Providence supported joining the WTO; 28 percent opposed joining; and 26 percent said they needed more information.

Among Family Island residents surveyed, 24 percent supported joining the WTO; 37 percent opposed joining the WTO; and 20 percent said they needed more information.

That the number of people not decided is fairly consistent throughout different cohorts, is telling, said Rahming.

“The main takeaway is, I think, Bahamians have been asking more for information,” he said.

“And I know that the government has been doing some of those exercises, but I guess the question is: Is the information that they’re communicating getting to the people who want to know more about it?”

The Bahamas has targeted WTO accession for late 2019/early 2020. Negotiations for The Bahamas to accede to the WTO resumed in September. Former Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing was named chief negotiator before the talks resumed last month.

Source: Nassau Guardian

Click here for more information on the WTO and the nation’s accession process.

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