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Source: Central Communications Unit, Ministry of Finance, The Bahamas

Date: August 20, 2026
Contact: MOFcomms@bahamas.gov.bs

In keeping with Section 61 of the Public Debt Management Act, 2021, the Debt Management Office (the “DMO”) of the Ministry of Finance is pleased to release the June 2026 Public Debt Statistical Bulletin—the twentieth in the series of official quarterly reports on public debt statistics in The Bahamas.

As at end-June 2026, public sector debt outstanding was estimated at $14,696.5, an annual expansion of $1,276.1 million (9.5%) since end-June 2025. Central Government’s debt closed the fiscal year at an estimated $12,466.1 million, up $696.9 million (5.9%) year-over-year, and equivalent to an estimated to a slightly lower 70.7% of nominal GDP at end-June 2026. Outstanding indebtedness of Agencies and Government Business Enterprises rose by $579.1 million (35.1%) to $2,230.4 million, largely reflecting new financing secured to facilitate the acquisition of the Grand Bahama Power Company and funding activities of the newly established water desalination special purpose vehicle.

Based on currency composition, foreign currency-denominated debt increased by $352.3 million (5.8%) year-over-year and represented 43.6% of the total portfolio, for a 1.5 percentage point decline in share. The Bahamian Dollar component grew by $923.7 million (12.5%), lifting its proportion of the portfolio to 56.4%.

External creditor exposure rose to $5,798.4 million, a gain of $249.7 million (4.5%), and largely explained by new multilateral lending of $234.5 million (19.1%) in the form of policy-based loans from the Inter-American Development Bank and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean. Domestic creditors’ claims advanced by $1,026.2 million (13.0%) to $8,898.1 million, led by a $732.6 million (24.1%) increase in commercial banks’ holdings of government paper.

Annual public sector debt service, inclusive of refinancing operations, totaled $3,341.2 million, a decline of $1,740.7 million (34.3%) from the prior year, which had been elevated by the central government’s external bond liability management exercise. The portfolio’s interest rate mix continued to shift toward fixed-rate obligations, which accounted for 64.6% of total debt at end-June 2026, up from 63.5% a year earlier.

The Government of The Bahamas remains committed to promoting timely, consistent, comprehensive, reliable and internationally comparable public debt statistics, in support of transparency and accountability in debt management and to inform domestic policy makers, investors and other stakeholders. The full June 2026 Public Debt Statistical Bulletin along with other debt and fiscal publications are available at www.bahamasbudget.gov.bs.

Source: Ministry of Finance, The Bahamas

Date: 30 July 2026
Contact: Financemail@bahamas.gov.bs

The Ministry of Finance is pleased to release its quarterly report on the government’s fiscal operations for the nine months to March of FY2025/26, as mandated by the Public Finance Management Act, 2023.

The government’s overall fiscal performance for the review period benefitted from an improvement in revenue performance, when compared with the comparative period in the prior year. Tax revenue expanded, year-over-year, by $93.0 million (4.2 percent) to $2,292.4 million, for 66.7 percent of the budget. Improved economic conditions, alongside strengthened tax administration measures, supported gains in Value Added Tax collections ($69.4 million) and Taxes on Use and Permission to Use Goods ($49.8 million). These increases were primarily tempered by lower yields for taxes on property ($12.8 million) and stamp taxes ($12.5 million).

Non-tax revenue declined by $12.2 million (4.5 percent) to $258.5 million, attributed mainly to a $11.6 million reduction in property income.

Aggregate expenditure increased by $108.8 million (4.2 percent) to $2,709.3 million (70.9 percent of the budget), with the recurrent and capital components at $2,437.6 million and $271.7 million, respectively. The $75.2 million rise in recurrent expenditure was driven by higher spending for compensation of employees ($35.5 million), social assistance benefits ($14.2 million) and other payments ($34.8 million). Capital expenditure increased by $33.6 million (14.1 percent) to $271.7 million, for 72.8 percent of the budget, and featured a $26.4 million rise in outlays for the acquisition of non-financial assets.

As a result of these developments, the fiscal deficit for the nine months to March 2026 narrowed by $27.3 million (21.0 percent) to $157.3 million, which was equivalent to an estimated 0.9 percent of GDP.

The public is encouraged to visit the national Budget Website (www.bahamasbudget.gov.bs) to view all fiscal reports.

Source: Ministry of Finance, The Bahamas
Date: July 23, 2026
Contact: Financemail@bahamas.gov.bs

The Ministry of Finance is pleased to publish the Citizen’s and Investor’s Guide to the Fiscal Strategy Report 2026, a plain-language companion to the Fiscal Strategy Report that explains the Government’s fiscal priorities, economic outlook, and medium-term fiscal strategy in a clear and accessible format. The guide is designed to help citizens, investors, students, and other stakeholders better understand how public finances are managed and how Government policies support sustainable economic growth, resilience, and long-term prosperity.

The publication presents key information on the economy, the national budget, public debt, infrastructure investment, fiscal risks, modernization initiatives, and accountability measures using simplified explanations, charts, and infographics to make complex fiscal information easier to understand.

Publication of the Citizen’s and Investor’s Guide to the Fiscal Strategy Report 2026 reflects the Government’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and public engagement. The guide is available on the Ministry of Finance website (www.mof.gov.bs), the Ministry’s Investor Relations website (www.mof-investor-relations.gov.bs), and the Bahamas Budget website (www.bahamasbudget.gov.bs). Readers are encouraged to explore these platforms for the Fiscal Strategy Report 2026 and other budget and fiscal publications.