Successive governments have not embraced the opportunities the Bahamas Development Bank (BDB) could offer entrepreneurs that seek funding, BDB Managing Director Dave Smith said recently. He explained that the bank is now focused on development and impact instead of profit. Smith, who was a speaker at the Exuma Business Outlook last week, said the BDB, in the past, had been challenged by a large non-performing loan portfolio. “The bank has been bit lethargic in fulfilling its obligations to collect the funds,” he said. Now, he said, the bank has changed its operating model to meet the needs of the changing economic landscape, and is focused on funding projects that align with the country’s sustainable development goals. Instead of focusing on four enterprise areas, Smith said the bank is now focused on inclusion, gender equity, and the elimination of poverty.

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