The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is looking to lend more money to The Bahamas in its search for more reliable clients.

 Following annual meetings in St. Lucia for the CDB, international ratings agency Moody's is reporting increased interest to court Bahamian credit. He speculated that more loans will likely come from this source in the near term.

 Noting that it is still "very unusual" for The Bahamas to tap CDB, a top analyst at Moody's said the bank's traditional clients are "in a lot of trouble".

 "CDB tends to lend to others like Jamaica, and these regional neighbors are in a lot of trouble," said Edward Al-Hussainy, assistant vice president and analyst at Moody's. "The Bahamas is a really good client. And so they are anxious to lend to The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago, which are stronger economies than the rest of the Caribbean."

 Guardian Business understands that CDB continues to have problems collecting on credit extended to other regional neighbors.

 The comments from Al-Hussainy come just one day before Prime Minister Perry Christie is expected to deliver the annual budget communication. In a previous interview, Moody's noted that the country is likely to seek more cash from outside of The Bahamas to make up for declining U.S. dollar reserves. The government is also likely to run deficits for at least two or three years before the economy can be turned around.

 James Smith, a former state minister of finance, said that CDB has often "begged us" to take on loans so it can improve the integrity of its portfolio.

 While loans could increase in the short term, he told Guardian Business that it's unlikely the government would tap this source extensively.

 "I wouldn't expect it would be a strong mandate, as in the past," Smith explained. "Stronger loan partners are the Inter-American Development Bank and the Chinese. CDB loaned out to other guys who weren't paying them back. So they came by to almost force loans on us."

 That said, the adviser to the Christie administration noted that CDB money has indeed be used for projects in the country, including the airport in Exuma. As a member country and sitting on the board, the lack of loans from The Bahamas has been a source of angst for some regional officials.

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