Registry of Freelance Interpreters
The Foreign Language Unit of the Ministry of Tourism maintains a Registry of Freelance Interpreters in some 10 plus languages: Spanish, French, Italian, German, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, Haitian Creole, Japanese, and Hindi. The Registry is constantly being updated and may expand to include other languages.
A Referral Service
The Unit provides a complimentary referral service to the local business community. Interpretation services are requested for a variety of purposes: group tours, individual tours, weddings, closed door meetings, conferences, and events; by government agencies, hospitals, clinics, law firms, banks, and other establishments.
Fees
The average fee per hour for interpretation services, at the lower end, is $50.00. If the service is offered for four or more consecutive hours per day, a daily rate can be negotiated between the interpreter and the organization requesting the service. Interpreters referred to organizations by the Ministry of Tourism are paid directly by the company requesting the service. The role of the Ministry of Tourism is simply that of referral.
Billing
The Interpreter will bill the organization for his or her service within five business days of rendering the service. Most interpreters work on demand, and do not enjoy the benefits of full-time employment. Organizations using the services of freelance interpreters are expected to remunerate these professionals within 10 business days.
To request the services of an interpreter, contact the Foreign Language Unit.
CONTACTS:
Mrs. Shena Newton
General Manager, Foreign Language Unit
Regional Court
P. O. Box N-3701 Nassau, Bahamas
Tel: (242) 302-2084
Fax: (242) 328-7991
Email: snewton@bahamas.com
Ms. Eureka McKinney, Foreign Language Unit
Tel: (242) 302-2079
Fax: (242) 328-7991
Email: emckinney@bahamas.com