Topping the list of concerns of Island CEOs surveyed by the Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC) is not work permits or taxation policy — but public education.

The revelation came yesterday at from ABIC chairman David Ezekiel, as he addressed diners at the organisation's annual general meeting luncheon at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

Mr. Ezekiel said ABIC had carried out a comprehensive survey of its members, the first such polling of opinion in the international business community since 2004. Respondents included 45 chief executive officers and 640 employees of 52 companies and the survey results will be published next month.

"Public education was listed as the main concern of the CEOs," Mr. Ezekiel said.

"Overall, they were still positive, but a little less optimistic than five years ago.

"A larger number of companies than in 2004 have outsourced some of their operations somewhere else. That is a little warning sign to make sure that pipeline does not increase and that the jobs that companies create stay here."

Mr. Ezekiel added that ABIC had invited law and accountancy firms to join the organisation in recent months as their issues were similar to international business issues, including staffing issues, work permits and time limits.

The move was also aimed at increasing the participation of Bermudians in ABIC, he added, and had generated a good response.

Mr. Ezekiel said ABIC's main mission was to preserve the business environment that attracted its members to Bermuda in the first place, and so its role was largely reactive.

"Our main job is dealing with Government and overall we have done tremendously well in improving our relationship with them in terms of what they do for international business and the speed of processing work permits. The whole area of works permits has shown tremendous improvement."

BIC's chief aims were to ensure that workforce talent stayed on the Island and "finding a way to bind the job creators in Bermuda to us".

"The people who have come here and created jobs should have an opportunity to make their lives here, most importantly for their children. We know that Government does have that on the radar screen."

The latter recommendation was one of the conclusions of the economic think-tank Bermuda First's report, "Continuing Bermuda's Economic Miracle", which was published early this month. Three committees had been formed to push forward with the report's ideas, Mr. Ezekiel said.