PRIME Minister Philip Davis and FNM leader Michael Pintard continued their war of words in the House of Assembly yesterday over the controversial Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) fuel charge increase, with the opposition leader once again laying the blame
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
AFTER two murders were recorded on Sunday, Bishop Simeon Hall lashed out against those who engage in “sanctified silence” by failing to report criminal activity. In the first incident, police were alerted to shooting in the area of South Beach, Baillou Hill Road South, around 9pm on Sunday. Arriving at the scene, police discovered the body of man dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants with gunshot injuries to his body. The victim, believed to be in his early 20s, died of his injuries.
for burdening Bahamians with additional costs at the government’s feet.
The two locked horns after Prime Minister Davis claimed that his administration had met BPL “in a mess” after assuming office in 2021.
Mr Davis was contributing to debate on the 2022 Fiscal Strategy Report
PARTS of New Providence experienced power outages yesterday morning due to a system interruption at Bahamas Power and Light.
Arnette Ingraham, communications manager at BPL, said that more than half the island lost power yesterday due to lightning.
“We had about a little bit over 50 percent of the island lost power as a result of the lightning strikes this morning. So that would have impacted our supply both out of the Clifton Pier and Blue Hills power station.
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter. jrussell@tribunemedia.net.
FORMER Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said yesterday Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis’ reaction to recent death threats is “overkill”, noting it’s not uncommon for a Prime Minister to receive such threats.
Dr Minnis made these comments after he was asked about the death threats made against Mr
Davis on Friday to his office, which prompted a full-blown investigation. He told reporters when
he was in office he also was threatened on multiple occasions, as he suggested Davis’ response to the incident was an “overkill”.
“I’ve always carried on with my normal life but this Prime Minister is obviously threatened by the people. He brought out the entire police force almost. I mean, what is there to fear? What is there to fear? I do not condone violence; I do not support violence. I feel that prime ministers should be
SOCIAL Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe said no one had shown up to shelter facilities set up for some 40 victims of Sunday’s shanty town fire. He said government agencies will take the “necessary actions” investigating any undocumented people.
Mr Wilchcombe made this comment on his way into the House of Assembly yesterday morning following the fire that resulted in the loss of homes, belongings and vehicles for more than 50 people in a shanty town community in the Carmichael Road area.
Mr Wilchcombe yesterday said he and his ministry had prepared shelter with capacity for 40 people, which has been on standby for victims of the fire and will continue to be on standby for “at least another day”.
“Once we were notified yesterday by the police, our team mobilised and we were there at the scene,” he said.
“Subsequent to that, we prepared facilities, no one showed for the facilities, but the facilities are ready and will be on standby to provide shelter,” Mr
Wilchcombe said.
When asked if he thinks some victims have hesitated to come to the shelter due to fear of being deported or investigated by the Department of Immigration, Mr Wilchcombe said: “That, I suppose must be given some consideration too, but I can’t say for sure.”
He added: “You would appreciate that the police and Immigration will have to conduct investigations and if persons are found to be here illegally, then they will take the necessary action.
“Our job is to provide the shelter and once we provide the shelter for anyone in a difficulty at any particular time, then we would have done what we were supposed to do. The other agency will take over to carry out what they have to do,” Mr Wilchcombe said.
Shortly after 10am on Sunday, firefighters were notified of a fire at Pink Meadow Road off Bellot Road. On arrival, firefighters found a shanty town consisting of wooden single-storey structures totally engulfed in flames.
Firefighters responded with three fire trucks that were reportedly filled to capacity with water and
were able to bring the blaze under control within a relatively short period of time.
On the scene of Sunday’s incident, where explosions could still be heard and more than 50 people were gathered crying for the loss of their homes, Police Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings reported that more than 20 homes had been lost in the fire.
“There were roughly over 20 homes in this particular area and an estimated 50 people have since been displaced,” CSP Skippings said.
CSP Skippings added:
“At this time, of course (The Department of) Immigration maintains records and files, so once persons would’ve had their papers, they can go back to immigration, those papers will be filed and they will be able to provide them with a copy of their documentation.”
This came two days after the Attorney General filed a summons on Friday seeking permission from the courts to demolish an expanded shanty town in Abaco as well as at two locations in New Providence.
Prime Minister Phillip Davis confirmed the filing in a tweet on Friday, a week
after announcing the government’s plans to seek a modification of an existing
shanty town injunction. He also revealed that further steps to address the country’s immigration problem will be outlined in the days ahead.
Minister Obie Wilchcombe yesterday pointed to poverty as the main factor contributing to the level of rape and sexual violence offences plaguing the country.
These comments came after Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander revealed during a press conference last month that there were 55 rape cases reported last year, adding that it was a 15 percent increase over 2021. In view of the statistics as well as recent cases of
sexual assault this year, Mr Wilchcombe said outside of the House of Assembly yesterday that before a change can happen with the statistics, a change must first happen with the mindset of the people in the country.
“The concern continues.
We have to constantly work to try to rid it out of our society. But it has a lot to do with the mindset of our people. The behaviour of our people, the economic and social circumstances all contribute,” Mr Wilchcombe said.
“So we have to get to the bottom of it to rid ourselves of it, equally to rid ourselves of poverty. I think poverty is reflective in the behaviour of a lot of people and a lot of circumstances and we have to do our best to get rid of it,” he said.
Following the announced statistics last month, several activists said the increase of sex crimes was “not surprising”, arguing that the government has continuously failed to prioritise laws that protect women.
Prodesta Moore, president and founder of Women United, said she was not surprised by the 2022 crime statistics on rape. She said the number of rape cases in the country are possibly even higher noting some cases just haven’t been reported. Asked what the government could do to address sexual violence against women, Ms Moore highlighted the gender-based violence bill that has yet to be implemented by the government.
“The report that the commissioner recently released in my opinion, is not surprising. As a matter of fact, I’m under the assumption that the numbers might even be higher. Because we know that a lot of cases are unreported. People are
afraid to go and report sexual violence offences, especially as it relates to violence,” she said.
At the time Commissioner Fernander said eight of the victims were tourists, while 39 percent of the victims knew their assailant.
He added that the unlawful sexual intercourse victims were typically young women under the age of 16.
Additionally, police reported that there were 139 unlawful sexual intercourse cases - an 11 percent increase over 2021 numbers.
Commissioner Fernander called the sex crime numbers alarming and pleaded with parents to keep a close eye on their children.
CENTREVILLE MP
Jomo Campbell, along with corporate partners, donated a new neighborhood watch vehicle to The Bahamas National Neighborhood Watch Council (NNWC) of Centreville.
At the donation held at Bahamas Bus and Truck yesterday, Mr Campbell said the vehicle is the realisation of a campaign promise.
He thanked corporate partners Bahamas Bus and Truck and Modernistic Garden and Pet Supply for “stepping up to plate “in the fight against crime.
“It’s a proud day for me, as the Member of Parliament for Centreville because it’s the realisation of a campaign promise comes through in the form of partnering with corperate Centreville and the corporate Bahamas at large,” he said yesterday.
He added: “I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you for stepping up to the plate for hearing our vision for buying into our vision and for on this day bringing our vision into reality.”
The State Legal Affairs Minister also noted that the vehicle serves as a “big step” towards building better neighbourhoods, which would ultimately contribute to a better country.
He noted that along with crime watch initiatives, the vehicle will be also served to assist with neighbourhood and social development.
Superintendent Darvy
Pratt, the officer in charge of community policing services, said there was no better time for the donation, adding that crime fighting tacks are a team effort.
While acknowledging the importance of the donation, he also reminded Centreville’s NNWC community leaders of their role, saying to seek the assistance of the police before putting themselves in harm’s way.
As a member of the community for 60 years, the Bahamas Bus and Truck general manager said the company is grateful to assist in giving back to the community.
“It’s a wonderful community (Centreville), but
like other communities do have your challenges,” Ben Albury said.
“And, you know, the minister (Jomo Campbell) has been very helpful with us as far as, you know, we do have incidents or optics in the neighbourhood and he’s somebody to reach out to and speak with.
“He’s always happy to try and address that for us. So, when the opportunity came up for us to give something back to the community and assist with the efforts, we’re very happy to do so.”
when he responded to rhetoric surrounding BPL’s fuel hedging initiative.
“The BPL that we met in September 2021 was a complete mess. A $246m balloon payment was due in February of 2022 and there’s no plan in place to help to pay for it. They were in significant arrears with all their vendors,” the Prime Minister charged.
“They have failed to cop up even a semblance of a plan to move BPL to sustainability. They kept talking about the rate reduction bonds but the market wasn’t having it and they had no other ideas.”
“BPL record-keeping was so poor that they could not even access reimbursement from the IDB on Dorian expenditures. Every dollar they spent, they could’ve been reimbursed but they didn’t have the receipts to do so.”
The FNM has repeatedly accused the Davis administration with burdening Bahamians with extra bills due to their “mishandling” of BPL’s fuel hedging strategy.
The opposition is also of the opinion that Bahamian households and businesses would not have had to bear a 163 percent increase in BPL’s fuel charge if the government had not decide to scrap the fuel hedging strategy left in place by its
predecessor. “There’s been much noise about hedging. There were multiple hedges in place but none
of the hedges in place was stopped or cancelled. None, I repeat, was stopped or cancelled,” Mr Davis continued.
“There was a request to renew one of the hedges that was expiring, and our government declined to do that. Instead of choosing
new payments, we decided to focus on making progress on the very significant arrears that they left in place.”
“You know who else declined to renew the hedge - the previous government. They had the same opportunity in the June 2021 – but they declined. Listen, let’s remember what a hedge is ya know. It ain’t nothing but a bet. It’s a gamble. You lock in a price on fuel and you gain some.”
However, during his contribution, Mr Pintard hit back and accused Mr Davis of seeking to make an excuse for what he termed to be an “egregious” act carried out by Works and Utilities Minister Alfred Sears.
Mr Pintard has previously accused Mr Sears of “misleading Parliament” after he admitted that the Davis administration rejected proposals and recommendations “that had the potential to save the Bahamian people $100m”.
“The reality is I challenge members opposite to lay on the table any Cabinet paper which was prepared for a June presentation of a hedge programme to the Cabinet of The Bahamas,” he said.
“It was never intended to do so. In fact, it was in September that it was expected that the hedge programme, the next round of it would
be presented to cabinet for an October execution.”
“It’s misleading, Madame Speaker.”
Mr Pintard then pointed to a $150m bill owed by BPL and said “this administration didn’t think it important enough to come to the public and explain the $150m liability until now”.
The cost branded “a significant unbudgeted liability” for the government, was revealed in the justreleased Fiscal Strategy Report, which said BPL’s arrears must be paid off to prevent electricity supplies being interrupted.
However, Mr Davis rose on a point of order and called on the FNM leader to go to the report for further understanding of the $150m liability, which he referred to as “legacy debt”.
He also said the government was paying $10m per month to settle BPL’s arrears.
“It speaks of the government undertaking the pay of legacy debt of an arrears for the fuel that is owed to the sole supplier. That’s what that $150m deal with. Nothing to do with the hedge. It has to do with a debt that has been failed to be paid by the FNM,” he also said.
Mr Davis also called on Mr Pintard to be honest when making such statements.
PRIME Minister Phillip Davis outlined six key priorities of the 2022 Fiscal Strategy report as he led debate in the House of Assembly yesterday - and hopes to nearly double the amount of real property tax collected.
These include restoring the country’s fiscal health, strengthening local health infrastructure, developing community strategies for each island, maximising investment in the blue economy, increasing the use of non-traditional financing mechanisms such as public private partnerships and pursing fiscal sustainability.
Mr Davis said these goals not only shape the nation’s fiscal outlook but are at the heart of the development of the government’s fiscal strategy.
The Prime Minister also revealed the government’s plans to implement several initiatives to ensure that those who owe taxes pay them.
“This includes the reversal of several policies
implemented by the previous administration, which favoured a number of special interests. As previously announced, we have reconstituted and strengthened the Revenue Enhancement Unit, which had been disbanded,” he told parliamentarians during his contribution to debate on the 2022 fiscal strategy report and medium term debt strategy for 2023/24 to 2025/26.
“They are already increasing the number of VAT audits undertaken, to ensure proper compliance with the law. We are also re-establishing the Revenue Policy Committee, a crossgovernmental committee designed to eliminate leakage, and identify areas for enhanced collections.
“We will continue to expand the ‘Customs Electronic Single Window’, also known as ‘Click2Clear’.”
Among other things, he said his administration will be reinstating the business licence fee for all operating banks in the country and also foreshadowed the collection of VAT on domestic vacation rental properties in the second half of this fiscal year.
Within the next four years, Mr Davis said his government also hopes to collect more than 75% of the property tax billed.
This, he said, will be a major boost to government revenues as less than 40 percent of real property tax is usually collected annually.
“Honourable members should appreciate that the government’s revenue from real property taxes would be more than doubled if all real property tax billed, was collected,” he said.
“That has to change and to do so, we are making some necessary investments in technology and people. Within the next four years, our goal is to collect more than 75% of the property tax billed.”
“Additionally, having completed the first mass reassessment exercise in New Providence, over the next three years we are embarking on a comprehensive real property tax reassessment exercise in the Family Islands.”
Mr Davis said as a result of its revenue enhancing programmes, revenue for FY2022/23 is
estimated at $2.8 billion.
This represents 21.2 percent of the GDP. With respect to public expenditure, Mr Davis said his administration remains on course to achieve its fiscal target to reduce recurrent expenditure “to 20 percent of GDP by FY2025/26, down from an estimated 22.6 percent of GDP in FY2022/23”.
To do this, he said the government will implement targeted reforms that includes modernising its pension scheme based on recommendations made by the accounting firm, KPMG. He added: “We will resume reforms of the State-Owned Enterprise Reform and Rationalisation programme. We will contain costs and drive innovation in the public sector by continuing to digitise government services.”
Mr Davis opened debate on the 2022 Fiscal Strategy Report less than a week after tabling it in Parliament. It also followed recent criticisms from the Free National Movement concerning the government’s failure to meet the initial
deadline to publish the annual report. As mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2018, the government is required to present the report by the third Wednesday in November of each year.
However, Mr Davis told parliamentarians last week that the report was delayed because the timeline was simply not feasible. He said tabling the report on the aforementioned deadline would have “interfered” with S&P’s bi-annual review of The Bahamas’ creditworthiness.
However, the opposition has since called the explanation “nonsensical”.
Yesterday, Mr Davis added: “I am pleased to announce that in the soonto-be-tabled revised Public Financial Management Act, the Fiscal Strategy Report and the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy will be tabled at the same time
as the annual budget.”
“This legislation is being revised because we recognise that given the limitations in our information and reporting systems, the fiscal reporting schedule designed by the previous administration, is simply unworkable.”
“As things currently stand, in order to prepare for a November tabling, the documents have to be prepared at least two months earlier, in August or September. To then use this data and projections as the primary influencer of your budget projections would mean that we would subsequently totally disregard 10 months of empirical evidence of the fiscal and economic performance of the country in preparation of the budget.”
“At best, this approach is unwise. At worst, it is simply foolish,” he also said.
protected, all right. But I thought it was an overkill,”
Dr Minnis said.
Dr Minnis argued that every former Prime Minister at some point has been threatened. However, he said he has never seen others take on intense security measures such as Mr Davis.
“When I was in the chair, I was threatened on multiple occasions. And, of course, I didn’t report it to my aides until (the) last minute, after several expressions of wanting to kill me. And they said I needed to take it more serious. And then they subsequently reported to (the) Commissioner of Police.”
He added: “But I’m sure every Prime Minister would have been threatened at some point in time. I’ve never seen any taken security to this extent. Certainly I have not when I’ve been threatened.”
Dr Minnis said if a Prime Minister no longer feels safe
then that means it is time to go.
“I am of the view that when a Prime Minister feels that he can no longer, he no longer feels safe among his own people. That’s time to go.”
Meanwhile, when contacted for comment yesterday, Bahamas Christian Council president Bishop Delton Fernander called the death threats against Mr Davis “unacceptable.”
Bishop Fernander said: “We can disagree, have different opinions and beliefs and party. But we cannot get to the point that we are disagreeable or want to do harm to someone else because they don’t accept our position or might not do things that we want.”
Bishop Fernander stressed there’s a better way of doing things rather than threatening someone, adding death threats against Mr Davis should not be tolerated.
The incident has since raised several questions as from where the threatening
calls came.
Additionally, during an emergency press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister on Friday,
Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said officers could not rule out the possibility that last week’s demonstration led by
Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain outside Parliament could be connected to Friday’s incident.
A group of Bahamians,
led by Mr Bain, protested outside Parliament on February 1 about the immigration “crisis” in the country.
A video of the protest circulated on social media.
In the video, a man in the crowd is heard threatening to kill Mr Davis.
However, Mr Bain told
The Tribune on Sunday he finds it “ridiculous” that people would seek to blame last week’s protest as the catalyst for threats being made to the nation’s leader, insisting the party would never incite people to do such a thing.
“I find it ridiculous that they connect a protest to something that happened days later, and we don’t understand why they would even try to connect them.”
“The commissioner said that he cannot rule it out and that it could be a COI member, but he can’t rule it out that it would be a PLP member or FNM member or a member of any other organisation,” he said.
from page one
A few hours later, the body of a 39-year-old man was discovered shortly after 11pm.
According to police, circumstances surrounding this incident is unknown. Police said the victim, a resident of Flamingo Gardens, was found lying outside a business establishment, in Gambier Heights, with multiple gunshot injuries.
Bishop Hall said the South Beach murder on Sunday was a “stone’s throw” from his home, adding that public outrage must be “greater than crime”. He urged Bahamians to collectively bring an end to the “internalising bloodshed”, as the country’s homicide rate is steadily rising.
RESCUERS are launching a search tonight for a 16-year-old girl who has been missing since January 30.
Shiloh Saunders was last seen wearing her orange and beige school uniform on that day.
She is 5ft 7in tall and efforts to find her so far have been unsuccessful, with her mother urging her to “just come home”.
A search is being held tonight in the Palm Breeze Drive area by the Storm
Intercept Weather Network and the National Neighbourhood Watch Council.
Anyone wishing to join the search can meet at Palm Breeze Food Store, Palm Breeze Drive, New Providence, at 5 o’clock tonight.
If anyone has any information, they can also contact 431-5507 or 810-8059, or contact police on 9111 or 919, the criminal investigation department on 502-9991/2 or Crime Stoppers on 328-TIPS(8477).
“The criminal element in our country must not eclipse public outrage and action,” he said yesterday. “Criminals are not from outer space, they are our sons and daughters. We produce the criminals, these young black men - we produce them. So collectively, each citizen must do his or her part to end this internalizing bloodshed.”
The pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church appealed to Bahamians to report crimes in an effort to make a better country,
adding that a stronger message must be sent to criminals to prevent repeat offenders committing offences.
He called on elected government officials to become more creative in how they lead the community that “put faith in them”, saying some politicians fail to creatively solve problems within the respective communities.
“We need to call on elected officials to keep their pre-election promises
and be more creative in how they lead the community that put faith in them,” he said yesterday. “Some politicians are not sufficiently creative to solve community problems, and we must stop electing them.”
While acknowledging that the next generation must be “saved”, the religious leader commended “white young men” on their behaviour, suggesting that the comparison in behaviour between “black young
men” and “white young men” is due to socialisation. “How come white young men do not behave like young black men, is it that they have money?”
He continued: “I don’t think it has something to do with money, I think it has to do with socialisation. We need to find a way and maybe we can even ask some of our white brothers to help us with what they do with their sons.”
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THE Grand Bahama Port Authority has announced its first Freeport art festival for March 23-25, featuring some 45 artists on Grand Bahama.
Sarah St George, chairman of the Grand Bahama Port Authority, said it is hoped that Art Lucaya will be an annual festival to allow local artists a platform to exhibit their work.
“Our vibrant community of artists needs a proper platform to share their work. We need GB artists to exhibit here,” she said.
During a press conference held on Monday at
the GBPA, Ms St George said they are very excited to be a part of the three-day event that will showcase the immense artistic talents in Grand Bahama.
“We lost our main art gallery at Our Lucaya back in Hurricane Matthew. And, now finally after Dorian and COVID, we can start to take pride and joy in celebrating our social and culture, as well as physical revival.”
“We must continue to foster the immense reservoir of artistic talent that GB possesses,” she said.
Ms St George said GB artists should not only have the choice of Nassau as a venue to be seen, and that tourists visiting the island should not have to go very
THE BANK of The Bahamas held the grand opening of its John F Kennedy branch yesterday - with Prime Minister Philip Davis saying the “milestone” was a testament to the bank’s commitment to serving the Bahamian people.
He said: “This new branch represents a major step forward… in the state-of-the-art facilities, including the latest ATM machines, a spacious drive-through ATM and comfortable workspaces for bank employees. It is a shining example of the bank’s dedication to providing top-notch service to its customers.”
He went on to add his commitment to banking for Bahamians.
He said: “As Prime Minister, I am committed to ensuring that all Bahamians have access to the financial services they need to build a better future for themselves and their families. An estimated 18% of our population is unbanked meaning roughly 70,000 Bahamians do not have access to (vital) banking services.”
Kendrick Brathwaite, managing director, spoke to the larger effects of the opening while giving remarks.
“Firstly, this opening is incorporated into the overall strategy that the bank has established for Bank
of The Bahamas that will allow all stakeholders to take a journey with us. This journey of success with anticipation of becoming the most efficient, customer centric financial institution in this Bahamas,” he said.
“This journey, which began some years ago, involves rebuilding our image - this is a part of that improving our products and services, developing all bank personnel, introducing sound policies and practices, upgrading our systems, and last, but never least, enhancing our customer service.”
BOB chair Donna Harding-Lee said the opening of this branch is evidence of the strength and resilience of the bank, as well as its unwavering commitment to investing in the future.
She said: “With its state-of-the-art technology, spacious, and modern design, this new branch is a symbol of our commitment to providing our customers with the very best in banking services, be it opening a new account, applying for a loan or simply checking your balance. Our team of experienced professionals will be here to help youproviding expert advice and support every step of the way.
“This new branch is also a sign of our commitment to growth and innovation as a financial institution trying to keep pace with the changing services and needs of our customers.”
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“So what happened was when the lightning struck one of our 33KV, which is one of our transmission lines, it would have caused us to lose generation at both the Clifton Pier and Blue Hills power station,” Ms Ingraham said.
The power outage occurred mostly in the western part of New
far to see the art of Grand Bahama.
She said when this happens, artists are able to earn a livelihood and be entrepreneurs, and it creates an economy. She said the Art Basel Fair in Miami brings close to $500m to Miami Beach in just a few days every year, and $2.5bn in artwork.
“So, imagine a fraction of that here 60 miles away. We know Cuba has been very effective in bringing their artistic culture to the attention of the international art world, and Freeport can brand itself as a city of art and culture as well as industry, tech, and commerce.”
Ms St George believes Art Lucaya can grow
into an annual festival, attracting the attention of collectors, and curators everywhere.
“We see how successful the Bahamas Mar’s Current Gallery has been, and really everyone should collect Bahamian art.”
She said art is a record of living history, and is uplifting to the soul.
“It is important means of self-expression as writing, music, singing, and it makes us more sensitive, creative, colourful, caring human beings. We must never allow that to disappear,” she said.
Ms St George said the art community in Grand Bahama is alive and strong, with well-known artists
such as Sheldon Saint, Chantal Bethel, Leo Brown, Matthew Wildgoose, Denzel Lightbourne, Laurie Tuchell, Alisa Streather, Lisa Cordella, Dell Foxton, Marina Gottlieb, Paula Farrington, McKell Munroe, Claudette Dean and many others.
Ben Ferguson, Jr, president of the GB Artist Association, expressed excitement about this inaugural art festival. He said the association has been in existence since 1996, with a goal of supporting artists through workshops, lectures, job opportunities, and exhibitions.
He thinks Art Lucaya is going to be a great addition to the community of GB.
“The theme is ‘Emergence’, and full of possibilities to see how each artists will be interpreting this theme.”
Mr Ferguson, an art teacher, said students will also have an opportunity to exhibit their work. “Children need to know they are appreciated and supported and given an opportunity to display what is in them this whole time,” he said. He said budding artists, seasoned artists and the in-between will all be exhibiting. “We invite all to come and be a part of this festival,” he said. The funds raised from the festival will go toward purchasing art supplies for schools on the island.
ALL 375 migrants being held in Inagua have been repatriated, said Immigration Minister Keith Bell yesterday.
This comes after nearly 400 migrants were being detained on Inagua after they were apprehended. The government had established a temporary holding facility, able to hold some 800 migrants, on the island to allow for quicker repatriation exercises.
Mr Bell gave an update regarding the situation in Inagua, including details on the migrants that had been apprehended during his contributions to the parliamentary debate on the Fiscal Strategy Report yesterday afternoon.
“Despite the volatile unrest in Haiti last week, we successfully repatriated all 375 persons who were in Inagua. There are no persons, Madam Speaker, at this time in Inagua,” Mr Bell said.
Providence, said Ms Ingraham. However, she said parts in the east and west were also affected.
She noted that shortly after 8am all customers had their power restored.
The BPL representative said outages sometimes do happen, but workers try their best to restore power.
“The reality is we apologise to our customers for what happened,” she said.
“Repatriation flights are ongoing,” he said.
“We will continue to improve the facilities at the Inagua site to make it as liveable as possible. And, of course, as you know, Madam Speaker, we are moving toward construction of a
permanent site,” Mr Bell added.
“The Department of Immigration continues to see that the laws are followed in our commonwealth, that our borders are protected, that we maintain our legal and international commitment, while at the same time protect the sovereign integrity of this great commonwealth for future generations to come and in this regard, this calls for heavy financing.”
Mr Bell also spoke about the statistics related to the migrants and the cost of repatriation.
He said: “As I speak, there are 395 irregular migrants detained at the detention centre at this time and contrary to popular belief, we have 255 Cubans, compared to 128 Haitian nationals there. We have 14 women and children in our safe house.
“As you are aware, persons who are held in our detention facilities are brought before the courts and are repatriated to their homelands as quickly as possible.
“In 2022, repatriation flights cost us $1,506,077.10. Thus far for 2023, 570 persons were repatriated to their homelands during the month of January, the majority of which were Cuba and Haiti. That is 167 Cubans, 368 Haitian nationals. This was done at a cost of $68,768.17,” Mr Bell said.
The cost of meals for migrants is $30 per day. Other costs include healthcare supplies, clothing, cleaning supplies and laundry services.
Mr Bell added: “Operating the detention centre is a major undertaking. Nonetheless, the Department of Immigration continues to fulfill its mandate of protecting our borders and that is done with the RBDF.”
“We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of irregular migrants, until they can be safely repatriated,” he said.
On February 18, Mr Bell branded comments from critics that the government is not doing enough to address the illegal immigration problem in the country as completely “disingenuous”.
Then, last Thursday, Minister Bell revealed that officers had found a number of migrants, one of whom was found with a fraudulent work permit.
He then spoke about the recent migrant vessel interceptions and pointed to last month’s apprehension of nearly 400 migrants spotted in waters near Cay Sal Bank.
Among those apprehended were some 55 children. They were later turned over to the RBDF and sent to Inagua for processing.
YOU blame me and I blame you and are we ever nearer the truth?
That is sometimes the feeling one gets when one sees the accusations and counter-accusations in Parliament.
The to-and-fro yesterday was over the state of Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) – with Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and FNM leader Michael Pintard arguing over where the blame lies.
The thing is – there is plenty of documentation to show what is going on with BPL, if we could just take a good look at it all.
Take the $150m bill owed by BPL – which is branded a “significant unfunded liability” in the government’s latest Fiscal Strategy Report. Look back at previous reports and that warning over such a large liability is not there –so from where has it emerged?
Well, Minister of Works and Utilities Alfred Sears previously said that $90m was owed to Shell in fuel arrears. It ought to be a simple matter to publish the bills versus the payments made to see when those arrears began to mount.
From October last year, the government was to make payments of $10m a month to Shell towards those arrears, continuing until June this year – so not all of that $150m should be those arrears. But a simple accounting of when arrears began to amount should be easy to demonstrate.
So where is the rest of the debt from?
When the decision was made not to proceed with renewing the fuel hedge, it meant we ended up spending more for fuel than if we had done so.
Mr Pintard puts that as a potential lost saving of $100m.
Then there was an extended period where BPL was not passing on increased costs to customers – which of course meant it was either operating on a reduced margin, or a loss.
All of these are relatively simple accounting items to lay out – so if we really want to see where the BPL debt has come from, all it takes is a bit of clarity in showing the accounts.
Of course, BPL has been a problem for many years, whether under its present incarnation or in its past life as BEC.
Year after year, there have been problems with consistent electricity generation – there was another power outage yesterday that affected more than half of New Providence – and finance issues.
There’s plenty of blame to go around over the decades for the mess of a legacy we have been left with.
But certain elements of the current situation don’t need to be a mystery.
Let’s start with that Shell bill – show us when those monthly bills were paid in full and when they were not.
Do we anticipate such a rush towards transparency? No. It took long enough to get to the point where Mr Sears admitted he had seen recommendations about the fuel hedge scheme.
Mr Davis meanwhile talks of that $150m as being legacy debt. He says it is “nothing to do with the hedge” and says it is a “debt that has been failed to be paid by the FNM”. Fine – show the receipts.
Given we’re still waiting for the receipts for the PLP jaunt to Bermuda that was paid for by the government and then supposedly fully reimbursed, we might wait on the receipts for this.
But it’s a simple matter really – if the paperwork is on your side, publish it.
If the paperwork is not on your side, then maybe one is better served by arguing about it and pointing fingers rather than showing the evidence.
Either way, it is all of us who will need to pay that $150m debt – one way or another.
EDITOR, The Tribune.
BAHAMIANS of all political persuasions must join in the condemnation of alleged death threats against Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis. Hopefully, those responsible are caught and punished.
Political assassinations in
The Bahamas would portend a situation similar to what has transpired in the Republic of Haiti since its independence from France in 1804.
Bahamians would recall the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. Moïse was not the first Haitian leader to have been assassinated, however. Jean-Jacques Dessalines, independent Haiti’s first emperor, was murdered in 1806; Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam in 1915; Cincinnatus Leconte in 1912 and Sylvain Salnave in 1870.
THE intention of this correspondence is to inform you of matters of public interest that appears to have been forgotten over the past few years the issues and stories were very prominent in newspapers for a period and your reading public was seeking answers or some form of explanations.
As a regular reader of your newspaper, I wish to record the issues and stories of which I write, that are still relevant and should be followed-up by your reporters. I would be as brief as possible.
1) The Freedom of Information Act. Years in the making: Any progress? Will it ever happen?
2) The Integrity Commission promised by a political party during an election campaign. That political party once held office.
3) Enforcement of Laws relating to Seizure and Forfeiture of The Proceeds of Crime. The only seizures and forfeitures are those made by the Police at the time of arrests. “Ninety” Knowles’ rental cars were seized and held on the grounds of the Police College where they remained. The US seized assets Canada and Jamaica.
4) Disclosures by politicians and top public servants required by Law. Is it being done and who investigates the submissions?
We would like to know how much has been paid thus far and what action, if any, has been taken against officials responsible for the loss. Please include in the inquiry the 12 Nigerians, who had been held unlawfully for two years. Legal action was taken. The result has not been published.
6) Bank of The Bahamas delinquent loans, in particular those large sums owed by prominent persons, that became public knowledge. The formation of the company called “RESOLVE” to facilitate collections. Was any money collected? If so what percentage? There was a report indicating, that the Central Bank had instructed the Bank of The Bahamas to take civil action against those delinquents. Was any action ever taken?
7) A Political Party in opposition had promised that there would be an audit of the millions spent on the two first Junkanoo/ Carnivals. I do not recall seeing any published audit.
and no audit.
9) A Prime Minister gave delinquent real property tax debtors a deal to pay 50% of the debt and have the other 50% cancelled. The persons who paid regularly got no such deal. How much of delinquent taxes were paid and how much was written off?
10) A former Chief Justice expressed concern over the large number of outstanding warrants for the non-payment of fines, that contributes to a huge loss of government revenue. He expressed concern that the arrests warrants are not being executed.
11) The construction of Shanty Towns is a National Issue. The Attorney General should ask the Supreme Court to deal with the injunction promptly. Any enforcement must proceed with our Law enforcement Agencies, without political interference. The Heads of these forces are reliable, efficient and capable getting the assignment completed humanely and effectively.
Over in the South American country of Colombia, presidential candidates Jorge Eliecer Gaitan (1948); Jaime Pardo Leal (1987); Luis Carlos Galan (1989); Bernardo Jaramillo and Carlos Pizzarro (1990) were all assassinated. The one common denominator between Colombia and Haiti is that both are inundated with massive violent gangs that are seeking to overthrow legitimate authority.
In Colombia, it is the Marxist National Liberation Army known as ELN and in Haiti it is G9 Family and Allies, headed by Jimmy Chérizier.
One of my greatest fears concerning the lawlessness in New Providence is that the alleged death threats against Davis might embolden the gangs to start targeting political leaders, similar to not only Colombia and Haiti, but Mexico as well.
Bahamians who do not support the Progressive Liberal Party should all be concerned about the threats, as they have the potential to set a dangerous precedent in the political sphere in which even a Free National Movement prime minister isn’t safe.
Our democracy is one of the most stable and peaceful in not only the Western hemisphere, but the entire world.
We do not want a situation where gangs are intimidating our MPs. We do not want a situation in which Parliament is reduced to negotiating with the gangs in Nassau. We do not want the political turmoil of Haiti and Colombia. Such a frightening scenario would most certainly destroy our tourism sector.
KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama February 5, 2023.
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5) Millions of tax-payer’s donors have been paid to persons, who were unlawfully held in our prisons.
8) It was revealed, that the sum of $650K was spent by the Ministry of Tourism on an International Music Festival, that was cancelled. The question asked in the media was what was that money spent on and with whom. There was a short debate between two politicians. There was no response to the question
I very often listen to the press officer at press conferences held for reporters. He always appears to be speaking down to his audience and does not seem to encourage any questions. Our reporters need to be more aggressive they must take a hard look at the media personnel in the USA and be as inquisitive as they are.
PAUL THOMPSON, Sr Nassau, January 24, 2023.
EDITOR, The Tribune.
I AM deeply concerned about the recent death threats against our Prime Minister. This behaviour is unacceptable and has no place in a civilised society. Threatening the life of a public official is a serious crime, and those responsible should be held accountable.
Moreover, I would like to call on all Bahamians to condemn the hate speech and inflammatory language used by Lincoln Bain. Such language only divides our nation and fosters a climate of fear and mistrust. As Bahamians, we must stand together to reject this hate and promote a culture
of respect, tolerance, and unity. We must remember that freedom of speech does not give anyone the right to spread hate or incite violence. We must also remember that our words have power and can significantly impact those around us.
Furthermore, it is crucial for our leaders and those in positions of power to set a positive example for the rest of society. When those in positions of power use inflammatory language and engage in hate speech, it sends a message that this behaviour is acceptable and normalises it for others to follow. Therefore, we must hold our leaders accountable for
their actions and language and demand that they promote respect, tolerance, and unity.
In conclusion, as a society, we are responsible for protecting the safety and well-being of all individuals, including our elected officials. We must also strive to create a community where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their beliefs or opinions. I urge all Bahamians to unite, stand up against hate and violence, and promote a culture of unity and peace.
ACTING Prison Commissioner Doan Cleare said government expects to soon announce the commencing of parole for inmates, starting first in Grand Bahama.
According to the prison official, discussions are being held with Grand Bahama Port Authority officials to identify housing for inmates released on parole.
“Government will announce very soon the starting of parole,” he said recently in Grand Bahama. “It is our intention to start in GB because GB has less inmates at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, and the offences are not as high as New Providence.”
Mr Cleare said the persons from Grand Bahama are normally sent to prison for stealing, burglary, “and one or two murders may happen sometimes”.
“As you know 99.9 percent of inmates are released, and out of that about 14.2 percent are from GB,” he reported.
“We are now in talks with the Port Authority to identify housing for inmates to go into once released from prison
and it is our job once parole starts to find them employment.”
“And hopefully by us getting them jobs and training them before they come out, the level of reoffending will be lessened.”
During a recruitment exercise in Grand Bahama on Thursday, Commissioner Cleare noted the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services will be undergoing changes, moving from the punitive model.
“We are now implementing a new correctional model at Dept of Corrections. We are doing away with the punitive-type system and implementing a true form of corrections,” he said.
“By doing so, we are now hiring professional staff,” Mr Cleare said, adding that just last week two full-time psychiatrists and psychologists, food and nutrition dietician, occupational therapists, and 14 new teachers were hired.
“Our goal is to put at least 100 inmates per day in various classes at the BDOCS,” he said.
Under this new model, the acting commissioner said every inmate will be fully classified and must fulfill a sentence plan that
will be created for each of them.
“If you come in for rape, we will put you in anger management and various other programmes, including a sexual offence programme so at the end of the day you will have a whole cadre of training to reprogramme your mind not to reoffend again. Once finished with programming, then case management and prerelease,” he explained.
Mr Cleare said the government will also announce soon construction of a new model prison facility.
“I can assure you in short order the Minister of National Security and the Prime Minister will be making an announcement on the new facility at BDOCS.
“This facility - will be one of the most modern facilities in the world, and we have gotten input from Canada, and the American Correctional Association,” he said.
“This will be an accredited facility. Florida has two of the three accredited facilities, and once completed, the Bahamas will have the first one outside the US. To accomplish this goal, we are looking for a diverse staff complement.”
Mr Cleare indicated that the facility will have “the most modern Psychiatric Ward, better than Sandilands.”
He said the new facility will have cells made of steel. It will also have a study room, bathroom, shower and “nice beds,”
which are currently not at the BDOCS.
Mr Cleare said training for the inmates is mandatory and they must leave with a skill. There also will be academic courses available for free.
“If you do not want academic qualifications, you must do carpentry, plumbing, masonry, etc.no more coming in prison now. Our philosophy has changed, and we are now about rehabilitation.”
“That is why the government of the Bahamas is about to embark on one of the largest capitalized investments in the history of the Bahamas in the Bahamas Department of Corrections.”
Prison Corporal Detrice McCardy, public relations director, said it is important for them to form partnership with corporate Bahamas.
“We can’t do it alone, and these individuals will come back in the community, and we all have a role to play to give these offenders a second chance. That is the only way we can stop them from reoffending.
“So, that is all our responsibility. We call on corporate Bahamas to partner with us in our effort,” she said.
TWO MEN were remanded to prison yesterday after being accused of the fatal shooting of a man while the suspects were in a stolen car last week.
Dyanza Gibson, 20, and Deandre Morley, 21, faced Senior Magistrate Derence
A Rolle Davis on a charge of murder. The pair faced additional charges of possession of an unlicenced firearm, receiving and two counts of armed robbery.
It is alleged that on January 26 while armed with a handgun the two robbed Kalie Taylor of her white 2013 Nissan Note. It is further said that the
accused stole Taylor’s passport, Lenovo laptop, red iPhone XR and $450 in cash. On the same day, the accused were further charged with the armed mugging of Darien Dean when his blue Google Pixel phone was stolen.
On January 31, on Joe Farrington and Fox Hill Roads near Ivory Plaza while driving the same stolen vehicle, the two are alleged to have shot and killed 24-year-old Angelo Major.
The accused were arrested by police soon after the incident with both injured by police gunfire during their detention. The car was recovered and a firearm was confiscated. Police said
they found a purple and black Taurus 9mm Luger model G2S.
Due to the gravity of the offences, the two were not required to enter a plea in court at that time. They were informed the the matter would be transferred to the Supreme Court by way of a Voluntary Bill of Indictment (VBI).
The accused were told that as the magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to grant them bail they had the right to apply for it through the higher court.
Until bail is granted, the pair will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
The accused are expected to be served their VBIs on April 12.
A MAN was remanded to prison yesterday in connection with a spree of armed robberies and a housebreaking in the nation’s capital last month.
The same man was also ordered to have medical assistance while on remand after claiming he was beaten while in police custody.
Denardo McPhee, 35, stood before Magistrate Algernon Allen, Jr, on several theft-related charges. He faced seven counts of armed robbery, and one count of attempted robbery, receiving, housebreaking and stealing. McPhee’s co-accused in these matters, Stephen Greene Jr, was arraigned on the same charges last week.
On January 6 in New Providence, McPhee is accused of robbing Annastasha Etienne at gunpoint of her $1,500 iPhone pro
max. It is further said that McPhee also stole her gun permit, NIB card, driver’s licence and $508 in cash. Then on January 14 on Bayview Drive, McPhee is accused of breaking into Neil Dames’s home. It is said he stole 65-inch and 50-inch Samsung TVs as well as a wifi box and Fire stick, of a total value of $1,413.94.
On January 17, 21 and 22, McPhee, while armed with a handgun, is said to have robbed Shari Gluckman, Michael Gluckman, Nicholas Maris, Janis Maris, Ross Salmon and Taresa Salmon at various times. During these incidents, it is said McPhee stole a variety of luxury items, including iPhones, MacBooks, jewellery, wallets and purses as well as over $1,000.
While the accused pleaded not guilty to the lesser charges, the indictable armed robbery charges will proceed to the Supreme Court by way of Voluntary Bill of
Indictment (VBI).
McPhee was told that as the magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to grant him bail for the indictable offence he had the right to apply for it through the higher court.
During his arraignment, McPhee visibly had trouble breathing and had to sit down as charges were read. The accused then claimed he was beaten while in police custody and forced to give a confession. In addition to stating that he was innocent of the charges, McPhee said he had been coughing blood.
Magistrate Allen requested the accused immediately be seen by a doctor while on remand at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
McPhee will return to court for potential service of his VBI and the start of his trial on the lesser charges on March 31.
A MAN on bail for murder was fined $2,500 in court on Monday after he admitted to breaching his curfew five times last month.
D’Quille Edgecombe, 27, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney on five counts of violation of bail conditions.
Edgecombe faces a pending murder charge before the Supreme Court over the fatal shooting of Ricky
Charlton, Jr, in Nassau Village on November 7, 2015.
Between January 21 and 30, it is said the defendant was found in breach of his residential curfew on five occasions.
Edgecombe faced an additional charge of possession of dangerous drugs as he was arrested on February 2 on being found with 2¼ oz of Indian Hemp.
In court, the accused pleaded guilty to all charges. Edgecombe told the magistrate that he broke curfew to charge his
monitoring device as his current residence has no power. The magistrate fined him $2,500 for the bail violations with an additional $500 fine or two months for the drug offence. Edgecombe was further placed on 18 months probation for which if he defaults carries a ninemonth prison term. Before his release, the accused is expected to pay half of his total fine with the remainder to be paid by the end of the month.
THE victorious Platinum Knights Junkanoo group in Grand Bahama, fresh from their victory in the annual parade, has scored another success thanks to a donation from the Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company (BBB).
The company has made a significant donation to the group as part of ongoing efforts to support Bahamian artistry and culture.
At the company’s
GB headquarters, BBB senior brand manager Joel Smith presented a cheque for $4,000 to the Platinum Knights Junkanoo and its leader Thomas Curry, Jr.
“It was a pleasure to make a donation to the Platinum Knights junkanoo group here in Freeport for taking the initiative to showcase our brands in the New Year’s junkanoo parade,” he said.
“The costumes were
well thought out and showed such incredible attention to detail; the win was well deserved by the group.”
As part of its theme in the 2022 New Year’s Day Parade, the four-time Grand Bahama parade winners showcased several of the company’s products, including Bush Crack, Sands Beer, Sands Pink Radler, and Budweiser in its theme: “Cheers to 10 years, Drinks on us”.
• Monitor operations to ensure compliance with safety or security policies or regulations. Observe individuals’ activities to gather information or compile evidence.
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• Observe gaming operations for irregular activities such as cheating or theft by employees or patrons, using audio and video equipment.
• Report all violations and suspicious behaviors to supervisors, verbally or in writing.
• Act as oversight or security agents for management or customers. .
• Be prepared to work within a shift system
• event that the records need to be used for investigations.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by Management.
Interested persons must require surveillance experience, certifcation, training, communication skills, attention to detail, ability to work independently and should apply at Jarol Investments Limited Head Offce, Prince Charles Drive (Across from Restview) between the hours of 9am to 5pm. Or send your CV to careers@ chancesgames.com
Surveillance Offcer – Your Name
KENISE Symonette-Darville will be remembered and honoured in a special memorial candlelight vigil tomorrow, Wednesday February 8, 2023 at 7pm at the Pinewood Park. Her death was a blow to many, and hundreds are expected to show up in her honour.
She was a vibrant woman - full of life and full of love for others. That love was exemplified in one of her final acts of community service.
Kenise was highly community-minded. She was always finding a way to bring people together, to do something productive, and to make a difference wherever she went.
She also believed in speaking out against injustice and inequality. So when she was admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital and felt that she was faced with such injustice, she didn’t hasten to make it public.
Facebook live was new to Kenise, yet on her sick bed, she utilised it to get a message out to the world. She knew that by doing so, she risked being victimised. She risked the chance of being neglected by healthcare providers, frowned upon and blackballed. She knew that in that sick and vulnerable state, she risked the side eyes, the snide remarks, and even worse, the possibility of not receiving medicine, blood and other vitals in a timely manner.
In the face of all that, Kenise was brave. She put others before herself. She was looking at the bigger picture. She knew that people had died in hospital before her time without their cries being heard publicly, and that if she said nothing, others would come and face the same fate.
By making her complaints public, the Public Hospitals Authority, the Ministry of Health, and the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) administration are being faced with pressure to make more changes more quickly. They must not only revitalise the system, but address the human resources of the hospital as well.
As a nurse stopped by Kenise’s bed to listen to her live social media broadcast, Kenise said: “Sometimes, people just have to go down for a cause, and this is a cause I am ready to go down for”.
She went on to say: “They
are reckless with people’s lives; they are nonchalant; they don’t care; they have no empathy.”
The entire healthcare system needs to change, Kenise charged.
That video was seen by thousands of people in The Bahamas and throughout the world. Her act, to me, was one of true Christianity, outlined in John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Kenise’s condition, which had yet to be diagnosed at PMH, required her to receive blood, because her platelets were extremely low. Eight days after that broadcast, she passed away at 7:07am on January 19, 2023.
On the morning that she left this world at 7:07am, she made a post on her Whatsapp status just after 5am asking for blood donations. She was willing to pay for O positive or negative blood, as her life depended on it.
That was the reason for her Facebook live protest.
She was upset that nearly a week had gone by without doctors letting her know that she needed blood donations. Her platelet count was at seven when doctors told her she needed to get donations. Kenise did not get the blood she needed in time. Giving blood can literally save lives.
What many do not know, was that Kenise’s community spirit kicked in long before she was in a life and death situation. After her first three-week encounter with Princess Margaret Hospital in October, Kenise realised how desperately the PMH blood bank needed donations. She and her husband Jerad came up with a plan to have a blood drive that would culminate on Valentine’s Day, 2023.
Jerad sent me the details of the event two days before Kenise passed on January 19. The “More Love, More Life” Valentine’s Day Blood Drive is designed for members of the public to “give the gift of life” by donating
Kenise was ready to pour her passion into this cause and without her here, Jerad is asking the public to join hands with her friends and family and make her dream to see the PMH blood bank receive an overflow, a reality.
The Valentine’s Day Blood Drive in honour of Kenise Symonette-Darville will be held at the University of the Bahamas on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 from 10am to 6pm. It will be hosted by the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and is in support of the Kenise Symonette Darville Foundation in collaboration with the Public Hospitals Authority and the National Blood Bank.
The blood bank will do a free screening test to ensure each attendee is healthy enough to donate. People are encouraged to eat 30 minutes before donating, and to bring along a government-issued identification.
To preregister, visit www. thekenisesymonette-darvillefoundation.com.
Kenise’s final act of kindness towards humanity is the culmination of a life of selfless giving to others. Some of her many charitable acts are remembered by her friends Rennise Hanna, Tynishka Collie, Michelle Russell, and Keneice Frazier, who were also her coworkers at her former workplace, the Customs Department. “Kenise had an undeniable love for people that was displayed in her encounters with those she interacted with,” they told me.
some one who was naturally giving, when her husband sought his political aspirations, she honed in on those qualities and helped to execute each plan set forth. As such, in 2020 Pinewood Gardens Community Garden was started. Along with the children, the entire family spent countless hours planting tomatoes, bananas, sweet peppers, and sweet potatoes. When harvest time came, they issued these crops to residents within the community.”
“She, along with Jerad also gave back to the Elizabeth Estates children’s home by hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for the children and staff members. While there, she was able to speak about life and encourage a few of the young ladies who clung to her during the night.”
“Kenise took the skills she acquired at the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) as well as the Community Garden and took them to BOOST Academy where she assisted students in starting their own garden at the school grounds. She served as part of the PTA, organizing family events (movie nights, trick or treats and pumpkin carving).”
“During the lockdowns she assisted in feeding packages inclusive of food items and at home COVID-19 tests to those in Pinewood. They also had a toy drive in conjunction with Sandals Foundation, whereby they donated hundreds of toys to children in need.
With a zeal to constantly evolve, Kenise began to offer hands-on courses, teaching the skills needed to design and create these crafts. She has held three successful summer camps with attendees from ages 8-18. It gave her great joy to be able to connect with these creatively inspired kids and give them an outof-the-box experience while passing on the skills and knowledge she has garnered over the past 13 years.
It was a dream come true. She taught them how to personalize cups, t-shirts, keychains and paper crafts. They also got an opportunity to learn how to make a business plan.”
For Jerad, Kenise’s charity was so genuine because “it started at home”. He told me that Kenise was always eager to learn and had a knowledge that she was destined for greatness.
“Her charity started from home,” he said, “Supporting her aunt’s business on Wulff Road; to her cousin’s nail tech business; to her other cousin’s make-up business,
often times being a vol unteer model for photo shoots.”
“Kenise also invested in her cousins, providing start-up capital to encourage economic independence amongst her family members. Her journey was filled with stories of her starting at the University of The Bahamas, becoming pregnant early, working to take care of her child with the help of her mother, and then I came along during this time as a help mate.
She bounced on the opportunity to register again for UB and then take courses with Synergy. Kenise then went on to study at BAMSI for an Associates degree in Agri-Business.
While raising three kids and a husband, she took this time to cultivate her passion for design and crafts into her company, “Something Beautiful”. Something Beautiful was poised to take off as she had approached many different types of businesses that helped to groom her professional ability. From selling Remy hair to selling croc pins, car rental and a food and beverage business, Kenise developed a personal touch with customers.”
“She also poured into others through mentorship and ministering the word to others. Starting again from people closest to her, she was often the go to person for counselling and dispute resolution. Always with a spirit to cheer you up and the right things to say and for the most part, she knew the right food to cook as well.”
“Developing her ministry, Kenise started to put on workshops to empower young women firstly by teaching them about the Supreme Being, and secondly by letting His power manifest through your actions and not working for money, but allowing your gifts and your purpose to make room for you.”
“As a mother, Kenise always put her kids first always. Kenise would literally place her kids before her own welfare. Kenise embraced the opportunity to cultivate with Chozen the time that she missed out on with AJ and Colman as a working mom. With Chozen, Kenise was a stay at home mom, teacher, chef,
nurse, counsellor, and nurturer. Chozen only stopped breast feeding when Kenise was admitted into the hospital in October. Less than 4 months ago, Chozen was still on his mother’s breast looking for comfort, and now she is gone.”
“Kenise often took the time to teach Chozen by taking him to the beach to count either by throwing bread to the birds or counting shells. Kenise engaged in a multitude of informal learning sessions to improve her ability to be a great mother.”
“You would think with all of this going on, when did she have a time to be a wife. Well, I will say this: I doubt there would ever be a connection similar to us as we could both be busy all day and then when it’s time for one of the kids games, we would buckle down and we would have our time together.
“At kids baseball practice we bonded, at games we bonded, and when the midnight oil started to burn on either of our projects, we were there for each other.
“We understood each other to the point that we were both equally busy and there for each other as well.
“Kenise made so many special moments in time through her food, laughter and admiration for fun. We would go on journeys discovering new foods to taste.
“As she supported me in ways no one could think of. I fell on hard times as well and like a superwoman, she kicked in and inspired me to be great, to continue to push when all signs had me ready to give up.
“Even when I was mad, she would be the one to come and make ways for us to get back to our good place. Her love came from a place that was gifted by the gods. I just don’t know where she found it in her heart to have so much love, so much compassion towards others.
“She was always encouraging me towards charity, saying inspirational words to me throughout the day, especially when she knew I had a very important meeting, test, or interview. Kenise was always rooting for me.”
“Kenise had an undeniable love for people that was displayed in her encounters with those she interacted with,”
IN writing last week about the West’s supply of tanks to Ukraine, I suggested it might be interesting to examine further the sensitivities surrounding Germany’s involvement. After what has been described as weeks of dithering and debate, Berlin has now given in to pressure from its western partners, including the US, and agreed to send 14 German-made tanks to the beleaguered nation. This is significant not only because Germany is a member of NATO but, as the bloc’s largest economy, it dominates the European Union and manufactures most of the heavy tanks deployed in Europe.
In view of this, many believe that, after earlier doubts about Berlin’s commitment to defeating Russia in Ukraine because of its reluctance to supply weapons and other military support, Germany should step up to the plate and play a full role in such supply, not least to fulfill the need for NATO to show solidarity in standing up to Russian aggression and defending democracy.
Accused of moral and physical cowardice and vilified for not positively opposing Putin, Germany has been accused of dragging its feet about supplying Leopold 2 tanks – and even
It is said that the significance of the first 100 days in office of political leaders dates back to Franklin D Roosevelt’s US presidency in the 1930s. Such a period of about three months is considered sufficient to provide an indication of a leader’s management style, priorities and how campaign promises may be fulfilled.
The verdict on the recent completion of the milestone by British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, appears to be mixed.
All agree that this has been a torrid time for him.
But at least he has survived without a leadership crisis and lasted longer than his unfortunate predecessor who managed only forty-nine days in the job.
The PM seems to have stabilized the economy and got it back on track despite continuing high inflation and rising interest rates. But he has had to face the worst extended industrial unrest in the country since the 1980s and his government is now bracing itself for imminent major strike action by the National Health Service – nurses, paramedics and ambulance drivers – in pursuit of large and unrealistic pay claims. Amongst numerous other problems, he has also had to deal with sleaze scandals within his cabinet, and, as a result of all this, he is facing poor poll ratings.
So, the consensus is that it has been a bumpy ride for him so far.
Many believe that the real test in the coming months will be whether he can deliver on the five priorities he has set himself in both the short and long term – halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting NHS waiting lists and stopping small-boat crossings to the UK from France. With an election not due until next year, he has time to make real progress on these, with some saying he is already on the right track.
However, others believe he is out of touch with voters, not least because he lacks a mandate from them. But delivering on those priorities will be the key. The overall realistic verdict appears to be that, if he can achieve this, despite that bumpy start there is the prospect of better times to come -- both for him and the Conservative government he leads.
preventing some fifteen other European countries from reexporting them to Ukraine.
As I mentioned last week, Germany apparently refused initially to contribute weapons amid fears of provoking a wider war with Russia and retaliation that could include use of nuclear weapons and because of the country’s dependence at the time on Russian gas.
All this has been against the background of a troubled history of war in Europe in which Germany was the aggressor in two world conflicts. Following its surrender that brought the Second
World War to an end in 1945, clearly nobody wanted to see the country re-emerge as a military power, let alone the Germans themselves who were burdened by the weight of responsibility and guilt over Nazi war crimes. In a divided nation, the new East Germany became part of the Soviet bloc. In the endless debate about a new national identity, West Germany, with its capital in Bonn, adopted pacifism as a guiding principle in its foreign relations and maintained that stance for decades while sheltering under the umbrella of NATO which it joined in 1955 on the condition that as a country it participated in collective support of common ideals. This marked the nation’s rehabilitation after the evil of Hitler’s Third Reich. Later, after reunification of the two parts of Germany, policy was based on the need for close ties with Russia, in particular deepening trade relations, as the best path to peace in Europe. It is said that less than a year ago any idea of a German government supplying arms to an active conflict would have been unthinkable – let alone sending tanks into the same areas in Europe which the German army had crushed and where it had committed atrocities following its invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
However, after taking a back seat for years in its reluctance since the end of the Second World War to take the lead - or participate - in military activity, under Germany’s new coalition government there now seems to be the dawn of a new era following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that could result in the nation playing a leading role in protecting Europe. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called the ending of a seventy-decades-long policy of non-aggression a “watershed era”. He has said the issue is whether “power should be allowed to prevail over the law” – and, reportedly, Germany is now investing in its depleted and outdated military infrastructure while it is beginning to take a more assertive role in European
defence, much to the delight of its allies.
Predictably, in response to Scholz’s decision to join with other countries in sending tanks, Putin is now saying that eighty years since the bloody but decisive Battle of Stalingrad, Russians are now facing them again as history is repeating itself and they are fighting Nazism once more in Ukraine. Speaking last week in Volgograd – the modern name for Stalingrad – to mark the anniversary of this battle, which was a major turning point of the war with the Soviet army capturing over 90,000 German troops, Putin hinted that he could seek to move beyond conventional weapons. But, as recorded in this column last week, the current judgment in the West seems to
be that such threats by him to use nuclear weapons are intended to intimidate and are largely no more than rhetoric because of his fear of retaliation by the West that could result in mutual annihilation.
With the background of history uppermost in the minds of Germany’s leaders, it comes as no surprise that the Chancellor was reluctant to become involved in the supply of tanks unless others did so, in particular the US. But, with Germany apparently finally deciding that its traditional constraints on any sort of activity in the military sphere can now be lifted in relation to European security, people will hope that its contribution will have a decisive effect on the outcome of the war.
Even before the “spy in the sky” balloon drama of recent days, bilateral relations between the US and China were said to be at a low ebb amidst fraying tensions; and, as one press headline put it, the balloon saga will only “deflate” efforts to mend them. For some, the incident marks a new low for US-China ties.
Much of the comment in the UK press cynically wonders at the duplicity surrounding the incident; not least because the Chinese were conciliatory at first and expressed regret, saying it was a weather ship blown astray and its appearance over America was a deviation from its route because of bad weather so that the whole thing was “an accident”.
Then, China urged “cool-headed handling” of the incident and dispute, saying it “would not accept conjecture or hype” and it accused US politicians and the media of using this “as a pretext to attack and smear China”.
Later, it condemned the US shooting down of its airship as “a serious violation of international practice”. But Secretary of State Blinken called it a surveillance balloon and stated its presence over American sovereign territory was an “irresponsible act”, with the Pentagon saying the balloon was being used “to surveil strategic sites”. Commentators are noting the widely-held public belief that a number of countries, including the US, carry out surveillance of others but not so blatantly. The evidence presented in the media
looks to be all too clear, and there will doubtless be endless speculation over the coming days before something else grabs international attention and the 24-hour news cycle turns to other issues. Meanwhile, there must surely be growing general concern in the rest of the world about the poor state of US-China relations. China is now being labelled the US’s principal adversary. The Director of the CIA reports that President Xi Jinping’s ambitions towards Taiwan should not be underestimated since there is evidence he has ordered his military to be ready to invade the island by 2027. He has also warned that,
while China has refrained from condemning Russia’s operation against Ukraine, its economic links with Russia have boomed as connections with the West have shrivelled. Some people are also calling China a belligerent bully indulging in reckless and provocative behaviour in different countries; and one striking illustration of this was its squabble with Australia when the latter questioned the origins of coronavirus.
It is also now being widely contended that China is emerging as a fresh threat to the West on various other fronts – for example, economically in relation to the continuing theft of intellectual property and the US need to limit Beijing’s access to sensitive technology as, reportedly, it applies new restrictions on advanced chip manufacturing equipment.
But, as China becomes a significant military power, perhaps the greatest danger is its attempt to redraw the map of the South China Sea with the construction of new artificial island bases.
In this context, it was interesting to read last week that the US had now secured a deal with the Philippines for access to military bases there. This will complete an arc around China of US alliances with countries like South Korea and Japan in the north to Australia in the south from which to monitor Chinese activity in the South China Sea that is seen as threatening the region. The island of Luzon in the north of the Philippines is the nearest piece of land to Taiwan (apart from China itself). But the US has said it is not seeking
new permanent bases but places it can occupy temporarily as needed where its presence may help to deter further Chinese expansion - while, amidst increasing concern about conflict over Taiwan, it provides the means to watch China’s movements there. Furthermore, the US has reopened its embassy in the Solomon Islands in a move widely seen as shoring up its influence in the Pacific and advancing partnership deals with the aim of keeping it an area where “democracy can flourish”.
It has likewise been interesting to study recent remarks by British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, about what he terms Britain’s new “Indo-Pacific tilt”.
It is now clear that the UK government fully recognises the strategic importance of the region to the UK’s economy and society and to its interests more broadly, with 1.7 million British citizens living across the Indo-Pacific and trade relationships worth over $250 billion while 60 per cent of global trade passes through shipping routes in the region. Mr Cleverly also mentioned that, even though China is a global player and a driver of economic growth, when it departs from global rules and norms and aligns itself with aggressive countries like Russia, its standing in the world suffers.
He went on to say that Britain wants to work with friends and partners to address world challenges and not ‘turn a blind eye’ to repression – and it will be concentrating its efforts in the Indo-Pacific to a greater extent than in the past.
A MARYLAND woman spent months conspiring with a Bahamian neo-Nazi leader based in Florida to plan an attack on Baltimore’s power grid, hoping to further their racist mission, law enforcement officials said yesterday.
The plan was thwarted when both suspects were arrested last week, adding to a growing list of similar cases as authorities warn the American electrical grid could be a vulnerable target for domestic terrorists.
Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 34, was working with Brandon Russell, who founded a small Florida-based neoNazi group, to plan a series of “sniper attacks” on Maryland electrical substations, according to a criminal complaint unsealed yesterday. Russell is a former St Andrew’s School student, the grandson of the owners of a long-standing Grand Bahama family business, and a dual citizen of the US and The Bahamas.
The document also included a photo of a woman authorities identified as Clendaniel wearing
tactical gear that bore a swastika and holding a rifle. It wasn’t immediately clear yesterday whether either suspect had a lawyer to speak on their behalf. There was no evidence the plot was carried out or any record of damage to local substations.
US Attorney Erek Barron praised investigators for disrupting hate-fuelled violence.
“When we are united, hate cannot win,” he said
at a news conference announcing the charges. Authorities declined to specify how the planned attack was meant to fulfill a racist motive but suggested the defendants wanted to bring attention to their cause. Russell had discussed targeting the grid during cold weather “when most people are using max electricity”, authorities alleged. According to the complaint, Clendaniel was
planning to target five substations situated in a ring around Baltimore, a majority-Black city mostly surrounded by heavily white suburban areas.
“It would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully,” Clendaniel told a confidential informant she met through Russell, according to the complaint. She was most recently living outside the city in surrounding Baltimore County, officials said.
Clendaniel told the informant she was experiencing terminal kidney failure. With just a few months to live, she wanted to “accomplish something worthwhile” before her death, according to the complaint. Many of their conversations focused on how she could get a weapon to carry out the attacks.
Investigators also found a document in her Google records that they compared to a manifesto. In it, Clendaniel wrote she would give up “everything” to “have a chance for our cause to succeed”. The document included references to Hitler and other
terrorists, according to the complaint.
Russell, who founded an obscure neo-Nazi group called Atomwaffen Division, has a long history of ties to racist extremist ideologies and past plans to disrupt American infrastructure systems, according to the complaint. Atomwaffen Division leaders recently renamed themselves the National Socialist Order. The group’s mission is civilisational collapse, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Federal authorities said Russell, 27, landed on their radar after a 2017 shooting left two of his roommates dead. Local law enforcement officers found Russell at the scene, dressed in a military uniform and crying over the news. A third roommate, who was later arrested, told investigators he committed the killings to thwart a terrorist attack by Atomwaffen, which included plans to target US infrastructure. He said Russell knew nothing about the killings, having just returned home from his Florida National Guard duties.
Russell ultimately pleaded guilty to explosives
charges after authorities found bomb-making materials in the garage. He served five years in federal prison and was on supervised release at the time of his recent arrest, officials said.
An account linked to Russell recently sent the confidential informant a video about the North Carolina attack, discussing the substations targeted and their geographic areas, according to the complaint. Russell and Clendaniel corresponded years ago while incarcerated in separate correctional facilities, authorities said. Officials declined to specify the nature of their relationship or how they met, but the complaint says they discussed having children together. Text messages linked to Russell included a statement that “going to prison was worth it because I might not have met you otherwise”. Their relationship dated to at least 2018. Last May, the complaint says, Clendaniel shipped an online order — a 34-piece “Professional Pocket Picking Hand Tool” — to Russell’s Orlando address.
TURKEY Associated Press
RESCUE workers and civilians passed chunks of concrete and household goods across mountains of rubble Monday, moving tons of wreckage by hand in a desperate search for survivors trapped by a devastating earthquake.
“Can anyone hear me?” rescuers shouted as they searched in the province of Kahramanmaras, the epicentre. In some places around southeast Turkey, survivors could be heard screaming from beneath collapsed buildings.
Many people crouched to look below a massive sheet of concrete propped at an angle by steel bars. They crawled in and out, trying to reach survivors. Excavating equipment dug through the rubble below.
Rescue efforts unfolded
as darkness, rain and cold enveloped the region of Turkey and Syria devastated by a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and another major one that hit hours later. At least 3,400 people were killed and civilians joined rescuers in desperate efforts across Turkey and Syria.
Elsewhere in Kahramanmaras province, rescuers pulled two children alive from the rubble. One lay on a stretcher on the snowy ground. Rescuers quieted the throngs of people trying to help so they could hear survivors and find them.
In Adana, about 20 people, some in emergency rescue jackets, used power saws atop the concrete mountain of a collapsed building to carve out space that would let any survivors climb out or be rescued. Later, excavators joined the
efforts as bright spotlights illuminated the wreckage.
Thousands of searchand-rescue personnel, firefighters and medics were working across ten provinces, along with some 3,500 soldiers. Residents lifted rubble and unearthed people heard screaming from beneath buildings. Aftershocks made rescue efforts more dangerous.
Turkish military ambulance planes were transporting the injured to Istanbul and Ankara hospitals, the defence ministry said. Rescuers from across Turkey tried to make it to the provinces amid heavy snow and rain. But many in Hatay said they didn’t have sufficient help and were worried about the miles of wreckage and those trapped within it.
Four ministers held a news conference in Hatay late Monday explaining
their action plans for the province. They said that because Hatay’s airport had been severely damaged, they had to fly into Adana nearly three hours away.
In Syria, a man held a dead girl in his arms beside a two-story collapsed concrete building as he walked
away from the debris. He and a woman set the girl on the floor under covering to protect her from the rain, wrapping her in a large blanket and looking back to the building, overwhelmed.
An official with Turkey’s disaster management authority said 7,840 people
had been rescued across ten provinces. The official, Orhan Tatar, said 5,606 buildings had collapsed. Tatar said the total area affected was large and places were hard to reach, but that as of late Monday, teams had been directed to all collapsed buildings.
United Arab Emirates Associated Press
An Iranian singer who faces possible prison time for his song that’s become an anthem to the ongoing protests shaking the Islamic Republic wept early Monday after seeing he’d won a Grammy.
Shervin Hajipour appeared stunned after hearing Jill Biden, the wife of President Joe Biden, announce he’d won the Grammy’s new song for social change special merit award for “Baraye.”
An online video showed Hajipour in a darkened room, wiping tears away after the announcement.
Hajipour’s song “Baraye,” or “For” in English, begins with: “For dancing in the streets,” “for the fear we feel when we kiss.” The lyrics list reasons young Iranians have posted on Twitter for why they had protested against Iran’s ruling theocracy.
It ends with the widely chanted slogan that has become synonymous with the protests since the September death of
Iranian-Kurdish woman
Masha Amini: “For women, life, freedom.”
Released on his Instagram page, the song quickly went viral. Hajipour then was arrested and held for several days before being released on bail in October.
The 25-year-old singer faces charges of “propaganda against the regime” and “instigating the violence,” according to Human Rights Activists in Iran.
Mrs Biden said that a song “can unite, inspire and ultimately change the world.”
“This song became the anthem of the Mahsa Amini protests, a powerful and poetic call for freedom and women’s rights,” Biden said. “Shervin was arrested, but this song continues to resonate around the world with its powerful theme: Women, life, freedom.”
Those gathered cheered Biden’s remarks. On Instagram, Hajipour simply wrote: “We won.”
There was no immediate reaction in Iranian state media or from government officials to Hajipour’s win.
The Charles W Saunders Cou-
gars took the early bragging rights over the Jordan Prince Williams Falcons in the showdown of the two Baptist schools in the senior boys’ finals of the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools last night.
With both teams bringing out their boisterous fans, the Cougars prevailed with a hard-fought 65-57 victory over the Falcons to snatch game one of the best-of-three championship series.
It capped off another Baptist victory as Jordan Prince Williams prevailed over the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine 58-42.
Amidst the Baptist celebrations, St Augustine’s College chopped down the St John’s Giants 49-16 in the senior girls’ opener and the Kingsway Academy Saints marched past the Big Red Machine 34-33 in the nail-biting junior girls’ opener. Game two in all series will be played on Wednesday, starting at 4pm and, if necessary, the third and deciding games will take place on Thursday.
Senior Boys Cougars 65, Falcons 57: Raymone Woods pumped in a game high 17, Treymon Wright had 14, Tenaj Strachan had nine and Romial Strachan added seven to lead a balanced
scoring attack for Charles W Saunders in the battle of the Baptist schools in their senior boys’ feature encounter.
For Jordan Prince Williams, Trae Clarke scored 20, J Kemp 12 and B Godet
and Kamari Minnis helped out with 10 apiece.
In the closely contested game, the Cougars raced out to a 14-12 lead at the end of the first quarter and held onto a 32-31 advantage at the half. Jordan
PHOENIX (AP) — Nick
Sirianni answered questions about Rocky, Santa Claus and even which of his players on the Philadelphia Eagles he’d want to date his 5-year-old daughter when she grows up.
Welcome to Super Bowl opening night where football talk gives way to the wild and wacky.
The circus atmosphere that kicks off the NFL’s biggest week returned yesterday for the first time since 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced teams to meet the media on video conferences the past two seasons.
Sirianni and the Eagles took the stage first at Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns.
Prince Williams opened a 52-40 margin at the end of the third, but they had a complete collapse in the fourth quarter, scoring just five points.
SEE PAGE 16
“Fly, Eagles, Fly” chants greeted players and coaches before they spent an hour answering wide-ranging questions from more than 2,000 media members. For the record, Sirianni loves the Rocky movies. He identifies with Sylvester Stallone’s fictional movie character, who is part of Philadelphia’s fabric as much as the cheesesteak.
SEE PAGE 16
THE Star Trackers Track
Club’s 2023 Star Performers Track and Field Classic on Saturday produced three qualifying performances on the field in the same event, despite the inclement weather that forced officials to cut short the meet at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
Before the meet was halted, Kamera Strachan led a 1-2-3 sweep of the girls under-17 javelin as she was joined by Taysha Stubbs and Dior-Rae Scott, who all surpassed the standard of 35.35 metres for the
games, scheduled for April 7-11 at the TAR National Stadium.
Strachan, who moved up to the under-20 girls division in previous meets to qualify for the Penn Relays as a member of the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine, won the event with 43.50m, followed by Stubbs with 39.90m and Scott with 38.25.
The performances highlighted the limited field events that took place on Saturday.
Girls under-15 long jump – Keyezra Thomas of Speed Begins won with 5.11m. Keely Deveaux of T-Bird Flyers was second
with 4.92m. J’Kaiyah Rolle of Road Runners was third with 4.65m.
Girls under-15 discus
– Carrington Gibson of Grand Bahama Invictus won with 16.98m.
Boys under-15 long jump
– Eagan Neely of Red-Line Athletics won with 5.87m. Jachario Wilson of Spartans was second with 5.11m. Jeremyah Wilson of Spartans was third with 4.68m. Boys under-15 shot put – Kenneth Bethell of Another Level won with 6.69m. Dayaje Brown of Triple Threat was second with 6.48m.
Girls under-17 long jump – Tylah Pratt of Andros Heats won with 5.12m.
Shania Adderley of Fast Track was second 4.76m and Zion Carey was third with 4.57m.
Girls under-17 high jump – Tylah Pratt of Andros Heats won with 1.47m. Grace Komolafe of X-Treme Athletics was second with 1.47m as well on more knockdowns, while Bayli Major of Red-Line Athletics was third with 1.42m. Girls under-17 discus – Danielle Nixon of Blue Chip Athletics won with 24.19m. Terrell McCoy of Triple Threat was second with 23.52m and Anthonece Papageorge of Blue Chip Athletics was third with 20.10m.
(AP) — Luka
Doncic has his co-star, and the Dallas Mavericks are set for their season essentially to start over after trading for Kyrie Irving.
The blockbuster deal with Brooklyn sending the mercurial Irving to the Mavericks became official yesterday, two days before what figures to be his Dallas debut at the Los Angeles Clippers.
Dallas also gets Markieff Morris in a trade that sent Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round choices to the Nets.
It’s unknown if Doncic will be available against the Clippers. He wasn’t with the Mavs at the start of a
five-game trip out West after bruising his right heel in the final home game before the trip. He was ruled out of the second game on the trip at Utah last night.
Whenever the All-Stars do get on the court together, Doncic and Irving instantly become one of the NBA’s top duos in a tightly packed Western Conference.
Doncic is in a dead heat for the scoring lead with fellow MVP candidate Joel Embiid of Philadelphia, and is the only one of the seven current 30-point scorers also averaging at least eight rebounds and eight assists per game. Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds. The West has several title-contending teams beyond defending champion Golden State, which
eliminated the Mavs in the conference finals last season. Dallas is in a group of nine teams that started the
day within one loss of each other. It covers teams currently fourth, the final spot
Girls under-17 javelin –Kamera Strachan of Air Assault won with 43.50m and was followed by teammates Taysha Stubbs with 39.90m and Dior-Rae Scott with 38.25 as they all surpassed the Carifta qualifying standard of 35.35m.
Boys under-17 shot put –Jaylen Stuart of Blue Chips Athletics was the winner with 12.71m, followed by Larouche Morley of Triple Threat with 12.09m. Kristan King of Blue Chips Athletics with 11.61m.
Girls under-20 high jump – Koi Adderley of Fast Forward won with 1.60m. Elyssa Gordon of Spartans was second with 1.42m and Natalia Poitier
of Road Runners was third with 1.42m on more knockdowns.
Girls under-20 discus –Cailyn Johnson of Triple Threat won with 40.99m. Annae Mackey of Blue Chip Athletics was second with 30.69m. Teneil Ferguson of Road Runners was third with 25.69m.
Women’s open high jump – Tyanna Gordon of Spartans won with 1.37m.
Boys under-20 shot put – Nathaniel McHardy of Andros Heats was the winner with 13.68. Robert Deal of Blue Chips Athletics got second with 13.32m and Tayshaun Robinson of SunBlazers Track Club was third with 11.01m.
HARRY Kane broke Tottenham’s all-time scoring record with a goal — his 267th for the club — that will have been celebrated almost as jubilantly by the other team in north London.
The England captain’s milestone strike earned Tottenham a 1-0 win Sunday over Manchester City, which was looking for a victory to trim the gap to Premier League leader Arsenal to two points.
In the end, Arsenal wasn’t punished for losing 1-0 at Everton on Saturday — and maybe that’s no surprise. After all, City
now hasn’t won, or even scored, in five games at Tottenham’s new stadium in either the Premier League or the Champions League.
Even the absence of Tottenham manager Antonio Conte, recovering in his native Italy after having his gallbladder removed this week, couldn’t change the narrative around this particular fixture.
Kane swept home the winner in the 15th minute after Pierre-Emile Højbjerg intercepted a pass out from the back by City midfielder Rodri and set up the striker to score his 200th Premier League
race:
FROM PAGE 15
goal. Only two other players — Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208) — have reached that figure.
Kane broke the tie for all-time Tottenham goals he had with the late Jimmy Greaves, who played for the club from 1961-70.
“Just a magical moment,” Kane said in an on-field interview as he looked out fans, “and I was desperate to do it with a win. To do it in front of the home fans is talk about it over the last couple of weeks. I just wanted to get it done as soon as possible. And to
FROM PAGE 15
“I live and coach in the greatest sports town in America,” Sirianni said.
“It means so much to evea little kid playing in a peewee football game, you want everybody to see you.
“You want your fans to love it. You want them to be there. You want them wearing green on Friday. You want them to be throwing snowballs at Santa Claus.
“You want to put talent on display in front of the greatest sports town in America. I love the fact that my kids are growing up in a sports town where football means so much because football means so much to me.”
do it in a big game against one of the best teams in the world is a special feeling.”
City was the architect of its own downfall for the goal, just as it was when conceding two sloppy first-half goals against Tottenham last month before rallying for a 4-2 win at Etihad Stadium.
This time, there was no comeback despite a second-half resurgence sparked by the introduction of Kevin De Bruyne, who was benched for the second straight game against Tottenham, and the 87th-minute sending-off of Cristian Romero for a second yellow card.
“Sooner or later it is going to change,” City manager Pep Guardiola said of -
one goal, we create chances, we have missed penalties in the past. To find an explanation is not easy.
“We found the positions, made good balls to the channels, but missed the last action up front.”
City lost for the fourth time this season in the league and stayed five points behind Arsenal, which has a game in hand as it bids for a first top-flight title since 2004. players were “not in the position to think about being champions, just the next game.” football to be played,” City defender Kyle Walker said.
“I know the twists and turns (in the title race), I know what this team is about.”
As the Cougars rallied back, Nakero Brown-Cox came up big, converting one-of-two free throws before he put the explanation mark on the game with a break away two-handed reverse dunk in the final minute. be happier with the performances of his CW Saunders squad as they avenged a one-point loss to Jordan Prince Williams in their last encounter during the regular season as they both finished with identical 9-12 win-loss records.
“In a three-game series, you -
back, so we wanted to secure this game as our home game. We got it, Game two is scheduled for Wednesday and Burrows is anticipating the same result.
“We have to be a little better on the offensive end. Our defence was okay, but we will clean that up and be prepared for the next game.”
to be a different outcome in game two. “At certain times we were lost. We got lackadaisical, but overall, we are a lot better than we were tonight,” he pointed out.
“The best thing about it all is that we have to play the game all over again, so it should be different from the way we played tonight.”
Senior Girls Big Red Machine 49, Giants 16: Antonica Moultrie stamped her
Fifth-place Tottenham moved a point behind fourth-place Newcastle in the race for Champions League qualification.
NAVAS DEBUT
Keylor Navas swapped a contender for the Champions League for a relegation candidate in the Premier League. He immediately looked at home.
The Costa Rica goalkeeper made a string of great saves on his debut for Forest in its 1-0 win over Leeds that moved the team six points clear of the relegation zone.
“Outstanding and composed,” Forest manager Steve Cooper said of the three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, who moved from
Paris Saint-Germain this week.
“The obvious talking points are the saves, and rightly so, he deserves all the credit for that, but I loved his composure and game management and decision-making.”
Brennan Johnson scored the 14th-minute winner for Forest, which has won three of its last four league games and is up to 13th.
Leeds is in 17th place in the 20-team league and only out of the relegation positions on goal difference.
AMERICAN INFLUENCE
U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie came on for his debut for Leeds as a second-half substitute and played alongside international teammate Tyler Adams. With Brenden
extended it to 31-8 at the half. After getting out-scored 5-3 in the third, the Big Red Machine rolled out the fourth quarter on a +5-3 spurt to easily preserve the win.
Lebronique Demeritte and Rexannah Green both contributed who also got four from Geontae Simpson.
Taylor said they got distracted because they were told they were playing at one point and the girls got all hyped up and then the officials told them they had to wait a little longer.
Aaronson also in the squad, Leeds became the first team to have three U.S. internationals play in the same season in the Premier League since 2012-13, when Stoke had Geoff Cameron, Brek Shea and Maurice Edu.
Leeds manager Jesse Marsch is another American at the club and knows he is under pressure ahead of a match at Manchester United on Wednesday, hand.
“I have to find a way of turning good performances more into winning because and have been for a little while,” Marsch said.
“I understand the frustration and doubts. Internally, we have belief here. We do.”
end of the first quarter and opened a 32-22 margin at the half. They were in complete control of the second half, out-scoring SAC 15-12 in the third and 11-8 in the fourth as they coasted to victory.
approval on this lopsided affair as she canned 19 points for St Augus-
Moultrie, who came up with 13 alone in the fourth quarter, was assisted by Twanna Gibson with eight. Arannna Gomez and DiorRae Scott both had six as the Big Red Machine remained undefeated on the season.
coach Annie Sands-Moultrie said it was just want they expected.
“It went the way we wanted it to go,” she said. “The girls stuck to the game plan, but we still have to work on our defence. We hope to improve on that in game two. We hope to do the same thing, but even better.”
SAC opened a 13-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. They
“Our girls went out there, running around the court getting ready to play and they told us that we were not playing then,” he said.
“That dampened some of the girls spirits and because of the hold up, it killed the momentum that we had. “We are playing against SAC and although they beat us by eight points on their home court, we came out here to win this game. Our centre then got hurt early in the game and that really took us out of our rhythm. But I will have them ready for game two on Wednesday.”
Junior Boys Falcons 58, Big Red Machine 42: more enough for Jordan Prince Williams to rely on as they slowed grand style. Smith had seven and Munnings five as the Falcons flew out to an 18-10 advantage at the
Nathan Rolle scored points, Keitho Johnson had 11 and Tyler Frazier had nine in a losing effort Junior Girls Saints 34, Big Red Machine 33: Andica Curtis canned Kingsway including the winning basket to lift Kingsway Academy to knock off could have gone either way.
Curtis, who only scored a basket in each of the first two quarters, came up with 10 in the third and eight in the fourth to seal the deal as she led the attack with a game high 22 points.
Mihayla Joseph had five and Dashante Sears four to help in their cause.
Azara Marshall scored 13 and Alexis Robets had six in thelege made it a contest down the stretch. Marshall ended up with 16 and Roberts had 10.
Tashae James chipped in with five for the Big Red Machine, who led 7-4 at the end of the first quarter and held a slim 11-10 margin at the half.
slowed down the Big Red Machine with an 11-9 spurt in the fourth as Curtis took over down the stretch.
— Paul George scored 29 points, Kawhi Leonard added 24 and the Los Angeles Clippers overcame a career-high 47 points from Cam Thomas in his first start to beat the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets 124-116 last night.
Ivica Zubac added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who won for the eighth time in 10 games and finished 4-2 on their six-game Eastern Conference road trip.
Thomas, who scored 44 to rally the Nets past Washington on Saturday, was even better on the day the Nets completed the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas. But Los Angeles outscored Brooklyn 25-9 over the final 6:20.
Nic Claxton had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Nets, while Edmund Sumner chipped in 23 points for Brooklyn.
Before the game, the deal that sent Irving and forward Markieff Morris to Dallas for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and multiple draft picks was announced.
WARRIORS 141
THUNDER, 114
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)
— Klay Thompson scored 42 points with a seasonhigh 12 3-pointers, Jordan Poole added 21 points and 12 assists starting in Stephen Curry’s place, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 141-114.
Thompson sat down for the night to a roaring ovation with 4:41 left to finish 15 for 22 from the floor and 12 of 16 on 3s.
Thompson now has eight games with 10 or more 3-pointers, second in NBA history behind Curry’s 22.
Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points in Golden State’s first game since reigning NBA Finals MVP Curry injured his left leg during Saturday’s win against Dallas — and the Warriors went 26 of 50 from deep
without the league’s career 3-point leader.
CAVALIERS 114, WIZARDS 91 WASHINGTON (AP)
— Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen scored 23 points apiece and Donovan Mitchell added 21 to lead Cleveland to a rout of Washington.
All five Cleveland starters were in double figures by halftime, and the Cavaliers won for the fourth time in five games. Evan Mobley finished with 16 points and Isaac Okoro contributed 12.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points for Washington, which has lost three straight following a six-game winning streak. The Wizards were playing without Bradley Beal (left foot soreness) and Kyle Kuzma (left ankle sprain).
Washington led by at least 20 in each of its previous two losses, but the Wizards didn’t have to worry about blowing a big lead on this night. In fact, they were never ahead at all.
BULLS 128, SPURS 104 CHICAGO (AP) — Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 12 rebounds, Andre Drummond set season highs with 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Chicago handed San Antonio its ninth straight loss.
Zach LaVine scored 20 points and DeMar DeRozan had 19, helping the Bulls match a season high with their third straight win. They also got some payback for a loss at San Antonio in October.
It was tied at 85 late in the third quarter when Chicago went on a 23-3 run that buried the team with the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Two more losses and the
Spurs will match their worst skid of the season.
Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 21 points. But the Spurs opened a seasonhigh, nine-game trip on an all-too-familiar note.
BUCKS 127
TRAIL BLAZERS, 108
PORTLAND, Oregon
(AP) — Brook Lopez scored 27 points and the Milwaukee Bucks stretched their winning streak to eight games with a 127-108 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Bucks led the whole way, pushing their advantage to 26 in the second half.
Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 28 points. Antetokounmpo and Lillard were selected the NBA’s players of the week earlier in the day.
Lillard averaged 38.3 points and 6.8 assists last
week for his second straight POTW honour, while Antetokounmpo averaged 41 points and 17.3 rebounds.
KINGS 140, ROCKETS 120
HOUSTON (AP) — Keegan Murray had a career-high 30 points and set a franchise rookie record with eight 3-pointers to help Sacramento snap a two-game skid with a win over Houston.
Murray, the fourth overall pick in last year’s NBA draft, shot 8 for 12 from beyond the arc on a night when the Kings made 21 3-pointers.
The previous team mark for 3s by a rookie was set by Ricky Berry with seven in 1989.
Malik Monk added 20 points off the bench and Domantas Sabonis had 17 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in the first of consecutive games between the teams.
DETROIT (AP) —
Jayson Tatum started slow and finished strong with 34 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, leading the Boston Celtics to a 111-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons last night.
The All-Star forward missed his first five shots and had as many fouls (three) as field goals after missing 10 shots in the first half. Tatum made three 3-pointers and an array of driving layups in the third, scoring 18 points in the quarter to turn a seven-point halftime lead into a 18-point cushion.
De’Aaron Fox had 16 points and eight assists for Sacramento after missing two games for personal reasons.
Jalen Green had 27 points for the Rockets, who dropped their third straight.
MAVERICKS 124
JAZZ, 111 SALT LAKE CITY
(AP) — Kyrie Irving hadn’t arrived yet and Luka Doncic was out, so it was time for the Dallas youngsters to shine.
Josh Green and Jaden Hardy each scored career highs of 29 points and the short-handed Mavericks stunned the Utah Jazz 124111 on Monday night after completing a trade for Irving.
“Luka (and Irving) are going to have their amazing nights, but if we want to be a championship team it’s about the rest of us being able to step up,” Green said.
On February 12, diehard football fans from across the globe will be glued to their televisions for the monumental showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona.
However, a group of lucky Bahamian fans will get to experience the thrill of the game live and in person. For more than a decade, AB InBev along with local distributor Jimmy’s Wines & Spirits have led the way in providing quality experiences and giving its loyal customers chances to save big and win big.
In 2023, that reputation is being taken once again to an all-new level along with its partners, with Bud Light and Jimmy’s Wines & Spirits, taking three Bahamians and their guests to the Super Bowl where they will be treated to the ultimate hospitality experience. Winners Cyril Robinson, Jermaine Humes, and Vivian Bain will get to experience the thrill of being at Super Bowl LVII live. “I’m extremely excited about going to the Super Bowl,” gushed Robinson, “the chance to be in the stadium, the game, the halftime show, all of it”.
Robinson who is a firsttime winner of a Bud Light promotion, says he learned about the contest through his fiancée who will be accompanying him on the once-in-a-lifetime trip.
BUD LIGHT FOR ALL - BudLight’s newest Super Bowl promotion focused its efforts on providing a superior experience for football fans living in The Bahamas. AB-In Bev in partnership with BudLight distributor Jimmy’s Wines & Spirits recently launched a promotion that gave fans purchasing a six-pack of BudLight from any Jimmy’s location a chance to go to the Superbowl. In the end, 3 Bahamians won tickets. They and their guests will experience Super Bowl LVII Live and in person.
For Jermaine Humes, being present at the game in person will mean missing his weekly football association watch party. “I’m on the committee for the NFL Brotherhood and I was actually in the process of planning this year’s annual watch party,” he explained. “But this is an epic chance of a lifetime and I’m excited about the chance to be in the building.”
The three winners were randomly selected from entrants who participated nationwide, all of whom purchased a Bud Light 6-pack from Jimmy’s Wines & Spirits or their favourite bar or liquor distributor. The six Bahamians
courtesy of Ronnie Archer for Barefoot Marketing
will receive all-expensepaid trips to Arizona, tickets to the game - where the winners will also experience the highly anticipated return of Grammy awardwinning recording artist Rihanna who is scheduled to headline this year’s halftime show - plus VIP access to all Bud Light events.
“It’s a very satisfying feeling to see the excitement on our winner’s faces, just to be able to give back to our customers by providing access to these exclusive experiences is one of the best parts of this job,” said AB InBev Brand Manager, Nathan Arnett. “ Bud Light & Jimmy’s did not forget its other football
fans. Bud Light will host a major Super Bowl event in Nassau on February 12.
“Not everyone can win the trip, but every one of our promotions is really for the fans. So we wanted to bring the excitement of the Super Bowl game to The Bahamas,” Arnett explained.
On Super Bowl weekend, the party will kick into high gear with a massive watch party in Nassau at the Cricket Club grounds across from Arawak Cay.
There, attendees will be entertained, and enjoy Bud Light specials, giveaways, as well as fan gear and all the game day food favourites! “This year’s Super Bowl promotion, exceeds
anything we’ve done in the past,” said Arnett. “Our plan is to give the fans a superior football watch party experience because it really is about the support we receive from them. This is our way of giving back.”
Arnett and his team are already looking toward the future. “Bigger and better, that’s what people can expect from Bud Light and all AB InBev brands in 2023. We are excited and we hope everyone is ready for the ride.”
With Tatum on the bench, Detroit rallied to pull within seven points midway through the fourth quarter. Seconds after entering the game, the All-NBA player promptly set up Robert Williams for a dunk on his fourth assist to help stunt the potential comeback.
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, who averages 27 points, missed the game with a non-COVID illness. Sam Hauser filled in, making his first start in two seasons, and had five 3-pointers in the first half when he scored all of his 15 points.
Boston reserves Marcus Smart and Luke Kornet (left ankle) missed the game with ankle injuries.
Derrick White had 23 points, and reserve Malcolm Brogdon and Williams scored 15 points apiece for the Celtics, who lost four of their previous six games.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 21 for the Pistons, who have won just onefourth of their games and are likely vying with Houston and Charlotte for the No. 1 pick and a chance to select 7-foot-3 French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Detroit rookies Jaden Ivey had 14 points and five assists, while Jalen Duren scored seven points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
Killian Hayes scored 17 points and fellow reserve Saddiq Bey added 14 for the Pistons, who have lost eight of their last 10 games.
TIP-INS
Celtics: The 24-yearold Tatum is the youngest player in team history to be a four-time All-Star.
Pistons: The NBA rescheduled Detroit’s home game against Washington to March 7 that was postponed last week when the Pistons were stranded in Dallas due to a winter storm.
THE University of The Bahamas Mingoes women’s softball team picked up international experience during a South Florida tour against Fort Lauderdale University and Florida Memorial University recently.
The Mingoes lost to The Florida Memorial Lions 11-1 and 12-4 on Friday and lost to Fort Lauderdale University Eagles 11-0 and 20-3 on Saturday.
Head Coach Shane Albury said he felt the team could have done better over the weekend.
“One of our weaknesses last year was pitching but we improved on pitching this year but our defence fell down terribly this year,” he said. “That eventually led to the lopsided losses.”
He added that the offence was also a problem for the relatively young team.
“We didn’t hit the ball as well as we did before either,” he said. “We struggled hitting the ball and we struggled on defence and that just leads to losses. It was disappointing because we know we can hit the ball and the pitchers were doing a great job but unfortunately physical errors and mental errors resulted in us not performing as best we could have.”
Over the four games, Sophia Cartwright led the team with .650 batting average and Adonya Rolle led with .400 on base percentage.
The Mingoes ended the 2022 NPSA season in third place but were knocked out in the playoffs.
with home-court advantage in the first round, through 12th, two positions out of the postseason playin tournament. The 13th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, are just another two losses behind those bunched-up playoff hopefuls.
Jalen Brunson was crucial to Dallas’ playoff run alongside Doncic last season, but decided he wanted his own starting role as a point guard and left for the New York Knicks in free agency.
While the Mavericks traded for a solid No. 2 scorer in Christian Wood in the offseason, they haven’t been able to win without Doncic this season.
Dallas was 0-7 without Doncic going into the game against the Jazz, when Wood was expected to return after missing eight games with a fractured left thumb.
The Mavericks never really had a chance to see if the roster they built after Brunson’s departure was good enough for another deep postseason run.
Injuries sidelined defensive specialists
Finney-Smith and Josh Green for a few weeks, and rim protector Maxi Kleber joined them there after tearing a hamstring. Kleber could be near a return.
A year ago, the Mavericks were right around .500 when their surge started just as the calendar turned to 2022.
The arrival of 2023 hasn’t had the same effect — the high point so far is six games over .500 — but the Mavs hope the arrival of Irving will.
Dallas made the bold move to pair Doncic with Irving after the Nets’ attempt to do the same with Irving and Kevin Durant never had much chance to click in three-plus seasons.
The trade came two days after Irving told the Nets he wanted out by Thursday’s league deadline, after talks about a contract beyond this season didn’t go to his liking.
For now, Irving is set to become a free agent after the season. But future negotiations will involve Dallas general manager, who was a Nike executive before taking over the Mavericks in 2021.
Irving had a relationship with Nike for the entirety of his NBA career until earlier this season, when the sneaker giant dropped him and canceled the planned release of his next signature shoe just before it dropped. It was part of the massive fallout from Irving posting a link to an antisemitic film on his Twitter account.
That was one of many drama-filled sagas that marked Irving’s time with the Nets. He wouldn’t get vaccinated against COVID19 and, because of New York City workplace rules, had to miss most of Brooklyn’s home games last season. He also took two leaves of absence during the 2020-21 season.
He has also expressed no shortage of controversial opinions during his career — including repeated questioning whether the Earth was round before eventually apologizing to science teachers. “Thank you NetsWorld fans and supporters for the Love on and off the court,” Irving tweeted early Monday morning. “I will forever be grateful I got to live out my dream I had as a Kid with y’all. It will always be Love from me
collections ratio by 35 percentage points would, based on the latter sum, take the Government’s annual real property tax income to $210m from the $169.4m forecast for 2022-2023 and the $147m collected the prior year. The $280m billing value is almost half, or 50 percent, of the $554.5m real property tax revenues projected to be collected in 2026-2027. It is also less than the $501.2m forecast for the immediate term in $501.2m, and the considerable gap between these figures suggests the Government may have to do more than greater compliance and enforcement.
The Government, though, retains significant options for increasing real property tax yields beyond collecting the estimated $600m-plus in outstanding and past due taxes. It could increase rates, as well as further raise or eliminate the $120,000 cap, and end or amend the multiple carve-outs and exemptions granted from paying the tax. For instance, The Bahamas’ largest taxpayers - the hotels - are frequently exempted from real property tax payments in their Heads of Agreement.
Mr Davis signalled yesterday that the Government is also focusing on improving real property tax compliance in the Family
Islands. This is linked to the Government’s initiative to ensure 25 percent of the funds collected in these locations go into the Family Island Development Fund.
“Having completed the first mass re-assessment exercise in New Providence, over the next three years we are embarking on a comprehensive real property tax reassessment exercise in the Family Islands,” the Prime Minister said, referring to the work performed by Tyler Technologies in revamping property valuations and real estate included on the tax roll.
“This is a key component of our plan to triple revenue from the Family Islands over the next two years. I would like to remind honourable members that this effort will be of substantial benefit to the Family Islands, as we have committed that 25 percent of
collected real property tax collected will go into the Family Island Development Fund.”
Mr Davis left real property tax with a parting shot at the Minnis administration, saying: “We have also intensified our efforts in respect of the collection of property tax arrears. The previous administration allowed contracts with private collectors to expire. We have reinstated them. And, madam speaker, I am happy to report that these efforts have already produced a very favourable early harvest.” The Prime Minister also attributed the slight improvement in 2021 second quarter economic activity to the Minnis administration’s $231.2m increase in pre-election spending, describing this as unsustainable and producing no real or long-term impact. “I simply cannot
imagine why the Government went on such a useless spending spree in the run-up to the election,” he joked.
Elsewhere, Mr Davis said the Government’s plans to rationalise and streamline its fiscal reporting schedule via reforms to the Public Finance Management Act were not designed to water down transparency or accountability when it comes to the Government’s finances.
He added that this year will be the last that the Fiscal Strategy Report and Medium-Term Public Debt Management report that are issued and debated as standalone documents. Moving forward, Mr Davis said they will be released alongside the Budget to prevent “political mischief” that he asserted undermines The Bahamas’ economic and fiscal credibility.
The Opposition has frequently voiced concern that “inconsistencies” between the projections in the Fiscal Strategy Report and annual Budget harm The Bahamas’ in the eyes of investors and the international markets, but the Prime Minister argued that the latter is developed via a separate and “much more vigorous process”.
Pointing out that the Fiscal Strategy Report’s
forecasts are “not binding”, he added: “This misunderstanding, whether feigned or real, is a major reason why this year’s debate will be the last debate of the Fiscal Strategy Report and the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy as standalone documents, debated in isolation.
“The political mischiefmaking that accompanies these debates does real reputational and economic harm to our country..... This will ensure that all documents are based on the same economic assumptions, something which is not possible in the current framework, whereby one document is tabled in November and the other is tabled months later, in the last week of May.”
Mr Davis said the Government’s presently limited information and financial reporting systems make the current fiscal disclosure demands “simply unworkable”. And, given the ten months’ that elapse between the Fiscal Strategy Report’s compilation in August/September of every year, and the Budget’s May disclosure, Mr Davis said it was inevitable that the latter’s estimates will be revised to reflect fiscal and economic performance changes.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that
JHOMO MZAMDA GRAHAM of P.O Box N4655, Tall Pines, New Providence, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 31st day of January, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
N
LIMITED
(a) SULO LIMITED is in voluntary dissolution under the provisions of Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000.
(b) The dissolution of the said company commenced on the 3rd February, 2023 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.
(c) The Liquidator of the said company is Blue Seas Administration Ltd., The Bahamas Financial Centre, Shirley & Charlotte Streets, Nassau, Bahamas.
Dated this 7th day of February, 2023
N O T I C E
FOREVER FAITH HOLDINGS LIMITED
(a) FOREVER FAITH HOLDINGS LIMITED is in voluntary dissolution under the provisions of Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000.
(b) The dissolution of the said company commenced on the 3rd February, 2023 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.
(c) The Liquidator of the said company is Bukit Merah Limited, The Bahamas Financial Centre, Shirley & Charlotte Streets, P.O. Box N-3023, Nassau, Bahamas
Dated this 7th day of February, 2023
Bukit Merah Limited Liquidator
Instead, he argued his government made “a reasonable decision” to “deal with the emergency in front of us” by electing to tackle BPL’s existing payment arrears and imminent repayment of a $246m loan rather than enter into new hedging arrangements.
The Free National Movement (FNM), though, has constantly argued that the failure to support the hedging by purchasing extra cut-price oil volumes is responsible for the up to 163 percent fuel charge increases that many consumers will see in their light bills this summer when energy consumption peaks.
The latest House of Assembly clash broke out after Tribune Business last week revealed the extent of BPL’s debts. “The recent disclosure of approximately $150m of payment arrears of Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) represents a significant unbudgeted liability of the Government,” the Fiscal Strategy Report said. “To ensure continued provision of essential electrical services to the public, the Government has committed to ensuring payment of this liability by the corporation.”
Those connected to the Davis administration have reacted furiously to this newspaper’s report, and linking the $150m to the fuel hedging controversy, with the Prime Minister yesterday singling out its author by name in the House of Assembly. However, the Government has to-date not demanded any correction or retraction, produced any evidence to rebut the article or asked to publish a counter viewpoint.
Mr Davis, kicking-off his counter-attack, told the House of Assembly that BPL “was, to give it a technical term, a complete mess” when his administration took office in September 2021. He said: “A $246m balloon [loan] payment was due in February 2022. There was no plan in place to pay for it. They were in significant arrears to all their vendors; all of their vendors, they were in arrears.
“They failed to come up with a semblance of a plan to move BPL to sustainability. They kept talking about a Rate Reduction Bond (RRB), but the market wasn’t having it. They had no other ideas. A bond like that is one instrument, not a comprehensive plan. BPL’s record-keeping was so poor that they could could not even access reimbursement from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for Dorian expenditure.
“For every dollar spent they could have been reimbursed. They didn’t have the receipts, they did not have the record-keeping to do it.” The Government preferred the Ministry of Finance’s concerns to advice from BPL’s former Board and management in declining to execute the fuel hedge-supporting oil purchases due in September and December 2021.
Tribune Business previously reported the ministry’s concerns that the Government and BPL last year
lacked the $40m in free cash needed to finance the necessary trades. Officials said the cash-strapped position at both the Public Treasury and BPL in September 2021 meant there was simply no liquidity available to finance the acquisition of more below-market oil to further underpin BPL’s fuel hedge.
BPL also faced having to finance the $246m loan, referenced by the Prime Minister yesterday, which was due to mature in February 2022 with no funds to repay it. Besides concerns related to the availability of necessary financing, there were issued with the actual design of the hedge, the costs associated with it and the actual transaction.
Turning to the hedging issue yesterday, Mr Davis said: “There’s been much noise about hedging. There were multiple hedges in place [when his administration took office]. None of the hedges in place were stopped or cancelled. None, I repeat, was stopped or cancelled.
“There was a request to review one of the hedges that was expiring, and our government decided that instead of choosing to pay new [hedging] premiums, we decided to make progress on the very significant arrears left in place.”
The Prime Minister then alleged that the Minnis administration “had the same opportunity in June 2021” to approve further traded but declined to do so, adding: “You wouldn’t know that from all the noise they make.” However, Tribune Business contacts yesterday said no requests for any additional requests were made of the former administration for further BPL trades in June 2021, contradicting the Prime Minister’s position.
And Mr Pintard, speaking to this newspaper last night, indicated that the then-BPL Board’s June 2021 presentation to the Minnis Cabinet - of which he was part - involved the the utility’s proposed $535m Rate Reduction Bond (RRB) refinancing which ultimately never proceeded.
The Prime Minister, addressing the House of Assembly yesterday, added: “Let’s remember what a hedge is. It’s a bet, a gamble.” While it was designed to lock-in fuel prices in advance, so that electricity consumers enjoy price stability and predictability, he cited the example of a Florida utility that lost billions over a ten-year period after spot market oil prices declined below the price at which it had hedged.
And Mr Davis also implied that executing the September 2021 trades would have been of little
use in protecting Bahamian businesses and households from the oil price spike produced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This was because the hedge they were tied to “only covered a period beginning in July 2022”.
“In September 2021, we decided to deal with the emergency in front of us rather than making a forward bet, a forward gamble. It was a reasonable decision,” Mr Davis argued. Not so says the Opposition, which has consistently charged that failing to execute the hedge-supporting trades has triggered a chain reaction resulting in the rolling series of fuel charge hikes consumers will face in their electricity bills throughout 2023.
Much of the political back-and-forth would likely ease if the Government publishes a detailed breakdown of BPL’s $150m in unpaid arrears, identifying who it is owed to, how much each creditor is owed, when every debt was incurred and the plan for paying this off. The Prime Minister indicated he would do just that following another heated exchange with Mr Pintard during the House of Assembly’s afternoon session.
Responding to the Opposition leader’s suggestion that BPL had fully settled its Shell fuel bills before the Minnis administration was voted out of office in mid-September 2021, Mr Davis branded this a “blatant, blatant untruth”.
Referring to Mr Pintard’s information sources, he said: “You can tell them they lied. Stop pedaling untruths. Because that is untrue and you are pedaling it. You are pedaling untruths. Shell was owed over $100m that was not paid by the former administration.”
But multiple Tribune Business sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, yesterday said the former BPL Board under the Minnis administration had settled Shell’s bill in full every month for fear any unpaid arrears would give the multinational energy giant leverage in their negotiations over the deal to develop a new multi-fuel power plant in southwest New Providence.
This was last night backed by Mr Pintard, who told this newspaper that BPL’s fuel bill to Shell had “a clean bill of health” in documents presented to the Minnis Cabinet concerning the Rate Reduction Bond (RRB) refinancing. He added that the energy multinational did not feature in any list of vendors owed “legacy debt” that were due to be paid off from the bond’s proceeds.
If such assertions are correct, it would suggest the
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The Public is hereby advised that we, the parents, ERNEST KNOWLES and MALINE KNOWLES of Spen Street, Masson Addition, New Providence, Bahamas, intend to change our son’s name from DAYLANO AHMARIO ELTINE to DAYLANO AHMARIO KNOWLES If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Offcer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.
unpaid Shell debts - and, indeed, much of BPL’s $150m arrears - were largely incurred during the period after the Davis administration took office. Neither the 2022-2023 Budget, nor the previous Fiscal Strategy Report, made any mention of the $150m BPL arrears, and it was only in this year’s document that they suddenly became “a significant unbudgeted liability” for the Government and Bahamian taxpayers.
Mr Davis, though, yesterday asserted that BPL’s $150m arrears were largely composed of unpaid fuel bills that had “failed to be paid by the FNM”. He was responding to Mr Pintard’s attack that he was providing the House of Assembly with “patently false” information in saying the Minnis administration was asked to execute the necessary trades in June 2021.
The Prime Minister responded by stating the Opposition leader must answer whether the administration he was part of rejected the trade execution that month. However, Mr Pintard retorted: “You cannot recover on this issue.
A Cabinet paper was prepared for September [2021]. This administration had the opportunity to do so. They failed to execute it. This has resulted in an up to 163 percent increase in the fuel charge.
“These documents go further. It talks of a $150m liability. This administration didn’t think it important enough to come to the public and explain the $150m liability until now.”
Mr Davis, accusing Mr Pintard of “drinking the Kool Aid” from Tribune Business, hit back by saying of the $150m: “It speaks to the Government paying this legacy debt owed to the fuel supplier. It has nothing to do with the hedge.
“It has to do with the debt that was failed to be paid by the FNM. It’s an accrued bill.” Continuing despite Mr Pintard saying: “Whatever you want”, Mr Davis added: “It’s an accumulation of $150m of legacy debt at BPL, and we are paying $10m a month to satisfy that. It has nothing to do
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with hedging. It’s the fuel supply not paid for.”
Alfred Sears, minister for public works and utilities, who has responsibility for BPL, last October informed the House of Assembly that the utility’s debt to Shell was around $90m as he unveiled the plans to pay it off in a series of $10m monthly installments through to June 2023. The $90m potentially accounts for the bulk of the $150m arrears identified in the Fiscal Strategy Report.
Mr Pintard, undeterred, said: “The issue of how that accumulated. The failure of this administration... We’ve done multiple press releases as to how this administration by failing to execute in September, by failing to execute in February, accounted for much of the arrears shown here.”
Again, Mr Davis denied that the Fiscal Strategy Report’s $150m arrears was connected to BPL’s fuel hedging and failure to execute the supporting trades. “Go to your source and get the information corrected,” he told Mr Pintard, saying of the Opposition leader: “He’s saying a lot of false things in the House. There was no plan to address the legacy debt owed.”
The FNM chief, though, while reiterating his regret that the Minnis administration did not approve BPL’s $535m refinancing, denied Mr Davis’ assertions by arguing that the bond “did find an audience in the international community that was very favourable initially to taking advantage of it” until rising global interest rates made its placement unattractive.
Mr Pintard also refuted suggestions that the former Board had no comprehensive turnaround strategy for BPL, and accused the Government of seeking to “white wash” the fuel
hedging controversy and the resulting impact it is having on consumer bills. Mr Davis, though, asserted that “no one was listening” to the RRB pitch, and added: “The RRB went nowhere. They had four years to get it right. Did they?”
There was, though, no explanation for why Bahamian businesses and households will be paying fuel charges that are much higher than current global oil market spot prices even though the latter have decreased compared to the February-March 2022 highs. Global oil prices were last night trading at $74.91 per barrel on the West Texas Intermediate index, and $81.77 per barrel on Brent Crude.
The $90m debt to Shell is likely to have been accrued because BPL held its fuel charge at the hedged 10.5 cents per kilowatt hour (KWh) price even after the trades to secure extra cut-price volumes were not executed. This resulted in BPL having to buy increasing fuel volumes at higher global market spot prices, and the 10.5 cents was insufficient to cover its fuel costs.
BPL’s fuel costs are supposed to be passed on 100 percent to consumers by law, and government officials last October conceded that it had cost taxpayers “tens of millions of dollars” to hold the utility’s fuel charge at 10.5 cents per KWh. With the Government prevented from providing direct subsidies, the higher BPL fuel charges are required to reimburse the Government for paying-off Shell’s debts and effectively keeping the lights on.
“Bet Vegas has paid all of its fees that were levied for the RFP process in full. Bet Vegas has paid all of its monthly gaming taxes in full since the Government regulation came into effect; in excess of $400,000,” he said in a December 22, 2015, interview.
“Bet Vegas has paid all of its bills up to date, including National Insurance. Bet Vegas has spent over $200,000 to implement the systems and infrastructure that were required by the RFP (Request for Proposal) for licensing. Bet Vegas also has its local server at Cable Bahamas, which was required by law. If all of these were put into place, then why is it that Bet Vegas is the only operator without a license?”
However, Justice Charles’ judgment more than seven years’ after these events upholds the Gaming Board’s verdict in its entirety. Bet Vegas’ challenge to its licence denial, filed on November 2, 2015, attacked the decision as “unreasonable and unsatisfactory” because it was “denied due process” and the move was not supported by evidence. The web shop also argued that it had “a legitimate expectation” to qualify for a licence.
Mr Brown, in Bet Vegas’ licence application on March 10, 2015, was listed as its 99.66 percent majority owner. The only two
other shareholders were listed as Florence Knowles (his mother) and Leonardo Rodgers (his brother), each serving as executive directors and secretary and vice-president of the web shop, respectively. Both held a 0.2 percent stake.
However, Justice Charles said she could have halted Bet Vegas’ action at the preliminary stage because, as an unlicensed operator, it did not cease business on October 26, 2015, when the industry’s transition to legal operations as required by the Gaming Act 2014.
She added that Kenria Smith, lead attorney for the Gaming Board from the Attorney General’s Office, “argued that it is crystal clear from the evidence of Mr Brown, adduced on November 14, 2016, and November 13, 2017, respectively that the appellant continued to knowingly - and with blatant disregard for the law - operate numerous gaming facilities in contravention of the Act.
“In doing so, says Ms Smith, he siphoned domestic players away from licensed gaming house operators and deprived the consolidated fund of the gaming tax revenue that should have been generated by their play. In light of these illegal activities, this court ordered that all such unlawful operations cease by April 30, 2020.
“Counsel maintained that the appellant is not entitled to be heard as he relies on
what he clearly understood to be his continued illegal act, upon which he moved the court to consider.” Mr Brown and Bet Vegas did not respond to this, and Justice Charles added: “It is not in dispute that the cessation period ended on October 26, 2015, when the appellant ought to have ceased operation.
“The appellant’s continued operation of Bet Vegas renders its operation unlawful...., and such illegal operation is also ground for the disqualification of such business for any licence under.... the Act. As the respondents correctly argued, the appellant ought not to be heard on his appeal. On this preliminary objection alone, I ought to dismiss the appeal with costs to the respondents. In the event that I am wrong to come to this conclusion, I shall carry on with the appeal.”
The Gaming Board, in common with its regulatory counterparts throughout the world, has to conduct especially thorough investigations into licence applicants and their senior employes given the substantial amount of customer monies they handle.
Ian Tynes, the Gaming Board’s secretary, in giving evidence on the regulator’s behalf said Bet Vegas first came to his predecessor’s attention over its employees allegedly using handheld devices to enable customers to gamble. The web shop was warned on April 15, 2015,
that if such allegations were proven its application for a licence would be denied.
Subsequently, Mr Brown was asked to provide information on net worth, ownership and funding by the Gaming Board on July 15, 2015. Some two weeks later, he informed the regulator that his web shop’s software supplier, RSL Ltd, had stopped providing casino game platforms due to a contract dispute.
Mr Tynes, in his evidence, cited multiple grounds for why Bet Vegas was denied a licence. These included Mr Brown being “unable or unwilling” to provide evidence that the web shop’s financing came from reputable sources, and doubts that he had been “transparent” over Bet Vegas’ ownership
There were also concerns about a December 8, 2014, “deed of assignment”, in which Vernal Major had conveyed to Bet Vegas five web shops bearing the latter’s name for a “conspicuously nominal” $10 price. The Gaming Board became concerned about whether Mr Major would have any continued role in the web shop’s operation or share in its revenue, and no clarity was allegedly provided by Mr Brown.
The five web shop locations covered in the deed did not match the addresses of the five that Beg Vegas said it would operate once licensed. The Gaming Board also had misgivings about Bet Vegas
and Mr Brown’s ties to businesses operating as Bowe’s Tavern, Bowe’s Web Shop, Bowe’s Liquor and Bowe’s Electronics, given that one of the five web shops it planned to operate referred to Bowe’s Sporting Lounge.
And, in relation to Bowe’s, Mr Brown denied knowing its principals or a Donnie Stuart. He added that he only knew John Stuart from leasing two properties for Bet Vegas - its operations centre and Blue Hill Road and Market Street location. The Gaming Board, though, said its investigation found such assertions to be questionable.
“On or about May 28, 2015, in connection with a site inspection of the appellant’s Blue Hill Road and Martin Street premises, senior level Board staff observed a person, who introduced himself as John Stuart and, as manager of the location, engaged in counting what he represented to be cashier floats impressed at $5,000 each in a secure area of the premises,” according to Mr Tynes’ evidence.
“When confronted with the observations of Board staff during the course of the September 9, 2015, interview, Mr Brown contended “it could not be John Stuart” but did not otherwise put forth any information to refute the observation.” And interviews with Bet Vegas’ senior management team raised “a very strong suggestion” that “possibly many” of
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The Davis administration is presently examining whether change at the GBPA is best achieved through either a private buyer acquiring the Hayward and St George families’ ownership interests, the Government doing itself or the regulatory and quasi-governmental powers being devolved back to Nassau.
Rupert Hayward, grandson of former GBPA
co-chair, Sir Jack Hayward, has pledged “an ambitious masterplan for change” to create “thousand of jobs” in Freeport, while backing Prime Minister Philip Davis KC’s stance that Grand Bahama is “in desperate need of progressive and transformational change”.
Mr Hayward indicated his family intend to play a central role in this by acting as a Bahamian partner for “blue chip” foreign investors. While providing
no specifics, Mr Hayward told this newspaper he has already submitted “a new partnership” proposal that “can attract billions of dollars in investment [and] create thousands of jobs” for Freeport and the wider Grand Bahama to the Davis administration.
Mr Hayward’s statement indicated he is seeking to restructure the GBPA and its relationship with the Government such that the latter has more say over Freeport’s
An industrial company located in Freeport, Grand Bahama is seeking to employ an experienced Human Resources Coordinator to support their Human Resources Department
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Recruits, interviews, tests, and selects candidates to fll vacant positions.
Develops and/ or maintains descriptions for all new jobs, reviewing and update job descriptions as needed.
Assists with new policy and procedure development and responds to inquiries regarding policies, procedures, and related programs.
Plans and conducts new employee orientation to foster positive attitude toward company vision, mission and goals.
Identifes legal requirements and government reporting regulations afecting human resources functions and ensures policies, procedures, and reporting are all in compliance.
Improves manager and employee performances by identifying and clarifying problems; evaluating and implementing potential solutions; coaching and counseling managers and employees.
Assist employees with solutions to queries regarding eligibility, salaries, benefts, and other pertinent information.
Coordinates training for employees and contractors in regard to sof skills, technical, quality and safety topics.
Coordinates and develops management training in regard to interviewing, leadership development and performance management.
Maintains the confdentiality of the HR department in regard to employee disclosures and issues.
Responsible for the administration of the Employee Wellness and Recognition programs.
Responsible for the administration of the Compensation Program ensuring that it is internally and externally equitable through the processes of Job Evaluations and Salary Surveys, and that Company Benefts are competitive through the exercise of Benefts Surveys.
Maintains human resources records by maintaining paper-based and electronic records.
Assist with the preparation of the department budget.
Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks and participating in professional organizations.
May be assigned other projects by the Human Resources Manager
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Human Resources or related feld with preferred minimum three (3) HR generalist experience or equivalent work experience. Human Resources Certifcation would be a plus.
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SKILLS AND SPECIFICATIONS:
Have good interpersonal skills and be able to communicate efectively to carry out broad objectives with minimum supervision.
Knowledge of adult learning practices and techniques to include visual aids, interactive exercises/ activities and theoretical application as needed to train.
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Have the ability to facilitate collaboration between individuals and also between the best interests of an employee and that of PharmaChem.
Be adept at creating win-win situations.
Be compassionate and understanding of his fellow employee. Strong ability to handle confdential information with discretion and maturity. Salary will be commensurate with qualifcations and experience.
Only candidates who are legally authorized to work in the Bahamas will be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Interested candidates should submit their resumes in confdence, including name, email address and telephone contact information to:
running and future through “a true Public-Private Partnership” that represents the interests of all parties including city residents and GBPA licensees.
The GBPA, while described by some as a ‘regulatory shell’, still possesses considerable powers that include business licensing, building code and environmental enforcement, city management, and the power to levy fees and service charges together with the operation of a free trade zone that offers multiple forms of tax relief to investors.
However, its incomeearning assets have been transferred to Port Group Ltd. These include the 50 percent equity stakes in DevCO and the Freeport Harbour Company, likely to be the two families’ most valuable assets, together with interests in multiple other companies such as Freeport
Commercial & Industrial, another major landowner.
Mr Thompson, meanwhile, called on the Government to provide an update on the purported sale of Equinor Bahamas oil storage facility to Liwothan Group, an oil terminal and logistics headquartered in Estonia, which also has assets in London.
“It is vitally important that the Government not allow Equinor to leave without ensuring that sufficient funds and resources are in place to compensate residents and businesses for any damages that have been left or damages done and not been cleaned up,” Mr Thompson said in reference to the Hurricane Dorian oil spill.
“The Environment Act ensures that the Government has the power to ensure this does not happen. I ask the question: What is being done to ensure resources are in place and not allow Equinor to leave without paying for those resources.
FROM PAGE A24
continue to strive for regulatory excellence,” Mr Pinder said.
“It is important that regulatory compliance and a progressive approach not be left to government or to private industries. Regulators must also be involved in leading the way. We see this in our regulators and they should be commended for their leadership.”
Mr Pinder pointed to the Securities Commission’s involvement with IOSCO, the global body for securities regulators, as one example, plus the Central Bank showcasing its research capabilities at its fourth anti-money laundering conference attended by both the FATF’s president and vice-president.
“These are the types of activities and leadership that is required in order to differentiate The Bahamas in the regulatory space. We will differentiate ourselves, but it’s not always easy and, for a small country like The Bahamas, as we all recognise, we are generally judged at a different standard; it is not an equal playing field,” Mr Pinder reiterated.
“Therefore, when it comes to regulation, and specifically regarding money laundering, it is vital that we demonstrate The Bahamas’ full-throated commitment to the global fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.”
Noting that the Securities Commission was already moving on reforms to The Bahamas’ digital assets regulatory regime prior to FTX’s collapse, Mr Pinder said the push for a minimum global
the web shop’s locations and agents would not be under its control or that of Mr Brown.
The Bet Vegas principal was also said to have reduced the valuation of a note payable, listed in the web shop’s net worth statement, from $1.8m to $180,000. That note payable was represented as a loan from Mr Brown’s Florida company, Sanjay Chraritable Holdings, to Bet Vegas, with the latter valued at $2m.
No documents were provided to support this, and the Gaming Board had doubts as to whether Mr Brown was “ordinarily resident” in The Bahamas as required by law given the amount of time he spent in the US before November 2014. Then there was “the unauthorised expansion” beyond the four locations and one agent that Bet Vegas has pledged to operate during the transition period to the industry’s legalisation.
“According to Mr Tynes, the repeated and overt expansion constituted a blatant disregard on the part of the appellant for its regulatory obligations and demonstrated a lack of corporate integrity, honesty and regard for the law that was deleterious to the fostering of a good reputation for the domestic gaming sector, to the health, safety, morals, good order and general welfare of the inhabitants of The Bahamas and in inimical to the provisions and policies of the Act,” Justice Charles wrote. She found that Bet Vegas’ challenge had little merit on any of the grounds put forward.
While the Government has leverage before the sale is complete, the Government must ensure that sufficient resources remain to compensate and complete any clean-up necessary.
“Environmentalists have continued to express their concern.” Some 55,000 barrels of oil, around 3 percent of the total storage volume, was estimated to have been blown into the surrounding area when Hurricane Dorian’s Category Five winds destroyed the roofs of several tanks at Equinor’s South Riding Point facility.
Equinor responded by investing in clean-up and remediation at the site but, some 16 months after Dorian’s passage, a Bahamas National Trust (BNT) report in late 2021 raised concerns that there continues to be a high concentration of crude oil around the terminal that remains a threat to wildlife. Some 31 acres was said to require revegetation, with Equinor promising to respond to the BNT’s concerns.
Wilson, the Ministry of Finance’s financial secretary, last week said a consultative “green paper” on the move will likely be issued before the 2023 first quarter ends.
corporate tax rate of 15 percent was another initiative this nation must address.
At present, the G-7 and OECD-led initiative, to which 138 countries including The Bahamas have committed, seeks to impose a corporate income tax on multinational enterprises with an annual turnover of 750m euros or greater. “A corporate income tax is clearly a novel approach in The Bahamas and will have significant regulatory reform for the country in tax administration, affecting almost every area of the cross-border economy,” Mr Pinder said.
“The OECD/G20 inclusive framework on BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) released just this week technical guidance to assist governments with implementation of the landmark reform to the international tax system, which will ensure multinational enterprises will be subject to a 15% effective minimum tax rate.
“As continued guidance is released by the OECD we will have to advance our regulatory reform on taxation to ensure that we are compliant and have a new corporate tax regime.” The Ministry of Finance, in a paper on the issue released last year, said: “The imposition of a corporate income tax would necessitate a significant reform of Business Licence fees, very likely including the elimination of the turnover-based annual fee for the vast majority of Bahamian businesses.
“As such, the net annual revenue gain from a new corporate income tax would most certainly be significantly reduced.” Simon
Meanwhile, Mr Pinder said The Bahamas needs to keep a careful eye on potential FATF-related reforms concerning trust beneficiaries given this product’s importance to the country’s financial services sector. “Given the importance of the trust industry to The Bahamas, it is important to note that additional regulation on the beneficial ownership of legal arrangements and trusts may be forthcoming,” he added.
“Following the June 2022 plenary meeting of the global FATF, the antimoney laundering standards body has published a consultation paper on revisions to its recommendation 25, regarding transparency and beneficial ownership of legal arrangements such as trusts.
Recommendation 25 currently requires trustees to obtain and hold information on beneficiaries or classes of beneficiaries. FATF is considering setting the nexus of such obligations to countries where the trustees reside or where the trusts are administered.
“FATF has asked consultation respondents whether it should create a separate, standalone definition of ‘beneficial owner’ in the context of legal arrangements, distinct from that for legal persons, and also seeks suggestions on strengthening the requirement for countries to have access to beneficial ownership information in respect of legal arrangements. These clearly will have material implications for our trust business in The Bahamas.”
BANK of The Bahamas is hoping to receive regulatory approval to restart commercial lending activities next month, its managing director said yesterday.
Kenrick Brathwaite, speaking as the BISXlisted bank opened its latest branch on JFK Drive, told Tribune Business it was the correct time for the institution to re-enter a market segment that was
the previously the cause of its two taxpayer-funded rescues since it had been “in the black” for several years with consistent profitability.
“Last year our profitability was over $11m, so we expect to continue to grow.
We’re only waiting on the Central Bank now to give us the OK to resume lending commercially, then we can be on par with all of the other banks. We expect that imminently next month - by next month,” Mr Brathwaite said.
Bank of The Bahamas has been prevented from engaging in commercial lending to businesses since
2013-2014. The Central Bank first has to complete an assessment to determine whether the BISX-listed institution, which is more than 82 percent majorityowned by a combination of the Public Treasury and National Insurance Board, has sufficiently robust risk controls such that there will not be a repeat of the huge delinquencies which almost led to the bank’s collapse.
The Government ultimately initiated two bail-outs of Bank of the Bahamas, the first in 2014 and the second in 2018, which transferred ‘toxic’ commercial loans worth a
gross $267m to a special purpose vehicle (SPV), Bahamas Resolve. Taxpayers contributed at least a further $40m via a subsequent rights issue that had to be fully subscribed for by the Government shareholders.
Mr Brathwaite, meanwhile, said of the new JFK branch: “This opening is incorporated into the overall strategy that the bank has established for Bank of the Bahamas that will allow all stakeholders to take a journey with us - this journey of success - with anticipation of becoming the most efficient,
customer-centric financial institution in this Bahamas.
“This journey, which began some years ago, involves rebuilding our image. This is a part of that improving our products and services, developing all bank personnel, introducing sound policies and practices, upgrading our systems. Last but never least, enhancing our customer service. Many of you do have an appreciation for this journey having been in various aspects.”
He continued: “We have come a long way on this journey. However, we also recognise that we still have
By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIAN fishermen are confirming that crawfish prices have slumped 42 percent from last year’s high although catch volumes remain high.
Keith Carroll, the National Fisheries Association’s (NFA) president, told Tribune Business that while
lobster prices have fallen by $9 - from 2021’s high of $21 per pound to $12 - many fishermen were enjoying the “largest ever season” for catch volumes.
“There is nothing we can do about the price; we just have to hope that this war or whatever is causing it will now ease up,” he said in reference to Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
“I don’t think anybody is in the mood to cut demand to spike up the price. Nobody
wants to take that chance. Everybody just wants to get back out there and fish.”
qPaul Mailis, a National Fisheries Association director, said there have been no “major sightings” of Dominican poachers and other nationalities reported to him. “We always have the clandestine poaching that comes in the form of tourist charters where they’re pretending to be a tourist, but they’re actually
undertaking commercial fishing,” he added.
“Those things are always ongoing, and they’re a little bit harder to nab because of the sophisticated means that they employ, including bribery and evading law enforcement. So it’s always a challenge with those types of poachers. But in terms of large poachers from the south, I have not heard of any recent sightings, and I think that is because we’ve really stepped up our game
in terms of our law enforcement efforts.
“The Defence Force is being helped greatly by our friends in the United States, and in Canada. with different technologies that have been put into place.”
Mr Mailis blamed the slump in crawfish prices on increased competition from South American countries who have previously stayed outside the spiny lobster market. “The only thing
a long way to go to complete this journey of success. We are happy that each of you has agreed to participate in this journey by your presence here today. The opening of this branch represents a step in the overall strategy of us achieving our strategic goals.”
Prime Minister Philip Davis, who attended the branch’s opening, yesterday said it was estimated that “18 percent of our population is unbanked, meaning roughly 70,000 Bahamians do not have access to (vital) banking services”.
that I can really say without controversy is that there’s been more people in the market. So last year’s price was more of an anomaly than it was the norm, and then the market kind of corrected itself a little bit,” he added.
“Because now because the prices were so good last year internationally, for a lot of players in the Caribbean spiny market, other players entered the market from South America, so there’s a lot more people that are involved in the lobster market now.”
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE GAMING Board’s decision to reject a web shop’s licence bid during the industry’s legalisation was fully vindicated yesterday by the Supreme Court.
Justice Indra Charles, in a written verdict, ruled there was “cogent evidence” supporting the regulator’s finding that Bet Vegas was an “unsatisfactory” applicant for a Gaming House Operator Licence after it conducted an investigation “based on the law and best practices” employed by the global gaming industry.
The judge said Bet Vegas’ action should have been dismissed without the merits of its
case being heard because it had continued operating for four-andhalf years without a licence until the Supreme Court ordered closure of its “unlawful operations on April 30, 2020.
THE PRIME Minister and Opposition’s leader yesterday accused each other of making “false” statements as renewed hostilities erupted over Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) $150m in unpaid bills.
Philip Davis KC slammed Michael Pintard for uttering a “blatant, blatant untruth” as the duo clashed in the House of Assembly over what had caused this arrears, which administration was responsible and whether it was linked to the ongoing controversy surrounding BPL’s fuel hedging initiative.
The Opposition leader, though, hit back by asserting that the Prime Minister was making statements “which are patently false” as BPL’s financial woes consumed much of the House of Assembly debate on the Government’s just-released 2022 Fiscal Strategy Report.
THE Bahamas must display a “full-throated commitment” fighting all forms of financial crime, the attorney general reiterated yesterday, while pointing to the imminent challenge posed by global corporate tax reforms.
Ryan Pinder KC, addressing a financial services regulator “roundtable” convened by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, said it was critical for The Bahamas to continue to “differentiate” itself on regulatory matters because it was “not an equal playing field” when it came to antimoney laundering and counter-terror financing standards and their application.
Pointing to the “tremendous efforts” undertaken since 2015 to address alleged deficiencies in the country’s regulatory regime, he added that this work had paid off with The Bahamas’ “significant achievement” of a perfect ‘40 out of 40 compliance with recommendations by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setter for anti-financial crime regulation.
“The Bahamas became the second jurisdiction in the Caribbean and the Americas to attain such a position, and only the sixth in the FATF’s global network of 206 jurisdictions. We
SEE PAGE A22
The two exchanged blows as Mr Davis sought to discredit the BPL fuel hedging strategy implemented in summer 2020 under the former Minnis administration, while also arguing that the $150m arrears disclosed in the Fiscal Strategy Report largely related to “legacy”
Nevertheless, Justice Charles proceeded to hear the web shop’s full claim. The Gaming Board ultimately rejected Bet Vegas’ licence application due to “blatant disregard” for the
law governing the industry’s transition period, as the sector’s activities moved from being illegal to lawful; questions over its funding sources and ownership; potential links to a group of businesses using the corporate name ‘Bowe’ and persons connected to it; and lack of disclosure.
Bet Vegas was the sole applicant out of nine to be rejected for a Gaming House licence when the web shop industry was legalised, regulated and taxed in 2015. Anthony Brown, its president, at the time described its rejection as “nonsense” and added that it had paid all outstanding taxes and fees required.
debt owed to the energy monopoly’s fuel supplier, Shell.
The Prime Minister, asserting that much of the Shell debt was incurred under the Minnis administration, also denied there was any connection between BPL’s $150m unpaid bills and his administration’s September 2021 decision not to execute trades to acquire further low-cost fuel that would have underpinned the utility’s existing hedging strategies.
SEE PAGE A21
THE OPPOSITION’S
finance spokesman yesterday backed calls for change at the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and argued that its present structure has “outlasted the times”.
Kwasi Thompson, also the east Grand Bahama MP, used his contribution to the House of Assembly’s Fiscal Strategy Report debate to argue that Freeport’s quasi-governmental and regulatory authority must become “accountable” to the people it serves and not just its owners, the Hayward and St George families.
“Madam Speaker, recently the topic of the Grand Bahama Port Authority has been raised in the media,” Mr Thompson said, referring to multiple Tribune Business articles on the subject. “Clearly, we need a change in the Grand Bahama Port Authority. It has always been my view that the Grand Bahama Port Authority structure has outlasted the times.
“We need a GBPA that is accountable to the people of Grand Bahama and not just their shareholders. We need a GBPA that can and will provide a new vision for the island. We also need a GBPA that can provide the resources that the island needs for redevelopment.
“We also need more land available for development in Freeport that businesses can and Grand Bahamians can take advantage of. We need more responsibility and power in the hands of Grand Bahamians backed by an international partner with the resources to make this happen.”
Mr Thompson, a former Cabinet minister in the Minnis administration, spoke out after this newspaper revealed the Government is exploring its options over how to bring about Freeport’s revival through what some believe could be the greatest transformation in the city’s management since its founding treaty, the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, was signed in 1955.
SEE PAGE A22
THE PRIME Minister yesterday defended the Government’s aggressive target of more than tripling real property tax collections by asserting it plans to collect 75 percent of annual billings “within the next four years”.
Philip Davis KC, leading off debate on the Fiscal Strategy Report 2022 in the House of Assembly, reiterated that the Government presently collects only 40 percent of the real property tax it issues bills for every year.
Responding to Michael Pintard, the Opposition’s leader, who last week said he was “stunned” by the Government’s forecast that property tax revenues will more than triple to $555m by 2026-2027, the Prime Minister said such low compliance rates “must change”.
“The basic fact is that we collect less than 40 percent of the real property tax that is billed annually. Let me say that again. The Government of The Bahamas collects less than 40 percent of the real property tax that is billed annually,” Mr Davis told MPs. “Honourable members should appreciate that the Government’s revenue from real property taxes would be more than doubled if all real property tax billed was collected. That has to change. And, to do so, we are making some necessary investments in technology and people. Within the next four years, our goal is to collect more than 75 percent of the property tax billed.”
However, based on Mr Davis’ 2022-2023 Budget address from last May, total annual real property tax billings are currently valued at a collective $280m. Increasing the
SEE PAGE A20
‘Full-throated’ effort urged