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Volume: 120 No.66, April 5, 2023

POLICE QUESTION

EX-PM MINNIS

Investigation into last administration’s food programme confirmed

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Prime Minis-

ter Dr Hubert Minnis said police officers interviewed him earlier this year as part of an extensive criminal investigation into his administration’s COVID-19 food assistance programme.

Dr Minnis, who The Tribune contacted, said three senior officers interviewed

iHoP draws crowd for grand oPening

him for over an hour. He said police gave him the option to be questioned at a police station or a neutral location. He chose the latter and was accompanied by his lawyer.

In the first official confirmation of the criminal probe, Deputy Commissioner of Police Leamond Deleveaux said yesterday that more than 75 people

SEE PA GE T H REE

customers left frustrated a s courier comPany closes

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

COURIER company Blue Postal is closing the “clearance/courier arm” of its Bahamian operations. Some customers awaiting overdue packages received notices of the plan this week.

However, Blue Postal officials could not be reached for information up

to press time yesterday.

News of the company’s purported plans comes after The Tribune reported last week that several companies had been temporarily barred from clearing imported shipments because of allegedly failing to pay taxes to the government.

Simon Wilson, the Ministry of Finance’s financial

SEE PA GE SEVEN

‘Hundreds of millions of tax dollars’ owed to govt

By

atlantis bracing for $17m bPl bill increase

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ATLANTIS yesterday revealed it is bracing for a $17m year-over-year hike in electricity costs despite “still setting revenue records” through 2023’s winter tourism season and into the upcoming peak Easter weekend.

Vaughn Roberts, senior vice-president of government affairs and special projects, told Tribune Business that the Paradise Island mega resort and wider tourism industry had “lobbied as hard as we could” over the up to 163 percent fuel charge increase unveiled by Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) but were informed by the government there was “nothing it can do”.

cHild abuse cases uP near

50 Percent

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY 200 child abuse cases were reported between January and March 2023 in New Providence, a near 50 per cent increase over the same period in 2022.

According to statistics from the Department of Social Services, there were 191 reported child abuse cases, up from 90 during the same period last year. Categories of child abuse include abandonment, neglect, and rape.

Most abuse cases involved sexual abuse, with 51 reported cases up to March, an increase from 28 in 2022.

Last week, the Department of Inland Revenue (DIR) conducted an islandwide sweep of Harbour Island companies, seizing assets of at least two businesses suspected of owing $1.3m in taxes.

Meanwhile, several courier companies have been temporarily barred from clearing imported shipments over their failure to pay up to “seven figures” in due taxes to the government.

Photo:

FINANCIAL Secretary Simon Wilson

IHOP draws large crowd for grand opening

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Mortimer family yesterday were the first customers to be welcomed into The Bahamas’ first IHOP yesterday, after dozens of residents camped outside on Monday night to win the chance of receiving free pancakes for the next year.

Hundreds of people lined up outside the doors of the new restaurant at the Mall at Marathon waiting to get a taste of the famous pancakes. One customer in line

yelled: “These pancakes better be good!”

Burton Rodgers, the IHOP franchise holder for The Bahamas, said the opening for the franchise was a long time coming due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He announced the opening of the restaurant in 2022.

“This has been a tedious five years, COVID slowed it down a bit. But now we are here, it is specially for The Bahamas.

Because I know for years everybody has been talking about this and getting

the franchise. Many days I thought that this day would not come, all the difficulties and getting here to this moment. But we’re here, April 4 is real.”

During the grand opening, a donation of $3,000 was awarded to the Princess Margaret Hospital Children’s Ward. Staff of IHOP were able to invite their friends and family to a soft launch of the restaurant at the weekend where the tips from that night were donated to PMH’s children’s ward.

For his part, William Urrego, regional vice president of the Americas for Dine Brands International, expressed great excitement to finally have an IHOP in The Bahamas.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for quite a while and unfortunately because of the pandemic we had to delay. But it’s really exciting to be here in the community of Nassau and we’re looking to open more restaurants in the future,” Mr Urrego said. Labour Minister Keith Bell also expressed

excitement for the IHOP franchise. He said now Bahamians can enjoy the restaurant in the country first hand. Meanwhile, the first 200 customers were offered free pancakes once a week.

Sherial Mortimer, one of the first customers to enter IHOP, said she and her family camped outside from 7 o’clock the night before the opening. She said it was a “real” experience, to say the least. Her husband, Gregory Mortimer, said the family decided to give their

free pancakes voucher to the underprivileged.

He said: “They said they will give out free pancakes for a year. So, me and my wife decided we will get that prize and then we’ll pass that on to some of the underprivileged people and homeless.”

The restaurant will eventually be 24 hours but for now it will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sunday to Thursday from 7am to midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 7am to 2am.

IHOP franchise owner Butron Rodgers (left) and William Urrego, regional vice president of the Americas for Dine Brands International, speak to the press at the grand opening of the new restaurant located at the Mall at Marathon.

A LARGE crowd of patrons waits eagerly for the doors of IHOP to open for the first time in The Bahamas.

Photos: Austin Fernander

FRANCHISE owner Burton Rodgers welcomes his restaurants first customers at hr grand opening of IHOP yesterday.

Police question ex-PM Minnis

from page one

had been interviewed so far.

However, he insisted Dr Minnis is not a suspect in the investigation.

“He was seen as a witness,” he said. “He provided us with information but he is not a suspect and he was seen only because he was the Prime Minister at the time.”

DCP Deleveaux has recently spearheaded other politically sensitive investigations, including those resulting in former Water and Sewerage Corporation chairman Adrian Gibson and former Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Lanisha Rolle being charged with crimes.

The scope of the investigation into the food programme is unclear, but it comes after Davis administration officials have repeatedly said the programme lacked proper oversight.

“It would appear that the Davis administration, because of their poor governance and lack of agenda for this country, are looking for deflection from their governance and tax, spend and waste type of governance,”

Dr Minnis said yesterday. “Let it be known that I will not be used, nor will I be a deflection, and if the police want to question me again, they can call me at any time.”

Asked how he felt being interviewed by police, Dr Minnis said: “I was not disturbed at all because I knew that throughout my governance I was very transparent and honest with the Bahamian people and if we face a similar disaster,

I will ensure again the Bahamian people receive the necessary tools and equipment for their survival.”

Last month, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis accused an unnamed non-profit organisation of going on a spending spree, buying two high-end trucks and boats with public funds that were meant to provide food assistance during the pandemic.

That was one of several criticisms Mr Davis has made about the programme since taking office in 2021.

He previously said his administration had struggled to determine how the $53m issued to the National Food Distribution Taskforce was spent.

Dr Minnis praised the programme yesterday and its leader, Susan Larson, saying they performed admirably.

“They utilised the services of NGOs and ensured that individuals throughout the length and breadth of The Bahamas were provided with food at a time when it was needed most,” he said.

“People received the food in an orderly and humane fashion as opposed to what was seen throughout other countries of the world where there was mass demonstrations and unrest for food. We avoided that because of the manner in which the NGOs and Susan Larson and those had functioned. I am proud of that grouping.

“Brave Davis and those are on a witchhunt, and they must be very, very careful.”

‘Hundreds of millions of tax dollars’ owed to government

from page one

“We’re not targeting businesses,” Mr Wilson told reporters yesterday. “We’re just going through a compliance strategy to ensure that we encourage businesses to be compliant. If you’re non-compliant, there are consequences of non-compliance.”

“The one thing we want from businesses is transparency in operations. I think they’ve started that process of being a little more transparent.”

Mr Wilson has said officials are planning several more operations throughout The Bahamas to recover outstanding taxes and will go after businesses that make false declarations.

“We have 50,000 businesses registered, alright, and about 40,000 of those businesses report turnover of less than $100,000 so they pay zero, so that’s all we know,” Mr Wilson said.

“That’s our universe

and we work through that universe to determine instances of non-compliance. People don’t put a flag and say they’re noncompliant ya know. They try to be discreet in their non-compliance.”

Mr Wilson said about $800m in real property tax is owed.

“Most property taxes are owned by foreignowned properties because you know Bahamians have a wide level exemption, so this is probably driven mostly by non-Bahamianowned properties,” he said.

Asked yesterday about other potential penalties, Mr Wilson said he would like to see wage garnishments.

“Obviously with businesses, we tend to be more forthright with businesses in our discussions with them,” he added.

Last year, Mr Wilson revealed that the Revenue Enhancement Unit’s (REU) audits showed

FINANCIAL Secretary Simon Wilson said yesterday that ‘hundreds of millions of dollars’ is owed in VAT and other tax arrears to the government, which does not even include the $800m owed in real property taxes.

50 per cent of registered companies were noncompliant with VAT laws.

“When you think of it from a statistical point of view, 50 per cent of

persons audited were found to be non-compliant, which is a very, very high ratio,” he said.

“It is a cause for concern. When you think of that, one in every two

businesses they’re going to for an audit have not filed or are charging VAT but not remitting the money to government, which shows a high level of non-compliance

for that small sample size.

“If that cascades to the full population of VAT registrants, it shows the significance of the problem of non-compliance.”

w ilson contrac t awards to be PublisHed w Hen rePorting c aPacity imProves

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FINANCIAL secretary

Simon Wilson said the government would finally begin publishing contract awards when the reporting capacity of its contract procurement system is improved.

The Public Procurement Act mandates the government disclose the name and

address of winning contract bidders and the award amount within 60 days of the contract award, among other things. The government has yet to comply with this provision. Last year the government launched the Go Bonfire Platform procurement portal. “We’re working on that right now,” Mr Wilson told reporters yesterday.

“So, you know, the previous system we had did not keep good records. It’s a very old system. So, what we’re doing is we’re backfilling that information on the new Bonfire system to publish contracts and so forth.

“So, to be clear, all government contracts are public knowledge. Alright, so … we don’t have a black budget. So,

if the government signs a contract, obviously the government wants you to know because this is the public’s money, alright, but it’s the reporting format that’s a challenge. So that’s what the issue is.”

The Public Procurement Bill 2022, which repeals and replaces the Public Procurement Act 2021, was passed in the House of Assembly last month.

Critics have repeatedly criticised the government for lacking transparency over procurement processes and awards.

In its 2022 Investment Climate Statement report on The Bahamas, the US Bureau of Economic and Affairs highlighted the problem.

“The government passed a Public Procurement Act and launched an

e-procurement and suppliers registry system in 2021. While the registry system is in place, the Public Procurement Act has yet to be fully implemented. Companies complain that the tender process for public contracts is inconsistent, and allege it is difficult to obtain information on the status of bids,” the US agency said.

BOTH the Deputy Commisioner of Police Leamond Deleveaux, and former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis confirmed that he was questioned concerning issues related to a food programme which ran under his administration during the COVID-19 lockdowns. DCP Deleveaux insisted Dr Minnis was seen as a witness not a suspect. Dr Minnis said that ‘Brave’ Davis are ‘on a withchunt ‘and they must be very, very careful.’

Modular units to bring relief to space-needy Rand Memorial Hospital

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE installation of modular units at the Rand Memorial Hospital is underway and soon residents will no longer have to sit and wait on the porch at the Accident and Emergency Department.

Four structures –located on pylons at the western entrance to the hospital’s grounds – will serve as the Special Pathogens and Rehab Services Units.

According to hospital administrator Jessica Cartwright, the units should be ready by the end of the month.

“Our intent is to ensure that we had a facility that would allow us to decompress the emergency room from what we call PUIs or persons under investigations for COVID-19, as well as those unsuspected infectious diseases, and also allow us the space in our emergency room and take our citizens off the porch,” she said.

The Accident and Emergency unit at the Rand had been modified to accommodate the growing number of

COVID-19 patients. Rehabilitation Services were relocated at the nearby Sir Charles Hayward Library following damage during Hurricane Dorian.

Last December, Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said the government heard the cries of residents and had announced that large hurricane-rated modular units were acquired and would be erected on the hospital’s grounds.

During an update on Monday, Ms Cartwright reported the units are currently on pyles and are mounted. They are now securing them.

“We envision in the next three weeks we would be in a position to complete the connections and tie-ins and make it ready for us to use as an inpatient space,” she said.

The units arrived in December, but there was a delay in installation. Work began last week putting the units on pyles.

Ms Cartwright said they are excited at the progress and want the work to be completed as quickly as possible.

monaco oceans wee event’s discussion on coastal resilience focused on t He baHa m as

THE BAHAMAS took centre stage during this year’s Monaco Oceans Week, as international experts gathered to share analysis of major threats to the world’s marine environments.

The event also featured discussion of methods of preserving oceans, and ideas for opportunities for building Blue economies in areas threatened by climate change.

The event, held from March 20-26, saw scientists, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and public authorities hosted by Prince Albert II of Monaco, an ocean advocate who founded the Prince Albert of Monaco II Foundation in 2006, a non-profit committed to planetary health.

Prince Albert hosted a panel on Coastal Resilience for The Bahamas, where Grand Bahama Port Authority director Rupert Hayward discussed solutions to climate threats. Blue Action Ventures, of which Hayward is the founder and president, coorganised the event with Prince Albert.

Mr Hayward said: “As a low-lying island nation, The Bahamas is at the forefront of the battle to preserve oceans and coastal communities from climate driven threats. We have a great deal to share with the world

about what the future will look like if climate-driven threats are not addressed.

At the same time, we are grateful for this opportunity to brainstorm with some of the world’s leading experts on strategies that can be employed at home to build resilience in the face of stronger storms, while also generating millions of dollars of investment and thousands of high-skilled jobs.”

Blue Action Ventures is undertaking a number of efforts in The Bahamas, centred around mangroves, sustainable aquaculture, reef restoration, and support for entrepreneurs. Among these is the Blue Action Lab, a non-profit focused on solutions for a climate resilient future, including education and capacity-building. The lab is working with partners including the University of The Bahamas.

Meanwhile, the recentlylaunched Blue Action Accelerator, a Grand Bahama-based sustainability investment platform, is working with international partners to raise $10m to fund and support up to 35 science and technology start-ups working to mitigate climate change, increase ocean health, and build coastal resilience in vulnerable countries such as The Bahamas.

FOUR modular units mounted on pylons on property adjacent to the Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Installation work should be completed in the next three weeks and will help alleviate space issues.

Photo: Vandyke Hepburn

WHILE discussions on coastal resilience focused on The Bahamas, Grand Bahama Port Authority director Rupert Hayward discussed solutions to climate threats noting that The Bahamas is at the forefront of the battle to preserve oceans and coast communites from climate driven threats.

Obie comment was ‘disingenuous’; govt taking too long on GBV Bill

CHILD ABUSE C ASES UP OVER 50 PERCENT

from page one

Physical abuse accounted for 43 of the reported abuse cases this year.

There were also 30 reports of neglect, 13 of educational neglect, three of self-mutilation, and four of suicidal ideation.

There was one report of rape and one report of inappropriate sexual behaviour.

From January to December 2022, 391 cases of abuse were reported.

The statistics were disclosed to reporters during a press conference highlighting Child Protection Month in April last month.

Deputy Director of the Department of Social Services Charlamae Fernander said abuse is often committed by people well known to children.

“We have found that very often children endure behaviour because it’s coming from or perpetrated by persons they are supposed to love and trust in their homes (and) in their environments,” she said.

“And (they) come to believe that such treatment is normal so to speak, when it is not. So it is our duty — (not only) department of social services or our ministry — but every adult throughout this nation how their duty to advise

children otherwise what is right, what is wrong, what is acceptable, what is not.”

“Because if we ruin the young people of today — we have nothing to look forward to. It is in everybody’s best interest to make sure that we teach our children how they should be cared for.”

Terneille Burrows, president of Rise Bahamas, said yesterday the increase in child abuse reports shows people are being encouraged to speak up.

“An increase in reporting hopefully indicates that the emergency hotline that the Bahamas Crisis Centre operates is being more widely utilized,” she said.

“Among the list of people recently charged with sex crimes against children are a former senator and officer of the armed forces. It is increasingly coming to light that perpetrators of crimes against children are sometimes people in positions of power.

“Scores of Bahamians took to social media to express disgust in response to such cases, but we need strengthened laws and more widespread public outcry to ensure that the prevention of crimes against children becomes a national priority.”

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

AN advocate of women’s rights said the Davis administration is taking too long to pass the Gender Violence

Bill.

Prodesta Moore, president and founder of Women United, said she was surprised by Social Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe’s suggestion that consultation with the Church is needed before the bill is brought to the House of Assembly.

On Monday, Mr Wilchcombe told The Tribune the government would not rush the bill to Parliament.

His comment came several days after former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson urged the government to pass the bill, which she said was first drafted ten years ago.

“This bill is so important, and with all the recent acts

of violence that’s happening among our young women and women in general, for him to make that statement was disingenuous to all of us as women because of the work we’ve put into this, the effort we’ve put into making sure this bill is a priority,” Ms Moore said yesterday.

“I totally agree that it’s taking too long and is being delayed for whatever reason, and to say that it’s being delayed because of consultation (with the Church) is not correct because this bill has been presented. I honestly don’t know why he’s making those comments when he knows that women organisations, Women’s United and other women-led NGOs, have been pushing for this bill to be tabled.”

After the boyfriend of Heavenly Terveus killed her last year, days after she reported him to police for damaging her car, State Minister for Social Services Lisa

Rahming said the bill would be tabled in Parliament “in a few weeks or a few months”. That did not happen.

Ms Moore said she’s frequently discussed the bill with the Minister of Social Services and has been assured it would be tabled shortly.

“Every time I have an opportunity to see Minister Wilchcombe, I would always ask him when is the bill going to be presented. They keep promising that the bill is going to be presented shortly. I don’t understand why now a comment is going to be made as to say the reason it’s being delayed is consultation.

“I don’t know if he made a mistake … and was trying to reference the marital rape bill and not the gender violence bill. Those are two separate bills that we’re talking about. The amendments to the Sexual Offences Act is going to address the marital

CORRECTION

rape, but the Gender-Based Violence Bill is going to address all these issues that we have right now that’s happening and rape is on the rise, sexual offences are on the rise.”

PRODESTA MOORE, president and founder of Women United said Social Services Minister Obie Wilchcombe’s comments on the Gender Violence Bill is ‘disingenuous’, adding that ‘I honestly don’t know why he’s making those comments when he knows that women organisations, Women’s United and other women-led NGOs, have been pushing for this bill to be tabled.”

In last week’s Religion Section, we incorrectly captioned a photo of Keshelle Davis as the founder of CHAMPS organisation. However, Samita Ferguson, pictured, is in fact the

founder of the organisation that will be hosting its POP event tonight at the Church of God of Propehcy Love Center at 7pm. In that same publication, a photo of Senator Maxine

Seymour who is a guest speaker for the event was also incorrectly captioned with the wrong last name. We apologise for any confusion this error may have caused.

The Tribune Limited

Finland joins NATO in major blow to Russia

FINLAND joined the NATO military alliance Tuesday, dealing a major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a historic realignment of Europe’s postCold War security landscape triggered by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Nordic country’s membership doubles Russia’s border with the world’s biggest security alliance. Finland had adopted neutrality after its defeat by the Soviets in World War II, but its leaders signaled they wanted to join NATO after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine sent a shiver of fear through its neighbors.

“The era of nonalignment in our history has come to an end -– a new era begins,” President Sauli Niinistö said before his country’s blue-and-white flag was raised outside NATO headquarters. A short distance away, outside the security fence, a few dozen people wrapped in flags of their own chanted, “Ukraine needs NATO.”

In praising Finland’s membership, U.S. President Joe Biden noted it came on the 74th anniversary of the signing of NATO’s founding treaty on April 4, 1949.

“When Putin launched his brutal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine, he thought he could divide Europe and NATO. He was wrong,” Biden said in a statement. “Today, we are more united than ever. And together — strengthened by our newest ally, Finland — we will continue to preserve transatlantic security, defend every inch of NATO territory, and meet any and all challenges we face.”

The move is a strategic and political setback for Putin, who has long complained about NATO’s expansion toward Russia and partly used that as a justification for the invasion.

“I’m tempted to say this is maybe the one thing that we can thank Mr. Putin for because he once again here precipitated something he claims to want to prevent by Russia’s aggression, causing many countries to believe that they have to do more to look out for their own defense and to make sure that they can deter possible Russian aggression going forward,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said before accepting the documents that made Finland’s membership official.

The U.S. State Department is the repository of NATO texts concerning membership.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent his congratulations to Finland, writing on Telegram that “amid Russian aggression, the Alliance became the only effective guarantee of security in the region.”

Russia warned it would be forced to take “retaliatory measures” to address what it called security threats created by Finland’s membership. It had also warned it would bolster forces near Finland if NATO sends any additional troops or equipment to what is its 31st member country.

The alliance says it poses no threat to Moscow.

Alarmed by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Finland, which shares a 1,340 kilometer (832 mile) border with Russia, applied to join in May, seeking protection under the organization’s security umbrella.

“Russia tried to create a sphere around them and, well, we are not a sphere. I’m sure that Finns themselves feel more secure, that we are living in a more stable world,” Niinisto said.

Neighboring Sweden, which has avoided military alliances for more than 200 years, has also applied. But objections from NATO members Turkey and Hungary have delayed the process.

Niinisto said Finland’s membership “is not complete without that of Sweden. The persistent efforts for a rapid Swedish membership continue.” Finland even gave its ratification of Sweden’s application to Blinken as it joined.

In Stockholm, Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson congratulated Finland and said he believed it would improve Sweden’s security but added that “it’s no secret that we would like to have concluded it hand-in-hand.”

Earlier, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Moscow “will be forced to take militarytechnical and other retaliatory measures to counter the threats to our national security arising from Finland’s accession to NATO.”

It said Finland’s move marks “a fundamental change in the situation in Northern Europe, which had previously been one of the most stable regions in the world.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Finland’s membership reflects the alliance’s anti-Russian course and warned that Moscow will respond depending on what weapons NATO allies place there. But he also sought to play down the impact, noting that Russia has no territorial disputes with Finland.

It’s not clear what additional military resources Russia could send to the Finnish border. Moscow has deployed the bulk of its most capable military units to Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said no more troops would be sent to Finland unless it asked for help.

The country is now protected by what Stoltenberg called NATO’s “iron-clad security guarantee,” under which all member countries vow to come to the defense of any ally that comes under attack.

But Stoltenberg refused to rule out the possibility of holding more military exercises there and said that NATO would not allow Russia’s demands to dictate the organization’s decisions.

“We are constantly assessing our posture, our presence. We have more exercises, we have more presence, also in the Nordic area,” he said.

In 1939 and 1940, Finland’s tiny, illequipped forces fought in what became known as the Winter War against the Soviet Union. Over an exceptionally cold winter, Finnish fighters, sometimes cloaked in white bedsheets for camouflage and typically moving unseen on foot, snowshoes and skis, lost some territory to Moscow but forced out the invaders.

Finland says it can muster a 280,000-strong fighting force, built on near-universal male conscription and a large, well-trained reserve, equipped with modern artillery, warplanes and tanks. The country of 5.5 million joined the European Union in 1995, Finland’s Parliament, meanwhile, said its website was hit with a so-called denialof-service attack, which made the site hard to use, with many pages not loading and some functions not available.

A pro-Russian hacker group known as NoName057 (16) claimed responsibility, saying the attack was retaliation for Finland joining NATO. The claim could not be immediately verified.

The hacker group, which has reportedly acted on Moscow’s orders, has taken part in a slew of cyberattacks on the U.S. and its allies in the past. Finnish public broadcaster YLE said the same group hit the Parliament’s site last year.

By LORNE COOK and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

Coalition best suited to bring change

EDITOR, The Tribune, I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel extensively, participate in certain cultures and observe opportunities citizens have in their respective countries. The Bahamas is a wealthy nation and in my humble opinion should be further along in it’s development had we adopted certain ideologies to empower it’s people, fifty years ago. Our beautiful country is a playground for high income earners and the United Bahamian Party (UBP), Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM) have historically adopted the concept of “trickle down economics”. This concept gives concessions, tax breaks and benefits to corporations in return for mostly menial jobs. This form of economics in my opinion is widening the inequality between the rich and poor which we know leads to social and economic challenges. Just recently, the headline in the mainstream media noted that crime is steadily increasing. Why? After 50 years are we surprised? Why not “trickle up economics?”. I think the benefits of taxes from harnessing our natural resources for the empowerment of our people will be more advantageous as we share the wealth and prosperity evenly across social groups. Documents have been revealed by the Coalition of Independents’ Party leader showing natural resource contracts dating back to 1957 (UBP) era, 1969 the Pindling era and 2012 the Free national Movement (FNM) government. Tax revenue to be received by government in

one previous contract was negotiated in return for an insignificant and minuscule amount of dollars per ton (aragonite deal) on behalf of the Bahamian people.

What a waste!

I cry shame on the present and past governments who have been tightlipped on these contracts. The Freedom of Information (FOIA) Bill was recently enacted but is still not functional and continues to be kicked down the road.

What are they hiding and don’t want you to know?

The Bahamas has over 25 different natural resources that was given to us by God. It is a known fact that natural resources utilised by countries causes their economies to flourish. One only has to look at Alaska, Dubai, Norway, Qatar and many others and observe the benefit to it’s citizens.

I have no problem with foreign direct companies investing in our country but that should not be our main means of injecting capital into our economy, and we all know tourism is too fragile to be one of the main sources of revenue.

To the intellectuals that are inquiring about substantiating a plan or theory on how to harness our natural resources - I say to you - how can we put forth substantiated plans when access to information is blocked!

Lack of Freedom of Information in a country leads to poor quality of governance, more corruption while lessening transparency and accountability. A shift is needed from total reliance on tourism as our #1 product to natural resources which will

be fundamentally important in our history moving forward.

In “trickle up economics” the standard of living of lower income individuals will be enhanced. This will lead to producing more goods and services at the bottom which will spread throughout the entire community trickling up to the wealthy who in turn become wealthier.

A win win situation for everyone.

I support Lincoln Bain and Maria Daxon’s philosophy of having a Sovereign Wealth Fund for its citizens. Ms Daxon has her own unique style and is a woman of integrity and character - something that is earned and not bought.

Mr Bain - is not a perfect man with flaws like you and I but is best suited to take us into the new Bahamas. The Bible is my book of authority, and my God sometimes works through incredibly flawed people. Just look at David, Paul and Peter to name a few giants.

Abraham is called the “father of Faith” yet he told his wife to lie twice to secure his own life.

God takes the improbable and accomplishes the impossible. When we empower people, they can manage their lives better and begin to build wealth which leads to lower crime, lower health risks, better access to nutritional food, improved employment opportunities and better access to higher education.

I am in support of the Coalition of Independents as their mantra coincides with my passion in reducing poverty in The Bahamas while empowering our people through education and ownership.

WHILE many Bahamians stood in a long line from early in the morning yesterday to be among the first to sample the food at the new IHOP at the Mall at Marathon, this man wouldn’t stand for the long wait and brought his own seat on his way to the table.

Photo: Austin Fernander

Godet sworn in as vp of Industrial Tribunal

CUS TOMERS LEF T FRUS T RAT ED AS COURIER COMPANY CLOSES

from page one

secretary, described the situation with the industry as “an ongobuild up substantial tax arrears due to the high are clearing on a daily basis. No companies in that situation were publicly identified. In a purported note to customers, Blue Postalenced challenges which the standard to which you are accustomed to. and consideration, we

down our clearance/courier arm of our Bahamas option locally through other couriers (freight forwarders) to makeable for collection. This also include the transfer of customs fees to these couriers to facilitate clearance of your packages.”

The company said it will compile a list of couriers for people to choose from.

“Once you select a courier, please reach out to that courier for information regarding how to collect your package as they will be responsible for your shipment once We will make the list

Thursday, April 6.

“We know that your packages are important to you and we are working to make this a smooth transition,” the note said.

Angry customers reacted withopment yesterday.

“The frustrating part is they are no longer answering their phones,” one complained on Facebook.

Another said their package had been delayed for two weeks now. Said another: “So Blue Postal really went kaput?!?!?! They were so reliable and efficient. What happened man?!?!?”

$7,000 BAIL FOR T EEN FOUND WI TH GUN

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

BAIL was granted for a teenager after being accused the capital last week. The 17-year-old youth,

YOUNG DANCERS GE T TO COMPE T E FOR $500 PRIZE

whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, appeared before Magistrate

It is alleged that on March accused was found by police with a black and chrome .40 Smith and Wesson

pistol with the serial number erased and with eight unfired rounds of .40 ammunition.

The accused pleaded not guilty and bail was granted at $7,000. His trial begins on July 13.

NO BAIL GRAN T ED ON HOUSE-BREAKING

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Court Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was denied bail yesterday after being accused of illegally entering a home and damaging property.

Warrentesh Johnson, 27, stood before Assistantsola Swain on charges of unlawful entry and causing damage.

It is alleged that on the night of March 23 in New

the residence of Jacobee Black and damaged a at $1448.11. Johnson pleaded not guilty and bail of $7,000 was granted. His trial begins on June 5.

TWO ARRES T ED ON HIGH -POWERED GUN FIND

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

TWO people were arrested after police found an unlicensed highpowered firearm while executing a search warrant at a residence in the area of the Bel-Air Estates on Monday.

Shortly after 11pm, officers searching the property found the weapon. A 47-year-old woman and a 17-year-old male were

arrested and taken into police custody.

arrested a young man in connection with the dissuspected marijuana.

According to reports, a male suspect of Murphy Town was taken into custody on Monday shortly after 11pm in the area of of the drugs allegedly found in his possession are unknown.

Bahama, police officers attached to the Drug Enforcement Unit, dissuspected marijuana at a residence in Freeport. DEU officers executed a search warrant shortly after 4pm on Monday at a residence on Frobisher 4.5 ounces of marijuana $270.

PREPARE the stage.

Turn on the lights. The HYPE (Helping Young Performers Excel) Dance competition is back with their second annual dance competition.

Parker, coach of the Bahamas Dance Theatre

dancers from the islands of This year, the dancers are in for a treat as the highest a cash prize of $500. The

competition will feature group dances and solo performances of different styles.

Dancers will perform before a panel of judges which includes seasoned who is returning as a guest judge. She will also be part of a dance workshop for participants.

The competition will be held Saturday, April 8, at the Regency Theatre in currently being sold at the Bahamas Dance Theatre Studio.

-

ers said, is the epitome of HYPE’s mission, which is to create a platform to connect the arts community with international professionals and opportunities.

Organisers encourage the public to come out, see an amazing show, and support some talented young Bahamians.

Authority. For more information, call 242-351-3267 or email bahamasdancetheatre.fpo@ gmail.com.

Our company has been around gaming for over 30 years and pride ourselves on quality service and customer relationships. We are moving forward in the market and such are looking for hardworking, reliable, people friendly customer services representatives.

Jarol Investments Limited is seeking to fill the following position: Assistant Security Manager (Nassau)

• Reinforces company goals and vision to all direct reports and continually implements this strategy into overall communications.

Jarol Investments Limited is seeking to fll the following position:

• Supervises, directly and/or indirectly, all Security/Surveillance team members including: selection, training, work direction, safety, communication, counseling, disciplining, performance evaluations and records.

Handyman (Nassau)

• Oversight and training for emergency response procedures such matters as res, bomb threats, power outages, and other serious matters or emergencies.

• Directs and monitors the security and safety of customers, employees, facilities, and grounds.

• Reviews security/surveillance investigations concerning all incidents and issues taking place on property and makes necessary reports and noti es the ssistant OO.

• hecks all security/surveillance reports for accuracy and completeness and ensure timeliness.

Cleaning and maintaining property inclusive of cleaning windows, mopping entrance, light weeding & painting, clearing fences, throwing out garbage daily from offces, keeping yard swept and clean & washing all company’s vehicle on Saturdays.

• Ensure compliance with department and ompany policies and procedures.

• reate and update weekly department schedule.

• ontinually evaluate eam embers for alertness, appearance, and proper performance of duties.

Janitress (Nassau)

• Observes, supervises and instructs shift of cers in the performance of their duties.

• Determines personnel requirements and makes assignments at the beginning of each shift.

• Ensure effective onboarding and training for Security/Surveillance Of cers.

Cleaning offce daily, mopping, sweeping, wipping doornobs, cleaning bathrooms, dusting desks & keeping kitchen area clean.

• Provide security and protection for customers, team members, property and assets.

• Reacts promptly to disturbances where Security/Surveillance is required.

• aintain a high level of con dentiality

• e familiar with all hances web shops throughout the ahamas.

Performs related duties as assigned by Management.

• akes appropriate action, when required, of individuals suspected of illegal activities.

• Perform related duties as assigned by management.

Interested persons should email their resume to careers@chancesgames.com. or visit our Head Offce on Prince Charles Drive (across from Restview Funeral Home) between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

GOVERNOR General CA Smith administered the oath of allegiance and the judicial oath, and presented the instrument of appointment to Rionda Godet as vice-president of the Industrial Tribunal at the Office of the Governor General on Monday.

Photo: Letisha Henderson/BIS

Unlawful sex is rape; time to name it and do what’s needed to stop it

IT IS nowhere near surprising to read news stories about increased reports of sexual violence. It has become a near-daily challenge to get through articles about court cases involving men who have raped or otherwise sexually assaulted children where their crimes are referred to as sex or, in some other way, named as though they are not criminal, abuses of power, and void of consent.

The language used by police and courts is used in newspapers, all but erasing the word “rape” from public conversation. This is, in part, how we have come to talk about children as though they are adults, and survivors as though they are perpetrators. This is rape culture. This is adultification of children (and black girls in particular), the hatred of women, the refusal to acknowledge human rights, and the determination of far too many people to ignore the crisis that is gender-based violence.

Violence of many kind has been normalised in The Bahamas. It has been a part of our everyday vernacular for a long time with words like “hit” being used to describe various acts that are not necessarily violent, and threats of violence are made loosely, in jest, and without reproach.

“Rape” is used to describe various activities that people consider unfair, but which, otherwise, do not compare to the vile, criminal act of sexual violence. Somehow, though, when it comes to rape, the language changes. There is less willingness to use the appropriate word — rape. Instead, terms like “unlawful sex” are used to refer to the criminal act of a man raping a child. There is no excuse for this. Police reports do it, then the news media does it. The courts do it, then the news media does it again. One says they are using the language of the other, for consistency, yet the law says that the offence is rape.

Rape is caused by rapists. Rape culture makes it easy for rapists to rape people. Rapists seek to dominate, so people in situations of vulnerability, largely due to their identities, are often targeted. These include women, children, and people with disabilities. Rape, as we have seen in the reported cases over the past few weeks, does not need many conditions in order to occur. Rape happens during the day, and it happens at night. It is perpetrated by rapists indoors

By Alicia Wallace

and outdoors. Rape is perpetrated against strangers, family members, friends of family members, friends, co-workers, people under the care of the rapist, and people with many other relationships to the rapist. There is no single act or set of actions that anyone can take to prevent themselves from becoming the target of a rapist. Rapists rape.

It is not that nothing can be done to prevent rape, but that preventative action is not for potential targets to undertake. It is not up to individuals to protect themselves from rapists. It is for governments to enact and enforce laws, make clear the obligations of institutions, including schools and workplaces, connect institutions and stakeholders and facilitate ongoing communication and implementation of action plans, develop appropriate, effective interventions, provide support services for survivors, centre survivors and their healing in justice systems and practices, and provide programmes for perpetrators that rehabilitate and prevent recidivism.

Asked about the increase in reports of sexual violence, the police press liaison officer said there are “crimes of opportunity because we are not taking the time out to put necessary precautions in place”. Let us assume, for the purpose of usefulness and productivity, that the officer was referring to prevention that must be led by public institutions. What precautionary systems and measures should be in place?

Let’s start with the root of this issue. There is a dangerous gender ideology that stems from slavery, colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy that has convinced people that women are subhuman, are to be dominated by men, and are objects. It has also convinced people that men are to perform masculinity in the most toxic ways which include violence, hostility, a very limited range of emotions, and both the willingness and ability to dominate anyone who is not a man performing in the same way, especially women and men who

are not (perceived to be heterosexual.

The vast majority of sexual violence is perpetrated by men. This is not disconnected from toxic masculinity or the constraints of the gender ideology that put women and men in boxes while marginalizing all other people. One of the ways that some men seek to assert their masculinity — and distance from femininity which has been so devalued by heteronormative gender ideology that it is regarded as perverse — is perpetrating violence. When manhood is questioned, when masculinity is undermined, when authority is not theirs alone, see how many men thump their chests and proclaim, “I’s man!”

Listen to the threats they spew. Watch the way they engage women as opposed to men. Listen to the way women talk about their experiences with them. Differentiate between the platonic love and respect they have for each other and the vitriol and disdain they have for women they may even claim to love.

Where a relationship exists, perpetrators of violence convince themselves that it is ownership. Where a relationship does not exist, and a perpetrator wants there to be a relationship, he decides to punish. Where a relationship does not exist and the perpetrator has no interest, and ownership — by another man — is not established or immediately evident, the perpetrator assumes control.

Rape is about power and control. Relationships only determine how a perpetrator violates a person, unless he respects a man who has already claimed ownership. All of this is misogynistic. All of it is dehumanising. It is all linked to the idea that women are subhuman and subject to the whims of men. This dangerous idea is perpetuated in explicit and implicit ways, from fathers giving their daughters away at weddings to the normalization of sexual harassment in public spaces. None of this has anything to do with what women do or do not do, or efforts made or not

made to protect ourselves from rapists. It is directly related to societal ideas and behaviours related that subjugate, devalue, and dehumanize women and girls.

The press liaison officer, unfortunately, went on to do what we have come to expect from the police. Victim blaming. “Females need to make sure that they are upfront and they are honest with their family members in letting them know where they are going, who they are going with, and not saying you going one place and you end up another and something goes wrong.”

While we may agree, in theory, that it can be helpful for us to let people know our plans, we need to be realistic about the benefits of the practice. If something goes wrong and people know where we are, then what? Something has already gone wrong. Sure, we may be found and receive assistance sooner, but the violation has already occurred. No sharing of plans would prevent

a rapist from raping in a location that we disclose. The problem is the rapist. We can, of course, delve into the reasons people lie and withhold information, especially when there are differences in values and fear of judgment. For now, we need to be realistic about where prevention takes place. Prevention is in schools. It is in the way we teach children about their bodies, about consent, and about paying attention to and responding to their instincts. It is in comprehensive sexuality education, and discussions on healthy relationships, warning signs of abuse and abusive partners, sex positivity, and bodily autonomy. It is in households. It is in the way we tell people to moderate their behaviour, the respect we show and demand be shown to our children, the communication channels and practices, and the modeling of safe, healthy relationships of various kinds. Prevention is in street lighting. It is in safe, reliable, accessible public transportation, and having it as an option at night. It is in the clearing of bushes, pedestrian crossings and enforcement of traffic laws. It is in legal reform to criminalise rape, contributing to the widespread understanding that rape is rape, no relationship is a defence for rape, and women are human beings with human rights regardless of marital status. It is in legal systems and practices, from bail to assessing the actual effects of a sexual offenders registry to reporting mechanisms.

Prevention is in the way government officials regard women and girls, and the urgency with which they respond to issues, especially gender-based violence, that directly affect us and often lead to femicide.

The Minister of Social Services said: “The rush of the past in dealing with sensitive issues have failed and caused Bahamians to be sceptical and cynical about what they perceive is haste without complete dialogue with the people.”

This is a matter of urgency. Years and years of back and forth on a bill, turning it into a senseless debate when it is an issue of human rights, is not rushing. This issue is not sensitive to anyone but the people experiencing violence every day, and having little or no recourse. It is not sensitive to government actors, content to let bills like the marital rape bill and the gender-based violence bill languish, and who allow

extended discourse about whether or not it matters that a woman is raped if the rapist is her husband. There is no sensitivity there, and there is certainly no sense.

The minister also said:

“The position of the Church is fundamental and has been in each step taken in the growth and development of our country.”

The Church is fundamentalist. The religious leaders who are talking about this issue, delaying the bill with their misogynistic, violent nonsense are fundamentalist. They fundamentally believe that women are less than men. That women do not deserve rights. That men should get away with rape if they are married to the victim or survivor. That their god is pleased with violence. That their opinions are more important than the fact that rape is violence, women have human rights, and that those rights include freedom from violence.

This is what is delaying the passing of the marital rape bill. This is what is delaying the gender-based violence bill (rather than the significant work that needs to be done to make it useful, including actual engagement with human rights experts and NGOs with proven technical expertise on women’s human rights rather than the government’s — or the Attorney General’s Office’s — selection of yes-organisations).

“We have made progress, and we will soon complete our due diligence,” the Minister of Social Services said.

What progress? What due diligence? What is the meaning of “soon”?

It is interesting to see the specific ways that government institutions suggest we, women and girls, protect ourselves, juxtaposed with the vague, unsubstantiated nonsense they offer when pressed to do more than perpetuate rape culture by blaming us for the violence we experience.

If the government did its job, we would be able to go to ours without being raped on the way, or on the way back, or while there, or during a call to tell someone where we’re going, or when catching a ride, or or or or or.

At some point, the government, especially legislators and law enforcement, must accept that the blame is on rapists, and that they facilitate rapists far better than they protect us, the women and girls who live with the perpetual fear of rape, and/or the memory of it.

‘Rape is caused by rapists. Rape culture makes it easy for rapists to rape people.’

MUSK, SCIENTISTS CALL FOR HALT TO AI RACE SPARKED BY CHATGPT

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer

ARE tech companies moving too fast in rolling out powerful artificial intelligence technology that could one day outsmart humans?

That’s the conclusion of a group of prominent computer scientists and other tech industry notables such as Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak who are calling for a 6-month pause to consider the risks.

Their petition published last week is a response to San Francisco startup OpenAI’s recent release of GPT-4, a more advanced successor to its widely-used AI chatbot ChatGPT that helped spark a race among tech giants Microsoft and Google to unveil similar applications.

WHAT DO THEY SAY?

The letter warns that AI systems with “human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity” — from flooding the internet with disinformation and automating away jobs to more catastrophic future risks out of the realms of science fiction.

It says “recent months have seen AI labs locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control.”

“We call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4,” the letter says.

“This pause should be public and verifiable, and include all key actors. If such a pause cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium.”

A number of governments are already working to regulate highrisk AI tools. The United Kingdom released a paper Wednesday outlining its approach, which it said “will avoid heavy-handed legislation which could stifle innovation.”

Lawmakers in the 27-nation European Union have been negotiating passage of sweeping AI rules.

WHO SIGNED IT?

The petition was organised by the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, which says confirmed signatories include the Turing Award-winning AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio and other leading AI researchers such as Stuart Russell and Gary Marcus. Others who joined include Wozniak, former U.S. presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Rachel Bronson, president of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a science-oriented advocacy group known for its warnings against humanity-ending nuclear war.

Musk, who runs Tesla, Twitter and SpaceX and was an OpenAI cofounder and early investor, has long expressed concerns about AI’s existential risks. A more surprising inclusion is Emad Mostaque, CEO of Stability AI, maker of the AI image generator Stable Diffusion that partners with Amazon and competes with OpenAI’s similar generator known as DALL-E.

WHAT’S THE RESPONSE?

OpenAI, Microsoft and Google didn’t respond to requests for

comment Wednesday, but the letter already has plenty of sceptics.

“A pause is a good idea, but the letter is vague and doesn’t take the regulatory problems seriously,” says James Grimmelmann, a Cornell University professor of digital and information law. “It is also deeply

GM PASSES FORD TO TAKE NO. 2 SPOT IN EV SALES BEHIND TESLA

hypocritical for Elon Musk to sign on given how hard Tesla has fought against accountability for the defective AI in its self-driving cars.”

IS THIS AI HYSTERIA?

While the letter raises the spectre of nefarious AI far more intelligent than what actually exists, it’s not “superhuman” AI that some who signed on are worried about.

While impressive, a tool such as ChatGPT is simply a text generator that makes predictions about what words would answer the prompt it was given based on what it’s learned from ingesting huge troves of written works.

Gary Marcus, a New York University professor emeritus who signed the letter, said in a blog post that he disagrees with others who are worried about the near-term prospect of intelligent machines so smart they can self-improve themselves beyond humanity’s control.

What he’s more worried about is “mediocre AI” that’s widely deployed, including by criminals or terrorists to trick people or spread dangerous misinformation.

“Current technology already poses enormous risks that we are illprepared for,” Marcus wrote. “With future technology, things could well get worse.”

BIDEN SAYS TECH COMPANIES MUST ENSURE AI PRODUCTS ARE SAFE

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday it remains to be seen if artificial intelligence is dangerous, but that he believes technology companies must ensure their products are safe before releasing them to the public.

Biden met with his council of advisers on science and technology about the risks and opportunities that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence pose for individual users and national security.

“AI can help deal with some very difficult challenges like disease and climate change, but it also has to address the potential risks to our society, to our economy, to our national security,” Biden told the group, which includes academics as well as executives from Microsoft and Google.

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors rode strong first-quarter sales of the Chevrolet Bolt to bump crosstown rival Ford out of second place in the U.S. electric vehicle sales race.

But GM’s EV sales of 20,670 were still far below those of industry leader Tesla, which delivered more than 161,000 vehicles in the U.S. from January to March, according to estimates from Motorintelligence.com.

Ford sold only 10,866 EVs during the quarter, but the company said that’s largely because it had to stop making the top-selling Mustang Mach-E electric SUV while it retooled a factory in Mexico to increase production.

Spokesman Said Deep said the company didn’t build Mach-Es for seven weeks during the quarter, cutting into sales.

Also, Ford was forced to stop making the F-150 Lightning electric pickup in February after a battery caught fire during a predelivery quality check.

The problem was fixed and production resumed March 13.

Still, Ford’s EV sales rose 41% above last year’s first quarter, the company said Tuesday.

During the first quarter, GM delivered 19,700 of its top-selling EV, the Chevrolet Bolt hatchback and utility vehicle.

Last year the company sold only 358 Bolts because available batteries had to be diverted to a recall of 142,000 older Bolts due to battery fires.

GARDENING HELP IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND: FIVE APPS, PHONE TIPS

By JESSICA DAMIANO Associated Press

You’re in your garden and notice a beautiful, new-to-you flower that has popped up somewhere unexpected — pull it or leave it?

Or perhaps an unfamiliar garden pest has ravaged your tomato plants.

Or you experienced the deflating discovery of a graywhite crust on the soil in your seed-starting tray.

Where do you turn for help when you’re on the go? Technology, of course.

The latest crop of gardening apps and cellphone features may surprise you with their expert garden-planning and planting advice, pest and disease troubleshooting, instant plant and insect identification, and even integrated artificial intelligence and augmented reality. Free, reliable apps like the ones below will place an abundant harvest of valuable information at your (green) fingertips.

SEEK BY iNATURALIST

Created by a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society, this crowd-sourced, image-recognition app is as straightforward

as can be. Snap a photo of a plant, insect, animal or mushroom — or even just point your camera at it — and get its taxonomic classification (from kingdom to species), common name, seasonality, a count of how many observations of it have been recorded on the app, and a short description, typically pulled in from Wikipedia. Results are based on visually similar images provided by users from around the world, and if the app can’t identify your photo, it solicits IDs from other users. You can also find lists of

plants, insects and animals in your area, add your observations and connect with experts. And if you’re up for a game, you can earn badges for observing different types of species and participating in challenges. Find it in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Free.

FROM SEED TO SPOON

Scroll through the illustrated menu of fruits and vegetables, and add what you’d like to plant to your virtual “Grow Box.” Then get seed-starting, transplanting and harvesting dates for those plants,

customised for your location as assessed via GPS. The free version of the app also provides information on each crop’s frost tolerance and sun, water and fertiliser requirements, plus seed-saving instructions, companion planting advice, common pests (including organic treatment suggestions), recipes and links to video tips. Each plant-profile screen also includes links to recommended products sold by Park Seed, which owns the app. The premium upgrade ($4.99/month or $46.99/year) provides real-time answers to your questions from an AI “Growbot,” a personalised planting calendar and more. Find it in the Apple App Store, on Google Play and at app. seedtospoon.net. Free, with an optional paid premium upgrade.

PICTURETHIS

Snap a photo, and the app will ID your plant and provide a plethora of information about it. You’ll instantly see its health assessment, scientific classification, worldwide distribution, common uses, harvesting time (if applicable), propagation methods, and sunlight, soil, water and fertiliser requirements. You’ll also get answers to frequently asked

questions about the plant, and can seamlessly share your photo and plant description with friends via text.

After exhausting an initial allotment of free IDs, you’ll be prompted to watch ads or share the app to earn more unless you upgrade to the premium version ($29.99/year). Concerned about an ailing plant? Take a picture, and the free version will tell you what’s wrong. You’ll need premium to see recommended treatments. The upgrade also provides comprehensive plant-care guides, 24/7 access to a team of botanists and unlimited plant IDs. Find it in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Free, with an optional paid premium upgrade.

GOOGLE LENS

This tool uses image recognition technology to quickly and seamlessly identify plants, trees, shrubs, animals and insects on the go. It also pulls up Google search results about the subject.

Access it directly from the Google app or via the Google Search bar in your mobile browser on Android and Apple devices. Then tap the camera icon to the right of the search field, take a photo with your phone’s camera or select an image from your

photo library. Lens can also be used to identify other objects, places, and even products for online comparison shopping. Free.

APPLE VISUAL LOOK UP

This AI-powered feature for iPhone and iPad will ID plants, flowers, weeds, insects, birds and other animals depicted in any photo. Using an Apple device running iOS16 or iPadOS16, you can access the feature by tapping an image in your Photos library, then tapping the “info” button beneath it (the letter “i” in a circle with stars above it).

The tool also works directly from the Mail, Messages and Notes apps (lightly tap an image to expand it, then tap the starred “i”) and in the Safari browser (tap and hold any photo). The app will display details about the image, including a “Look Up” option alongside a leaf, paw print or bug icon, depending on what the tool has detected (other categories include art, landmarks and books). Tap the icon for Siri Knowledge details about the subject and similar images found online (if there isn’t a star above the info button, Visual Look Up isn’t available for that photo.) Free.

THE OPENAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

THIS combination of images show gardening apps, from left, the Seed to Spoon mobile gardening app by Park Seed, the Google Lens app that has image-recognition technology to identify plants, and Apple’s AI-powered Visual Look Up feature to identify flowers. (Park Seed’s From Seed to Spoon/Google/Apple via AP)

Trump pleads not guilty to 34 charges; admonished by judge

NEW YORK

Associated Press

DONALD Trump conspired to illegally influence the 2016 election through a series of hush money payments designed to stifle claims that could be harmful to his candidacy, prosecutors said Tuesday in unsealing a historic 34-count felony indictment against the former president.

The payments, said Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy, were part of “an unlawful plan to identify and suppress negative information that could have undermined his campaign for president.”

Trump, stone-faced and silent as he entered and exited the Manhattan courtroom, said “not guilty” in a firm voice while facing a judge who warned him to refrain from rhetoric that could inflame or cause civil unrest.

The next court date is December 4, though it is not clear if he will be required to appear.

The broad contours of the case have long been known, but indictment contains new details about a scheme that prosecutors say involved payoffs to two women, including a porn star, who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with him years earlier, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have a story about a child he alleged the former president had out of wedlock.

The arraignment, though largely procedural in nature, amounts to a remarkable reckoning for Trump after years of investigations into his personal, business and political dealings. The case is unfolding against the backdrop not only of his third campaign for the White House but also against other investigations in Washington and Atlanta that might yet produce even more charges.

Trump, his lips pursed in apparent anger, entered the courtroom shortly before

2:30 pm. He left court about an hour later, also without commenting. All told, the typically verbose Trump spoke only about 10 words during the entire proceeding.

Before the arraignment, he narrated his feelings in real time, describing the experience as “SURREAL” as he travelled from Trump Tower to lower Manhattan to face a judge.

The day’s schedule, with its striking blend of legal and political events, represents the new split-screen reality for Trump as he submits to the dour demands of the American criminal justice system while projecting an aura of defiance and victimhood at celebratory campaign events.

Wearing his signature dark suit and red tie, Trump turned and waved to crowds outside the building before heading inside to be fingerprinted and processed. He arrived at court in an eightcar motorcade from Trump Tower, communicating in real time his anger at the process.

“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse,” he

posted on his Truth Social platform. “Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”

Afterward, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told reporters that it was a “sad day for the country.”

“You don’t expect this to happen to somebody who was president of the United States,” he said.

Trump, who was impeached twice by the US House but was never convicted in the US Senate, is the first former president to face criminal charges. The nation’s 45th commander in chief was escorted from Trump Tower to the courthouse by the Secret Service.

“He is strong and ready to go,” Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina told The Associated Press. Earlier, Tacopina said in a TV interview that the former president wouldn’t plead guilty to lesser charges, even if it might resolve the case. He also said he didn’t think the case would make it to a jury.

New York police said they were ready for large

protests by Trump supporters, who share the Republican former president’s belief that the New York grand jury indictment and three additional pending investigations are politically motivated and intended to weaken his bid to retake the White House in 2024. Journalists often outnumbered protesters, though.

Trump, a former reality

TV star, has been hyping that narrative to his political advantage, saying he raised more than $8 million in the days since the indictment on claims of a “witch hunt.” His campaign released a fundraising request titled “My last email before arrest” and he has repeatedly assailed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, egged on supporters to protest and claimed without evidence that the judge presiding over the case “hates me” — something his own lawyer has said is not true.

Trump was scheduled to return to his Palm Beach, Florida, home, Mar-a-Lago, on Tuesday evening to give remarks. At least 500

prominent supporters have been invited, with some of the most pro-Trump congressional Republicans expected to attend.

A conviction would not prevent Trump from running for or winning the presidency in 2024.

The investigation is scrutinizing six-figure payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Both say they had sexual encounters with the married Trump years before he got into politics. Trump denies having sexual liaisons with either woman and has denied any wrongdoing involving payments.

The arraignment unfolded against the backdrop of heavy security in New York, coming more than two years after Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in a failed bid to halt the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s win.

Trump was defiant ahead of his arraignment. He used his social media network to complain that he was going to court in a heavily Democratic area, declaring,

“KANGAROO COURT” and “THIS IS NOT WHAT AMERICA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE!” He and his campaign have repeatedly assailed Bragg and even trained scrutiny on members of Bragg’s family.

Despite that, the scenes around Trump Tower and the courthouse where Trump will stand before a judge did not feature major unrest. Police tried to keep apart protesters supporting the former president and those opposing him by confining them to separate sides of a park near the courthouse using metal barricades.

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of Trump’s staunchest supporters in Congress, staged a brief rally at the park, but the scene was so chaotic that it was hard to hear her over the crush of reporters and protesters.

“We’re the party of peace,” Greene said, thanking those Trump supporters present. “Democrats are communists.”

Embattled Republican New York Rep. George Santos also showed up in solidarity with Trump, saying, “I want to support the president.”

“I think this is unprecedented and it’s a bad day for democracy,” Santos said, suggesting that future prosecutors could target Biden and other presidents with other cases, which “cheapens the judicial system.”

New York’s ability to carry out safe and drama-free courthouse proceedings in a case involving a polarizing ex-president could be an important test case as prosecutors in Atlanta and Washington conduct their own investigations of Trump that could also result in charges. Those investigations concern efforts to undo the 2020 election results as well as the possible mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

DESANTIS SIGNS BILL TO CARRY CONCEALED GUNS WITHOUT A PERMIT

FLORIDA Associated Press

FLORIDIANS will be able to carry concealed guns without a permit under a bill Republican

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Monday, giving the governor another legislative victory as he prepares a campaign for president.

The governor signed the bill in a private ceremony in his office. His only immediate public comment was, “Constitutional Carry is in the books,” which he said in a threeparagraph news release.

The new law will allow anyone who can legally own a gun in Florida to carry one without a permit. It means training and a background check will not be required to carry concealed guns in public. It takes effect July 1. The arguments over the legislation were divided

along political lines, with Republicans saying lawabiding citizens have a right to carry guns and protect themselves. They say most people will still want to get a permit because it will allow them to carry concealed weapons in states with reciprocal agreements and to be able to purchase guns without a waiting period.

However, Democrats and gun safety advocates -- pointing to mass shootings in Florida like the massacre at the 2016 Pulse nightclub in Orlando and the deadly 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland — say the new law will only make the state more dangerous.

“I am pissed,” Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, told reporters during an

online news conference. “I will chase him down across the state as well as possibly across the country ... because Ron DeSantis today put his signature to a bill that guarantees there will be more Jaimes.”

And he said signing the bill behind closed doors makes DeSantis a coward.

“Somebody in Florida may die ... because of this legislation. That will be because of you, Ron DeSantis,” Guttenberg said. “I understand why you hid today ... You are a weak, pathetic, smallminded individual.”

Nearly 3 million Floridians have a concealed weapons permit. While a background check and three-day waiting period will still be required to purchase a gun from a licensed dealer, they are not required for private transactions or exchanges of weapons. DeSantis has said he

thinks Florida should go even further and allow people to openly carry guns. While some lawmakers have pushed for open carry, it doesn’t appear the Legislature will pass such legislation this session.

The bill signing comes five years after then-Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, signed a bill creating gun restrictions after 17 students and faculty were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Under DeSantis, momentum has swung back toward expanding gun rights rather than placing limits on them, which has earned him praise from gun rights advocates.

“Government will not get in the way of law-abiding Americans who want to defend themselves and their families,” Republican Sen. Jay Collins, who sponsored the bill, said in a news release.

FORMER President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Trump will surrender in Manhattan on Tuesday to face criminal charges stemming from 2016 hush money payments.

Photo: Bryan Woolston/AP

FORMER President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his legal team in a Manhattan court, yesterday, in New York. Trump is appearing in court on charges related to falsifying business records in a hush money investigation, the first president ever to be charged with a crime.

Photo: Seth Wenig

FLORIDA Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd at Adventure Outdoors gun store, Thursday, March 30, 2023, in Smyrna, Georgia.

Photo: John Bazemore/AP

SPORTS

‘GRAMMY’ WALLACE-WHITFIELD: GO FOR GOLD

By TENAJH SWEETING tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN Olympian Pauline Davis and CARIFTA volunteer as well as long-time track and field supporter Beverly “Grammy” Wallace-Whitfield offered strong words of wisdom and encouragement to Team Bahamas.

The Bahamian legends spoke with the historic 80-member CARIFTA team during yesterday’s practice session at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. With the country set to host the 50th CARIFTA Games for the ninth time in just one day, officials have dedicated the entire week to morning and evening practice sessions for Team Bahamas.

In her message to athletes at yesterday’s

evening practice session, Wallace-Whitfield stressed the importance of time in track and field. “It’s not just running, jumping, and it’s not just doing it to the best of your ability. It’s trying to get the best time of the winners,” she said. She relayed to athletes the story of Olympic gold medallist Pauline Davis who would run far past the finish line at the end of her most iconic races for a definite first-place finish.

The avid track and field supporter added that track athletes of Team Bahamas should keep Davis’ historic Bahamian feat in mind as they come into the home stretch of their respective races.

“Get ready to cross the line at your best,” she said.

Among her other words of wisdom to the

80-member home team was to uphold strong national pride in how they handle the flag and present themselves during the national anthem when they win their events.

Additionally, she emphasised the importance of having breakfast on the mornings of the 50th CARIFTA Games, treating the other Caribbean athletes as guests first but also competitors, and reminded them about the importance of maintaining a good GPA for scholarships.

The Bahamian Olympian followed behind with a fiery message to Team Bahamas as she told stories of her past performances in the Olympics and the last CARIFTA Games win by The Bahamas in 1981.

She told athletes that as long as they have Bahamian

CARIFTA swimmers eager to hit the pool

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

With all their final preparations complete, the local swimmers are eager to make their splash in the pool at the CARIFTA Swimming and Open Water Championships this weekend in Pirate Bay, Curacao.

Following their final workout session yesterday morning at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex, the team left for Curacao where the goal is to return home on Tuesday with their fifth consecutive championship title.

“It feels amazing. Obviously, it’s a good opportunity and good experience to be able to represent my country each time I go away to swim,” said Rhaniska Gibbs, who has been a part of all four previous teams that won the championship.

“It was even a greater opportunity when I was selected to be the co-team captain for the girls this year. It’s honestly a great opportunity and I am looking forward to it.”

Gibbs, who at age 16 represented the Bahamas at the Commonwealth Games last year, said with the

All final preparations are complete

pride, quitting is never an option. “I don’t care where you are in that race, you do not ever give up [and] you do not ever quit,” Davis said. She emphasised the importance of having Bahamian pride, especially at the 50th CARIFTA Games that coincides with the 50th year of the country’s independence. “When they line up against you in the finals you do what you have got to do,” the Olympian added. Her last bit of advice to athletes was to know that diet is important to success in the sport, praying to God and believing in your training and yourself. With Easter’s CARIFTA Games looming, Team Bahamas’ coaching

SEE PAGE 15

RISING TENNIS STAR BACK IN FULL SWING

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER falling short in his first tournament in Trinidad & Tobago last week, Michael Major Jr is back in full swing in his second J60 Tacarigua tournament this week.

experience she’s gained, she hopes that she can motivate and encourage.

Gibbs will be contesting the 50 and 100 metre butterfly, 50 and 100m freestyle and 50 and 100m and 200 breaststroke events.

“I just want to PB in my events and bring some silverware to the Bahamas,” said Gibbs, who has won several medals in the past.

Grand Bahamian Nigel Forbes, a 12th grader at

St George’s High School, has also been a part of all four championship teams and he’s excited to go with the team aiming for the five-peat.

“It feels very exciting. Thank God that we have been able to win all the times that I’ve been on the team,” said the 17-year-old Forbes, who is expected to compete in both the 100 and 200 metres fly and 200 metre individual medley.

As for the team, Forbes said while there are a lot of new faces, it’s good to be able to interact with everybody.

“I just would say to them to stay focused and just go out there and compete to the best of their abilities,” he advised his team-mates.

Alanna Murray, who will be participating in the girls’ 13-14 division, will be competing in the breaststroke and IM events.

The 14-year-old eighth grader at Aquinas College said she’s excited about making her first CARIFTA team. “When I go to Curacao, I just want to make best times,” she noted. “As for the team I think we have the potential to win for the fifth straight year.”

Murray is following in the footsteps of her father, Olympian Allan Murray,

SEE PAGE 15

Ayton and Suns rout Spurs, clinch a playoff spot

By JACK THOMPSON Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) —

Devin Booker scored 27 points and the Phoenix Suns never trailed, beating the depleted San Antonio Spurs 115-94 last night to clinch a playoff spot.

The Suns (44-35) won their sixth in a row, the longest current winning streak in the NBA.

With one more victory in the final three games, Phoenix would assure itself of at least the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and home-court advantage in the first round.

Chris Paul scored 22 points, while Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Durant scored 18 points and reserve Torrey Craig added 15. The Suns are 7-0 when Durant has been in their lineup.

Malaki Branham led the Spurs with 21 points.

Tre Jones scored 20, while Keita Bates-Diop and Sandro Mamukelashvili each had 13.

The Spurs (20-59) only dressed 10 players. They were without their top two scorers, Keldon Johnson (right foot sprain) and Devin Vassell (left knee). Also out for San Antonio were Zach Collins (finger), Jeremy Sochan (right knee soreness) and Romeo Langford (left adductor).

And during Tuesday’s game, Doug McDermott played six minutes and limped off with an apparent knee injury.

Dominick Barlow was hurt in a fourth-quarter collision, and starter Devonte’ Graham was helped to the locker room late in the game after hurting his leg. San Antonio entered the night ranked last in scoring

defence, having allowed 122.8 points per game. Phoenix came out roaring, shooting 63% in the first quarter in building a 42-25 lead. That’s the most the Suns have scored in the first quarter this season, passing the 40 points against Chicago on March

3. Booker had 14 points in the first quarter. The Suns led by as many as 31 points in the second quarter and were up 69-51 at the half. Paul made 7 of 8 shots in the half to lead the Suns with 18 points. Phoenix shot 56% and San Antonio 38 percent, with

the Suns outrebounding the Spurs 30-20.

The Spurs got within nine in the third quarter, but by the end of the period Phoenix was back ahead 97-76. Booker scored 13 in the quarter to lead Phoenix.

MUTUAL ADMIRATION

Suns coach Monty Williams played for Gregg Popovich with the Spurs and coached under him as well. “I just enjoy seeing him and I’m grateful for the history I have with him,” Williams said before the game. “I’m grateful that I get to tell people outside of basketball that I know Gregg Popovich as a man, as a mentor, as a friend.”

Popovich may not have enjoyed yesterday’s result, but he too admires what Williams and the Suns have done.

In his second gruelling match so far, Major Jr survived against Lucas Castillo Sanchez from Colombia as he won over the number six seed in a 7-6 (15-13) tie breaker that lasted for one hour and 15 minutes before he wrapped up the second set as he rallied from a 5-1 deficit to surge to another tie breaker that he pulled off 7-4.

The performance came after Major Jr battled it out for three hours and 45 minutes against Omar Rhazili for a 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 decision, despite trailing 5-2 in the third and decisive set.

“So far in this tournament, I feel very good. I fought for every point,” Major Jr said. “Yesterday (Monday), I played for nearly four hours and today (Tuesday), I had another three-hour match.

“So it was fought physically, but I stayed tough mentally and I think I executed very well mentally even though I was really tired physically.”

Major Jr, who is preparing to enter college in August a year ahead of his required six years of high school, said these tournaments are a good test of his ability.

“I know I have a tough match ahead of me but I am prepared to go out there and give it my best shot,” said Major Jr, as he looks ahead to the next round today.

“I feel like I am playing well enough to beat anyone. Regardless of what happens, but I am prepared to go all the way.”

Major Jr is in the same position he was in during his first tournament in Trinidad last week when he won his first two matches and lost the third. He’s hoping that history won’t repeat itself this week.

SWIM READY: Team Bahamas at the CARIFTA Swimming and Open Water Championships in Pirate Bay, Curacao.

MICHAEL Major Jr

SUNS centre Deandre Ayton (22) is fouled during the second half against the Spurs last night. (AP Photo/Matt York)

TENNIS CHAMPIONS SOAK UP THE SPOTLIGHT

THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) held a successful Spring Classic tennis tournament. RBC was the title sponsor of this junior tennis event. After the completion of over 100 matches, the BLTA crowned the champions in the following divisions:

Under-12 Boys

Champion: Chase Newbold

Runner Up: Cory Conyers

Under-12 Girls

Champion: Caitlyn Pratt

Runner Up: Danielle Saunders

U14 Boys

Champion: Patrick Mactaggart

Runner Up: Reeves Mahelis

U14 Girls

Champion: Tatyana Madu

Runner Up:

Briana Houlgrave

U16 Boys

Champion: Jackson Mactaggart

Runner Up: Patrick Mactaggart

U16 Girls

Champion: Saphirre Ferguson

Runner Up: Tatyana Madu

U18 Boys

Champion: Dentry Mortimer Jr

Runner Up:

Sharano Hanna

Under-18 Girls

Champion:

Saphirre Ferguson

Runner Up: Caila Bowe

The BLTA congratulates all the winners and runnersup of the 2023 RBC Spring Classic. On hand to present the winners with their trophies were BLTA president Perry Newton and vice president Chilean Burrows. The double crown winner Saphirre Ferguson, who captured the U16 and U18 Championships, was recognised for her outstanding tournament performance. Saphirre did not drop a set in either finals - a tremendous feat.

The BLTA thanks the tournament director Tara Mactaggart, tournament referee Esther Newton and tournament officials for the good governance throughout the event.

The BLTA also thanks the tournament participants and parents who

continue to develop their children. We are witnessing a steady increase and interest in tennis. We had several newcomers to the tennis scene, including Ethan Butler and Spencer Taylor (both advanced to the Round of 16), Jordan Storr, Taiden Culmer and

Daliyah Culmer (all played in the quarterfinal rounds)

Theo Weir, Drew Roker and others.

This is very positive tennis growth. We welcome the new faces of tennis.

The Sportsmanship female trophy was awarded to Victoria Sandi-Aguilar

ITALIAN OPEN TO AWARD WOMEN EQUAL PRIZE MONEY BY 2025

ROME (AP) — The Italian Open plans to award women the same amount of prize money as men starting in 2025.

When Iga Swiatek won last year’s tournament on the red clay of the Foro Italico, she earned less than half of what Novak Djokovic took home for his title. Swiatek received a cheque for 332,260 euros ($364,000) while Djokovic was paid 836,355 euros ($916,000).

Billie Jean King has often said that she was moved to form the women’s pro circuit after earning $600 for her 1970 Italian Open title — while Ilie Nastase took home $3,500 for winning the men’s tournament the same year. “For the first time in history we have started the process that over three years will lead to equal prize money between the women’s and the men’s tournaments,” Italian tennis federation president Angelo Binaghi said yesterday at the presentation for this season’s event, which will be held May 10-21.

“We’re talking about 8 million euros (nearly $9 million) for each event,” Binaghi added. “We can make this big leap because the first female CEO of a big bank in Italy has provided us with the necessary resources.”

and the male trophy went to Cailan Bowe.

Continue to display a great attitude and you will excel.

We are thankful to God for the safe and successful close of the RBC Spring Classic tournament. Until the next time.

Elena Goitini is the chief executive of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, the Italian Open’s main sponsor. Having received an upgrade in status by the ATP and WTA, the Italian Open is expanding from eight to 12 days this year and will feature 96-player draws for men and women — up from the previous status of 56 players in each event.

THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association Royal Bank of Canada winners’ circle.

THE SPORTSMANSHIP female trophy was awarded to Victoria Sandi-Aguilar.

THE SPORTSMANSHIP male trophy was awarded to Cailan Bowe.

CARIFTA FROM PAGE 11

personnel practiced baton exchanges and other relay techniques for the highly-anticipated race at yesterday’s practice session. Additionally, the field athletes worked on their jumping techniques ahead of this weekend’s event.

The team usually practices in the morning session at 8am and once again in the evenings at 3:30pm.

John Ingraham, head coach of Team Bahamas from Grand Bahama,

CARIFTA SWIM

FROM PAGE 11

who will be travelling as a part of the coaching staff. But she said she’s not pressured at all because of his fame.

Emmanual Gadson, back from South Carolina where he is in his senior year in high school, said after getting his first taste of competition, he’s thrilled for his encore.

“I plan to see if I can win a few medals,” he stated. “I’m just going over there to have some fun. I expect that there will be a lot of competition, but I’m going to be prepared for it.”

Comparing this year’s team to last year, Gadson said there are a lot of “new faces who I am just trying to get to know. So I’m looking forward to competing with them.”

Tristen Hepburn will have his work cut out for him in the boys 13-14 division - he will be participating in a total of 11 events.

“I expect to at least come back with some individual medals this time in all of my events,” said Hepburn, who will be competing on the team for the second time. “I know it’s going to be hard, but I am prepared for the competition.”

Looking at the make-up of this year’s team, Hepburn is confident that the Bahamas will five-peat

talked about why he intentionally divided the practices into two sessions.

“The reason why I did the morning and evening sessions is to get the bodies and minds of the kids adjusted to the morning and evening sessions which prepares them for when they run in the morning and when they run in the evenings at the CARIFTA Games,” explained Ingraham.

He added that the coaching team is working feverishly with the relay teams so that the team is flawless as the Bahamian

crowd loves the exciting race.

He alongside the other seven assistant coaches are working hard to ensure the kids are ready and he is positive that they are going to do a great job.

Officials expect the home crowd to give Team Bahamas a big lift as they go for gold at this weekend’s April 7-10 CARIFTA Games.

Colours for the Easter weekend track and field extravaganza are black on Friday, white on Saturday, aquamarine on Sunday and gold on Monday.

because it’s a “very strong team.”

Christon Joseph is one of the competitors in the boys 11-12 category. The seventh grader at St Anne’s School said he is looking forward to his maiden voyage on the team. “I feel good, and I would like. I deserve it,” he said. “My goal is to at least get more medals this year and improve as I get older.”

Joseph said he would like nothing better than to see the team capture its fifth straight title.

Grand Bahamian Skyler Smith, competing in the girls 11-12 division, is a seventh grader from Bishop Michael Eldon High School who is excited about making her first trip to the games as well.

“I’m excited, but I’m nervous because I know there will be a lot of competition over there,” said the 11-year-old Smith.

“It’s very nerve-racking, but I’m happy to be on the team with some people who I know and who can win, so hopefully they can help me.”

Smith said she wants to be able to help the Bahamas hold onto their five-year reign as champions. And Seannia Norville-Smith, who is also competing in the 15-17 age group, said she has a heavy schedule ahead of her as a competitor in the 50, 100, 200, 800, 1,500m free and 50 fly.

“I’m looking forward to potentially medalling in my events and being a part of Team Bahamas,” said the 15-year-old student attending high school in Orlando, Florida.

“I feel the team is very strong and we should definitely win again for the fifth time straight.”mers were named to the team:

Girls 11-12 - Alissa Ferguson, Saleste Gibson, Madyson Julien, DNDN McKenzie, Kimaya Saunders, Skyler Smith and Jaylah Threadgill.

Girls 13-14 - Lelah Lewis, Alanna Murray, Trinity Pratt, Zoe Williamson and Alexia Zatarain.

Girls 15-17 - Rhanishka Gibbs, Katie Goulandris, Kyana Higgs, Keianna Moss, Seannia NorvilleSmith, Mia Patton and Elle Theberge.

Boys 11-12 - Christon Joseph, Alexander Murray, Trace Russell, Harold Simmons, David Singh and Kaylan Williams.

Boys 13-14 - William Farrington, Michael Fox, Tristen Hepburn, Donald Saunders and Dijon Simmons.

Boys 15-17 - Jack Barr, Nigel Forbes, Emmanuel Gadson, Ellie Gibson, Marvin Johnson and Caden Wells.

Open water girls teamLayla Saidi Males.

Open water boys teamAiden Bain and Caellum Darville.

CHELSEA, LIVERPOOL DRAW 0-0 AGAIN TO UNDERLINE SHARP DECLINE

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer

ANOTHER 0-0 stalemate between Chelsea and Liverpool. Another match highlighting the sharp decline of two of England’s top teams who, at this rate, are unlikely to be playing in the Champions League next season.

Chelsea was playing its first game since the firing of Graham Potter on Sunday but little was different under his interim replacement, Bruno Saltor.

Indeed, there was something very familiar about the teams serving up a goalless draw.

That has been the score in this fixture in their last four meetings — both Premier League matches this

season and both domestic cup finals last season, which were ultimately won by Liverpool via penalty shootouts.

The top four, and qualification for the Champions League, is looking increasingly unlikely for both teams.

Liverpool, which ran Manchester City so close for the title last season, is in eighth place and seven points off fourth-place Tottenham.

Chelsea, on the back of spending $630 million in the last two transfer windows, is four points further back in 11th place.

Scoring goals remains Chelsea’s big problem, with the expensively assembled team failing to net at home for the fifth time in 2023.

Reece James had a strike disallowed for a narrow offside against Enzo Fernandez and Kai Havertz’s celebrations for a goal in the second half were cut short after VAR spotted the ball rebounded off his arm and into the net after Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker saved the striker’s shot.

“These have been emotional days,” Bruno said, “and the players have been able to keep focused. It’s a credit to them.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was satisfied with the reaction of his team after a humbling 4-1 loss at Manchester City, which led to him making six changes — including dropping Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold

and Andrew Robertson to the bench.

“Yes, it was not the best football,” Klopp said, “but these boys are really good footballers and tonight they put in a proper shift.”

RELEGATION

BATTLE

It was a significant evening in the league’s tightest relegation battle in years — and Leeds turned out being the big winner. By rallying to beat fellow struggler Nottingham Forest 2-1, Leeds climbed out of the bottom three and jumped to 13th place in the 20-team league. The fight to avoid the drop remains too close to call, though, with five points separating Crystal Palace in 12th and Leicester in 19th. Forest, which has dropped

to fourth-to-last place, took the lead at Elland Road through Orel Mangala in the 12th minute only for Leeds to turn the game around thanks to goals by Jack Harrison and Luis Sinisterra before halftime.

NO

CHANGE

Firing its manager didn’t have an instant effect on Leicester, either.

A 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa dropped Leicester into next-to-last place and means the team has lost six of its last seven league games, drawing the other one.

Following the departure of Brendan Rodgers on Sunday, first-team coaches Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell were put in interim control of Leicester but

they weren’t able to fix a leaky defense that has now conceded 51 goals in 29 games.

Bertrand Traore came off the bench to score Villa’s winner in the 87th minute, with Leicester down to 10 men by that time after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall collected a second booking in the 70th.

Harvey Barnes had earlier canceled out the opener by Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who scored for the sixth straight away game — the first player to do so in the Premier League since former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero in 2017. Villa climbed to seventh place under Unai Emery and has won five of its last six league games.

OUR LEGEND: Beverly “Grammy” Wallace-Whitfield, the oldest CARIFTA volunteer, makes her appearance at yesterday’s practice session.

JOHN INGRAHAM, head coach of Team Bahamas.

HANDING OFF: CARIFTA relay teams practice baton exchanges yesterday at Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Photos by Tenajh Sweeting

WALL STREET DIPS, SNAPS WIN STREAK AFTER WEAK ECONOMIC DATA

By STAN CHOE AND DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writers

STOCKS fell on Wall Street Tuesday after reports on the economy came in weaker than expected.

The S&P 500 dropped 23.91 points, or 0.6%, to 4,100.60 to break a fourday winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 198.77, or 0.6%, to 33,402.38, and the Nasdaq composite sank 63.13, or 0.5%, to 12,126.33.

Investors are still split on whether the U.S. economy will fall into a recession and how badly corporate profits are set to drop. The biggest question remains what the Federal Reserve will do next with interest rates after hiking them furiously over the last year to get high inflation under control.

The reports on job openings and factory orders released Tuesday may have heightened recession fears. But they may also give the

Fed reason to hold rates steady at its next meeting, for the first time in more than a year, offering a possible upside for markets. One report showed employers advertised 9.9 million job openings in February, a sharper fall-off than economists expected. The Fed has been paying close attention to the numbers because the job market has remained so strong despite higher rates. The hope is that a softening in the number of openings could take some pressure off inflation without having to throw many people out of work.

A separate report showed that factory orders weakened in February more than economists expected. That could give the Fed another reason to hold off on hiking rates again to beat inflation, which has been slowing but remains too high.

“It’s all suggesting that the economy is slowing down, which was the Fed’s

intent all along in terms of raising rates,” said Michael Arone, chief investment strategist for SPDR business at State Street Global Advisors.

What the Fed does has such a grip on Wall Street because higher interest rates undercut inflation by slowing the entire economy, which raises the risk of a recession. They also hurt prices for stocks, bonds and other investments.

A potentially more impactful report will arrive Friday, when the U.S. government gives the latest monthly update on how many jobs were created across the country.

Some relatively encouraging data on inflation came in from other parts of the world Tuesday.

In Europe, a survey by the European Central Bank showed expectations for inflation in the coming year is falling among consumers in the region. That’s key because lower expectations

can help the economy avoid a vicious cycle where inflation keeps building momentum.

A separate report also showed inflation at the wholesale level in the region slowed by more in February than economists expected.

In Australia, the country’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at 3.60%. It said it wanted time to see how its past hikes to interest rates are working through the system.

While Australia’s economy is much smaller than

that of the U.S. or European Union, its central bank and that of New Zealand tend to “set the tone for monetary policy cycles,” Ipek Ozkardeskaya of Swissquote.com said in a commentary.

In the U.S., traders flipped bets back toward the Fed holding steady on rates at its meeting next month. A day earlier, a slight majority was betting on another increase in rates. That helped yields in the bond market to fall.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.34% from 3.42% late Monday. It helps

THE WEATHER REPORT

set rates for mortgages and other important loans. The two-year Treasury, which moves more on expectations for the Fed, dropped to 3.82% from 3.97%.

Longer term, there seems to be more confidence on Wall Street that the Fed will have to cut rates later this year. That has helped to buoy stocks, particularly technology and other high-growth companies, because rate cuts tend to act like steroids for markets. But the Fed has been consistent in saying it does not expect any rate cuts this year.

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

THE OPENING bell is seen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, yesterday.

Photo:Seth Wenig/AP

Cable’s pay-TV status ‘screaming for removal’

competition from the grey markets such as Netflix, Hulu etc. and the addition of competition in this market since 2016.

“This review has been listed and subsequently cancelled on an ongoing basis since 2018. When reviews are consistently postponed, data collected for the purpose of the review becomes stale dated and must be collected again. At the present time Rev (Cable Bahamas) is not optimistic that the review will be completed with a final statement of results by the third trimester of 2023 as indicated by URCA.

“The group calls for the escalation of this review in the plan so that it can be addressed with the urgency which it deserves.” Cable Bahamas has long been designated as having SMP in the provision of pay-TV services due to its dominant majority market share, which was built up over a 15-year exclusivity, and the

Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) only a relatively recent rival to enter the sector.

Companies with SMP designations are subject to close regulatory scrutiny and controls because their dominant market position means they can potentially adopt practices that squeeze out competitors to the detriment of consumers. Cable Bahamas’ submission is essentially advocating that it be subjected to less onerous restrictions in that segment.

Elsewhere, Cable Bahamas queried URCA’s decision to seemingly drop its review on the impact of over-the-top (OTT) applications such as What’s App “without explanation”. And it described development of a national spectrum plan for 2024-2027 as “of the utmost importance to the sector”.

“The revised Spectrum Plan will be most relevant to wireless networks, in particular, including 5G and the new and fast developing satellite to mobile industry,

which is being pushed globally by new commercialised satellite companies and cannot be ignored,” Cable Bahamas said.

“The group, as have indeed many telcos globally, has been advocating for a review of the spectrum rules and pricing and the removal of the ‘Premium Spectrum’ category which charges significantly higher fees for what is determined to be premium band spectrum.

“Given that the Government and relevant minister is responsible for determining spectrum fees, certainly this is a project which requires that URCA educate the relevant officials on recent global approaches to policy in the spectrum area so that informed decisions may be made. As cellular mobile operators begin to prepare their business cases for 5G services, the expeditious completion of this new national spectrum plan is essential.”

The threat from “commercialised satellite

companies” may already be here in The Bahamas. For on February 15, 2023, URCA granted a class operating licence and class spectrum licence to Starlink Services Bahamas, which was represented by the Lennox Paton law firm.

Starlink is an affiliate of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is not only seeking to offer satellite Internet services but also mobile services.

Meanwhile, Cable Bahamas also voiced concern at what it described as high staff turnover at URCA.

“Building stakeholders’ confidence as a part of URCA’s activities begins with the knowledge that URCA consists of skilled employees with requisite specialised expertise in regulation who are retained over a period of time and build institutional knowledge in order to keep abreast of the demands of a dynamic industry,” it said.

“The employee turnover at URCA has been a cause of concern for some time, and we trust that URCA

carries out exit interviews to better understand the reasons. Perhaps it is time for URCA to take an indepth examination of the organisation as a whole in order to identify the systemic reasons for such high turnover, particularly in certain areas which, by URCA’s admission has impacted its ability to start and complete projects particularly in the past two years, causing a carry over of more than 50 percent of the 2022 projects which will surely impact the competition of the 2023 projects.”

The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), in its response to the URCA consultation, called on the regulator to address the unreliable supply of electricity by Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) in the Family Islands. “BTC is concerned about the apparent lack of monitoring and improvement in this area,” it said.

“BTC has stated previously that the lack of reliable and quality electricity especially in the Family Island is the number one challenge facing electronic communications sector operators in The Bahamas. Operators are forced to manage and maintain redundant sources of electricity in order to run their networks, a situation that is akin to electronic communications sector operators providing telecommunication services as well as being power generation companies.

“This issue continues to be the source of often and prolonged interruption of telecommunication services in many parts of the archipelago. The result is that it shortens the life of electronic communications sector equipment and it deprives the sector of investment which could otherwise be used to improve the level of services in underserved communities.”

Asian shares mixed after Wall St dips on weak economic data

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer

ASIAN shares were trading mixed Wednesday following a decline on Wall Street after reports on the U.S. economy came in weaker than expected.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.3% in morning trading to 27,931.00. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 stood little changed, inching down less than 0.1% to 7,235.80. South Korea's Kospi added 0.2% to 2,485.21. Trading was closed in Hong Kong and Shanghai for the Qingming Festival, a holiday.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 dropped 0.6% to 4,100.60, breaking a fourday winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6%, to 33,402.38. The Nasdaq composite sank 0.5% to 12,126.33.

Investors are still split on whether the U.S. economy will fall into a recession and how badly corporate profits might drop. The biggest question remains what the Federal Reserve will do next with interest rates after hiking them furiously over the last year to get high inflation under control.

The reports on job openings and factory orders released Tuesday may have heightened recession fears. But they may also give the Fed reason to hold rates steady at its next meeting, for the first time in more than a year, offering a possible upside for markets.

One report showed employers advertised 9.9 million job openings in February, a sharper fall-off than economists expected. The Fed has been paying close attention to the numbers because the job market has remained so strong despite

higher rates. The hope is that a softening in the number of openings could take some pressure off inflation without having to

throw many people out of work. A separate report showed that factory orders weakened in February more than economists expected.

"It's all suggesting that the economy is slowing down, which was the Fed's intent all along in terms of raising rates," said Michael Arone, chief investment strategist for SPDR business at State Street Global Advisors.

What the Fed does has such a grip on Wall Street because higher interest rates undercut inflation by slowing the entire economy, which raises the risk of a recession. They also hurt prices for stocks, bonds and other investments.

A potentially more impactful report will arrive with Friday's update on how many jobs were created across the country last month.

Traders flipped bets back toward the Fed holding steady on rates at its meeting next month. A day earlier, a slight majority was betting on another increase in rates. That helped yields in the bond market to fall.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 3.34% from 3.42% late Monday. It helps set rates for mortgages and other important loans. The

A CURRENCY trader walks by the screens showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at a foreign exchange dealing room in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 5, 2023. Asian shares were trading mixed Wednesday following a decline on Wall Street after reports on the U.S. economy came in weaker than expected.

two-year Treasury, which moves more on expectations for the Fed, dropped to 3.82% from 3.97%.

Longer term, there seems to be more confidence on Wall Street that the Fed will have to cut rates later this year.

Tuesday's weaker-thanexpected readings on the economy follow a report on Monday that showed U.S. manufacturing continues to shrink faster than economists forecast.

Given such weakness, this is "not the time to chase growth," suggested Mark Haefele, chief investment officer of UBS Global Wealth Management.

On Wall Street, shares of Virgin Orbit plunged 23.2% to 15 cents after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It's been contending with the fallout of a failed mission this year and increasing difficulty in raising funding for future missions.

Stocks in industries whose profits are closely tied to the strength of the economy also fell more than the rest of the market, such as industrial and energy companies. Valero Energy fell 8% for one of the biggest losses in the S&P 500.

In other trading Wednesday, benchmark U.S. crude gained 46 cents to $81.17 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It rose 29 cents to $80.71 per barrel on Tuesday. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 53 cents to $85.47 per barrel in London.

The U.S. dollar was unchanged at 131.71 Japanese yen. The euro cost $1.0958, up from $1.0951.

Photo:Lee Jin-man/AP

‘Remarkable’ non-profits need improved structure

with non-profits having to register under the Companies Act 1992 - legislation that was wholly unsuited to their purposes.

Some 1,024 non-profits were registered as of November 2020, but the Sanigest report said: “Registration has been noted to be timelier than prior to the Act, but delays on response continue to be noted by some organisations seeking registration.

“Additionally, the non-profits that were incorporated under the Companies Act, and needed to maintain the incorporation for operational purposes, are now bound by increased regulations designed for for-profit business and have struggled to maintain compliance.

Challenges with registration and compliance have impeded organisations’ access to bank accounts and regional and international grant funding.

“For a recent example, one of the groups that was talked to during the qualitative data collection exercise noted how, after Hurricane Dorian, they were in discussions to receive a grant from one of the UN agencies working on the recovery effort,” the Sanigest report continued.

“However, due to their formal status as being

incorporated under the Companies Act, several critical months of work were lost immediately following the storm as a grant was not feasible given that category of their organisation, and a contract (with a different value and different stipulations) had to be drawn up instead, and the administrative process started from scratch.”

A survey of 124 Bahamas-based non-profits, conducted between August 2021 and January 2022, revealed that 18.4 percent operate as entities that are not formally incorporated.

“Most of them (68 percent) reported being legally incorporated as non-profit organisations, while 18 percent operate as unincorporated non-profits, which points to a degree of informality in the sector, with roughly one in five organisations working without a formal legal entity,” Sanigest said.

“This figure, however, may be expected to increase as several organisations responded [saying they do] not having clarity about their legal status. By individual sector, the highest rates of legal informality were found in community development, arts and philanthropy.”

Seeking to explain the reluctance of some to incorporate, Sanigest said: “This is likely the result

of what many civil society organisations report as a considerable difficulty in registering as a nonfor-profit (NFP) in The Bahamas, which is particularly burdensome to small organisations.

“To illustrate, one organisation that participated in focus groups discussions, stated that it took them one year to become registered as a non-for-profit (NFP), another 10 months to receive a licence to conduct their activity, and a few more months to open a bank account.

“Another small organisation admitted not even having clarity on what the process to become registered entails, and that after being quoted $3,000 to have someone do the paperwork for them they became discouraged and kept operating informally.”

The report continued: “These difficulties are not only experienced by small organisations. International civil society organisations who participated in the focus group discussions reported having tried to become registered locally and not having been able to do so despite having contacted the relevant authorities.

One major implication of this level of informality is that some of the smaller organisations cannot open a bank account, which

hampers considerably their ability to receive funds, even when there are willing donors. The lack of a formal not-for-profit status also prevents some of these civil society organisations from accessing grant funding from international organisations that support activities aligned with their mission.”

The Bahamas, though, has to balance the ‘ease of doing business’ for nonprofits with its international obligations. This area was among the last two that The Bahamas needed to come into compliance on before it last December achieved a perfect ‘40 out of 40’ in meeting the benchmarks set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard setter for combating money laundering and terror financing.

Meanwhile, the Sanigest report identified a further source of frustration as the sector’s inconsistent ability to access VAT and other tax breaks as provided for by law. “In The Bahamas, nonprofits are able to apply to receive exemption from VAT payment on certain programmatic expenses. It is relevant to mention that donations are not subject to VAT, given that there are no goods or services in return for donations,” it said.

To access the tax concessions, non-profits must

apply to be recognised via a Ministry of Finance certificate. Then, the VAT Act sets out 13 criteria under which a charity or non-profit is exempt from paying the 10 percent levy.

“However, non-profits can frequently be subject to VAT payment,” the report commissioned by ORG said. “These exceptions include those non-profits that carry out taxable activities and surpass the VAT threshold or expect to reach it in 365 days....

“Additionally, it should be noted that there is significant administrative work required to apply for the VAT exemptions, and as a result many smaller nonprofits do not benefit from that option. It was also discussed during consultative meetings that some nonprofits were denied after their first application for exemption due to an error in their application process, and then did not re-apply.”

Mr Aubry, acknowledging that registration timelines have improved since the 2019 Act was implemented, told Tribune Business that The Bahamas now has an opportunity to “build a unique legal structure” for its non-profits that will “leverage” the role they play and ensure all parties benefit.

He added that the sector’s ability to access VAT waivers and other tax breaks is

“very inconsistent”, with some non-profits applying and receiving them multiple times while others were simply locked out. The ability to access tax breaks was especially important during times when donor financing has reduced, with collective government grants falling by 22.2 percent - from $5.4m to $4.2m - between 2018-2019 and 2020-2021.

“The potential impact of civil society organisations to the well-being of the beneficiaries and their communities is directly related to the reach they have, as well as the depth or degree to which the intervention improves the beneficiaries’ living condition,” the Sanigest report said.

“In The Bahamas, a fourth of civil society organisations reported reaching 50 people or less, and almost one-third estimated reaching over 1,000 beneficiaries. Data from a beneficiary web survey, filled by 87 individuals between April and June 2022, shows that respondents considered that the civil society organisations’ activities improved their living conditions, with 58 percent reporting a significant improvement and 57 percent reporting that their need had been completely met as a result.”

Atlantis defers on Royal Caribbean’s PI answers

FROM PAGE A24

been paying close attention to this project ever since it was first proposed in 2020,” she said.

“The potential impact on our beaches, marine life and water supply could be devastating if the appropriate environmental controls and practices are not carefully planned and executed. As the leader of tourism

for The Bahamas and longtime stewards of the ocean and its marine life, caring for the environment has become part of our DNA. It is at the core of who we are and what we do.”

Ms Oswell added that, due to the extent of its concerns, it had made an “exception” to its traditional policy of not becoming involved in such public discussions. “We

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

The Public is hereby advised that I, VANTIQUA ALISHA AGATHA FORBES #132 Frobrisher Drive, Freeport, Grand Bahama, Mother and legal guardian of HAILEY AMIR SKYLAR CLIFFYANNA FORBES A minor intend to change my child’s name to HAILEY AMIR SKYLAR CLIFFYANNA BRICE If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such ob ections to the Deputy hief Passport Of cer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that NORILUS SAINT JULIEN of Minnie Street, 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 29th day of March, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that LANCE FRANCIS, of #52 West Street, Nassau, Bahamas 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 29th day of March 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

sincerely hope this project’s review and approval process will develop following all the necessary protocols,” she added. “Unfortunately, that has yet to be our experience to-date. Hence the reason for the public alarm.

“There have been few opportunities for public review of the plans. Back in 2021, we attended a public presentation on the project, as did several local environmental groups and interested parties. After the meeting, we submitted a list of questions to Royal Caribbean and the Department of Environmental Planning & Protection (DEPP). To date, none of these questions have been answered.

“When announcements by Royal Caribbean and the Government suggested the project was close to being approved in early March we, along with others in the Nassau/Paradise Island community, voiced our surprise and worry. In response to this outpouring of caution, Prime Minister Davis issued assurances that the review process, which includes an assessment of the project’s environmental impacts, was still underway and would be thorough. That’s excellent news – and we intend to follow that process closely.”

Ms Oswell added that besides the environmental concerns “many believe

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that JODLEN GARCON of Jennie Street, Balfour Avenue, 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 twentyeight days from the 29th day of March, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ASHPHIN CAMPBELL of P. O. Box CP-60076, 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 29th day of March, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that NICA NIKICA JULIEN, of Hudson Estates, Allenby Lane, Freeport, Grand Bahama 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 29th day of March 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

a deeper analysis of the project’s economic impact is required”. She continued: “The local economy is driven by tourism, and for the most part, tourism is driven by the beautiful waters and beaches of The Bahamas and its people. As part of the hospitality industry, we need to stand up and protect our livelihood.”

Setting out the issues as Atlantis sees them with the Royal Caribbean project, she added: “Any expansion of beach areas, overwater cabanas, seawalls, jetties or other structures poses potentially devastating impacts on the Paradise Island coastline and our beaches.”

As for the desalination and wastewater treatment plants required to service the project, Ms Oswell said: “Plans call for thousands of beachgoers each day, which could potentially threaten the water source for all of Paradise Island. The odors, noise and handling of discharge from such wastewater treatment plants are also of particular concern.

“[The] noise from large numbers of people, music, jet skis and other activities and amenities offered at the project site pose potential threats to neighbouring residential property owners and Atlantis.”

NOTICE is hereby given that CYTHARA STEPHANIA AGISNORD of Golden Isles Road, 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 5th day of April, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that KENLY EXANTUS, of Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas 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 29th day of March 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that VODLEELY ELFRAT, of General Delivery, Palmetto Point, Eleuthera, Bahamas 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 29th day of March 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

‘BREAD LADY’ SHOWS SANDALS TOURISTS ‘IT’S A PIECE OF CAKE’

AN EXUMA resident is serving as a one-woman tourism ambassador by treating hundreds of visitors to Sandals Emerald Bay to home-baked bread every week.

Valerie Rolle Tonny is known as the resort’s ‘Bread Lady’, having followed in her father’s footsteps. “I never knew how he could make bread that tasted so good, but I was going to stay by his side until I learned,” she said. She now

creates loaves, buns, twists and tarts with a distinct Bahamian taste – coconut, guava, dilly, potato, banana, pumpkin.

“The guests love it and I bake for them, even when it’s raining,” Mrs Rolle Tonny said. “Mr Mutton (Sandals general manager) will tell me: ‘Ms Valerie, don’t you go out there now, I don’t want you getting wet.’ But I just tell him I’m going because I love what I do.

“I tell him the rain’s going to let up by the time I am ready to serve, and I love seeing the smiles on my guests’ faces when I hand them the warm loaf. I do corn bread, guava, coconut, dilly, whatever is in season, and they tell me: ‘Ms Valerie, this is the best bread I ever tasted in my life’.”

Mrs Rolle Tonny left school at 14 to help out on the family farm in Exuma. She grew the corn, picked it,

shucked the cob and ground it on a mill in the kitchen for grits and corn bread. Farm to table was not a fad or a novelty. For Exumians such as Mrs Rolle Tonny and other Family Islanders, it was just the way things were. She once served 300 on the farm.

Born a Rolle, she has been married for 55 years, and though she attempted to retire in 2016 to look after her husband, a mason who was injured in a truck

accident that has severely limited his mobility, it was not long before she was itching to work again. Sandals was happy to have her back at the brick oven they built for her in 2012, and in the pantry where she rules.

“I meet people from all walks of life and from all over the world,” says Mrs Rolle Tonny, one of hundreds of Bahamian staff members at the resort. “Baking the bread is what I love. It’s a piece of cake.”

IHOP: ‘This is the Caribbean launch, not just The Bahamas’

FROM PAGE A24

teams encountered some “unexpected glitches” that they overcame with help from the Mall at Marathon’s management and Board, as well as IHOP’s brand owner and franchisor, Dine Brands International, which also controls the rights to the Applebee’s name.

Describing Dine Brands as “awesome”, with a team of its executives working

with Caribbean Dining “daily for the last seven to eight months”, the Bahamian entrepreneur added: “This is a journey that started in 2018 and 2019. COVID sort of shut it down but here we are opening. The partnership with them made it much easier than expected.”

Mr Rodgers said the IHOP Bahamian franchise’s workforce could quickly reach between 400-600

employees between the first three New Providence restaurants depending on how quickly it adopts the brand’s 24-hour business model. The Bahamas’ tourism-based economy, with its shift-based work, provides a potential 24-hour customer base with those night workers looking to eat early morning once they get off.

“The plan is to eventually go 24 hours,” he confirmed. “It’s a 24-hour brand. We will gauge that over a few weeks. We have to iron out all the kinks and make sure we offer consistency and a great product. It’s not a morning restaurant; it’s a 24-hour restaurant. When we do that, because of how our working hours work in The Bahamas from a labour standpoint, we will have to bring on more employees so the numbers are going to increase, I’d say, to between 400 and 600 when all the stores are built-out.”

Confirming that Caribbean Dining is also “definitely for sure looking at Grand Bahama” as a possible IHOP restaurant site, Mr Rodgers declined to provide a dollar figure for how much the company has

invested at the Mall at Marathon or will do across its first three locations. “I don’t have a final figure right now because we’re still spending money,” he added. “There’s no such thing as a budget when you’re building a restaurant. “This is the launch of the Caribbean. This is not the launch of The Bahamas. I’m definitely in the Caribbean. The plan is to build-out two more locations here, and once that is done we will look beyond The Bahamas to the Caribbean. Once the three in Nassau are done, we will go to the rest of the Caribbean.”

Mr Rodgers previously told this newspaper that Caribbean Dining’s franchise agreement calls for it to open a total of 16 IHOP restaurants across the English-speaking Caribbean excluding the US Virgin Islands.

Counting on strong brand recognition from Bahamians who have become familiar with IHOP on their travels to the US and wider world, he added: “It’s where generations of Bahamians have visited on their travels throughout the US and

having an opportunity to bring the same brand here in The Bahamas.

“The real work begins now we have opened. It’s about having that consistency, making sure every day that we provide 100 percent, keeping staff motivated to provide the best possible service. Coming from the hospitality industry that’s all I know.”

Mr Rodgers said the initial IHOP job fair, held in partnership with the Department of Labour, had helped create a database of potential hires who “at any second can be called up” as needed. They will be contacted as the chain’s second and third New Providence locations progress.

Speaking at yesterday’s opening, he added: “This has been a tedious five years. COVID slowed it down a bit. But now we’re here. This actually, especially for The Bahamas, because I know for years everybody’s been talking about this, and getting the franchise and, you know, many days I thought that this day would not come, all the difficulties in getting here to this moment. But

ATLANTIS BRACES FOR $17M ELECTRICITY COSTS INCREASE

FROM PAGE A24

charge hike, Mr Roberts replied: “I think it’s $17m over the course of the year. It’s a significant increase.

“The focus has got to be on how we put more renewables in place based on the environment at BPL. There is not much we can do as a single property, but maybe together we can put more focus on renewables, how we finance them and how we get them in place.”

Atlantis’ projections give an insight into the likely stress and pain many Bahamian businesses and households will feel through summer 2023, and well into the fall and winter months, as a result of BPL’s so-called “glide path” to recoup under-recovered fuel costs.

BPL’s previouslyunveiled projections for the fuel charge, which typically accounts for between 50-60 percent of customer bills, is forecast to peak at 27.6 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) over the threemonths between June 1 and August 31, 2023.

That is the period when consumption it at its highest due to summer air conditioning demand. It will then fall slightly to 25 cents between September and November for consumers using more than 800 kWh, before falling further to 18 cents between December 1, 2023, and February 28, 2024. Yet BPL itself has admitted that these movements and figures are not guaranteed due to global oil price volatility, with prices spiking again last week after output cuts by producer nations.

With the worst yet to come, and BPL’s fuel charge now rising steadily through a rolling series of increases every three months, the issue has already been embroiled in political controversy with the Opposition Free National Movement (FNM) alleging that the situation has resulted from the Davis administration’s decision

we’re here, April 4 is real.

IHOP is real.”

William Urrego, Dine Brands Global’s regional vice-president of franchise operations, added that IHOP has more than 1,700 restaurants spread across the US and in nations such as Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Peru, Ecuador, the UAE and Egypt.

He added: “We are here to provide jobs, to push the economy in The Bahamas. By opening this restaurant, just one, we have generated over 100 direct jobs and more than 350 indirect jobs, which is fantastic.”

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for quite a while and, unfortunately, because of the pandemic we had to delay, but it’s really exciting to be here in the community of Nassau and we’re looking to open more restaurants in the future. So it’s a really exciting moment for us. This is the first one right here in The Bahamas in the English-speaking Caribbean islands. So we’re going to be starting here in The Bahamas and continue expansion throughout the Caribbean.”

not to execute trades that would have secured more cut-price fuel to support the existing hedge when it had the opportunity to do so in late 2021.’

Atlantis and other Bahamian resorts, which alongside food stores are BPL’s biggest energy users and customers, must hope that continued pent-up travel demand continues to drive top-line revenues such that this growth offsets - either in full or partially - the erosion of profits and cash flow caused by skyrocketing electricity prices. Atlantis and Baha Mar combined account for 15 percent of BPL’s revenues, or almost one out of every $7 of its income.

Mr Roberts yesterday said the Paradise Island mega resort’s outlook remains “very strong” throughout 2023. “This weekend going into Easter we’re full, which is above 85 percent occupancy,” he explained. “The first three months of the year have been really strong, and it’s shaping up to be a really strong Easter and beyond.”

Adding that the June and July period, when Atlantis hosts numerous families during the school vacation, were equally robust, Mr Roberts told Tribune Business: “The business over the next three to six months looks really strong. The first three months have exceeded our budget significantly.

“It’s largely been driven by ADR (average daily room rate) and spending per occupied room. We’re excited about how we’ve performed. It’s still looking good for the balance of the rest of the year.” While 2023 first quarter numbers are still being finalised, he added that all business areas - rooms, food and beverage, the casino and water park - had performed “beyond budget” during the peak winter season.

“We’re seeing excellent gains beyond budget,” Mr Roberts said. “We expect to see a really strong summer

that will go into the September/October timeframe. Last year was better than pre-pandemic in terms of pattern; we didn’t see the slowdown in business we normally see in September/ October, so we’re seeing a strong performance through the balance of the year.”

Despite continued pessimism in some quarters about the possibility of a US recession and downturn in other major economies, which has resurfaced following recent bank collapses and rescues, no signs of a slowdown are yet being detected in the Bahamian resort and tourism industry’s booking numbers.

“People are spending more for vacations, and spending more on food and beverage and activities,” Mr Roberts said. “Spending per occupied room is up, ADR is up. We’re seeing in trend patterns that it’s holding even in periods where we normally see a drop.

“It’s just strong in general with pent-up demand. People are looking for experiences and more than buying goods and services, or shopping and purchasing a car. They want experiences, which has been good for The Bahamas. We’re still setting records with our business in terms of revenue.” Mr Roberts acknowledged that some of this increase was driven by inflation, but added that high travel demand remained the primary factor driving revenues.

Atlantis currently employs around 5,700 full-time staff, he added, along with numerous parttime workers. “The Beach Towers are still off-line but we’re on all cylinders and having trouble finding entry-level folks for cooking and some of the areas,” Mr Roberts disclosed.

“Every year there’s hundreds of people who graduate from high school. We just need to develop a pipeline and spend time with the students in high school and have them consider Atlantis as a career and develop them as they start. We’re trying to make sure we retain the best people as well.”

VALERIE ROLLE TONNY

GRAND Bahama was well represented at the 2023 Seatrade Cruise Global event in Fort Lauderdale last week. Leading a delegation of executives from Grand Bahama was Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) vice-chair, Sarah St. George. Pictured from L to R: Dr Kenneth Romer, deputy directorgeneral at the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation; Alan Dixon, chief executive of Freeport Container Port; Giora Israel, former senior vice-president of global port and destination development at Carnival Corporation; Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, aviation, and investments; Sarah St George, GBPA vice-chair; Mike Maura, chief executive and director of Nassau Cruise Port; John Pinder, parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation; and James Carey, president of Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce.

THE INVEST Grand Bahama team meets with Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation. Pictured from L to R: Glenda Johnson, director and chief licensing officer for the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation; Trevor Simmons, GBPA business development officer; Della Bridgewater, general manager of Pelican Bay Hotel; Dr Kenneth Romer, deputy director-general of tourism; Derek Newbold, GBPA chief investment officer; Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister; Hadley Forbes senior, president of H. Forbes Private Charter; John Pinder II, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation; Hadley Forbes Jnr; H. Forbes Private Charter; and James Carey, president, Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce.

PORT EXECUTIVES LEAD GB GROUP AT CRUISE SUMMIT

GRAND Bahama

Port Authority (GBPA) executives were among a 20-strong delegation from the island that attended the Seatrade Global Cruise Conference in Florida last week.

Freeport’s quasi-governmental authority, in a statement, said its Invest Grand Bahama team used the event to showcase the opportunities and advantages of doing business and investing in Grand Bahama. These possibilities, it added, include the island’s tourism sector, shipping and logistics infrastructure, competitive tax regime and skilled workforce.

Invest Grand Bahama’s exhibit emphasised ongoing developments in Grand Bahama, including the $200m Carnival cruise port and other critical infrastructure projects designed to enhance economic activity on the island.

Sarah St. George, the GBPA’s vice-chairman, said: “We are thrilled to be exhibiting at the Seatrade Global Cruise Conference, one of the most significant events in the maritime industry.

“Our participation at the conference not only provides an excellent opportunity to showcase the many benefits of doing business in Freeport and attract new investment interest, it also keeps us on the cutting edge with global trends, industry developments and the direction of sustainability in cruise tourism for the benefit of our economy.”

Ian Rolle, GBPA president, added: “Our participation in the conference reflects our ongoing commitment to creating an environment that fosters economic growth, sustainability and innovation within Freeport’s investment landscape. We are proud to showcase the many businesses and attraction offerings on Grand Bahama, as well as investment opportunities available in Freeport. We look forward to engaging with industry leaders, investors and other key stakeholders.”

Derek Newbold, the GBPA’s chief investment officer, continued: “We are excited about the opportunity to connect

with industry leaders faceto-face and highlight the unique value proposition of Grand Bahama. We believe that our participation at the conference will aid in our efforts to continue building interest for the island.” GBPA licensees travelling with the Invest Grand Bahama team included executives from the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce; Freeport Harbour Company and Freeport Container Port; H. Forbes Private Charter; Pelican Bay Hotel; Elnet Maritime; Bahamas Distilling Company; Leslie’s Trades & Logistics; Pirates Cove; Zipline Waterpark; and Margaritaville at Sea.

“Invest Grand Bahama, with sponsored partners, including the Grand Bahama Chamber of

Commerce, was in top form at the Seatrade Cruise Global event,” said James Carey, the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce’s president.

“Activity was brisk and, clearly, there is a high level of interest in Grand Bahama. Partners were determined, cohesive and focused; only positive results will accrue. The team was further buoyed in their efforts with a visit to the GBPA booth by deputy prime minister, Chester Cooper; vice chair of the GBPA, Sarah St George; and president, Ian Rolle.

We are anxious to return home after this event and reap the benefits which will come.”

PierFrancesco Vargo, executive chairman of Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) cruise division, told the conference about the ever-increasing global demand for cruise tourism and predicted that annual passenger volumes will grow from 30m today to 39m within the next two years. He also highlighted the industry’s commitment to sustainability, reducing emissions, liquefied

natural gas (LNG), waste treatment, recycling and connections to shore power. A survey showing that 60 percent of cruise passengers will likely return for a second time to the countries they visit was also produced.

This year’s conference was held at the Broward County Convention Centre in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,from March 27-30. It brought together maritime industry leaders, cruise line executives, travel professionals and investors, as well as industry vendors and suppliers.

‘HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN TA ARREARS REMAIN

THE MINISTRY of Finance’s top official yesterday said “hundred of millions” in tax arrears remain outstanding even though VAT revenues are 7 percent ahead of projections for the first nine months of the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

Simon Wilson, the financial secretary, told reporters yesterday that March was a “good month” for revenues as the Government enters the final quarter of its fiscal year that closes at endJune. The first three months of the fiscal year, including March, is typically the strongest revenue-earning period for the Government

as it includes peak winter tourism activity, Business Licence fee payments, the bulk of real property tax payments, and commercial vehicle licensing.

However, Mr Wilson confirmed that significant amounts of VAT and other unpaid taxes remain outstanding. And that does not include the estimated $800m in real property tax arrears estimated to exist at end-March 2023.

“There are two different scenarios,” Mr Wilson said of real property tax delinquents. “There are people who come in and say ‘This is what I should pay’, and people who try to evade the system. Obviously we don’t know that amount. Most property taxes are owed by foreign-owned properties because Bahamians have a wide level exemption.

So this is primarily driven mostly by non-Bahamian owned properties.”

Following reforms passed with last year’s Budget, the first $300,000 of a property’s value is exempt from real property tax. All inhabited Bahamian islands are thought to contain properties that owe tax arrears to the Public Treasury.

Mr Wilson, meanwhile, pledged that the tax enforcement and compliance drive will continue. He added that the Government is “not targeting” specific companies, but added that there were “consequences” for those deliberately avoiding or evading their obligations to the Public Treasury.

“So it’s not targeting,” he said. “Targeting gives a thing that you’re picking on people. We’re just

going through a compliance strategy to ensure that you encourage business to be compliant, and if you are non-compliant there are consequences for non-compliance.”

Speaking earlier at a Ministry of Finance procurement workshop, Mr Wilson said the Prime Minister had directed that officials come back to him with “something to show” progress on implementing the Government’s new procurement system.

This is being effected via the Bonfire electronic platform, and he added: “The previous procurement system we had did not keep good records. It’s a very old system. So what we’re doing is we’re backfilling information on the new Bonfire system to publish contracts and so forth.

“So, to be clear, all government contracts are public knowledge. So there’s no black budget. So if the Government signs a contract, obviously the Government wants you to know because this is the public’s money. It is the reporting format that is a challenge, right. So that’s what the issue is. All contracts the Government signed are public knowledge. The Government does not sign contracts in the dark. All of the vendors are known and so forth.”

Turning to the Government’s planned renewable energy roll-out, which initially is focusing on Family Island microgrids and roof-top installations with financing provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mr Wilson said: “Our focus

is primarily in the southern Bahamas in MICAL… We believe that renewable energy can be transformative to a return of our economy and a return to our way of life.

“So we are very, very eager to get this project started to get contractors in the field to get things done. This is very, very important for us. Our goal is by this summer we will start focusing on not just MICAL, but in Abaco as well. Then also we have a couple of rooftop installations in New Providence where we think there is a huge opportunity in the school system, and we have completed three so far and we have several more planned.”

Business Licences: 99% were approved ‘in time’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

THE MINISTRY of Finance’s top official yesterday said 99 percent of Business Licence renewal applications were approved “in time” with those outstanding needing to “clarify” questions surrounding their reported turnover.

Simon Wilson, the financial secretary, told reporters yesterday that the enhanced

scrutiny and due diligence applied by the Department of Inland Revenue to the annual turnover figures supplied by applicants had helped identify discrepancies suggesting some were under-reporting revenues to evade/avoid a portion of their Business Licence fee payments.

Typically, if you have not received a Business Licence it is because there’s a query, and those businesses got a query from us to say that here is something here we want to clarify,” he

explained. “The Department of Inland Revenue has done a tremendous job, and I will say around 99 percent of the Business Licenses which were submitted were processed in time.”

Besides under-declaring turnover, Mr Wilson said renewals could have been delayed because a business did not provide requested information on their location or landlord’s name, or the latter’s real property tax assessment number.

The Department of Inland

Bahamas Realty opens in western New Providence

BAHAMAS Realty

opened its western New Providence office on March 16, 2023, as part of a strategy to move closer to the high-end residential

communities and condo developments preferred by its clients. The real estate firm, in a statement, confirmed its Caves Village Plaza

location on West Bay Street has now opened. Donald Martinborough, its chief executive, said: “I’m thrilled to announce the

Revenue had warned that licence processing could be delayed if such information was not provided. When asked if this process had produced results, Mr Wilson said Marchwhich is when all Business Licence fees have to be paid - was a “very good month in terms of overall revenue”. He added: “We have 50,000 businesses registered, and about 40,000 of those businesses report turnover less than $100,000, so they pay zero [fees].

“So that’s all we know. That’s our universe, and we work through our universe to determine instances of non-compliance. People don’t put up a flag and say they are non-compliant. They try to be discreet and non-compliant.”

While it is “unlikely” the Government will seek to garnish, or impose a lien, over a tax dodger’s wages or revenue as the case may be, Mr Wilson warned that the Ministry of Finance and Department of Inland Revenue will be

“more forthright” in their approach to non-compliant businesses.

The Department of Inland Revenue’s acting comptroller, Shunda Strachan, has previously said it is within the department’s remit to garnish the rental income of landlords who do not pay real property taxes. She added in January that the agency has already begun to work with commercial banks to ensure outstanding real property taxes are paid on their mortgaged properties.

opening of our new western office.

“Over the past few years, Bahamas Realty has experienced steady sales growth on the island’s western end. This new endeavour

will allow the company to continue to build on the significant momentum by being accessible to clients and customers in this highend market.”

Bahamas Realty’s former chief executive and founding partner, Larry Roberts, cut the ribbon to officially open the new sales office.

Atlantis braces for $17m electricity costs increase

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ATLANTIS yesterday revealed it is bracing for a $17m year-over-year hike in electricity costs despite “still setting revenue records” through 2023’s winter tourism season and into the upcoming peak Easter weekend.

Vaughn Roberts, senior vicepresident of government affairs and special projects, told Tribune Business that the Paradise Island mega resort and wider

IHOP: ‘This is the Caribbean launch, not just The Bahamas’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

IHOP’s local franchisee says he will decide on two further New Providence locations “pretty shortly”, adding: “This is the launch of the Caribbean, not just the launch of The Bahamas.”

Burton Rodgers, president of Caribbean Dining, reaffirmed to Tribune Business just days before yesterday’s first restaurant opening at the Mall at Marathon that his ambitions for the pancake-led chain stretch beyond this nation’s borders and into

the wider English-speaking region.

“We’re still aiming to open two more locations this year. We haven’t deviated from that,” he said. “We’re still on schedule to open two more locations. Finding the right location is the first thing we’re going to do. We’re looking at downtown, we’re looking at the western area of the island, and looking at the southern area of the island. We’ll make a decision pretty shortly, and for the third one we’ll make a decision on that at the same time. That’s the plan.”

Mr Rodgers told this newspaper that IHOP’s

Cable’s payTV status ‘screaming for removal’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

CABLE Bahamas is arguing its ‘significant market power’ designation in the pay-TV market is “screaming for removal” with competition from streaming services having caused an 11 percent plunge in subscriber numbers in 2021. The BISX-listed communications provider, in its response to the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority’s (URCA) consultation on the latter’s draft annual plan for 2023, sought to make the case for a softening of its regulated status given the inroads made by the likes of Netflix and Hulu.

Asserting that URCA’s long-promised review of the pay-TV market and other fixed services is “critical”, it added that its core heritage product had “shown the steepest decline in subscribers at 11 percent year-over-year. The review has implications for the Significant Market Power (SMP) designation, which is screaming for removal with the

tourism industry had “lobbied as hard as we could” over the up to 163 percent fuel charge increase unveiled by Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) but were informed by the Government there was “nothing it can do”. Disclosing that Atlantis has “been in these waters before”, with energy costs soaring to similar levels during the 2011-2013 period, he added that this gave it no extra comfort over what itself - and thousands of other Bahamian businesses and households - will have to endure over the summer and into fall 2023

as BPL seeks to regain $90m in non-recovered fuel costs.

“It’s a significant cost increase for our business,” Mr Roberts told this newspaper of BPL’s fuel recovery “glide path”. “I think we benefited for the past several years with a low-cost environment for electricity, and that had to do with the relatively low price of oil and the hedge that was in place at BPL.

“We recognise the situation is what it is, and the cost has to be passed through. We don’t like it, but clearly we have to support power generation here.

We lobbied as hard as we could, Atlantis and the wider hotel and tourism industry, and the Government came back and said there was nothing they can do. “Prices will be similar to what we saw in 2011, 2012 and 2013. We’re in waters we’ve been in before. We don’t like being here, and think the long-term solution is to add more renewables into the generation mix.” Asked by how much Atlantis’ 2023 electricity bill is expected to increase year-over-year due to BPL’s fuel

first Bahamas restaurant will start with 120 employees and the workforce will build from there. He explained that the Mall at Marathon opening had been delayed by about two months from the original February 2023 date because “we weren’t finished; we weren’t ready to open. We were not ready

on our part from a construction standpoint”.

IHOP will operate from the site that previously housed the Bennigan’s and Outback Steakhouse brands, and it had to outfit the building according to its needs and specifications. Mr Rodgers said work

Atlantis defers on Royal Caribbean’s PI answers

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ATLANTIS has decided to wait for Royal Caribbean to supply answers to its 50 questions over the latter’s proposed Paradise Island project because they were not totally “buttoned up” at the two sides’ most recent meeting.

Vaughn Roberts, Atlantis’ senior vice-president of government affairs and special projects, yesterday confirmed that the mega resort and cruise giant had gone ahead with their planned March 24, 2023, meeting where environmental concerns over the Royal Beach Club project were due to be further discussed following the two sides’ previous encounter in January.

However, while Royal Caribbean executives “seemed like they had some details they wanted to share” on their plans, the parties both agreed to defer further talks until the cruise line “shares more information publicly” about the project - as it will have to disclose a revised Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP).

The March 24 meeting took place just two weeks after Audrey Oswell, Atlantis’ president and managing director, publicly warned that approval of Royal Caribbean’s $110m Paradise Island project is “premature” and urged Bahamians to call on the Government to “put the brakes on”.

Mr Roberts said yesterday: “The circumstances have changed quite a bit in terms of what’s out there in the public domain. We did have the meeting, but it was pretty much that nothing was

really advanced except that Royal Caribbean seemed ready to share the details of the project with us, but we couldn’t receive it because of the public discourse that has happened.

“We’ve got to wait until they make their submissions, and the details are shared publicly, and then we’ll go back to the table with them to make sure our concerns are addressed. It seemed like they had some details they wanted to share, but they didn’t have everything buttoned up in terms of addressing our questions. It really needs to wait until they share more information publicly about the project.”

Mr Roberts spoke as Ms Oswell yesterday wrote a letter to Atlantis’ nearly 6,00 staff to explain the resort’s position on Royal Caribbean’s proposed western Paradise Island destination.

“Because whatever happens on Paradise Island has the potential to impact Atlantis, our guests, and all of us who work here, we have

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN non-profit groups are performing a “remarkable” service to local families and communities despite being under-resourced and suffering a 20 percent cut in government funding through COVID, it was argued yesterday.

Matt Aubry, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) principal, told Tribune Business the significant role many non-profits play in Bahamian society could be greatly enhanced if there was more “structure” to the sector’s regulatory regime and better co-ordination between different entities in the sector and with the Government and private industry.

Speaking after ORG released a report that it commissioned on the Bahamian non-profit sector from

consultants, Sanigest Internacional, he added that several groups reported Christmas 2022 donations had fallen year-over-year by 10 percent which was “a significant amount” for those on small budgets. With funding sources constrained as The Bahamas and world economy concentrated on recovery from COVID’s devastating impact, Mr Aubry said ongoing inflation and cost increases were further

‘Remarkable’ non-profits need improved structure

VAUGHN ROBERTS

L to R: Burton Rodgers, IHOP franchisee and president, Caribbean Dining; Patricia Dorsett, Mr Rodgers’ mother; Keith Bell, minister of labour and Immigration; William Urrego, regional vice-president of the Americas, Dine Brands International; Timothy McCarthy, managing partner, Caribbean Dining.

Photo:Kenton Hepburn/Cay Focus Photography

MATT AUBRY