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Tourism backlash fear over dolphin fatalities

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas was yesterday warned it faces a “PR nightmare” and severe tourism backlash unless it saves the five surviving dolphins at an abandoned project off New Providence’s north coast.

Ric O’Barry, the Dolphin Project’s co-founder and director, told Tribune Business the “genie is out of the bottle” with “thousands” purportedly voicing outrage and threatening never to return to The Bahamas after his organisation posted details about the earlier deaths

• Five survivors ‘living nightmare’ at abandoned project

• ‘Genie out the bottle’ on development that defied court

• Intervention permission wait compared to ‘Gaza aid’

of eight dolphins at the former Blackbeard’s Cay development.

Comparing the situation to food trucks prevented from entering the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the 63-year dolphin veteran said his group is poised to provide the remaining

‘Opportunity missed’ or PM on ‘the right side of history’?

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Prime Minister’s call for Grand Bahama to “break the chains” yesterday provoked a mixed private sector reaction with some arguing he “missed a wonderful opportunity” to set out his vision for the island.

Darren Cooper, proprietor of D’s Car Rental, told Tribune Business that he and other Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) licensees were left disappointed that Philip Davis KC did not set out his development goals for Freeport and the wider Grand Bahama economy or set out the road map for getting there.

Asserting that licensee concerns over the Government’s Freeport strategy and direction were not addressed, Mr Cooper also accused the Government of basing its $357m reimbursement demand of the GBPA on a period when tax revenues generated by the city would have been significantly down and government spending much higher than the norm. This is because the five-year period from

2018-2022, which is covered by the demand, contains three years - 2019-2021when the city’s economy, businesses and consumers were devastated by the twin impacts of COVID and Hurricane Dorian. Mr Cooper argued that the Hawksbill Creek Agreement’s “force majeure” clause relieves the GBPA from its obligation when confronted by so-called “acts of God”.

“Break down or make clear to us what is this $357m,” he added. “If you are going based on the COVID years, if you are going based on the hurricane, there is a clause in the Hawksbill Creek Agreement that protects the Port Authority against such

Taxi drivers dispute ‘political’ motives over port concerns

FAY SIMMONS

By

Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

PROMINENT taxi driv-

ers yesterday disputed whether complaints over working conditions at the Nassau Cruise Port were “politically motivated” and linked to upcoming union elections.

Wesley Ferguson, the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s (BTCU) president, told Tribune Business that such

concerns are a campaign ploy created by a group of taxi drivers seeking to be the union’s new executive body after elections set for later this year.

He asserted that the group which raised concerns at the recent Town Hall meeting for taxi drivers with Jobeth Coleby-Davis, minister of transport and energy, took over the question-and-answer period to garner attention in what

dolphins with food, medicine and upgraded facilities essential to their survival but has yet to receive the Government’s permission to do so.

Asserting that quick action by the Bahamian authorities is essential, Mr O’Barry nevertheless said this nation can “flip this

around” and turn negative publicity into positive by publicly pledging to rescue the survivors and transfer them to a purpose-built dolphin “sanctuary” that is fully equipped to cater to their needs (see other article on Page1B).

Pledging that such a facility “will not cost the Government or Bahamian taxpayer anything”, he added that Dolphin Project and its partners would handle construction and raise the necessary financing as it had done in establishing a previous sanctuary in Bali, Indonesia.

Govt’s direct debt in $300m increase

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Government’s direct debt was yesterday revealed to have grown by $300m over the first nine months of the current fiscal year as the Opposition returned to the attack over the use of $500m loan proceeds.

Kwasi Thompson, the Free National Movement’s (FNM) finance spokesman, in a statement issued a renewed challenge to the Government’s assertion that no part of the half-a-billion dollar foreign currency loan, which was partially supported by an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) policy-based guarantee, was used to repay or refinance existing debt.

He based his challenge on the Ministry of Finance’s public debt statistical bulletin for the 2023-2024 fiscal year’s third quarter, released yesterday, which showed that the

Government had borrowed almost $812m in foreign currency debt for the nine months to end-March 2024 while repaying some $662m in existing debt over that period.

• Opposition renews challenge on $500m loan proceeds

• Queries how could repay $662m without using portion

“The Prime Minister, as minister of finance, must provide an immediate explanation as to why his third quarter public debt statistical bulletin for the current fiscal year appears to now contradict with the statements that he made in Parliament, and the financial secretary made, regarding the use of the IDB-supported $500m loan obtained earlier this year,” Mr Thompson argued.

‘Enormous potential’ for Eleuthera

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ENVIRONMEN-

TAL activists yesterday disclosed they have identified an Eleuthera location with “enormous potential” to save the five surviving dolphins at the abandoned Blackbeard’s Cay project.

Sam Duncombe, reEarth’s principal, in e-mailed replies to Tribune Business said she and Ric O’Barry, the Dolphin Project’s co-founder and director, had found a lagoon location close to Rick Sound on the island’s eastern coast that will offer protection against future hurricanes.

“We have identified a potentially perfect site in Eleuthera,” they said of their dolphin “sanctuary” proposal, “which has a 30-50 foot ridge along the east coast that would provide a great barrier from hurricanes and raging storms near Rock Sound.

“It is a lagoon. The area is about two miles long and would have to be properly assessed to determine depths and proper flushing etc. But it has enormous potential to secure the dolphins safety.” Mr O’Barry in particular, a 63-year dolphin welfare and rescue veteran, said establishing such a sanctuary would enable The Bahamas to potentially reverse the negative publicity surrounding the Blackbeard’s Cay dolphins.

Some 61.5 percent, or eight of the 13 dolphins at the tourist attraction, which is located off New Providence’s north coast opposite Sandals Royal Bahamian resort, have died - including six in the year to February 2024 - with the development having closed down in 2021 due to the COVID19 pandemic’s financial impact.

Dolphin Rescue, which sounded the alarm over

Ric O’Barry visits Balmoral Island. Photo:Dolphin Project.com

THE FACILITY has been abandoned and in disrepair.

PHILIP DAVIS KC

KWASI THOMPSON

RF BANK & TRUST NAMES NEW CHIEF FINANCE OFFICER

RF Bank & Trust (Bahamas) has named Tanya Carey as its chief financial officer subject to regulatory approval.

The Bahamas-based institution, in a statement, said she will lead the group’s finance and central services departments, which include all aspects of accounting and financial planning. Ms Carey will also have oversight of the operational processes for all group

services after taking up her post on March 4, 2024. She is a chartered accountant and has more than two decades’ experience within the financial services industry. Prior to joining RF, Ms Carey held a number of chief financial officer roles with the likes of Deltec Bank & Trust and the Higgs & Johnson law firm. Brett Hill, who has been acting as interim chief financial officer, will

continue as chief executive of RF Bank & Trust (Cayman).

Michael Anderson, RF Group’s president, said: “Tanya’s extensive experience in executive management, fiscal oversight and strategic financial planning, coupled with her proven track record of driving profitability and revenue growth in diverse financial environments, will be a great asset to

the Board, the group and myself as we move forward and grow the group as a leading financial services conglomerate in the region. She will be pivotal to charting the strategic direction and helping us achieve increased efficiencies across the group.”

Ms Carey added: “I’m delighted to join the RF Group as chief financial officer. I look forward to working with the Board

and Mike as we continue expansion plans and aim to increase operational efficiencies, all with the overarching aim of delivering unparalleled products and services to our valued clients throughout the region.

“I’m energised by the opportunity to join at this critical juncture and help drive superior financial and operational execution in the years ahead.”

‘Opportunity missed’ or PM on ‘the right side of history’?

claims. You can’t say they they are running a shortfall because of the hurricane and pandemic, and now are seeking compensation.”

The Davis administration is demanding that Freeport’s quasi-governmental authority pay $357m based on the clause in the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, the city’s founding treaty, that requires the GBPA to compensate it for public expenditure incurred over and above tax revenues generated by the city. The Prime Minister spent much of his Monday night address justifying the Government’s stance on this.

Mr Cooper said the speech to the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce’s dinner meeting contained little that GBPA licensees did not already know. Based on

the speech’s advance billing, ‘Building the Way Forward’, he added that he was also hoping to hear “what their plans may be” to move Freeport forward.

“We got the Prime Minister’s position as it relates to the Port Authority, but nothing on the way forward; no plans, nothing in the pipeline from the Government end,” he added. “We thought we would be able to start somewhere in charting the way forward and being able to get our concerns addressed.

“The Prime Minister missed a wonderful opportunity. I didn’t go into that room and say: ‘That’s a PLP, that’s an FNM’. In that room there were legitimate licensees of the Port Authority and the Government who came with open minds; the mindset that we would be able to get what we need to be able to make

sense and move forward together to make Grand Bahama what it needs to be. We didn’t get that.”

Confirming that a group of GBPA licensees are set to write to the Prime Minister in a bid to have further, more direct dialogue on Freeport’s future, Mr Cooper added: “He says he has an open door policy. I guess the door just opened.... We didn’t get the answers to the questions we have.”

Voicing disappointment that the post-speech question and answer session featured only four questions, all of which had been submitted and preapproved in advance, he said: “I didn’t want to go to a meeting to be spoken to. I wanted to go to a meeting to have dialogue and discussion on the way forward for Grand Bahama.

“I went to a meeting where I was dictated to, and the questions selected by the Office of the Prime Minister. There are more concerns we have on where we are. Make us understand where we are. Make us understand what you are doing because we are partners of the Government and GBPA. We want both entities to understand we matter.

“We’re not here to side with any of them. We’re working for the common good of the island. As licensees we continue to invest, some of us for a long time, and we’ve weathered many storms. We don’t have the privilege of the Government, flying in and out. We live here and know what is going on.”

However, Terence Gape, attorney and partner with the Dupuch & Turnquest law firm, backed the Prime

Minister as he told Tribune Business it was clear the GBPA has failed to perform its development and governance obligations as set out by the Hawksbill Creek Agreement for the past two decades.

Suggesting that the GBPA and its owners, the Hayward and St George families, are “on the wrong side of history”, he added:

“That’s been a push of mine for 20 years. They haven’t performed. There’s been no performance, and now they’re all over the headlines with this one mile of road, that one-third of a mile of road. We have 300 miles of road.”

Mr Gape argued that by continuing to direct investors to Freeport, and build a $2bn investment pipeline, the Government has helped to boost the value of the GBPA owners’ assets such

‘Enormous potential’ for Eleuthera dolphin refuge

FROM PAGE B1

the survivors’ plight via a post on its website, said it is poised to intervene and “stabilise” the surviving dolphins but needs the Government’s permission to do so. This has yet to be forthcoming.

“It’s very real,” Mr O’Barry said of the need for urgent action. “There is a secret graveyard site on Blackbeard’s Cay that I could not find but there are eight bodies there.”

He voiced particular concern that the five survivors will again soon be exposed to hot summer waters in a shallow pen where there is no shelter or protection from the sun.

“There are five more lined up and going to die from the same thing,” Mr O’Barry added. “But this whole thing can be turned

around if the Government knew what we did in Bali.” He explained that the Indonesian government, after confiscating five dolphins found in a hotel pool, turned the mammals over to Dolphin Rescue who “brought them back to life” and created the world’s only dolphin sanctuary. “We can do that in The Bahamas,” Mr O’Barry said of replicating this model. “That needs to be duplicated where we have good weather and have cooperation.” Suggesting that the latter is presently lacking where The Bahamas is concerned, he added of Blackbeard’s Cay: “You’ll get a windfall of positive publicity by turning that into a temporary sanctuary before we move them to Eleuthera.

“We can build it. It will be expensive, but that

water’s too shallow where they are now. There’s no way they can survive there from the environment in June, July and August when the water warms up but there’s n protection. They need a permanent sanctuary. We can turn this into something beautiful if they [the Government] give us permission to act.”

Mr O’Barry clarified that establishing such a dolphin sanctuary would not cost Bahamian taxpayers a cent as all the construction and financing would be handled by Dolphin Rescue.

“If the Government has any doubts they should get in touch with the minister of the environment and fisheries in Bali,” he added.

“They handed them [the dolphins] over to us and now they look great because they have got the first and only dolphin

sanctuary on the planet. Fact. It’s not pie in the sky. It’s real. We found people that were prepared to it and it didn’t cost the government a damn thing. We can do this in The Bahamas.

“It’s very expensive and would take us a while. The thing they [the Blackbeard’s Cay dolphins] need right now is first aid and security. They need to be stabilised. We have to put shade up, repair the fences and repair the fences. That can all be done in Nassau. We have all the equipment. We have a generator sitting in a garage in Nassau.”

Asked what benefits the proposed permanent Eleuthera sanctuary will create, Mr O’Barry said: “The benefit to the Bahama islands is a windfall of positive international media attention for a change. This

TAXI DRIVERS DISPUTE ‘POLITICAL’ MOTIVES OVER PORT CONCERNS

he described as an “orchestrated’ attack.

Mr Ferguson said: “All that was is campaigning. There are no issues by the dock. Elections are coming soon and that group wants to be the next executive board, that’s all that was.

is what Bali, Indonesia, is experiencing.....

“The important thing to know is it is not going to cost the Bahamian government or the taxpayer anything. Again, the sanctuary in Bali does not cost the Indonesian government anything. It is a gift. This model can be duplicated anywhere the weather permits and the Government is co-operative.

“But none of this matters now. If the dolphins are not stabilised by the time the heat of the summer comes the dolphins may not survive. Please remember, eight died already and nothing is being done to stabilise the dolphins.”

Mrs Duncombe added of the benefits: “For the dolphins, a life without constant harassment from tourists. They would be able to live their life in

as the Freeport Harbour Company.

“The Government is the one who introduced those investors to Freeport,” he told this newspaper. “They held their hand all the way through. The Port Authority is trying to take credit for it but here is a group that allowed the hotel [Grand Lucayan] to close and sold the airport. How serious are they?

“The Prime Minister continues to introduce major investors to Freeport even though he’s increasing the value to the families. He could cut them off, but didn’t do that. To me, it shows magnanimity of spirit. He didn’t say what he was going to do, but said twice that he was not in favour of the status quo. That’s big. There’s no sense in going through this if we don’t get that sorted.”

dignity. As self-aware animals like us isn’t that what we’d all want?

“For The Bahamas it would be an evolutionary leap, sending a strong message that we take the care of animals under our care seriously and that would appeal to - and perhaps shift - the consciousness of millions of people who are currently ‘loving these animals to death and deprivation’ in these facilities.” Mrs Duncombe added that the present situation on Blackbeard’s Cay appeared to violate the Animal Control and Protection Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the regulations for captive dolphins. Regulation 35 of the Marine Mammal (Captive Dolphin Facilities) permits the responsible minister to place a dolphin in care if they determine it is not in the mammal’s best interest to remain at a facility.

revamped. It needs to be revisited.

“Everyone, from the first to the last, everyone. All of them all together. That’s why they hold the line, that’s what they did. They orchestrated it so they could be one after the other. That meeting had nothing to do with the dock, and those issues that were to discuss the new code of conduct, that’s all it was.

“They never mentioned the code of conduct. That’s what the meeting was

about. They changed the demographics of the meeting… They cannot garnish the amount of attention, so they use that platform that I created for the discussion of the code of conduct so they can campaign.”

Mr Ferguson maintained that the negative comments were from taxi drivers “campaigning” even though the union negotiated a 35 percent fare increase for those working at the Nassau Cruise Port prior to all drivers receiving a 10 percent fare increase.

He added: “Even the 10 percent increase that the taxi drivers got, that does not apply to the dock. The union already got the dock a more than 35 percent increase from last year. That’s all that was - a slate of people who campaigning.”

But Hubert McIntosh, chairman of the Nassau Cruise Port Taxi Committee, said complaints made by taxi drivers were valid and not “politically or campaign motivated”. He said the facilities available for taxi drivers at the Nassau Cruise Port were inadequate, with a lack of a holding areas to protect drivers from the elements as they wait for passengers and insufficient restrooms for more than 200 taxi drivers. He added: “There is no facility here for bathrooms.

We don’t have a bathroom in the parking area. The port promised us… from the inception from the port being built they spent over $300m, and they promise us a state-of-the-art facility. They put two containers in the parking lot, containers they ship cars in, and they only like 8 feet by 19 feet and we have over 200 drivers. “There is no protection from the elements. Like when it rains or the sun is hot, we dead in the water. It’s ridiculous. And this what our government allowed to happen and they can’t say they don’t know what’s going on.”

Mr McIntosh accused the union of being in “cahoots” with the Nassau Cruise Port via its contract to manage drivers at the port and called for the system to be “revamped”.

He said: “The port and the union is in cahoots together. The system being run here by the port is deplorable. It’s unacceptable and it needs to be

“The union is supposed to be the bargaining agent for drivers but, in this case, Mr Ferguson, he is battling against us. The port gave them a contract to run the system. The union is running the system and they cherry pick people who favour them; who wouldn’t go against them. This is wrong.

“The union, never in the history of taxi drivers, is supposed to be dictating to taxi drivers. They are there to protect and to bargain for us, not to go against us.” Mr McIntosh, who has been outspoken about the issues taxi drivers face working at the Nassau Cruise Port, said it is “madness” for a private company to discipline taxi drivers without input from the Road Traffic Department and called for officials to have oversight over the operations at Nassau Cruise Port.

He said: “The Road Traffic Department is the authority for taxi drivers to make sure we do the right thing and govern ourselves. This is Road Traffic’s job. Right now, the port is disciplining taxi drivers. If a driver makes some kind of infraction, the driver gets five days from the port.

“Never in my life, my 35 years of driving taxis, have I seen this type of madness. This has to change. Other than that, this country will see the biggest demonstration or protest… the Government needs to step in or some serious stuff is going to happen at this port.” Representatives from the Nassau Cruise Port declined to comment on the matter.

TANYA CAREY

WESLEY FERGUSON

GB CHAMBER CHIEF URGES CLARITY FROM BOTH PARTIES

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business

THE Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce

president yesterday said Freeport’s private sector needs clarity from both the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and the Government on the way forward.

James Carey called for a timeline to be attached to the “bits” of a master plan that both sides have for the city so business owners know the direction Freeport is headed in.

He said: “I think we need to really see and experience what is the vision for Grand Bahama, both by the Authority and the Government separately, and it would be good if it were a united position. That has not been particularly put out there.

“The bits that have been put out, there’s been no timeframe attached to these,

so other things like that is what more of the business community wants to see. Where we’re going, how we’re going and when?”

Mr Carey insisted that a clear plan for Grand Bahama would aid help GBPA licensees keep the Government and Port Authority’s “feet to the fire”. He said: “Not to discredit or disbelieve the Prime Minister’s words in any way, but it it’d be great if there was some plan out there, which we can all see, read, watch.

“And then we can hold either or both government and Port Authority… keep their feet to the fire to make it happen. The Prime Minister is very, very astute. I can’t imagine him contemplating a change in structure and management etc without some idea of what will happen next.”

The Davis administration has increased the pressure on the Grand Bahama Port Authority by demanding that it pay $357m allegedly

GRAND BAHAMA PORT AUTHORITY (GBPA)

owed to the Government over the 2018-2022 period. The claim was supported by a detailed audit prepared by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Mr Carey called for the audit to be made public as the details most likely will be revealed when the parties enter arbitration.

He said: “It’ll be good to see exactly how that’s arrived at and, with the matter going to arbitration at some point, it’s going

“During his mid-year Budget statement, the Prime Minister as minister of finance expressly stated that the $500m IDB-backed loan was not used to roll over debt due to express loan covenants that did not permit such a use.

“However, his ministry’s recently-published public debt statistical bulletin expressly points out that during the related timeframe his government was able to pay off some $662.4m in foreign loans on the back of receiving the IDB-supported $500m and some $248m in a facility obtained back in December,” Mr Thompson added.

“The Prime Minister must explain the clearly conflicting positions. Where did the Government obtain the proceeds to roll over close to $700m in foreign loans without recourse to any portion of the IDB-supported $500m loan?

“Indeed, if the $500m loan was not used to roll over existing debt, and instead was received as new borrowings, under what legal authority did this administration have when Parliament only approved some $131m in new borrowings for the fiscal year?

And, most importantly, where did the $500m go?

The Government must provide an acceptable explanation as it is quickly losing any shred of credibility it may have had.”

Simon Wilson, the Ministry of Finance’s financial secretary, could not be

reached for comment last night. However, the use of the $500m loan proceeds aroused controversy earlier this year when himself and John Rolle, the Central Bank governor, appeared to give contradictory explanations.

Mr Rolle told the Central Bank’s early 2024 quarterly economic briefing that the Government had undertaken “refinancing operations” early in the New Year to “rollover significant US dollar debt”.

Referring to a slight improvement in the country’s foreign currency reserves during the first weeks of 2024, Mr Rolle said: “Through the end of 2024, the most recent period, the external reserve balances showed a modest rebound from the end of 2023 to close at about $2.75bn.

“This was mainly due to the timing in the Government’s recent US dollar refinancing operations since December, which paid off some overdraft balances with local lenders and which helped to rollover significant US dollar debt.”

Mr Rolle did not identify the nature of the “US dollar refinancing” he was referring to but the only such “operation” that has been made public was the $500m, ten-year loan that is partially backed by the IDB’s policy-based loan guarantee.

Mr Wilson, though, said at the time he “can say without fear of contradiction” that proceeds from

the $500m facility were not employed to refinance a $300m US dollar bond due to mature just days later on January 16.

“Mr Rolle, though, echoed his previous sentiments in the more recent quarterly briefing, saying: “Some foreign currency borrowing over the first quarter helped reduce short-term domestic debt accumulated in the first half of the fiscal year.”

Besides the partiallyguaranteed IDB facility, the Government’s foreign currency borrowing over the first nine months of the 2023-2024 fiscal year also included $248.8m provided by a Deutsche Bank credit facility and a further $63.1m accessed from multilateral lenders.

“Central government’s debt stock was estimated at $11.515bn at end-March 2024,” the Ministry of Finance’s debt bulletin said. “This represented a quarterly gain of $86.9m (0.8 percent) over end-December 2023 and a $300.4m (2.7 percent) boost since endJune 2023.

“Positive economic fundamentals continued to reinforce improvement in the debt-to-GDP ratio to an estimated 79.9 percent of nominal GDP from 80.3 percent at end-June 2023, although with mild firming over the recent three quarters. External debt was estimated at $5.153bn at end-March 2024 for 44.8 percent of the debt portfolio.”

to be made public, so why not make it public now? I think it’s only a matter of time before it does become public. So, let’s see what it’s about.”

Mr Carey added that during the Prime Minister’s question and answer segment at the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce business dinner he “alluded” to the $200m in revenue collected from Freeport being deducted from the GBPA’s bill going forward.

When it came to the risks associated with rolling over maturing debt issues, the report said: “The average time to maturity (ATM) advanced slightly to 6.47 years from 6.4 years at endDecember 2023, but settled below the 6.58 years obtaining at end-June 2023.

“A reduced 25.81 percent of the debt portfolio was due to mature in one year, down from 26.45 percent at end-December and slightly above the 25.25 percent at end-June 2023. Reflecting the impact of the US dollar 300m bond maturity in January 2024, the proportion of external debt maturing within one year fell sharply to 8.31 percent at endMarch from 14.91 percent at end-June 2023, while the firming on the domestic side continuing to be influenced by the large portfolio of short-term Treasury bills and notes.”

Some $1.65bn worth of debt, the vast majority of which - some $1.562bn - is held as Bahamian dollar domestic debt is set to mature between April and end-June 2024. The debt redemption profile for the balance of the fiscal year includes reissuances of Treasury bills ($1.145bn), Treasury notes ($67.9m)

He said: “I think it would be very interesting to see how they arrived at that, and what factors go into it because a question that was posed was, I think, and I think it was posed a little inaccurately, was that the Port Authority pays $200m to the Government every year. “I think what the question should have been asking is if the Government collects revenue in Freeport of $200m a year, and that’s from taxes and other revenue streams. And, if I heard correctly, the Prime Minister alluded to the fact that that $200m may be taken off of what he’s billing on an annual basis.”

Mr Carey said that, while answering licensee questions, Mr Davis did not imply his administration is seeking to “take over” the GBPA but seems “more intent on a change at the Port Authority than anything else”.

He said: “The Prime Minister didn’t allude in any way

and Central Bank advances ($192m).

to the Gopvernment seeking or wishing to take over the Port Authority. The Hawksbill Creek Agreement will expire in 2054. I think a question was,: What will the Government’s approach be at that point, and he said: ‘Well, it’s not likely he’d be around to deal with that.’ I think he was making light of it.

“But essentially, if you take it by default, there’s what he didn’t say: That the Government is not looking to take over the Port Authority for 2054. And he also said very clearly that the benefits currently enjoyed by the residents of Freeport will not be diminished in any way…

“I don’t want to presuppose what the Prime Minister is thinking, but just by conduction, some things he didn’t say, the things he did say, it appears that the Government is more intent on a change at the Port Authority than anything else.”

“The pattern of external payments primarily reflects the incidence of central government’s bond maturities, with the domestic evolution similarly tracking government’s domestic bond redemptions. Across the maturity spectrum, the longer maturity and amortising profile of the multilateral and bilateral credits continue to provide smoothing to debt operations.”

The 44th Annual General Meeting of the Public Workers’ Co-operative Credit Union Limited will be held on Friday, May 31st, 2024, at Fusion Superflex beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Registration starts at 4:00 p.m.

All members are encouraged to attend. Refreshments will be served!!!

Tourism backlash fear over dolphin fatalities

He and Sam Duncombe, principal of the Bahamian environmental group, reEarth, told this newspaper they have already identified a “potentially perfect” sanctuary site near Rock Sound on Eleuthera’s east coast that would need further assessment and significant work. However, they said it could be readied to accommodate the five Blackbeard’s Cay dolphins once they are “stabilised” at their current location.

Jomo Campbell, minister of agriculture and marine resources, whose ministry has primary responsibility for the oversight and supervision of Bahamas-based dolphin attractions, did not respond to requests for comment before press time last night. Vaughn Miller, minister of the environment and natural resources, also could not be reached.

However, Dolphin Project’s online post about the Blackbeard’s Cay situation, which has already attracted negative headlines in London’s Daily Mail newspaper as well as other media, disclosed that Mrs Duncombe met with Mr Campbell and his senior officials on April 10, 2024, to alert them to the dire conditions in which the five surviving dolphins are being kept.

“She communicated that Dolphin Project would fund getting the mammals’ health up to speed. Five days later, the minister [Mr Campbell] called her, assuring that he would grant Dolphin Project access to provide immediate and critical assistance. When Duncombe attempted to follow up, all communications from the Government went silent,” Dolphin Project asserted.

Mr O’Barry, describing conditions at the abandoned tourism project, was quoted thus: “The five survivors are in a world of trouble from everything I have seen. From critical food (and water) deprivation to lack of critically needed shade and electricity, from potential hazards within the dolphins’ enclosures to lack of proper medical care, it would be more appropriate to state that survivors are living a nightmare.”

The 61.5 percent mortality rate, with eight of the project’s 13 dolphins having died and six fatalities alleged to have occurred in the 12 months to February 2024, was described by Mrs Duncombe in an e-mail to Mr Campbell following

their April 10, 2024, meeting as “unprecedented in the captivity industry and a looming PR nightmare for The Bahamas.”

Speaking to Tribune Business yesterday, Mr O’Barry said he visited the abandoned Blackbeard’s Cay project and dolphin pen on March 31, 2024, with the Dolphin Project also flying a marine mammal vet to Nassau. The sole person remaining at the development is Luis Arturo Hernandez, the dolphins’ caretaker and trainer.

“I was able to get in there and talk to Luis,” he disclosed. “He lives there like a homeless person. I bought him lunch, and sat and talked with him. He’s been abandoned just like the dolphins. He put me in touch with the person in Mexico City that’s paying him.”

That is Dr Jose Luis Solorzano, a veterinarian, but Dolphin Project wrote in its post that it was unknown whether he is licensed to practice in The Bahamas.

The group added that any of Mr O’Barry’s “grievous observations - of which most were confirmed by Hernandez - could be considered animal abuse. And any one of them could have been responsible for the high number of dolphin deaths”.

These included a lack of electricity and running water, as the project’s generator has not worked for six months; the inability to keep fish for feeding the dolphins frozen or even cool; expired and empty medications for the dolphins; and the five survivors all appearing to be “seriously underweight, suffering from malnutrition and dehydration”.

“The infrastructure is in complete disrepair. The fences in the dolphins’ sea pen has large holes, torn in several spots. The property is littered with garbage. There is no protection from weather (including hurricanes) and it is exposed to tourists,” Dolphin Project wrote.

“There is no enrichment for the dolphins, nor is there any shade in their enclosure. The water in which they are being kept is extremely shallow; two metres at the deepest point”. Mr O’Barry said the locks on the freezers, where the dolphins’ food is stored, “have not worked for years” and there is concern over the quality of the little food they are getting.

However, while Dolphin Project is poised to

intervene, he added that it first needs the Government’s permission which has yet to be forthcoming.

“I bought a generator that runs the freezer and the lights but we have to get permission,” Mr O’Barry told Tribune Business. “We don’t charge for this.

“It’s kind of like the rescue in Gaza. There are trucks parked at the border, but they cannot get in without permission. We have all this free stuff and medication to give out to them, but the Government has not given us permission to come in. It’s like the trucks in Gaza.”

Asked about the international fall-out from the Dolphin Project publicising the plight of the Blackbeard’s Cay dolphins, Mr O’Barry added: “We are getting thousands of people, because of social media, saying that if they don’t do something we are not going back to The Bahamas. It’s outrageous.”

Noting that The Bahamas needs no more adverse publicity, given the temporary negative impact of the US and Canadian crime alerts earlier this year, he said: “I’ve worked in The Bahamas for years on Flipper, Thunderball, all those movies and I love The Bahamas. They don’t need any bad publicity.

“They can turn this thing around, if they decide to make a sanctuary for those dolphins, immediately. It’s so simple. All they have to do is say that sentence.... They can flip this around, say it to the world at hand, but they’d better do it quickly because they cannot stop thousands of people knowing about it. The genie is out of the bottle.”

Tribune Business can reveal the background to the dolphins’ fate is complex, as they were owned by a business that was ordered to shut down by the Supreme Court but remained open in defiance of its orders and amid a lack of enforcement action. The tale also involves two US bankruptcy court proceedings, a former Cabinet minister and litigation in The Bahamas.

Blackbeard’s Cay, also known as Balmoral Island, is located off New Providence’s north coast almost directly opposite the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort although the latter has nothing to do with the project and dolphins. The dolphin encounter and marine park, designed as an attraction

and excursion primarily targeted at cruise passengers, was owned by a company called Blue Illusions.

That entity’s ownership was split 50/50 between two foreign investors, Samir Andrawos and his business partner, Victoria Iglesias. However, Blue Illusions was almost immediately hit with a Judicial Review action by Mrs Duncombe and reEarth challenging the permits and approvals granted for the project.

Then-Supreme Court justice, Stephen Isaacs, ruled in the environmental activists’ favour by ordering that Blackbeard’s Cay effectively be shut down. He overruled the dolphin import licences, ordering that the mammals be moved to a suitable location and also quashed the development’s Town Planning Committee approval and ordered that the site be restored to its previous use.

However, Blackbeard’s Cay and its dolphin attraction remained in business for six further years with no enforcement action taken by the authorities to enforce its shut down until the COVID-19 forced all activities to cease. The financial impact from the pandemicenforced closure ultimately proved an insurmountable obstacle for Blue Illusions to climb.

Both Mr Andrawos and Ms Iglesias are presently embroiled in personal bankruptcy proceedings before separate US bankruptcy courts in Maryland and southern Florida, respectively. Each has had a bankruptcy trustee appointed over their financial affairs following legal actions initiated by Blue Illusions’ main creditor, SuttonGate Holdings.

Court filings obtained by Tribune Business reveal that Mr Andrawos’ creditors view Blackbeard’s Cay as their best source of debt recovery. They allege that financial records show the dolphin attraction and other amenities were generating $7m per year in annual revenue, or a collective $49m over seven years, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The situation, though, has been further complicated by the fact Mr Andrawos’ 50 percent equity ownership interest in Blue Illusions has been claimed by Damian Gomez KC, former minister of state for legal affairs, via Bahamian legal proceedings in a bid to recover $1.25m in outstanding legal fees allegedly owed to him

by the Blackbeard’s Cay developer.

“Andrawos’ shares in Blue Illusions were recently seized pursuant to Bahamian legal process by Damian Gomez, a prior creditor of Andrawos,” US court filings asserted. Tribune Business revealed in April 2022 that this prompted Lawrence Katz, the bankruptcy trustee for Mr Andrawos, to initiate legal action against Mr Gomez in the Maryland Bankruptcy Court to prevent him from selling that 50 percent stake.

Mr Gomez, who was yesterday in court representing Long Island MP, Adrian Gibson, in the latter’s criminal trial did not respond to Tribune Business calls and messages seeking comment before press time last night although the ‘blue ticks’ indicated he read the What’s App contact.

It thus remains unclear exactly who has ownership of the abandoned Blackbeard’s Cay project, and responsibility for the dolphins, as the candidates include both bankruptcy trustees and Mr Gomez although there is no suggestion the latter has done anything wrong. And Joel Tabas, the Chapter seven bankruptcy for Ms Iglesias, said she had pledged the dolphins were being fed and cared for.

Referring to Ms Iglesias as the “debtor”, he wrote in a September 15, 2023, legal filing: “Debtor’s businesses include the purported operation of a marine park on Balmoral Island with various marine animals, including dolphins and stingrays, and contracts for tourism services and cruise ship excursions in the Caribbean.

“Plaintiff has investigated his ability to take over these operations or sell them, but due to their offshore location, and the political and legal climate there, the process is complicated and may take a substantial amount of time and money.

“However, due to the nature of the operations, it is essential that someone continue to pay for the care and feeding of the marine animals, in particular the dolphins. Debtor has purported to be caring for and feeding the dolphins during the pendency of her bankruptcy proceedings. But a clear picture of this process and the current health condition of the dolphins is not known by plaintiff at this time.”

Tribune Business previously reported that both Mr Gomez and now-national security minister, Wayne Munroe KC, had represented Blue Illusions in a bid to overturn the Supreme Court ruling that ordered its closure.

Xi begins Serbia visit on the 25th anniversary of NATO’s bombing of the Chinese Embassy

By JOVANA GEC and DUSAN STOJANOVIC Associated Press

CHINESE leader Xi Jinping's visit to European ally Serbia on Tuesday falls on a symbolic date: the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during NATO's air war over Kosovo.

U.S. jets dropped five bombs on the Chinese Embassy compound in the Serbian capital on May 7, 1999, setting it ablaze and killing three Chinese nationals. Twenty other people were injured in the bombing, which has burdened relations between the two powers ever since.

Xi referred to the bombing in an op-ed published

in Serbia's Politika newspaper on Tuesday, saying that "we must not forget that 25 years ago today, NATO brazenly bombed the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia," according to translations carried by Chinese state media.

"The Chinese people value peace but will never allow historical tragedies to happen again," Xi added.

The Western military alliance had launched the air war in March that year to force then Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic to end a brutal onslaught against ethnic Albanian rebels in Kosovo.

The U.S. at the time apologized and said the embassy bombing was a mistake that happened due to faulty

intelligence. The intended target, Washington said, was the headquarters of a Serbian state arms exporter located on the same street, a few blocks away.

"Imagine that somebody would, even by accident, strike an American Embassy somewhere around the world. The reaction would be immediate," said Sven Biscop, a professor of European foreign and security policy at the Ghent University and Egmont Institute.

"So for a country like China, it is also clear that this is a big thing," he added. "And, of course, it has not been forgotten."

Angry protesters in China stormed U.S. diplomatic installations as the bombing

FDIC report outlines ‘misogynistic,’ ‘patriarchal’ ‘good ol’ boys’ workplace culture

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

AN INDEPENDENT

review of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. 's workplace culture describes an environment that fostered "hostile, abusive, unprofessional, or inappropriate conduct," and questions whether the agency's chairman is credible to lead the agency through a cultural transformation.

The report released Tuesday by law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton outlines incidents of stalking, harassment, homophobia and other violations of employment regulations.

The incidents span from field offices to headquarters in Washington, and "arose within a workplace culture that is 'misogynistic,' 'patriarchal,' 'insular,' and 'outdated' — a 'good ol' boys' club where favoritism is common, wagons are circled around managers, and senior executives with well-known reputations for pursuing romantic relations with subordinates enjoy long careers without any

apparent consequence," the report states.

More than 500 workers reported incidents of harassment, discrimination and other issues.

Examples of the worker complaints included a woman stalked by a coworker who was continually harassed even after complaining about his behavior; a field office supervisor referring to gay men as "little girls"; and a female field examiner describing receiving a picture of an FDIC senior examiner's private parts.

The report comes after the Wall Street Journal last November published an investigation that outlined details of the agency's workplace culture. The FDIC's board then ordered the independent review FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg's behavior is also examined in the report, describing "deeply unsettling exchanges" between the chair and his subordinates. Several instances of the chairman losing his temper are outlined in a chapter of the report, stating in one example that

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that KENDY KEMBERLY TOUSSAINT of 212 Gough lane, Freeport, Grand Bahama Bahamas, The 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 1st day of May 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ALUKO GEORGE WIGGINS of Apartment #4, 116 Farnham Close, Freeport, Grand Bahama Bahamas, The 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 1st day of May 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that JAMES KELLY CHARLES of Wulff Road, Penny Saving, Bank Lane #15, Nassau, The 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 8th day of April 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

fueled anti-American sentiments and speculation that the attack was intentional rather than accidental. Mistrust over the incident has endured to this day.

"We will probably never really conclusively know either way," Biscop said. "But one thing is sure. In war, incidents like that do happen, and I usually tend to go for the most simple explanation rather than try to invent complicated theories."

While straining Beijing's relations with the U.S., the embassy bombing brought China and Serbia closer together. China has emerged as Serbia's largest provider of foreign direct investment and its second-largest

trading partner after the European Union. Beijing opposed the NATO bombing campaign and has since backed Belgrade's bid to counter the Western-backed push for independence in Kosovo, a former Serbian province. In return, Serbia has been a loyal ally to Beijing and has opened its doors without restraint to billions of dollars of Chinese investment, even as it formally seeks EU membership.

"The friendship forged in blood between the peoples of China and Serbia has become the common memory of the two peoples and will inspire both sides to move forward together," Xi wrote. "We are willing to work with our Serbian

friends to stay true to our original aspirations, join hands in progress, write a new chapter in national development and revitalization, and build a China-Serbia community with a shared future for mankind in the new era."

Signs of pro-China sentiments were clearly visible ahead of Xi's visit on Tuesday and Wednesday. In Belgrade, a huge Chinese flag was placed on a skyscraper along a roadway leading into the city from the airport. Smaller Chinese and Serbian flags could be seen downtown and along a highway.

Serbia's air force MiG-29 jets escorted Xi's presidential plane to the Belgrade airport.

as recently at last year, he held a 45-minute rant on bank failures where he threatened that he could "fire" or "reassign" anybody he wanted. Attendees described the meeting as "embarrassing and inappropriate."

His "reputation raises questions about the credibility of the leadership's response to the crisis and the 'moral authority' to lead a cultural transformation," the report states.

"Far too many employees and for far too long, the FDIC has failed to provide a workplace safe from sexual harassment, discrimination, and other interpersonal misconduct," according to the report.

“hostile,

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that DOMINIQUE DINO LORFILS of Nassau Village, Nassau, The 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 7th day of May 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that MANILIA SINTINA of Davis Street, Fox Hill, Nassau, The 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 8th day of April 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that QUETIE VERONAT-SIMÉ of South Beach, Nassau, The 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 8th day of to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that LUBENS JOSEPH of Kemp Road, Strachan’s Alley, Nassau, The 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 8th day of April 2024 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

THE FEDERAL Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) seal is shown outside its headquarters, March 14, 2023, in Washington. An independent review released Tuesday, May 7, 2024, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. ‘s workplace culture describes an environment that fostered

abusive, unprofessional, or inappropriate conduct,” and questions whether the agency’s chairman is credible to lead the agency through a cultural transformation.

Photo:Manuel Balce/AP

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TikTok sues US to block law that could ban the social media platform

By HALELUYA HADERO, MICHELLE CHAPMAN and BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Business Writers

TIKTOK and its Chinese parent company filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new American law that would ban the popular video-sharing app in the U.S. unless it's sold to an approved buyer, saying it unfairly singles out the platform and is an unprecedented attack on free speech.

In its lawsuit, ByteDance says the new law vaguely paints its ownership of TikTok as a national security threat in order to circumvent the First Amendment, despite no evidence that the company poses a threat. It also says the law is so "obviously unconstitutional" that its sponsors are instead portraying it as a way to regulate TikTok's ownership.

"For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide

ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than 1 billion people worldwide," ByteDance asserts in the lawsuit filed in a Washington appeals court.

The law, which President Joe Biden signed as part of a larger foreign aid package, marks the first time the U.S. has singled out a social media company for a potential ban, which free speech advocates say is what would be expected from repressive regimes such as those in Iran and China.

The lawsuit is the latest turn in what's shaping up to be a protracted legal fight over TikTok's future in the United States — and one that could end up before the Supreme Court. If TikTok loses, it says it would be forced to shut down next year.

The law requires ByteDance to sell the platform to a U.S.-approved buyer within nine months. If a sale is already in progress, the company would get another three months to complete the deal. ByteDance has said it doesn't plan to sell TikTok. But even if it wanted to divest, the company would need Beijing's blessing. According to the lawsuit, the Chinese government has "made clear" that it wouldn't allow ByteDance to include the algorithm that populates users' feeds and has been the "key to the success of TikTok in the United States."

TikTok and ByteDance say the new law leaves them with no choice but to shut down by next Jan. 19 because continuing to operate in the U.S. wouldn't be commercially, technologically or legally possible. They also say it would be impossible for ByteDance to divest its U.S. TikTok platform as a separate entity from the rest of TikTok, which has 1 billion users worldwide — most of them outside of the United States. A U.S.-only TikTok would operate as an island that's detached from the rest of the world, the lawsuit argues.

The suit also paints divestment as a technological impossibility, since the law requires all of TikTok's millions of lines of software code to be wrested from ByteDance so that there would be no "operational relationship" between the Chinese company and the new U.S. app.

The companies argue that they should be protected by the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of expression and are seeking a declaratory judgment that it is unconstitutional.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the suit Tuesday. And White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to engage on questions about why the president continues to use TikTok for his political activities, deferring to the campaign.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who is the ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, issued a statement Tuesday defending the new law.

"This is the only way to address the national security threat posed by ByteDance's ownership of apps like TikTok. Instead of continuing its deceptive tactics, it's time for ByteDance to start the divestment process," he said.

ByteDance will first likely ask a court to temporarily block the federal law from taking effect, said Gus Hurwitz, a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Carey Law School who isn't involved in the case. And the decision whether to grant such a preliminary injunction could decide the case, because its absence, ByteDance would need to sell TikTok before the broader case could be decided, he said.

Whether a court will grant such an injunction remains unclear to Hurwitz, largely because it requires balancing important free speech issues against the Biden administration's claims of harm to national security. "I think the courts will be very deferential to Congress on these issues," he said.

N O T I C E NENUPHAR LIMITED

N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

(a) NENUPHAR LIMITED is in voluntary dissolution under the provisions of Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

(b) The dissolution of the said company commenced on the 6th May, 2024 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(c) The Liquidator of the said company is Leeward Nominees Limited, of Vistra Corporate Services Centre, Wickhams Cay II, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Dated this 8th day of May, A. D. 2024.

Leeward Nominees Limited Liquidator

N O T I C E

BOHEMIAN CHILDREN’S CORPORATION

N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

(a) BOHEMIAN CHLIDREN’S CORPORATION is in voluntary dissolution under the provisions of Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

(b) The dissolution of the said company commenced on the 6th May, 2024 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(c) The Liquidator of the said company is Leeward Nominees Limited, of Vistra Corporate Services Centre, Wickhams Cay II, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands VG1110.

Dated this 8th day of May, A. D. 2024.

Leeward Nominees Limited Liquidator

BILL IS

FOR ONLINE TICKET BUYERS

By TRISHA AHMED Associated Press

PEOPLE buying tickets online for concerts, sporting events and other live events in Minnesota will be guaranteed more transparency and protection under a so-called Taylor Swift bill signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Tim Walz.

The law, prompted by the frustration a legislator felt at not being able to buy tickets to Swift's 2023 concert in Minneapolis, will require ticket sellers to disclose all fees up front and prohibit resellers from selling more than one copy of a ticket, among other measures. The law will apply to tickets purchased in Minnesota or other states for concerts or other live events held in Minnesota.

Walz signed House File 1989 — a reference to Swift's birth year and an album with that title — at First Avenue, a popular concert venue in downtown Minneapolis.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we would be at a bill signing for House File 1989 at First Avenue," Democratic Rep. Kelly Moller, chief author of the bill, said.

Moller was among thousands of people who became stuck in ticket sales company Ticketmaster's system after it crashed in 2022 amid the huge demand for Swift concert tickets and attacks from bots, which tried to buy tickets for resale at inflated prices. The situation led to congressional hearings but no federal legislation.

Supporters of Minnesota's new law say the state joins Maryland as among the few states to pass protections for ticket buyers into law.

Ticketmaster did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new Minnesota law. Taylor Swift's media team also did not respond.

Jessica Roey, a spokesperson for StubHub, said in an email, "StubHub has long advocated for legislation that protects fans from anti-competitive and anticonsumer practices in the ticket buying process. We

share the goals of HF1989 and look forward to continuing discussions with policymakers to advance policies that provide more transparency, more control, and more choice for ticket buyers."

Walz, a Democrat, said the new law is "protection so you don't get a bad ticket, a fraudulent ticket, and resellers can't snatch them all up before you get an opportunity."

Two young girls — one wearing a shirt that said "A LOT going on at the moment" in a nod to Swift, and another wearing a shirt that said "Iowa 22" in reference to basketball star

Caitlin Clark — attended the bill signing with their dad, Mike Dean, who testified in support of the bill this year.

Dean said his daughter "came to me in December and said, 'Dad, I want to go to see Caitlin Clark.' As a father, I just couldn't resist. And so I went online to go buy tickets."

The tickets were supposed to cost $300 total, Dean said, but they ended up costing over $500 because of hidden fees. The timer had begun in the online checkout process, so he had just minutes to decide whether to buy the tickets or lose them.

He ultimately bought the tickets. But Dean said these practices mean customers can't make informed decisions. The new law, he said, will bring transparency to the process.

The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2025, and applies to tickets sold on or after that date.

Adrianna Korich, director of ticketing at First Avenue, said she supports the new rules, saying fans are sometimes tricked into paying up to 10 times a ticket's face value because of deceptive websites and resellers who list tickets without actually possessing them. The new law bans both, she said. "We have all heard the horror stories from the Taylor Swift Eras tour and have seen the astronomical prices that are being charged at checkout," Korich said.

NOTICE

CRESCENT BEACH LIMITED

Registration No. 53796 C

(In Voluntary Liquidation)

NOTICE is hereby given in pursuance of Section 218(e) of the Companies Act, 1992 as amended by the Companies (Winding-up Rules Amendment) Act, 2011 that the Members of Crescent Beach Limited (the “Company”) by resolutions passed on the 29th day of April, 2024, authorized the voluntary winding up of the Company and the appointment of GSO CORPORATE SERVICES LTD. of 303 Shirley Street, Nassau, The Bahamas as the Liquidator.

All persons having claims against the Company are requested to submit particulars of such claims and proof thereof in writing to the Liquidator, GSO CORPORATE SERVICES LTD., 303 Shirley Street, P. O. Box N-492, Nassau, The Bahamas not later than the 7th day of June, 2024 after which the books will be closed and assets of the Company will be distributed.

DATED this 8th day of May, A.D., 2024. GSO CORPORATE SERVICES LTD. Liquidator

NOTICE

Etsa CFI Ltd.

Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas registered in the Register of Companies under the registration number 209001 B.

(In Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that the liquidation and the winding up of the Company is complete and the Company has been struck off the Register of Companies maintained by the Registrar General.

Dated this 7th day of May A.D. 2024.

Jonatas Castellari de Figueiredo LIQUIDATOR

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

PLEASE NOTE, there has been a change in puzzles provided by our supplier. A previous puzzle is NO

after being discontinued.

Monday, May 6, 2024