US: Gov’t ‘stalling’ on anti-corruption fight

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE US State Department yesterday accused the Government of “stalling full implementation of anticorruption legislation that would promote transparency and good governance” such as the Freedom of Information Act.

The Biden administration, in its newly-released 2023 ‘investment climate statement’ on The Bahamas, also reiterated prior concerns that laws and regulations to combat graft have been “inconsistently applied” and that “more robust enforcement” is necessary to prevent conflicts of interest in the bidding

Melia demolition finish ‘before winter season’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHA Mar’s owner is seeking to completely demolish the former Melia Nassau Beach Resort before the 2023 winter tourism season starts, it was revealed yesterday, although it has not determined what will replace the hotel.

Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice-president of government and external affairs, confirmed to Tribune Business that demolition of the sevenacre, 694-room property that was shuttered more than two years ago in early 2021 began earlier this week.

“I can say that the demolition has, in fact, started and we hope to have it completed certainly before the start of the winter season,” he said. “The entire resort is being demolished. The only

BAHAMIAN fishermen were yesterday said to be confronting “a bad situation all around’ with increasing costs and a “lowend” lobster price set to impose a profits squeeze just one week before crawfish season starts.

Paul Maillis, the National Fisheries Association’s (NFA) secretary, told Tribune Business that the sector was facing a “drastic decrease” in lobster prices with wholesale buyers indicating that they may slump by more than 50 percent compared to just two years ago.

With diesel prices still over $6 per gallon, and up to “ten-fold” increases in boat registration fees have yet to be adjusted, he argued that “additional cost pressures” might drive some fishermen to reconsider “whether to go out at all” this crawfish season or switch to catching fish.

“Right now, going into the season, I would say lobster fishermen are a bit concerned because of the overall increase in the cost of business at the moment, coupled with the boat registration fees being increased, and the fact that pretty much all of the fees across the commercial fishing sector have been increased,” Mr Maillis told this newspaper.

“That’s going to add additional cost pressures for fishermen trying to get a trip off the dock, coupled with the fact the lobster prices we were looking for don’t seem to be there. We’re getting reports from some of the buyers that they have a lot of lobster still in stock, and the expected price going into the season is anywhere from $8-$89 a pound, which is on the low end of the spectrum.

“That has a lot of fishermen considering whether to go out at all this year, or just stay in port or focus on catching fish rather than