08012023 BUSINESS AND FEATURES

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‘Noble objective’: Aviation in annual 15% stopover growth

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Government’s ambition to increase stopover tourist arrivals “by a minimum” 15 percent per annum via the National Aviation Strategic Plan was yesterday hailed as “a noble objective” by sector participants.

Anthony Hamilton, Southern Air’s director of administration, and president of the Bahamas Association of Air Transport Operators, told Tribune

Governor trims Bahamas GDP growth to ‘3% range’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Central Bank’s governor yesterday again trimmed his 2023 economic growth forecast to “the 3 percent range” as he warned The Bahamas is poised to next year “resettle” back into low expansion rates.

John Rolle, addressing the regulator’s 2023 second quarter economic briefing, said The Bahamas must boost hotel room inventory to maintain tourism’s post-COVID recovery momentum (see other article on Page 1B) as he revealed that foreign currency inflows from the sector, foreign direct

investment (FDI) and other private sectors were not as strong as anticipated during the first half.

Outflows on imported goods and services and overseas investments were stronger than inflows during the first six months of 2023, he disclosed, resulting in a much smaller expansion

of The Bahamas’ external reserves when compared to the same period in 2022 and underscoring the need for this nation to retain more of its foreign currency earnings.

However, Mr Rolle also gave his second downward revision for The Bahamas’ 2023 economic growth prospects. “The Central

Business that the goals set out in the three-year aviation industry strategy document are “reasonable projections to be pursued” and will help both Government and the private sector measure their progress.

He spoke after Dr Kenneth Romer, The Bahamas’ aviation director and deputy director-general of tourism, provided more details on the National Aviation Strategic Plan 2023-2026 at last week’s Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Board of Directors meeting.

Increased airlift and improved connectivity among The Bahamas’ multiple island destinations are identified as key objectives in the plan, which pledges to “develop a strategy to increase the number of international air carriers and stopover arrivals by a minimum annual increment of 15 percent”. Other targets are to “increase the market share percentage of international stopover arrivals to the Family Islands by 35 percent”, and also

Central Bank reviews $250m investment currency reforms

Bank still projects some recovery-laced, above average real GDP growth in the 3 percent range for 2023. However, potential annual growth beyond 2023 is resettling closer to the two percent range,” he said.

During the Central Bank’s first quarter briefing, held at the beginning of May, the Governor predicted Bahamian gross domestic product (GDP) growth “will moderate closer to 4 percent” in

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More hotel rooms key to beyond COVID recovery

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas must increase its supply of hotel rooms and cruise passenger spending to maintain tourism’s growth pace beyond 2023 with industry earnings now “more than recovered” from COVID’s devastation.

John Rolle, the Central Bank’s governor, in addressing its 2023 second quarter economic briefing, yesterday warned there appeared to be “a bit of

a levelling off” in visitor volumes after sea arrivals exceeded pre-pandemic highs by an average of 40 percent during this year’s first six months.

Higher-yielding air arrivals, who typically spend up to 28 times’ more than their cruise passenger equivalents, stabilised at just 2 percent below preCOVID levels during 2023’s first half, which he attributed at least partially to “increasing limits” on the supply of available hotel rooms especially in New Providence.

The closure of properties such as the British Colonial (291 rooms), the Melia Nassau Beach that is now being torn down (694 rooms), and the Atlantis Beach Towers (400 rooms) for transformation into the ‘Somewhere Else’ concept has removed close to 1,400 rooms from Nassau/ Paradise Island’s room inventory and left the destination unable to fully accommodate pent-up demand post-COVID.

Vaughn Roberts, the Paradise Island resort’s senior vice-president of

Soaring BPL costs delay inflation ease

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIANS will have to wait for Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) soaring energy bills to ease before “the moderation of inflation starts to look more like” other countries, the Central Bank’s governor warned yesterday.

John Rolle, addressing the regulator’s 2023 second quarter briefing, also

warned that high energy and transportation costs threaten to undermine the Bahamian tourism industry’s competitiveness even though the threat of a major US recession impacting travel demand appears to have receded.

While Bahamians in April 2023 suffered the highest month-over-month increase in the consumer price index, as measured by the Bahamas National Statistical Institute, since

May 2022, the Governor pointed out that on an annual basis the rate of inflation had started to decrease.

Acknowledging that the “highest level of inflation we have observed in The Bahamas did occur post-2022”, as numerous families continue to grapple with the cost of living crisis, Mr Rolle said the country’s status as an importing nation means any easing of prices here

government affairs and special projects, has previously confirmed to Tribune Business that the reduced supply has helped increase average daily room rates (ADRs) and yields across remaining properties to drive significant increases in room revenues.

The Central Bank’s Mr Rolle yesterday added that higher prices paid by tourists as a result of inflation have also helped drive greater resort revenues as he asserted that industry

SEE PAGE B3

will occur after the same is experienced in the US and elsewhere.

“The point to stress for The Bahamas is that the timing is delayed partly because the adjustments that we are seeing, save the electricity and related costs, are much later than those that are already taking place in other countries,” he added. “To some extent we are going to have to experience the full amount of whatever adjustment and catch up that is likely to happen in the electricity costs before

SEE PAGE B5

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Central Bank’s governor yesterday foreshadowed reforms to protect Bahamian retail investors from potential “headwinds” in an overseas investments market that is this year on track to exceed 2022’s $250m outflow.

John Rolle, addressing the regulator’s 2023 second quarter economic briefing, said he wanted to ensure there was “sufficient balance” such that smaller investors are able to access foreign exchange for legitimate portfolio investments overseas and not be squeezed out by larger “wholesale” demands.

Confirming that the Central Bank is eyeing reforms to the administrative policies governing the Investment Currency Market (ICM), and plans

to consult with the Government on any reforms and adjustments prior to the 2023 third quarter’s end, he disclosed that first-half foreign currency demand has already outpaced that seen in the first six months of 2022.

“We are seeing a steady increase in interest, and I think that’s probably because of the lower premium with investment currency purchases, which is now just 5 percent,” Mr Rolle said in response to Tribune Business questions. “Just by way of a comparison, in 2022 for the annual numbers, it was about a quarter of a billion dollars in investment currencyrelated transactions. We expect this year for the numbers to look the same or greater.”

The investment currency market is frequently used

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JOHN ROLLE

DR KENNETH ROMER

Wholesaler: BPL bills ‘higher than ever been’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN wholesaler yesterday said its electricity bills have “shot up higher than they have ever been” despite implementing solar energy just three months ago.

Heath Pritchard, vicepresident of Asa H Pritchard, told Tribune Business that Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) costs will impact store prices until both energy demand and the utility’s fuel charge fuel charge start to ease from November 2023 onwards.

“BPL affects every single cost, and it is not just in your house,” he added.

“It increased our bill dramatically after installing

a massive solar project. It has shot up higher than it has every been after it decreased to the lowest it has ever been with the solar project we put in.”

Businesses throughout the economy are grappling with soaring BPL bills as the state-owned energy monopoly moves to recover at least $90m in fuel charges that it previously failed to pass on to consumers.

Mr Pritchard said: “Our bills went up and it basically was just about the fuel charges. We saw a great reduction in our bills for two months, and then

I guess that hike that happened last month went into effect, and our bill went higher than we have ever seen it - even before the solar project.”

Asa H Pritchard’s electricity bill declined in the two months immediately after the solar project’s implementation, but “skyrocketed” despite “probably producing enough power from solar to send back to BPL’s grid”.

Mr Pritchard added: “Everything was looking good for us a month ago, and I still think the end of the year is going to finish

off strong. But the BPL increases affect everyone and it certainly affects our costs.”

While Asa H Pritchard is not planning for any price increases, it cannot control what customers such as the food stores,

Merchants call for more ‘VAT-free holiday’ notice

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN retailers yesterday urged the Government to give more advanced notice on whether a Back-to-School ‘VAT-free holiday’ will be granted this year and the dates for when it will be held.

James Wallace, owner/ operator of Janaees Uniform Centre, told Tribune Business that the Government should have already announced the dates if one is to be staged this year so that both consumers and merchants can prepare. “They should have announced that by now because, going by history, they normally grant the holiday between August 14 to September 21,” he said.

“We should know what it is by now. The Bahamian public should know when is the VAT holiday. Either you are doing it or not. It is typically a week before school opens, and we anticipate

that they will come up with it at that same time. But for us it is just about giving us sufficient time to reprogram our computers to charge people out correctly.”

Point of Sales (POS) systems need to be adjusted ahead of time for all items that will be VAT-free or zero-rated. For stores such as Janaees, not all products will qualify for the tax relief, and it will be time consuming go through its entire inventory to differentiate between what are school supplies and regular store items.

Mr Wallace added: “The VAT holiday doesn’t really matter for us. The thing that matters for us is that they take too long to set a date and they expect businesses to be able to respond to it. That is the only challenge as a business that we have. We anticipate they will do it again. But the question is, what date? Will they do it and how much notice will they give?”

Simon Wilson, the Ministry of Finance’s financial secretary, confirmed to

Tribune Business on Monday that the Back to School ‘VAT-free holiday’ will be staged this year on similar dates as last year’s version. The 2022 announcement was made on August 12 for dates between August 22 and September 11, which gave retailers more than a full business week to adjust their POS.

“They also need to publish the rules for the VAT period because we always, as a business, have to end up telling customers what the VAT rules and that are you are not allowed to do a refund during a VAT rebate,” Mr Wallace said.

“There are also some rules that the VAT Department impose on businesses that restrict us from helping the customers to get returns for the same items. But that’s due to the VAT Department rules and not us and, unfortunately, we the businesses get blamed for not doing it.

“Then we have to tell them to reach out to the VAT Department and

clarify it. But it is a great help to the Bahamian public, and we hope that it translates into more people buying merchandise from me in the savings that they get.”

Uhura Woodside, manager at Nassau Stationers, said many customers are asking her about the ‘VATfree holiday’ with many holding-off on schoolrelated purchases in anticipation of the lower prices and savings that could result.

“I was in my office and I overheard a customer asking one of my staff members about the VAT holiday, and a few other customers started talking among themselves,” she said. “I was actually in a fabric store getting some material for my brother’s daughter and the lady was telling me that they have not heard anything.

“Last year they started early, but no one has said anything to us. They should let us know by at least the middle of August, but I can’t wait for that. Some people told me that even last year there were some things they were not able to get because they were

waiting for the 10 percent VAT cut. To me, it’s OK, but the risk of children not getting what they need, then we need to go ahead and get it done.”

Mr Wilson said the Government is seeking to “tweak” this year’s Back to School ‘VAT-free holiday’ to provide merchants and consumers with “more meaningful benefits”. He added that the advantages under the present structure are “more symbolic than real” because many school supplies - including clothing and computer equipment - already enjoy duty-free exemptions year-round.

He spoke out after Kwasi Thompson, the Opposition’s finance spokesman, again sought to slam the “late again” Davis administration for failing to thus far confirm if the Back to School ‘VAT-free holiday’ would be held this year and between what dates. He argued that the potential savings would be especially valuable for vulnerable lower and middle income Bahamian families who have been hit hard by postCOVID inflation and the cost of living crisis.

restaurants, kitchens and pharmacies will do. “These people are probably going to try to pass the costs on somewhere. So BPL affects everyone and businesses start pinching pennies, and that’s where the uncertainty comes in,” Mr Pritchard added.

“Electricity is factored into every single business. They factor in their electric bill. So, however [long] this current hike is supposed to last, then you have to assume that everybody who is running a business needs to consider where to increase prices to help cover the cost of electricity.

“It’s uncertain for us now but we’ve still got our staff and we’re not going to complain about it. Shipping costs are still high as far as I’m aware.”

Describing the tax breaks as “so critically needed for many struggling Bahamian families”, the former minister of state for finance said: “As began by the FNM several years ago, this VAT holiday would eliminate the VAT for purchases of Back to School supplies, uniforms and footwear for a period of time.

“We recall vividly that, last year, we in the Opposition had to call upon the Government to do the right thing for the Bahamian people. And the Davis administration ended up doing a VAT holiday at the last minute with a very constrained timeframe and with much confusion among merchants and consumers.

“Bahamian families have been ravaged by the effects of global inflation over the last two years..... The Government’s commitment to Bahamian families must be more than just gimmicky and meaningful action. And implementing the VAT holiday will save Bahamian families at a time when it is critically needed.”

BAHAMAS POWER & LIGHT (BPL) HEADQUARTERS

BAHAMAS GIVES SUBSTANCE TO EU BLACKLIST ESCAPE BID

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunmedia.net

THE Attorney General yesterday voiced optimism that the upgraded online portal critical to The Bahamas' bid to escape the European Union's (EU) tax blacklist will be operational in time for this nation to be removed.

Ryan Pinder KC told the Senate that the enhanced economic substance reporting gateway is targeting a September 8, 2023, launch date so that it goes live in time for both this year's industry filings and the EU's October assessment of whether The Bahamas has adequately identified the deficiencies it previously identified.

Speaking on the Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) Bill 2023, Mr Pinder said: “We are hoping to go live with the portal by September 8, which would allow for industry to complete this year’s filing on the new portal. The filing deadline is September 30. We ask, to the extent possible, that all registered agents conduct their reporting in the new portal.”

He added that nine registered agents, from different industries and with multiple clients, have been selected to conduct user acceptance testing (UAT) of the portal that will begin this month.

“We are now at the point where we have selected

RYAN PINDER KC

nine registered agents to form the user acceptance testing team for the Bahamas ESS portal," Mr Pinder said.

“These nine registered agents are chosen based on them representing the most companies as well as in different industries. The current schedule is aiming to have the portal ready for UAT testing starting on August 14. The UAT will start on August 8 as a preparation week of training and demonstrations, and they will access the system on August 14 for the training.”

Mr Pinder stressed the importance of the online portal meeting EU and Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) reporting standards, adding that the previous practice of funnelling economic substance reporting through the Department of Inland Revenue's existing framework - such as its Business

Licence portal - was "ineffective’.

He said: “It is important to have a purpose-built reporting platform to manage the economic substance reporting in a method that is recognised and approved by the EU and OECD. As you might know, the former government put the substance reporting through the Department of Inland Revenue framework. This method was ineffective and presented many problems with the actual administration of the reporting.”

The Bahamas was blacklisted by the EU in late 2022 for alleged deficiencies with its ‘economic substance’ regime - in particular the online portal via which companies fulfilled their reporting requirements under Bahamian law. ‘Economic substance’ requires specific companies to be doing real business in the jurisdiction and have a physical presence - not be operating as ‘brass plate’ or ‘letterbox’ companies.

Mr Pinder said the Government has contracted BDO, the company that developed The Bahamas' beneficial ownership reporting system, BOSS, to build the economic substance reporting platform.

He said: “We solicited proposals for a separate substance reporting portal and platform that has been designed for the specific purpose, much like what you experience with the

BOSS system and beneficial ownership reporting.

“Our government has retained the firm BDO to develop the reporting platform. BDO is the firm who built our reporting platform for beneficial ownership, the BOSS system. This should instill confidence as the BOSS system has been very effective.”

Mr Pinder added that the Government has conducted "extensive consultation" with the industry on both the reporting portal upgrades and legislative enhancements to Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) Bill. Besides the practical and legal upgrades, he added that the EU and OECD want to see enforcement of a country's economic substance regime, and The Bahamas has already acted on this.

“An important set of revisions in the Bill has to do with enforcement. The EU and OECD not only want to see that the legislation imposes a reporting component, but also that it provides for an adequate enforcement framework, and that we are actually undertaking proper monitoring and reporting activities," Mr Pinder said.

The Attorney General added that the Ministry of Finance has reviewed more than 24,000 substance returns, and conducted 34 on-site inspections of 30 firms. Of these, 13 have been deemed compliant, 16 must conduct an audit and

one has been deemed noncompliant and fined.

He said: “Officers of legal unit of the Competent Authority are conducting desk-based reviews of substance returns. Over 24,000 desk-based reviews have been completed to date. On-site inspections have been conducted. Thirty-four on-site inspections have been completed to date in respect of 30 entities.

“Of the 30 entities inspected, 13 have been deemed compliant, and 16 have been directed to conduct an audit for further compliance monitoring. We are awaiting the audit reports. One entity has been deemed non-compliant and has been fined. An additional 30 entities have been identified for further review and on-site inspection. The inspection of these entities will commence once we pass this Bill.

"We have been working hard with BDO on the reporting portal framework. We have had extensive consultation with industry on the framework of the reporting, as well as the framework of the legislation. BDO has been working under a tight timeline to have the portal up and ready for our next review. The new portal has been demonstrated to the industry in a consultation forum.”

Mr Pinder said that, under the new Bill, registered agents must report

on behalf of entities they manage.Those that do not have a registered agent must report to the Compliance Commission.

He said “Given the new reporting portal there are certain legislative and regulatory reforms required to be consistent with the BDO platform. BDO has recommended some legislative changes to ensure the effective launch of the portal.

“One of these reforms is to now require registered agents to report on behalf of the entities they manage. For entities without a registered agent, they will provide the information to the Compliance Commission who will act as the reporting agent to the Competent Authority.”

Mr Pinder explained that the changes will ensure the reporting platform is aligned with EU and OECD requirements, and that monitoring and reporting can be done effectively. He added that the enforcement framework has been strengthened in the new legislation to demonstrate that "proper" monitoring is undertaken.

He said: “This is a change from the current regime where the entities themselves are responsible for reporting. We are making this change to have a more efficient reporting platform that accomplishes the requirements of the EU and the OECD. We are not charting new territory, as the BVI and Barbados follow the same model.”

More hotel rooms key to beyond COVID recovery

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earnings “more than fully recovered” from COVID lows during the 2023 first half.

However, he warned that The Bahamas will need to swiftly increase room capacity to accommodate extra visitor volumes if tourism’s growth momentum is to be maintained beyond the 2023 year-end.

Explaining that the hotel industry’s performance is driven by a combination of “headcount”, visitor spend and their length of stay, Mr Rolle said: “Headcount is just about even with where it was before the pandemic, but spending has gone up because the average pricing in the industry has increased, even over the rough parts of the pandemic.

“When you add the two together, particularly in terms of the cruise segment, we appear to be 40 percent above where we were in 2019 even though it has levelled off. Collectively, those suggest earnings in tourism are more than recovered from pre-pandemic.

“Looking at the volume numbers, what we’re seeing is that volumes seem to have recovered and levelled off in comparison to where they were pre-pandemic. A lot of the growth we are seeing in the numbers January to June compared to last year, it’s still reflecting the fact there was a large deficit that remained in the 2022 numbers,” the Governor continued.

“Now that we’re completely out of the hole numbers wise, you’re absolutely correct in hinting at the accommodations capacity. We need to see now how you can boost returns by growing capacity to accommodate more visitors in the stopover segment.

“And I think in the cruise segment, again, then volumes we are already seeing, there would probably be agreement that you can simultaneously get more out of the industry by finding ways to increase the average spend per visitor.”

The Nassau Cruise Port’s controlling 49 percent shareholder, Global Ports Holding, in bidding to operate Prince George Wharf and oversee its $322.5m

transformation, said one of the project’s key ambitions was to near double per capita cruise passenger spend to $150.

The Central Bank yesterday unveiled data showing that cruise passenger volumes had exceeded pre-COVID figures by an average 40 percent since December 2022, although this rate of growth has tapered off since February. Air arrivals, since September 2022, have closely tracked pre-pandemic numbers with Mr Rolle describing them as “almost equivalent” to late 2018 and 2019 performance.

The banking regulator’s report on June’s economic developments revealed that total air arrivals to The Bahamas for the month stood at 99.6 percent of the pre-COVID high achieved during 2019 as the industry closes on full recovery.

“Gains in tourism during the first six months of 2023 were still driven by significant pent-up demand, as travel was no longer constrained by COVID-19 precautions,” Mr Rolle said yesterday. “In addition, the industry benefited from appreciated stopover pricing, both within hotels and vacation rental properties.

“Based on comparisons against the pre-pandemic highs and the best seasonal performance before Hurricane Dorian, sea arrivals, which largely represent cruise visitors, have exceeded the pre- pandemic highs by an average of 40 percent since December 2022. However, the comparative index has not trended further upwards since February 2023.

“In addition, since January, the seasonal recovery in air arrivals stabilised, on average, just 2 percent below the pre-pandemic comparisons, so that is almost equivalent to prepandemic levels. Over the first half of 2022, air arrivals were still an average of 25 percent below pre-pandemic volumes, while the sea segment still trailed by 22 percent.

“Some of this levellingoff in volumes may well reflect increasing limits on hotel room inventory, particularly in New Providence,” the Governor continued. “Given

appreciated stopover pricing and the magnitude of cruise visitor volume boost, the industry, however, experienced more than fully-recovered earnings in the first half of the year.

“The growth outlook beyond 2023 would, however, be more ameliorated if better pricing was reinforced, among other factors, by capacity-aided visitor volume gains.” Mr Rolle said another avenue through which The Bahamas can capitalise on visitor demand, and fill its room inventory gap, is through the “very vibrant” vacation rental industry.

However, he pointed out that this segment boosts the Bahamian economy in a much different way to the hotel industry and, as such, it was vital to maximise

local ownership in vacation rentals to truly fulfill the sector’s potential. “We have t o be mindful that the way in which it beneficially impacts the economy is going to look a little bit different than the hotel sector,” the Governor said.

“There’s less of a labour component in vacation rentals and there’s a greater investment income component, so we want to make sure there’s greater local participation on the earnings being generated by these accommodations because then we’ll see more of it touching down into the economy.

“In addition, to the extent that this is a consumed product, if the Government’s revenue potential is not being realised to the same extent as what is

already being consumed, then it also means that the potential performance of the industry that we’re seeing, the indicators, won’t be matched as vigorously when you look at the indicators we should be seeing, whether it’s employment, government revenues or foreign exchange inflows,” Mr Rolle added.

“So some of the emphasis has to be on how we optimise the returns from what is coming in. Clearly there does appear to be a bit of a levelling off now which, in all likelihood, reflects the capacity pull back we’ve had in the hotel sector, which we all know is transient.”

‘NOBLE OBJECTIVE’: AVIATION IN ANNUAL 15% STOPOVER GROWTH

“increase overall airline seat capacity by 5 percent annually”. The involvement of private aviation and fixed base operations (FBOs) is cited as another critical components, along with ambitions to expand airlift by seaplanes and helicopters and the development “of a comprehensive air cargo plan” to move goods within and outside The Bahamas.

While many will likely view these goals as lofty and aspirational, Mr Hamilton told this newspaper: “I would say they are realistic knowing some things have exceeded expectations and projections. The industry is seemingly coming back strongly on the heels of Dorian and COVID. They’re reasonable projections to be pursued and we need some sort of measuring stick to assess the progress being made.

“They are noble projections. We all need a yardstick to work towards. We plan, we organise, we implement, and we must establish if

those targets are being met. It puts us in a position over time to make the necessary evaluation to determine what gaps exist and what adjustments need to be made to mitigate failure and enhance success.”

Mr Hamilton said he and others in the Bahamian aviation have long been calling for a strategic plan to be developed to grow an industry that is vital to tourism’s success for, without the airlift it helps to provide, there would be no means to distribute stopover visitors around this nation to the Family Islands.

“It is long overdue,” he argued of the initiative. “Compared to what went before that, this is a more comprehensive approach. It is an upgrade to the process, particularly as most of us have been advocating for a national plan for Bahamian aviation. This government is now speaking about reengaging the National Development Plan 2040 and aviation ought to figure prominently as that comes

on stream. We can dovetail into that.

“It’s a step in the right direction to ownership of the industry. I would agree with you that we have not maximised the potential of it. Cost is a major thing in the sector, but safety is paramount. If we have a sector functioning so we can balance cost and not compromise safety, that’s the ideal environment to operate in.”

Mr Hamilton confirmed that there had been consultation with private aviation stakeholders, including himself, over the past year on the plan’s development. He added that several committees were now being formed, and populated, as the Government and Department of Aviation sought to move the initiative forward into the execution and implementation stage.

He added that it was critical that The Bahamas attract the next generation of aviation professionals “who aspire to leadership in the sector. We need to make sure that the environment and atmosphere is extremely

conducive for that to happen. Without a shadow of a doubt we know that human capital is the greatest asset of a nation”.

Dr Romer, in last week providing greater detail on the National Aviation Strategic Plan’s core themes, promised that this nation will launch the Bahamas Aeronautical Training Institute/Academy to develop a cadre of aviation professionals capable of advancing the sector.

“We do know that to increase competitiveness, minimise risk and optimise human capabilities, human capital will ensure the optimisation of human talent,” Dr Romer added. “We’re going to go after talent acquisition, we’re going to go after human capital, we’re going to go hard after training and development, and how do we efficiently and effectively manage strategic things, digital literacy and data management.

“We are very pleased to be launching the first-ever Bahamas Aeronautical Academy and we will ensure

GOVERNOR TRIMS BAHAMAS GDP GROWTH TO ‘3% RANGE’

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2023. This was a figure in line with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank forecasts, but slightly less than the 4-6 percent range he gave three months prior at end-January.

While 3 percent is still above The Bahamas’ longterm economic growth average, Mr Rolle yesterday affirmed that this nation is - as he previously forecast - on track to return to its traditional GDP growth rate of 2 percent or less unless it can rapidly and abruptly find extra stimulus from somewhere.

“Returning to the outlook, as stated earlier, it is expected that growth will moderate further in 2024

from the projected outcome for 2023, with subsiding inflation, chiefly as a result of the success in reducing inflation abroad. The economy’s expansion would also stimulate more employment, scope for increased labour force participation and improved conditions for bank lending,” he added.

While COVD-19 was no longer mentioned among the “downside risks” facing the Bahamian economy, Mr Rolle said rising interest rates in major overseas markets; the ongoing war in Ukraine; and continued oil price uncertainties all posed threats to this nation’s “positive” outlook - especially if they undermine the ability of persons to travel or increase transportation costs.

Indicating that the strength of tourism’s revival had failed to translate into anticipated foreign currency inflows, he added: “Turning to the foreign exchange indicators and external reserve trends, over the first six months of 2023 total inflows through the banking system - which capture impacts from tourism, foreign investment spending and other private sector activities - increased by 3.8 percent to $3.8bn.

“This compared to a recovery-related rebound of 50 percent in the same period of 2022 relative to 2021. Inflows, though, were expected to have been stronger, given the extent of strengthening in tourism indicators. This underscores the importance of boosting

domestic retention from all subsectors in which growth is being noted.” As for the opposite direction, the Central Bank governor added: “As expected, the growth in spending on imports of goods and services within the Bahamian economy and portfolio investments on the outflow side was stronger than trends on the inflow side, increasing by 11.1 percent in the first half of 2023.

“On a net basis, therefore, the private sector retained less foreign exchange than it took in during the first half, contributing to a smaller boost in the external reserves over this period. In particular, the net amount of foreign exchange that commercial banks sold to the

the technical, professional and personal development of team members in the aviation ecosystem. We have partnered with IATA (International Air Transport Association), ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation), Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, and have many others running after us wanting to be a part of it.

“The Bahamas will be a regional hub when it comes to developing human capital in the region.... The next generation of aviation, how do we attract them, train them up so we are meeting and bridging the critical talent gap that exists in the aviation ecosystem?”

Dr Romer said the proposed collective $260m upgrades to 14 Family Island airports is part of a wider goal to “standardise” the facilities and services they offer. “Otherwise we run the risk of bringing stopover arrivals to see a bad show,” he warned. “This just does not bode well for the industry.

Central Bank was one-third less than the first half in 2022.

“In addition, the volume of foreign currency denominated borrowing by the Government was sharply reduced in comparison to 2022, resulting in the public sector, on net, repaying some foreign currency debt and being a net purchaser of foreign exchange from the Central Bank.”

Explaining what this means for the external reserves, which underpin the one:one exchange rate peg with the US dollar, Mr Rolle said there was no cause for alarm. “The external reserves grew by just $117m in the first half of 2023 compared to a $788 million build-up in the same period in 2022,” he added. “As at the end of July, the external balances were approximately

“We want to standardise services and facilities as part of the Family Island airports so that we are not just putting our hand in the bag and hoping we are picking the right candy. The experience has to be consistent at all the Family Island airports in the first instance. There are a lot of consistent reports where the service standards are at different levels at our Family Island airports.”

Dr Romer added that these stopover visitor gateways are critical to The Bahamas’ ability to promote the concept of “multi-destination vacations where they come into Nassau/Paradise Island and then spend a day or two or three in Long Island or go to North Eleuthera and Harbour Island”.

Affirming that aviation industry stakeholders have had input into the National Aviation Strategic Plan, and been widely consulted, he said: “We want to ensure that this is not an isolated programme or strategy that dies on arrival.”

$2.7bn, not much changed from the end of June.

“These balances, however, remain healthy relative to the support that they provide for the Bahamian dollar fixed exchange rate. Over the remainder of 2023, the Central Bank will continue to plan for and to accommodate a net reduction in the external reserves, which would place the end of year balances below the closing levels of 2022.

“This remains consistent with an increased capacity, on net, for the Government to borrow in local currency, more room for growth in private sector credit, and other increased spending by residents from accumulated liquidity such as bank deposits.”

A Swiss Bank is looking for an experienced Relationship ana er ho is uent in panish and rench, tra els for client isits, a pro acti e, enthusiastic and hi hl moti ated professional to fll the su ect position

he elationship ana er s primar responsi ilities are to increase the an s client ase, de elop partnerships ith ne and e istin s, and mana e an e istin oo of clients

he candidate must ha e an e istin client oo n addition, the senior position re uires de elopin incremental usiness specifcall in the re ion ith ensurin top le el ser ice and strict adherence to the an s policies procedures and current urisdictional re ulator and le islati e frame or he candidate should e a ualifed professional ha in at minimum a achelor s e ree in usiness dministration or rele ant area of stud

andidate should possess e perience at a senior le el position for at least ears

In the Estate of LULIAN DELORES COLLIE late of London Avenue off of Carmichael Road, in the Western District on the Island of New Providence one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, deceased.

NOTICE is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demand against the above Estate are requested to send their names, addresses and particulars of the same certifed in writing to the undersigned on or before the 31st of August A.D., 2023 and if required, to prove such debts or claims, or in default be excluded from any distribution; after the above date the assets will be distributed having regard only to the proved debts or claims of which the Executors shall have had Notice.

AND NOTICE is hereby given that all persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to make full settlement on or before the 31st of August of July A.D., 2023.

elected candidate shall e offered enefts commensurate ith their ualifcations and e perience

Interested candidates should submit a CV to contact@bankgonet.com by August 4, 2023

RELATIONSHIP MANAGER FOR EXTERNAL ASSET MANAGER DESK (“EAM”)

Central Bank reviews $250m investment currency reforms

FROM

by Bahamians, acting individually or through broker/ dealers and financial advisers, as well as institutions to acquire overseas stocks, securities and real estate.

Explaining the rationale for the Central Bank’s review, the Governor said: “We also know that in those numbers we also see some bulky transactions.

“What we think is important is to begin to anticipate how we manage what we term as wholesale investments especially for the retail side where there is a much greater scope for transactions. Part of the retail side is what we term the depository receipts (BDRs).”

BDRs are derivative securities that enable Bahamians to purchase and hold investments, such as stocks and bonds, which are denominated in foreign currency. Local broker/dealers have a quarterly BDR allocation that they can access to effect purchases of international securities on their clients’ behalf, and Mr Rolle indicated the Central Bank is concerned to preserve access by small retail investors and ensure they are not squeezed out from foreign currency access.

Indicating that BDR investments have become increasingly popular among Bahamians seeking to diversify their portfolios and/or a part of their retirement savings structures, the Governor said: “That’s a segment of the market where, if we are encouraging savings in a diversified way, we want to make certain they don’t run into any

headwinds because there is insufficient balance in how access is being managed.

“We expect this year that the investment currency volumes will be at, or above, where they were in 2022. We are already ahead of the 2022 half-year estimates, so there’s no reason to believe that the end of year number will look any different.”

Mr Rolle, speaking earlier during the briefing, added: “The Central Bank is reviewing the administrative policies in place for the Investment Currency Market and the access permitted to overseas investment funding through the Bahamas Depository Receipt or BDR framework.

“On sum, the demand for investment currency, in particular, has accelerated, and the [Central] Bank is of the view that additional refinements are now needed to sustain more retail investor access, while moderating potential wholesale outflows, within a more defined multi-year framework.

“In addition, the Central Bank is continuing to explore how BDR activity, which already has a more concentrated retail appeal, could be increased. The Central Bank expects to consult with the Government on such reforms and other administrative adjustments to the Exchange Control policies before the end of the third quarter this year.”

Elsewhere, Mr Rolle said the Central Bank is “exploring” how it can give Bahamian commercial banks more “flexibility” to lend without compromising credit quality or risk

Soaring BPL costs delay inflation ease

FROM PAGE B1

we see the inflation moderation start to look more like what is happening abroad.

“It should be stated that the peak rates of inflation that we have seen in The Bahamas so far did not reach the rates that were attained in the US.” The Central Bank, in its justreleased monthly report for June, said: “Average domestic consumer price inflation, as measured by the All Bahamas Retail Price Index, firmed to 5.6 percent during the 12 months to April from 3.8 percent in the corresponding 2022 period, reflective of the pass-through effects of higher international oil prices and other costlier imports.

“Specifically, average costs increased for recreation and culture (16.9 percent) and miscellaneous goods and services (0.9 percent) after registering reductions in the previous year. Further, average inflation accelerated for food and non-alcoholic beverages (12.7 percent), restaurants and hotels (11.1 percent), health (5 percent), and housing, water, gas, electricity and other fuels (4.5 percent).

“Providing some offset, average inflation moderated for transport (8.9

management. Indicating the regulator is seeking to balance prudence with kickstarting the still-clogged lending market, he indicated that it was focusing on easing down payment requirements for borrowers.

“The Central Bank maintains a policy posture toward more growth in private sector credit, however in a sustainable fashion that does not outpace our comfort level for the external reserves,” Mr Rolle said.

“The Bank is therefore exploring how lending institutions can be given more flexibility in processing loan applications by varying downpayment

requirements, including for mortgages, while guided by limits on debt service ratio and relative valuation of real estate compared to the amounts being financed. For The Bahamas, these are still the most important or effective policy levers in influencing the amount of credit flowing to the private sector.”

Mr Rolle said the surplus liquidity in the commercial banking system, now standing at $2.9bn, represents a risk that the Central Bank is monitoring given that it represents a funding source that could leak out in terms of financing foreign exchange outflows

that impose pressure on the external reserves.

“In this regard commercial bank liquidity, which remains buoyant, is also a risk to be monitored, as it could be a pent-up source for outflows over the medium-term. This places renewed emphasis on increasing the private sector’s net take up of government debt that still sits on the Central Bank’s balance sheet. However, this is a medium-term policy emphasis,” Mr Rolle said.

“There continued to be improvements in credit markets, although most concentrated in declining delinquency rates on

outstanding commercial bank loans. The fraction of private sector loans that were three or more months behind in payments fell to just 7.4 percent in June 2023 from 9 percent in June 2022.

“This further repositioned the delinquency rate below where it was at the start of the pandemic. In the lending space, though, commercial bank credit to the private sector was only incrementally expanded during the first half of the year, with lending for commercial purposes boosted. However, there was still no uptrend in consumer loans and mortgages.”

percent), clothing and footwear (3.5 percent), alcohol beverages, tobacco and narcotics (3.4 percent, communication (3.2 percent), furnishing, household equipment and routine household maintenance (1.8 percent) and education (1.4 percent).”

Mr Rolle, meanwhile, said that while Bahamian tourism and the economy will benefit from a likely “soft landing” of the US economy, with higher interest rates bringing down inflation without causing a major recession, higher energy and transportation costs still pose a threat to the country’s largest industry.

“The point that is still important to stress, though, is that there are costs to tourism related to the cost of transportation and cost of electricity when you come in-country. We have to be mindful of how this impacts the competitiveness of the product even if individuals are not directly impacted to the same extent through their income,” he added.

Mr Rolle also indicated that the Central Bank is reviewing the year-end 2024 deadline to eliminate the use of cheques as a form of payment and the pace at which this will be achieved.

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Busy Optometry offce in New Providence looking for full time Optometrist. Must have Doctorate of Optometry degree from an accredited college of Optometry or trained at a college of Optometry from the UK. Must be licensed to practice in country of training. Must be profcient in OCT and Humphrey’s Visual Field.

ASIAN BENCHMARKS BOOSTED BY WALL STREET’S LATEST WINNING MONTH

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer

ASIAN shares mostly rose Tuesday, boosted by market optimism set off by a Wall Street rally despite lingering worries about inflation and regional growth.

Investors were also watching for the policy decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia. Some forecasters are expecting a hike, but analysts at ING Economics said that wasn’t likely.

“With the RBA keen not to overdo the tightening, it seems unnecessary to hike today when in all likelihood the macro signals for hiking will look much stronger at the September meeting,” said Robert Carnell, AsiaPacific regional head of research.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 surged 0.7% in morning trading to 33,418.53. Australia’s S&P/ ASX 200 gained nearly 0.4% to 7,436.70. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 1.3% to 2,667.03. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was little changed, edging down less than 0.1% to 20,068.66, while the Shanghai Composite shed 0.1% to 3,286.34.

Wall Street closed out its latest winning month, with the S&P 500 adding 6.73 points, or 0.1%, to 4,588.96 to cap its fifth straight month of gains. That’s its longest winning streak in nearly two years, and the index is at a 16-month high after rallying on hopes cooling inflation will mean the economy can avoid a longpredicted recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 100.24, or 0.3%, to 35,559.53, and the Nasdaq composite rose 29.37, or 0.2%, to 14,346.02.

To be sure, critics have been saying Wall Street’s seemingly growing consensus for a soft landing for the economy has come too quickly. Several reports in the coming week could poke holes in the theory that inflation will keep coming down enough for the Federal Reserve to not only stop hiking interest rates, but to begin cutting them by early next year.

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Big names in the market, such as Rob Arnott at Research Affiliates, are warning not to be

“overly hasty in popping the champagne corks.” Arnott sees the possibility of inflation rebounding again later this year, even though it’s recently cooled considerably.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has pointed to Friday’s upcoming report on the overall U.S. job market as an important data point. Growth needs to be strong enough to keep a lid on worries about a possible recession. But a reading that’s too hot could also mean upward pressure on inflation, which could push the Fed to get more aggressive about rates.

High rates undercut inflation by slowing the overall economy and dragging on prices for stocks and other investments. The Fed has already hiked its main rate to its highest level in more than two decades, a jolting shock after the rate began last year at virtually zero.

Two of Wall Street’s most influential stocks are also set to report their earnings for the spring: Amazon and Apple are both scheduled to release their latest quarterly results on Thursday. Because they’re two of the most massive stocks on Wall Street, their stock movements pack much more punch for the S&P 500 and other indexes than other stocks.

Both stocks have soared this year, in part on expectations for strong continued growth, and they’ll need to deliver to justify the big moves. Both Apple and Amazon are up more than 50% so far this year.

Roughly halfway through the earnings reporting season, more companies than usual have topped analysts’ profit expectations, according to FactSet. Companies also seem to be more optimistic about their upcoming results, giving better-than-expected forecasts more often than usual, according to strategists at Bank of America.

“While economic uncertainty remains, we believe the profit cycle is inflecting higher,” the strategists wrote in a BofA Global Research report.

In the bond market, U.S. Treasury yields slipped after a report suggested manufacturing in the Chicago region is weakening a bit more than economists expected. Manufacturing has been one of the hardest-hit areas in the economy by high interest rates, which work with a notoriously long lag effect.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged down to 3.95% from 3.96% late Friday.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude lost 19 cents to $81.61 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 57 cents to $85.56 a barrel.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 142.62 Japanese yen from 142.24 yen. The euro cost $1.0983, down from $1.0993.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS 2007

IN THE SUPREME COURT CLE/QUI-1385 COMMON LAW & EQUITY DIVISION IN THE MATTER OF THE QUIETING TITLES ACT 1959 AND

IN THE MATTER OF ALL THAT parcel or lot of land being known as lot Number Sixteen (16) Block Number Nineteen (19) Centreville District, as shown on the Master Plan in the Department of Lands And Surveys in the Island of New Providence AND

IN THE MATTER OF THE Petition of JULIETTE L. RAMSEY

NOTICE JULIETTE L. RAMSEY the Petitioner claim to be the owner in fee simple in possession of the parcel of land and free from encumbrances. The Petitioner has made application to the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Section 3 of the Quieting Act, 1959 to have their Title to the said land investigated and declared in a Certifcate of Title to be granted by the Court in accordance with the provisions of the act. Copies of the fle plan may be inspected during normal hours at:

1. The Registry of the Supreme Court; and

2. The Chambers of Ramsey And Associates, Rames Building, 23 Plantol, Nassau, Bahamas

Notice is hereby given that any person or persons having a right of dower or any adverse claim not recognized in the Petition shall within thirty (30) days after the publication of the notice herein fled in the registry of the Supreme Court in the City of Nassau aforesaid and serve on the Petitioner or the undersigned a statement of such claim in the prescribed Form, verifed by an affdavit to be fled therewith. Failure of any such person to fle and serve a statement a such claim within thirty days (30) herein will operate as a bar to such claim.

Dated this 1st day of August A. D. 2023 Dulwich Law Chambers Farrington Road, Nassau, Bahamas

How do you cope with period pains?

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

It’s the time of the month that many women dread - period days. They are so dreaded because for some women the pain can be debilitating for at least the first three days of their menstruation.

But because they have been experiencing these painful days since they were tweens or young teens, some women have learned to just accept and adapt to the monthly discomfort, and sometimes even agony, they experience.

As everyone woman’s body is different, so are their ways they cope. But the goal is always the same: do whatever it takes to be comfortable.

Take Tribune Woman reader Crystal, for instance, who said her coping mechanism relies on two specific products: “A Vitamalt and a Dairy Milk chocolate.”

“Believe it or not, but this is usually my starter pack for when it’s that time of the month. Honestly, I don’t know why this combination works for me, but it is very soothing on my tummy and it makes me feel very good on the inside,” she said.

“But I don’t have excruciating pain during my periods, so maybe it works for me because I have light cramps. I don’t know if this will work for someone who has intense cramps; to each their own though,” she said.

During painful period days, some women retreat to the couch or bed and assume the foetal position. Dara does the complete opposite.

“I work out with even more intensity. Working out always helps. I tend to feel less pain. I reason is my stomach muscles are

already contracting because of the workouts so I don’t feel what’s going on in my uterus,” she said.

After a workout, Dara said she feels rejuvenated.

“It’s like I am not even on my period with how smooth things flow. This has been my practice for years during period days,” she said.

As for Nelly, she has suffered with heavy and intense periods since she first started having them at age 11.

“I have the kind of periods that leave me in intense pain. I have always felt handicapped by them.

I throw up; sometimes I lay on the floor for hours at a time nursing myself,” she said. Her pains finally began improving after she gave birth to her son.

“The doctor told me that having a baby would help. So, when I had my son, it actually worked out for me. That’s not to say that I don’t still have cycles that get painful sometimes, but it is nowhere near the way it used to be. They have certainly improved and it’s a good feeling,” she said.

Raquel said when it’s her time of the month, she turns to herbal remedies.

“I don’t like taking medication so I have had to find natural means of coping. I find that ginger tea as well as cinnamon tea works. My uterus loves the warmth of the tea and the herbs do wonders for my body,” she said.

Natasha on the other hand uses pain killers to get some relief.

“In addition to that I utilise a remedy my grandmother taught me many years ago: you boil a kettle of hot water. Put the steaming hot water in a gallon water jug or even a small hot water bottle and let it sit on your stomach. I promise you; it will be soothing

TMJ treatment exercises: Can physical therapy help ease jaw pain?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the point where two bones meet on each side of your jaw. It connects the lower jaw to the bone at the side and base of your skull, called the temporal bone.

The TMJ acts like a sliding hinge, allowing the jaw to move up and down and to the sides when you eat, talk and yawn. You can locate it by placing your fingers just in front of your ears and opening your mouth.

TMJ problems can be painful and disruptive — so if you have TMJ pain, talk with your doctor or physiotherapist right away. Your doctor or physiotherapist can talk with you about treatments for TMJ disorders, including simple exercises you can try at home.

What are TMJ disorders?

TMJ disorders are conditions that affect the joints and muscles that control movement of your jaw. These disorders are common — researchers estimate that at least 10 million Americans have TMJ problems, and the number may be much higher.

Symptoms of TMJ disorders may include:

Pain or tenderness in your face, especially around your jaw, ears and temple

Trouble chewing or pain while chewing Trouble opening your mouth all the way

Locking of your jaw in the open or closed position

Clicking, popping or grinding sounds when you move your jaw

Headaches, toothaches or changes in the way your teeth

fit together

Earaches or ringing in your ears (also called tinnitus)

In many cases, the exact cause isn’t clear. TMJ disorders may be linked to a combination of factors including:

Genes

Other health conditions, like arthritis

Trauma or injuries to the jaw, face or neck

General wear and tear and stress on the joint can also play a part.

What are the treatments for TMJ disorders?

Treatments for TMJ depend on how severe your symptoms are. To start, your doctor or physiotherapist will probably recommend simple self-management techniques, such as:

Avoiding habits that put tension on your TMJ, like clenching your jaw, resting your chin in your hand when sitting down or grinding your teeth

Avoiding hard or sticky foods that put strain on your jaw muscles — and switching to soft foods like soup or pasta

Applying a heat or cold pack to the side of your face

Taking pain relievers like ibuprofen

Gently exercising or massaging the muscles around your jaw

If you want to try TMJ physical therapy exercises, your doctor or a physical therapist can show you how.

If you have severe symptoms, your doctor may recommend

other treatments, including muscle relaxants, cognitive behavioral therapy or injections. But thankfully, TMJ symptoms usually get better on their own or with gentle, non-invasive treatments. Rates

How do TMJ physical therapy exercises work?

Doctors often recommend physical therapy exercises as a first-line treatment for TMJ disorders. Further research is still needed on the effectiveness of physical therapy as a treatment for TMJ. But some studies have shown that exercises and manual therapy can reduce pain and increase function in people with TMJ disorders.

The overall goals of physical therapy for TMJ are to relieve pain, increase motion in your jaw and get you back to normal functioning again. Exercises that may be effective include:

Stretching the soft tissue around your jaw and neck muscles to slowly increase how wide you can open your jaw

Strengthening the muscles that pull your jaw backwards

(to take strain off the muscles that pull your jaw forwards and side-to-side)

Massaging the soft tissue and muscles around your TMJ, temples and neck to relieve tension and improve motion

Training to improve your posture

In most cases, symptoms improve after a few weeks of working with a physical therapist and following instructions for selfmanagement at home.

Can I do TMJ treatment exercises at home?

Your doctor, dentist or physical therapist can show you how to massage your TMJ. They can also teach you exercises to stretch and strengthen your jaw muscles. You can do these exercises at home a couple of times a day, at a time when you’re relaxed and have a few moments to yourself.

Common massage techniques and exercises that you can do at home include:

Masseter massage — You’ll use your fingers to apply a small amount of pressure to the side of your cheek just beneath your cheek bone. Then move them in a downward motion on repeat for about a minute.

and help. They key is the water has to be boiling hot. Any other water won’t stay hot long,” she said.

Regina agrees with the hot water bottle technique. She also drizzles essential oils, especially mint oil, on her tummy. “It burns a bit, but, boy, does it help.”

“However, some months are so bad that if I don’t take two Tylenol as soon as I feel the first twinge of a cramp, it’s going to be a couple of very miserable hours,” she added.

Temporalis massage — You’ll place your fingers on your temples (next to your eyebrows) and pull down slightly until your fingers reach the top of your cheekbones. Repeat this for about a minute.

Mouth opening movement — You’ll open and close your mouth for about 30 seconds while trying to keep your top and bottom teeth in line.

Mouth opening in alignment You’ll place the tip of your tongue onto the roof of your mouth, then open your mouth as far as you can. Then close your mouth again with your tongue still on the roof of your mouth. Repeat this action for about 30 seconds.

Sideways movement — You’ll open your mouth very slightly (less than half an inch wide) and slowly move your jaw side-to-side for 30 seconds. Don’t force this movement if you feel resistance.

Remember, it’s very important to talk with your doctor or physiotherapist before you start doing TMJ exercises. Doing these exercises incorrectly or too often may make your joint problems worse.

How can I prevent TMJ problems?

You can’t always prevent TMJ, since causes may include genes or other health conditions you can’t control. But in most cases, you can lower your risk of TMJ problems by making a few changes to your regular routine. Follow these tips:

Consider your posture – Try to maintain good posture throughout the day, especially if you’re sitting for long periods of time at work. Take frequent breaks to change your position. Avoid resting your head in your hand while sitting.

Relax and manage stress — Try to reduce your overall stress levels by taking some time out of your day to do something that relaxes you and relieves muscle tension.

Protect your mouth and teeth — Use a mouthguard when playing contact sports to reduce your risk of fractures and dislocations. Use a mouthguard at night if you grind your teeth.

Reduce chewing — Avoid chewing gum or eating foods that need a lot of repetitive chewing.

(Photo_Pexel_Sora Shimazaki)

High-tech management of erectile dysfunction

Premature ejaculation is the most common male sexual dysfunction, with 30 to 40 percent of adult men suffering from this frustrating and often depressing sexual disorder.

Premature ejaculation is defined as a man ejaculating before or very soon after vaginal penetration or the inability to delay ejaculation.

A new single-use, square inch in size skin patch applied to the male’s perineum and controlled by an app has shown promising evidence for treating premature ejaculation. The perineum is the area of skin beneath the scrotal sac and above the anus.

The patch, developed by the Israeli company Virility Medical Ltd, painlessly delivers a neuromuscular stimulation that can potentially delay the onset of ejaculation. This device represents the first innovation in the treatment of premature ejaculation in more than 20 years.

The patch contains a tiny battery and a wireless transdermal electric neuromodulation unit and is controlled by an app so the male or female partner can activate the device on their phone or android device and determine the intensity of the stimulation. The nerve stimulation created by this painless device, essentially dampens the transmission of nerve signals so that ejaculation is delayed.

Studies involving this Virility patch have shown that with its use, that the time to ejaculation can be prolonged by a factor of four.

This wearable perineum patch technology is still in the trial phase with hopeful FDA approval during 2021.

Two types of premature ejaculation

There are two classifications of premature ejaculation: primary and secondary.

Primary, or lifelong premature ejaculation, involves every sexual experience ending too soon.

Secondary, or acquired premature ejaculation, is suffered by men who only sparingly suffer from premature ejaculation and have a history of sexual episodes without the disorder.

How does the body control ejaculation?

The physiological control of a man’s ejaculation is dictated by two neurological domains; the central and the peripheral nervous systems. Peripheral tactile stimulation can trigger the spinal cord driven ejaculatory reflex.

The central nervous system of the brain can be stimulated by visual or emotional stimuli that leads to a physiological climax.

THE UROLOGY DOCTOR IS IN...

This affliction often provides frustration and anguish to both partners. Men often suffer from low self-esteem and even depression due to their unsatisfactory sexual experiences.

Every sexual escapade that ends too soon, leaves the men involved often feeling like a failure.

Mammals in general experience very short sexual interludes, whether it be lions, tigers, monkeys or bears. Men are the only mammals on earth that attempt to prolong the sexual experience.

Multiple studies have estimated that American men last on average thirteen minutes and European men last ten minutes, whereby German men last on average seven minutes.

Premature ejaculation is such a common issue seen by urologists worldwide that a quantitative measurement tool was developed to assess premature ejaculation, so as to assess the severity.

The Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool

(PEDT) is a self-evaluation of a man’s various aspects of sexual dysfunction. The questionnaire includes a man’s ability to control the timing of ejaculation, the length of the sexual episode and the degree to which the premature ejaculation affects their sexual life. The total score on the PEDT questionnaire predicts the likelihood of a man experiencing premature ejaculation.

Medications such as Selective

Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Dapoxetine or Prozac and Paxil, used primarily to treat depression or anxiety, increase neurotransmitters sent to the brain and have the wanted side effect of delaying ejaculation and prolonging a man’s sexual experience.

Modafinil (Provigil) is a medication used to treat the sleeping disorder narcolepsy but it has the wanted side effect of delaying ejaculation. Silodosin (Rapaflo) is used in the medical management of urinary symptoms associated with benign prostate hyperplasia and it also leads to delayed ejaculation.

Certain analgesics such as Tramadol can also potentially prolong the period before ejaculation, but Tramadol can be habit forming and have side effects such as nausea, headaches and vomiting.

Some men who suffer from premature ejaculation benefit from the use of phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors such as Viagra or Cialis.

The peripheral nerve endings of the penis can be dampened by local anesthesia sprays or applied creams that reduce the tactile stimulation and delay the ejaculatory response.

These local anaesthesia agents unfortunately could potentially reduce the pleasure of the sexual experience for the man and possibly be transferred to the female and reduce her level of tactile stimulation and lower the pleasure of sexual intercourse.

The use of condoms, particularly thick, desensitising condoms can reduce the tactile stimulation of the penis. Pelvic floor physiotherapy with Kegel exercises have shown to aid a man’s ability to delay ejaculation.

Behavioral therapy can also provide beneficial results regarding premature ejaculation.

Men are usually very reluctant to seek the consult of an urologist for their often deeply disturbing premature ejaculation, due to embarrassment.

One in three men experience premature ejaculation, thus if you unfortunately have this frustrating and potentially devastating issue then take comfort in the fact that you are far from alone.

Seek compassionate and comprehensive urology care to solve your erectile dysfunction, whether it is premature ejaculation or difficulty achieving a strong erection or maintaining an erection.

The real tragedy is continuing to live with a correctable sexual problem. You can always rise again.

The physiological basis for the peripheral and central nervous system driven ejaculatory response, differs widely.

Tens of thousands of Bahamian men and residents last one, two or three minutes and they have profound disappointment in their sexual lives.

A United Kingdom study involving 500 couples, found that men in this study lasted on average five and a half minutes during sexual intercourse.

Diagnostic tool for pre-

mature ejaculation

Medical treatment of premature ejaculation

Medication can be prescribed to dampen either the central or peripheral nervous system’s input in the ejaculatory response and therefore prolong the period before ejaculation.

Brain fog and other long COVID symptoms are the focus of new small treatment studies

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Institutes of Health is beginning a handful of studies to test possible treatments for long COVID, an anxiously awaited step in US efforts against the mysterious condition that afflicts millions.

Monday’s announcement from the NIH’s $1.15 billion RECOVER project comes amid frustration from patients who’ve struggled for months or even years with sometimes-disabling health problems — with no proven treatments and only a smattering of rigorous studies to test potential ones.

“This is a year or two late and smaller in scope than one would hope but nevertheless it’s a step in the right direction,” said Dr Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University in St Louis, who isn’t involved with NIH’s project but whose own research highlighted long COVID’s toll. Getting answers is critical, he added, because “there’s a lot of people out there exploiting patients’ vulnerability” with unproven therapies.

Scientists don’t yet know what causes long COVID, the catchall term for about 200 widely varying symptoms. Between 10 percent and 30 percent of people are estimated to have experienced some form of long COVID after recovering from a coronavirus infection, a risk that has dropped somewhat since early in the pandemic.

“If I get 10 people, I get 10 answers of what long COVID really is,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said.

That’s why so far, the RECOVER initiative has tracked 24,000 patients in observational studies to help define the most common and burdensome symptoms – findings that now are shaping multipronged treatment trials. The first two will look at:

of Pfizer’s antiviral drug Paxlovid could ease long COVID, because of a theory that some live coronavirus, or its remnants, may hide in the body and trigger the disorder. Normally Paxlovid is used when people first get infected and for just five days.

and other cognitive problems. They include Posit Science Corp’s BrainHQ cognitive training programme, another called

PASC-Cognitive Recovery by New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System, and a Soterix Medical device that electrically stimulates brain circuits.

Two additional studies will open in the coming months. One will test treatments for sleep problems. The other will target problems with the autonomic nervous system — which controls unconscious functions like breathing and heartbeat — including the disorder called POTS.

A more controversial study of exercise intolerance and fatigue also is planned, with NIH seeking input from some patient groups worried that exercise may do more harm than good for certain long COVID sufferers.

The trials are enrolling 300 to 900 adult participants for now but have the potential to grow. Unlike typical experiments that test one treatment at a time, these more flexible “platform studies” will let NIH add additional potential therapies on a rolling basis.

“We can rapidly pivot,” Dr Amy Patterson with the NIH explained. A failing treatment can be dropped without ending the entire trial and “if something promising comes on the horizon, we can plug it in.”

The flexibility could be key, according to Dr Anthony Komaroff, a Harvard researcher who isn’t involved with the NIH programme but has long studied a similarly mysterious disorder known as chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS. For example, he said, the Paxlovid study “makes all sorts of sense,” but if a 25-day dose shows only hints of working, researchers could extend the test to a longer course instead of starting from scratch. Komaroff also said that he understands people’s frustration over the wait for these treatment trials, but believes NIH appropriately waited “until some clues came in about the underlying biology,” adding: “You’ve got to have targets.”

Dr Greggory Pinto

THERE’s an app for that: Virility Medical Ltd has found a hightech solution for premature ejaculation

Bare Naked Advice

Password privacy vs secrecy

surrounding forbidden passwords, therefore you know it needs to be eliminated.

Ask Maggie and get answers

Relationship and intimacy specialist Maggie Bain – also known as the Bare Naked Coach – has returned to the Bahamas to help local couples repair their relationships. She will be answering questions which she has received for Tribune Woman in the hopes of helping individuals with similar romantic problems.

Q: “Should my partner have access to my phone, emails etcetera? How much access should we give one another? If I don’t want my partner to have the password to

my phone does that mean I am hiding something or not being transparent?”

A: The million-dollar question!

These questions are brought up by many couples and are a clear indicator of how the internet has affected our relationships. Giving password access makes us question all aspects of trust, as well as exposing doubts, within our relationship.

In fact, it was only a few weeks ago that I discussed this exact dilemma on Spence Finlayson’s show, “Immediate Response”, on ZNS. Not surprisingly, there was a wide range of comments, but the overall sentiment was: “If you

don’t have anything to hide, why hide it.”

Now this is very interesting, because for many people, the very idea of this degree of openness goes against their personal belief of privacy. For them, this is a definite no-no. They do not feel that anyone, even their partner, has the right to know every aspect of their life. They respect their partner’s privacy and expect the same in return.

However, what happens if you have personally experienced deep betrayal in your life, and the internet has played a major role in the truth being exposed?

Perhaps you have identified it as the root cause of a relationship breakdown and understand the veil of secrecy

Understandably, it’s not surprising that the whole discussion around password access often causes couples to argue. It can bring up feelings of paranoia, unwarranted suspicions, and also tamper with self-esteem and selfworth. If not fully addressed, all of these negative emotions have a way of eroding at the foundation of trust in a relationship.

So this brings us to the very heart of this discussion: Are you really protecting your privacy or holding a secret?

By definition, privacy is the right to be left alone. However, for many, this contradicts everything believed to be necessary for healthy intimacy.

Secrecy, on the other hand, is the deliberate withholding of information, and the implications can affect the relationship from moving forward.

This is quite different from privacy, and so I suggest you ask yourself this tough question: “Is my intention and motivation behind ‘not allowing my partner password access’ driven by fear and shame?”

If the answer is yes, then I will leave you to think deeply about possible scenarios should your secret be found by your partner.

Now, you may perhaps be wondering, “So what is the answer?”

As with any difficulty in a relationship, it is so important to talk

about it from every view point. For example, how it is affecting the present moment, but also potential outcomes that could transpire, should an agreement be broken.

Hopefully, you will both reach a genuine consensus that the decision concerning each other’s passwords is for the betterment of your relationship. Words must match behaviour, otherwise there will be a breakdown of trust, which may cause serious damage to the union.

For couples, who are in sync with each other, this is resolved simply and amicably. This is because they generally have similar opinions and they both believe in fair play. They have learned how to be on the same page as each other and understand it “takes two to tango”.

As a relationship and intimacy specialist, I am reminded how precious love is and how short life truly is for passwords to cause havoc in our intimate life.

So, my final answer is this: Find a way that’s a win-win for both of you!ship and intimacy specialist with -

Actor Marla Gibbs, 92, will tell her life story in the memoir ‘It’s Never Too Late’

NEW YORK (AP) — Marla

Gibbs has waited a long time to tell her life story.

The Emmy-nominated actor known for her roles on “The Jeffersons” and “227” among others has a deal with Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers dedicated to Black stories, for a memoir coming out in fall 2024. Gibbs, 92, is calling the book “It’s Never Too Late,” in which she traces her rise from Chicago’s South Side to long-term success in Hollywood.

“My hope is that my memoir will serve as an inspiration to those that continue to show me love and support,” Gibbs said in a statement last week. “I believe no matter the challenges one faces, it is never too late to turn your life around or make a difference.

I am grateful and I am ready to reveal the challenges I overcame as a way of service to those who wish to transform their tests into testimonies.”

Gibbs’ other credits include the films “The Visit” and “Meteor Man” and a recurring role on the daytime soap opera “Days of Our Lives.”

Bed rotting: the social media trend the Victorians would love, especially writer Elizabeth Gaskell

By ALICE VERNON Lecturer in Creative Writing and 19th-Century Literature, Aberystwyth University

Social media has created a number of crazes recently under the theme of “wellness” and the latest, it seems, is “bed rotting”. It involves retreating to bed, indulging in snacks and TV, ignoring life’s responsibilities, and only emerging again when you feel finally properly rested (or when the muscle atrophy starts to kick in).

There are hundreds of TikToks devoted to the idea. Most of them feature muted colours, soft-looking bedding, and an aesthetically and deliberately cluttered bed, while the captions or narration tell you that there is no better way to spend your time.

But this concept has long been among the multitude of associations and meanings of the bedroom in culture and art. The bedroom was the site of sleep and of sex, but prior to modern hospitals it was also the place of birth and death, literally the place we began and ended our lives.

Literature has reflected this in suitably dramatic fashion. In fact, well before TikTok and Instagram, the Victorians were already turning the concept of languishing in bed into a fine art.

Good for the soul

Bed rotting is in line with other recent fads rejecting the simultaneous popularity of hustle culture and productivity cults. That mindset is still going strong on social

media, too, but so are these new trends that promote slow living over trying to do something useful with every waking moment.

As with the popular “goblin mode”, which was the 2022 Oxford word of the year, bed rotting uses an exaggeratedly grotesque phrase to describe, in particular, women’s inactivity and withdrawal. This emphasises just how transgressive it is for a woman simply to do nothing and go nowhere.

Yet in describing these trends in grim terms, social media has somehow romanticised the idea. There’s nothing especially goblinesque or genuinely disgusting and slovenly in these videos. It’s all very clean, peaceful and cosy. Bed rotting isn’t rotting at all – it is bed flourishing.

This romanticising is similar to perspective taken by 19th century artists of the “bed rotting” women of their era. Images of

sickly women becoming one with their mattress became common features in novels, art, and non-fiction.

In particular there was the rise of the popular deathbed memoir, which romanticised the unwell woman. It depicted the act of retreating to bed for the final time as a cleansing process in which the woman confessed her sins and renounced any ill-will towards her friends and family.

In 1832, for example, the Reverend Henry Revell published “An Extraordinary But Authentic Narrative of The Penitence and Death of The Notorious Mrs. D***.”

Before Mrs D was bed-bound, Revell describes her as “depraved as well she could be”, but the sight of her surrendering to rest was a “stupendous display of mercy”. Being in bed is literally good for the soul.

Making a statement

The Victorian writer who’d certainly have had something to say about bed-rotting TikToks is Elizabeth Gaskell. Parts of her 1855 novel “North and South” embody the thoughts and feelings behind the trend.

Beds feature a lot in the novel, not simply demonstrating the close boundary between rest and death, but also as a symbol of privilege, class and the exploitation of workers. Two women bed-rot in “North and South”: mill-worker Bessy and the middle-class mother of protagonist Margaret Hale. Only one of them is romanticised, though.

While Maria Hale lounges around on a fancy water bed, poor Bessy, curls up on a (probably actually rotten) settle (an early sofa bed) and succumbs to a disease contracted from dangerous

working conditions. Bessy’s retreat to bed, enforced by the physical damage of employment, turns her into something almost saintly. Maria is simply being melodramatic.

I see both Maria and Bessy in the TikToks. There are those who return to bed because the pressures of work and school are taking a toll on their mental health, and there are those who just want to show off their nice bedroom.

What is noticeable about all of these examples, modern and Victorian, is that it focuses on the woman alone in her bed. It shows a woman who has rejected, by choice or by force, everything that is socially expected of her: work, being among people, and even sharing a bed with a romantic partner. However, they’re not really alone.

Bed rotting isn’t bed rotting unless it’s being observed, documented, envied and romanticised by other people. Bed rotting is presented as a personal, private act of self-care, but it’s actually quite a public statement – as Gaskell presented Bessy’s death as a statement against industrial exploitation.

The TikToks do seem quite performative. Are we really retreating from work, responsibilities, school and our social lives, if we still want people to notice and care about our absence? Whatever the motivation for the trend, one thing is abundantly clear across the centuries: rest is something to be cherished as much as any moment in life. And on that note, I’m going back to bed. -

pendent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary original article here: https://the-

(Pexels_Ketut Subiyanto)

BROOKLYN Museum_Wikimedia

ACTRESS Marla Gibbs appears at a ceremony honoring her with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles on July 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

MARLA Gibbs (left), Hal Williams and Jackée Harry in a scene from “227”(Photo/Columbia Pictures)

Book Review: True crime meets history in podcaster Sara DiVello’s 1920s murder mystery ‘Broadway Butterfly’

By DONNA EDWARDS Associated Press

The unsolved murder of the beautiful Dot King captivated New York. But the hype around the case proved insufficient motivation to catch the killer. So what happened?

In “Broadway Butterfly,” a jazzy true crime historical thriller, author Sara DiVello unearths piles of evidence and presents them through witnesses, detectives and journalists in an attempt to find out what happened to the fast-living, generous and ambitious young woman whose life was suddenly and mysteriously snuffed out.

All third person limited, the chapters go around between reporter Julia Harpman, inspector John D Coughlin, and Dot’s maid and confidant Ella Bradford. Each takes on their own lexicon for a personal feel of character — Julia is obsessed with reporting and the hustle of being a pioneer newspaperwoman, and sees herself as a righteous champion of women.

Coughlin is a hardened policeman whose preconceived ideas of others are solidified, and he’s constantly surprised at “girls these days” living and travelling alone, and at Broadway women’s apparent lack of moral values. Ella came from the South and, while she sees more opportunity and less overt racist violence and segregation in New York, is well aware of the dangers she and her family face simply by her connection with a murdered white woman. Then there’s Frances Stotesbury Mitchell, a high society woman with equally high connections getting ready to host the scandal-ridden President Warren

G Harding in Palm Beach ahead of his renomination. For those not already familiar with the history, it’s not until about a third of the way through “Broadway Butterfly” that it becomes clear why her narrative is woven into the broader story at all. Then, it becomes integral.

Julia herself notes early on that people have a way of seeing themselves as a hero — a forecast of her own hubris. The Julia chapters always paint her as chasing justice, and she excuses occasional sensationalising as necessary to keep the Dot King case on the front page, therefore making it more likely to get solved.

“The singular life of a reporter” becomes her refrain. But time and again other characters read her words and reveal that, in practice, she isn’t the champion of women that her internal narrative makes her out to be.

So many things muddy the investigation: newbies on the force who make rookie mistakes, oldies who make assumptions, bad interrogation techniques, raw deals, classism, racism, sexism, and flat-out corruption. DiVello captures it all, revelations

THE WEATHER REPORT

unfolding one by one as tips roll in from sources and shady deals are made, replete with all the 20s slang and swanky synonyms a person could hope for, and smoking everywhere all the time. The tone is precise and transportive.

DiVello also has some fun with it, like when the inspector pointedly tells Julia that this is a murder investigation, not a detective novel. At once a jab at the character’s lust for front-page space, it’s also a self-aware criticism of true crime and, therefore, the author herself. DiVello’s passion for the genre is evident both in the writing and by her role as creator and host of a mystery and thriller podcast.

The end result is a fascinating murder mystery packed with history. However, its repetitiveness presents a sticking point. While it underscores characters, it undermines the pacing. The book feels unnecessarily long. Still, “Broadway Butterfly” is an enjoyable read loaded with factoids I might never have been aware of otherwise.

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

Psychotherapist seeks to help Bahamians dealing with climate related trauma

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

As we approach the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Dorian – which devastated both Abaco and Grand Bahama – a Bahamian woman wants to use her expertise to address climate change in conjunction with mental health.

Christina Johnson, founder of Brightside Bahamas, a counselling firm in Nassau, recently made a presentation regarding the impact climate change can have on mental health at the Mental Health America’s (MHA) Conference.

The conference, which was held in Washington, DC, saw thousands of MHA affiliates, peers, providers, government officials, and stakeholders from across the globe convene for a common goal.

This year, the conference focused on “promoting lived experiences advancing health equity, and centering the social determinants of mental health..”

Christina’a presentation was made on the first day of the conference to a standing room only audience.

“One of the conference organisers mentioned to me that my presentation had the highest number of pre-registered attendees for that day. I was pleased that so many working professionals had a vested interest in this subject,” she told Tribune Woman. Her subject was climate psychology.

“The presentation outlined my personal journey and experience in pursuing climate psychology as a component of my professional repertoire, gave a contextual positioning of what mental health concerns and considerations

I’ve seen here in the Bahamas, particularly in light of the climaterelated events we’ve experienced, an overview of how young people’s mental health is negatively impacted by the climate crisis, and some therapeutic interventions and tools that the audience could use to support their young clients,” she said.

Christina, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as certifications in grief counselling, climate psychology and life coaching, believes the psychological impact of natural disasters must be addressed to better help Bahamians who are still grappling

with the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

“Climate psychology concerns itself with human components that comprise our global ecological and climate crisis - like the various emotions we experience due to it, the cultural and societal processes that have contributed to creating it, and how we respond and adapt to the various challenges within it,” she explained.

The psychological impact of the climate crisis is widespread and multi-faceted, Christina added. In her capacity as a therapist, she helps people cope with the emotional and mental health consequences they experience, particularly as a result of hurricanes.

“That can look like providing therapy to a hurricane survivor navigating a traumatic experience, creating a safe space

Female performers calling out disturbing new concert trend

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

FEMALE entertainers are hitting back at unruly fans, after several performers were pelted with items thrown on stage during their sets.

Cardi B is latest in an increasing string of victims. After a fan threw a drink at her during an open-air Las Vegas concert, the “WAP” rapper responded by throwing her microphone at the concert-goer.

Grammy Award-winning singer Adele recently spoke out against the trend, daring someone to try something at one of her shows.

“Have you noticed how people are forgetting f*****g show etiquette at the moment,” she said at a recent concert.

“People just throwing sh*t on stage, have you seen them?

I f*****g dare you. Dare you to

throw something at me and I’ll f*****g kill you.”

Last month, singer P!nk paused one of her shows in the UK to address a fan who had thrown a bag containing their mother’s ashes on stage. Some stars even sustained minor injuries as a result of this ongoing trend.

Country singer Kelsea Ballerini walked off stage after she was hit in the face with a bracelet during a concert in Idaho.

The next day she posted: “Hi. I’m fine. Someone threw a bracelet, it hit me in the eye, and it more so just scared me than hurt me. We all have triggers and layers of fears way deeper than what is shown, and that’s why I walked offstage to calm down and make sure myself, band and crew and the crowd all felt safe to continue.”

Bebe Rexha wasn’t quite as lucky as Kelsea.

for someone to grieves the loss of their generational home in a storm, teaching coping skills to someone who lives with extreme anxiety every hurricane season, and helping young people process the uncertainty that their futures hold due to the climate crisis,” she said.

Christina said she saw the great need for this kind of therapeutic care in the aftermath of Dorian.

“My initial interest in the intersection of climate change and mental health was piqued after Hurricane Dorian. With support from the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, local mental health practitioners banded together to facilitate a psychosocial support initiative called ‘We Gatchu’, which provided four months of free group therapy for the survivors of the storm and first responders to the storm

like members of the RBDF and media personnel,” she said.

“Being a volunteer therapist for that was a profoundly significant experience in my professional career.”

It was then Christina recognised the significant and long-term implications disasters have can.

“I realised that hurricanes of exceptionally strong magnitude and size were only going to increase, and that Bahamians would need mental health and psychosocial support professionals like myself even more,” she said.

Given that the Bahamas is an island nation that is vulnerable to storms and climate change, Christina said she has been preparing herself.

She spent most of 2022 in various training and certification courses that support climate psychology, starting with becoming a Caribbean Climate Health responder through Columbia University. She completed an intensive stigma reduction and cognitive behavioral therapy skills course through the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO), and most significantly, gained a full scholarship to the inaugural climate psychology certificate course offered by the California Institute for Integral Studies.

And the work Christina and others are doing in this

specialised field is proving to be very necessary.

“If we admit we are high on the list of the most vulnerable places on the planet, we need to acknowledge all of our significant vulnerabilities, mental health being one of them. We have the recent experiences of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic to support this necessary emphasis,” she said.

Christina’s hope is that the mental health aspect of the consequences of climate change is taken into consideration and prioritised.

“We tend to be a reactive and not proactive society, so my wish for mental health considerations within our country’s climate conversation is that these considerations are prioritised and centered - not just accessed once an extreme event happens,” she said.

“If we’re honest, an extreme event is continuously happening. Taking care of our mental health should be something we continuously engage in, but we have become accustomed to neglecting it unless we are forced to address it. Continuously and intentionally fostering resilience is a more sustainable practice than simply responding to a crisis, because continuous practice primes us for greater success when crisis occurs.”

The “Meant to Be” singer was performing at her New York concert on June 18 when a fan hurled his cell phone at her, hitting her in the face, splitting her eyebrow and leaving her needing stitches.

A few days later, she posted photos of her black eye on Instagram. Making a reference to her hit song “I’m Good (Blue),” she wrote: “I’m good.”

Two weeks ago, rapper Latto was forced to put an unruly fan in their place at Rolling Loud Germany in Munich, Bavaria.

After a concert-goer threw an object on stage, the “Put It On Da Floor” rapper told them: “Want your a** beat? Throw it again!”

Tribune Woman reader and avid concert-goer Lisa said the whole trend is very distasteful and disturbing.

“First, you are paying them to entertain you, so how can you be so disrespectful to insult them? If they quit the show, then what?”

Fellow music fan Krystal said, “It’s just so scary. I mean, you hear all about crowds getting out of control at concerts and it only takes one fool to throw something, then another fool decides he has to ‘protect’ his favourite artist, and then, bam! It won’t be safe for fans to be in the audience and for the artists to perform.”

Branelle, who loves attending live shows, added: “And

then when the female artists run hot, then what? She gets called all kinds of names, like ‘b****. But who wants to be singing for people and they come at you? How wrong is that.”

Lanelle said she believes people have forgotten all about concert etiquette.

“I don’t think this was as prevalent before COVID. Since the pandemic, people suddenly don’t know how to act in public, it seems. Also, social media has made all these so-called fans feel entitled to the artist; they almost don’t see them as real human beings anymore. It’s shameful,” she said.

CHRISTINA JOHNSON, founder of Brightside Bahamas

BEBE Rexha posted photos of her black eye on Instagram, writing, “I’m good.” CARDI B throws a microphone at a fan after having a drink hurled at her.