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The Tribune

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Volume: 120 No.146, August 2, 2023

‘WE’LL SEND TROOPS TO HAITI’

150 personnel will be sent - but only IF the UN passes resolution

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas is committed to sending 150 officers to Haiti as part of a multinational force to curb the violence in that country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement yesterday.

The commitment marks an evolution in the Davis

administration’s public stance on the matter. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis previously said leaders hoped “boots on the ground will not be necessary” in Haiti.

Privately, officials acknowledged yesterday that a multi-national force in Haiti is far from certain and faces a significant

Challenge on religious use of cannabis fails

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A SUPREME Court judge rejected a challenge from the Rastafarian community on the constitutionality of laws prohibiting the possession and use of marijuana, even for religious purposes.

“I find nothing antidemocratic or anti-rights in Parliament’s decision not

to make allowances for the religious or recreational use of marijuana,” Justice Lorein Klein wrote in his long-awaited judgement. “There are many democratic states (in fact, the vast majority of them) that still maintain general prohibitions on the possession and use of marijuana. Further, even those states which have reduced restrictions

OFFICERS QUESTIONED WHETHER E VANS WAS IDENTIFIED AS A SUSPECT BEFORE SHOOTING

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

AN attorney representing Deangelo Evans’ estate questioned police assertions that Evans was the suspect in an armed robbery that preceded his death in 2018.

Romona Farquharson crossexamined PC Dwayne Miller after he gave testimony in the Coroners Court yesterday as the inquest into Evans’ death continued. PC Miller

testified that he and PC Deneko Major responded to a report of an armed robbery in Masons Addition shortly after 9.50am on May 27, 2018.

The two officers went to the scene of Evans’ shooting on Sandy Lane after hearing gunshots, with PC Miller claiming it took the officers 30 seconds to arrive.

PC Miller said he saw a large hostile crowd of 90 to 100 people surrounding Corporal Wright and Inspector

‘HigH volume of illegal’ fisHing in a baco

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE HOPE Town District Council said it is appalled by a recent purported “high volume of illegal activities” related to violations of fishing laws and regulations.

Jeremy Sweeting, the chief councillor, said many of the culprits of recent illegal activities are tourists,

but that some Bahamians also engage in poaching.

The press release came after Karen Huff-Lowe, an American married to an Abaco resident, expressed frustration in a Facebook post about a Florida-registered vessel that appeared to be crawfishing near one of her family’s crawfish traps on Monday, the day before the crawfish season opened.

Director of Marine

Resources Gregory Bethel said officials are investigating her complaint.

“When we pulled up to the vessel to inquire what they were doing, the captain announced they had a home on Tilloo and were just checking traps,“ Mrs Huff-Lowe said in her social media post.

“Most of my husband’s habitats that were full of

Wallace

R BDF Officers standing at attention at an Independence celebration Tatoo event in July

Long delays arriving at LPIA as travellers left confused by new Customs declaration app

By LETRE SWEETING Tribune Staff Reporter lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

DISGRUNTLED Bahamians said the customs declarations app required for residents returning through the Lynden Pindling International Airport is causing significant delays.

The government had advertised the app as a paperless way to traverse the declaration process more easily.

However, some residents said the experience of using the app frustrated them.

One traveller, Tribune features reporter Cara Hunt, said she had challenges declaring her items after easily downloading the app.

“I thought it was very confusing because it asks for the quantity of items, and I just wasn’t sure if it meant I had to upload every item individually, which, you know, for a woman coming back from shopping in the States is impossible, and I was trying to add stores, and it just was not working.

She said she waited until arriving at the LPIA for assistance.

“The customs lady there was super helpful,” she said. “She walked me through the entire app and my declaration, and she was very professional and patient.”

She said her camera for the app was challenging because it required her to change her phone’s settings.

“I used my exemption which made it super easy, but I don’t know how that would work if you had multiple things with different duty rates,” she said.

“I will say that it took me at least an hour to get help and make my declaration, have my bags checked because I came back on a full flight and everyone was confused and needed help.”

Cylestina Williams, who travelled twice in the last two months, said she was impressed with the helpfulness of the customs officers, but spent more than an hour in the airport going through the declaration process.

“I attempted to do it,

but when it comes down to the toiletries, they asked me about all the different categories of stuff that I purchased,” she said. “I had toiletries, school supplies, baby clothes and I think I had candies.”

The next step involved Mrs Williams listing the number of items she purchased.

“The first time I did it, it was telling me that the amount I owe the government is over $3,000. I was like, what, this can’t be right. So I discarded that one and did it again, but it was still a very astronomical amount.

“I spent almost an hour trying to figure out this app. My husband was calling me and my eldest daughter called me. I thought this was going to be an easy thing.

“My husband was waiting outside for me almost an hour.”

A customs officer ultimately helped her.

“All in all, I now know how to work the app and it isn’t difficult, but I am tech savvy, I know a little

bit,” she said. “But I don’t know how it’s going to be for those people who do not know. The questions that were posed by another lady that was filling it was, ‘what’s going to happen with the older generation? And what about the people who don’t have smart phones’?”

A third traveller said she and her husband experienced multiple challenges with the app, leading to an hour-and-a-half delay in the airport.

“I put the stuff in, not knowing what to,” she said. “I stood on the line, when I got to the front of the line, I found out that some things

weren’t done correctly in the app.”

She said she was sent to the back of the room where three customs officers could assist.

“There was a line there as well,” she said. “The customs officers, they were all very helpful, but obviously there is an adjustment needed with getting used to this app and they don’t have it running smoothly as yet. Because of that, I probably spent about an hour and a half more than I would have spent in the airport.”

Her husband, who also travelled with her, said: “First of all, we missed

our ride just because we weren’t quite up to date with the new system. So that was a whole process of correcting what we didn’t have according to the app. It is what it is, it’s something new, so I guess we’ll grow with it in time.” Each traveller said their first experience with the app would make them handle the process better in the future. They encouraged travelling people to download the app ahead of their trip and fill it out daily with items purchased. The Bahamas Customs Department officials were unavailable for comment up to press time.

AMERIC A N WOM A N A ND TWO BA H A MI A N MEN CH A RGED WITH CONSPIR ACY TO COMMIT MURDER

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

AN American woman was granted $100,000 cash bail after she and two Bahamian men were accused last week of being a part of a plot to kill her insurance executive husband.

Lindsay Shiver, 36, of Thomasville, Georgia, and Abaco locals Terrance Bethel, 28, and Faron Newbold Jr, 29, made an emergency bail application before Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson.

The trio were charged last Friday with conspiracy to commit murder.

The accused allegedly plotted to kill Mrs Shiver’s husband, Robert, in Abaco on July 16.

Authorities reportedly discovered the plot while investigating another crime in Guana Cay after a phone was seized.

Mr Shiver reportedly filed for divorce from his wife after allegedly uncovering the alleged affair between Mrs Shiver and one of her co-conspirators.

Justice Grant-Thompson granted Mrs Shiver cash bail at $100,000 on condition she surrender her passport and remain in her residence in Abaco. The two Bahamian conspirators were granted bail at $20,000 each.

All three defendants are expected to sign in at the Marsh Harbour Police Station thrice weekly. The trio will be fitted with electronic monitoring devices.

Ian Cargill, K Melvin Munroe, Cassie Bethel and Alphonso Lewis represent the defendants.

GROWING pains as new Customs app which promises to make declarations easy has been found ‘confusing’ by many users; however, Customs officials prove to be very helpful. “The customs officers, they were all very helpful, but obviously there is an adjustment needed with getting used to this app and they don’t have it running smoothly as yet. Because of that, I probably spent about an hour and a half more than I would have spent in the airport,” said one traveller.

‘We’ll send troops to Haiti’

from page one

barrier: Russia and China, with their veto powers, may not support a UN Security Council resolution establishing the force. The resolution is the condition for The Bahamas’ involvement.

“We now urge the passing of a UN Security Council Resolution in support of this force,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. Asked who would comprise the group of people sent to Haiti, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said defence force officers “mainly”.

“The Royal Bahamas Defence Force prepares for all eventualities,”

RBDF Commodore Raymond King said yesterday. “I was made aware of the article from a Kenyan news source today. However, I have not been advised from the government on that matter as purported.”

The Bahamas’ commitment comes after Kenya said it would send 1,000 police officers to lead a multi-national force in Haiti. Kenya said it would launch an assessment mission in Haiti in the coming weeks and, through the support of a UNSC resolution, send officers to help train and assist Haiti’s police “to restore normalcy in the country and protect strategic installations”.

After Kenya’s announcement, the United States said it would soon introduce a resolution to the UNSC authorising a multi-national force to Haiti. The US recently announced the withdrawal of nonemergency personnel from its embassy in Port-auPrince and has urged US residents to leave that country.

For months, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has called for a “specialised armed force” from other countries to curb the crisis in his country. According to the US State Department, the chaos there is worsening, with high reports of

kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and poor health care infrastructure.

“The Bahamas looks forward to working with Kenya and other partners in Haiti to assist in efforts to bring about peace and stability,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. “We appreciate that this is, as the Kenyan Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua stated, a decision to ‘stand with persons of African descent across the world, including in the Caribbean, and aligns

with the African Union’s diaspora policy and our own commitment to Pan Africanism’. We also look forward to cooperating with hemispheric partners, including the United States and Canada.”

“The Bahamas will continue to support the CARICOM-led Eminent Persons Group, which includes former Prime Ministers Perry Christie, Dr Kenny Anthony of St Lucia, and Bruce Golding of Jamaica, and the Organisation of American

States’ Haiti Working Group chaired by Trinidad and Tobago. These regional and Diasporic approaches to addressing insecurity caused by gang violence are critical to creating a safe space to foster political consensus and to restore democratic order.”

Between 1994 and 1996, 141 defence force officers conducted security operations in Haiti as part of a United Nations peacekeeping operation.

Immigration Minister’s actions ‘nothing new’ and happen ‘all the time’

KIDNAPPING and brutal fighting between police and gangs are a part of the chaos that has gripped Haiti since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse July 7, 2021.

GLOVER- ROLLE: CURRENTLY PROCESSING 129 TEMPORARY WORKERS TO BE MADE PERMANENT

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Lib -

eral Party Chairman Fred Mitchell defended Immigration Minister Keith Bell during a PLP Fox Hill constituency meeting, insisting recent immigration controversies are “nothing new” and were handled similarly by previous administrations.

The Free National Movement has said Mr Bell superseded the authority of senior immigration officials many times. In one case it was claimed that he allowed 65 Chinese nationals at the British Colonial Hotel to be released despite the irregularities immigration officials encountered.

FNM leader Michael Pintard also claimed Mr Bell approved work permits for people under dubious circumstances.

“You have to be fair about what is actually happening,” Mr Mitchell said on Monday night.

“Minnis and Pintard should not be pretending that every day a minister of immigration has to make decisions about whether or not you parole people out, who may not have all their documents.

“And it happens in many cases that immigration goes to a site and they find that well, people don’t have the exact documentation.”

Mr Mitchell said there should be no uproar about Mr Bell’s actions because they happen “all

the time”.

“The company in this case that they’re making noise about said that it is not true that the people came into the country unlawfully,” he said. “The company also said that they would never have undocumented persons on their site.

“And the minister said that he agreed in the circumstances to allow them to regularise, and that happens all the time. So, people should not pretend that this is something new that’s happening.

“But the idea is to sully the name and make it seem like something crooked is going on. And they all know that when they were in government, the same thing happened so it’s nothing new.”

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

STATE Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said the Department of Social Services recommended that 129 temporary workers be made permanent, 92 of whom are currently being processed. Her comment came after disgruntled social services and healthcare workers demonstrated outside the House of Assembly last week. The public servants, which included Ministry of Health dental department employees, called for hazardous pay, scarcity allowance, and the regularisation of workers.

Mrs Glover-Rolle said there were meetings with the Bahamas Public Service Union president and other officials last week to discuss the matters. She also

said she met with the head of the dental health department within the Ministry of Health.

“So in regards to social services, there’s two groupings,” she told reporters before a Cabinet meeting yesterday. “There is the employment programme, which is the temporary work programme, and as we know, temporary work programmes in the public service have not been temporarily. People have been on these temporary work programmes for extended amounts of time - it’s years in most instances.”

“So in regard to the social service regularisation exercise, which is the employees on the UR programme, we have received 129 recommendations. Ninety-two of those are currently being processed. So they’ll be awaiting approval, and then we have another 12 or so that are not quite in the

pipeline yet, because we’re still waiting on documents or the like.”

“We have social services promotions. It remains at 136 that have been processed. There are 37 that are outstanding for various reasons, and there are a number of reasons that promotions can be outstanding. It could be financial costing, in most instances, it can be a lack of documents and waiting for the ministry to bring those documents back in to complete the files and then, of course, I would like to continue to say that we continue to process promotions across the public service. We had the finance officers that were recently completed, with only about seven remaining again pending documentation or other matters.”

She added that officials are working on promotional exercises for the entire public service.

STATE Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said the Department of Social Services recommended that 129 temporary workers be made permanent.

PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell defended Immigration Minister Keith Bell yesterday.

Photo: AP

Challenge on religious use of cannabis fails

on marijuana for medicinal or recreational use, still exercise stringent controls, having regard, inter alia, to their international obligations under the various conventions.”

Lorenzo Stubbs brought the case after he was arrested in December 2021 when police found 1.6 ounces of marijuana at his home. His case questioned whether Section 29(6) of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which relates to marijuana, is constitutional.

Justice Klein accepted that the Rastafari faith is a belief system serious, cohesive and important enough to be protected by Article 22 of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion. He also accepted the connection between using marijuana as a sacrament and the underlying belief system of the faith.

However, he said some matters should be left for legislators to decide.

“In my view,” he wrote, “to subject every law to a strict forensic analysis of what is reasonably required in the interest of public policy objectives or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others would diminish and second-guess the prerogative of Parliament to make laws for the “peace, order and good government” of the State.

“This is not to say that the power to make laws, wide though it may be, is

not subject to limitations, which are set by the constitution itself or which may be found in general principles of administrative law. But if a law seeks to achieve any of the constitutionallyenumerated public policy objectives or the protection of the rights of others, and its provisions are rationally connected to achieving those objectives, the courts should not be astute to find fault with or unravel Parliament’s legislative intent. Were it otherwise, the question of whether or not a law is reasonably required would be reduced in many cases to an adjudicative exercise that is dependent on the cogency of the evidence presented in an individual case, and judicial imprimatur.”

Justice Klein said the applicant failed to produce evidence showing how less repressive measures –– as opposed to the blanket prohibition against marijuana use – would adequately protect the public’s interest.

“For example,” he wrote, “there is no evidence or other material before the court on any of the following matters: the nature and frequency of the religious ceremonies during which cannabis/marijuana is used; what quantities are required for sacramental use and who would control the dispensing; who would be eligible to use it; how the system would be administered to ensure that religious claims are not asserted as a pretext for

the possession and use of marijuana for recreational or more nefarious purposes (including the drugs trade); and what mechanisms would be put in place for protecting adolescents or other vulnerable persons within the Rastafari community.”

“Even if I had concluded that the blanket prohibition on marijuana was not justifiable and therefore a constitutional breach, I would still have been constrained from making the declaration in the form pleaded by the applicant. This is because the declaration sought is that s. 29(6) of the DDA, without more, is unconstitutional. As explained, that section enacts a blanket prohibition on the possession of marijuana. For the court to make such a declaration would be to judicially legalise the possession of marijuana by anyone, which the court has no jurisdiction to do on the application before it. The real complaint of the applicant is not against the general public prohibition, but only that such prohibition should contain an exemption for religious use.”

In dismissing the application, Justice Klein made no order for costs, citing precedent against awarding costs in constitutional challenges brought in good faith.

Attorney Bjorn Ferguson represented the applicant.

from page one

crawfish three weeks ago have already been worked by thieves/tourists before the season has opened tomorrow.”

Mrs Huff-Lowe told

The Tribune she could not verify what the people took, but that it seemed they were preparing to take her husband’s catch.

She said it is maddening that some second homeowners do not adhere to the law.

The crawfish season opened yesterday. Through a cruise permit, foreigners can catch a limited number of crawfish.

Mrs Huff-Lowe said: “I didn’t sleep hardly last night because I was worried about (my husband) going out today, and you know we’ve been begging for the government to do something about this for as long as I’ve been married to him. We told them how they could raise the funds in order to afford an enforcement situation.”

“They’re scared to do anything about these tourists because of the tourists’ dollar, but what they don’t see is the future that if they don’t control it and whatnot, as soon as they fish us out, there won’t be any reason for them to be here anyway and they’ll just leave.”

The Hope Town District Council urged people to follow the law.

“To those of you that fish out of season or take above your legal limits,

we, in the strongest possible terms, caution you from doing so,” the council’s press statement said. “If you truly care about this country that you are visiting, please respect our laws and wait until August 1st before harvesting crawfish.”

“There are many Bahamians, a number of them, that respect the law and depend on their catch for their livelihood. By breaking our laws, you are disrespecting our local fishermen, our people and our country. And, if you feel no shame in this, then I am not sure if we need you to continue to visit our islands. We have many law-abiding visitors who are respectful and are welcome to return.”

Mr Sweeting urged legislators to consider amending fisheries regulations to empower locals to assist with policing.

“This amendment would deputise a handful of marine wardens, persons who will treat violators with professionalism and respect, but will also enforce our fishing laws and penalise offenders,” the council said. “Violators would have their vessel confiscated until they paid their fine under the law.”

“The marine wardens would provide their personal vessel and would either volunteer their time or receive a small stipend. The Department of Fisheries would cover their fuel expense. The

NOTICE is hereby given that CHARLES FERDINAND of P. O. Box N-864, West Winds, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2nd day of August, 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

AN ABACO fisherman confronted this Florida registered boat with people who claimed to be second home-owners at a location where he had set a trap in Abaco waters. “Most of my husband’s habitats that were full of crawfish three weeks ago have already been worked by thieves/tourists before the season has opened tomorrow.” said the fisherman’s wife.

wardens would only be active part-time during the times when poaching seems to be at its peak, the months of June and July.”

“This issue has been an issue for many decades, and there seems to be no movement toward

addressing this issue. For crawfish populations to be sustainable, our laws need to be respected and to those that refuse, they need to feel the ‘hand of the law’ — even if by local fisheries deputies! Please Mr Minister, the time for action is now.”

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that DESRAVINES ELYSER of Windsor Lane, New Providence, The Bahamas applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of July 2023 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

GOVT PROVIDIN G VAT HOLID AY ON SCHOOL ITEMS

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Back to School VAT Holiday will be accessible from August 19 to September 10 this year, according to the Department of Inland Revenue. Items such as personal computers, tablets, laptops, notebooks, uniforms, shoes, underwear, hair accessories, bookbags, and more will have a zero VAT rate.

The department said businesses participating in the holiday are asked to follow procedures.

A merchant can accommodate purchases on

layaway at any time before the tax holiday. DIR officials said layaway purchases could be charged at the holiday prices only where the layaway is completed within the period during which the tax holiday is applicable.

Regarding technology gadgets, laptops, electronic book readers, tablets, and tower computers that are $3,000 or less will be included in the VAT-free holiday. Cell phones and video game consoles will not be included.

All clothing uniforms or uniform fabric for less than $100 per unit will be included.

‘HigH volume of illegal’ fisHing in a baco says cHief councillor

JUSTICE Lorein Klein rejected a challenge from the Rastafarian community on the constitutionality of laws prohibiting the possession and use of marijuana, even for religious purposes.

Great-grandmother of Bella Walker hopes granddaughter ‘learns from her mistakes’

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE great-grandmother of murdered toddler Bella Walker says she hopes the child’s mother when she is released from prison will have learned from her mistakes and will raise two of her children differently than how she raised Bella.

On Monday, Ostonya Walker was sentenced to three years in jail for exposing her four-year-old daughter to grievous harm and child cruelty. Bella was beaten to death by her mother’s boyfriend while in his custody.

Walker’s boyfriend, Darion Smith, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the child’s 2021 murder after taking a plea deal earlier this year.

Mary Grant, the child’s paternal great-grandmother, said of Walker’s sentencing yesterday: “I ain’t got no problem with that because I can’t change it no how.”

“Suppose I say I think she should have more time than that. That don’t make no sense because the baby done gone so I’m cool with it. I sing a little song for her and all.”

Ms Grant sang the song “Count Your Blessings,” a piece she said she dedicated to Bella’s mother.

“That’s my song for her,”

she said. Mrs Grant, 81, helped raise Bella from the time she was a two-weekold baby.

She told The Tribune yesterday that the little girl primarily lived with her and her husband in Grand Bahama before she moved to New Providence to be with her mother.

“She didn’t have no stable job,” the elderly woman said of Bella’s mother. “When she leave the baby, she did say that when Bella get four, if she have a good job she’ll come for her.”

“When she turn four in June and come for her in June, she say she had a good job. She was working at the death registrar for government and she had a good apartment, then she say she could’ve sent her to school cuz from three to four, you don’t have to pay so that’s why it was satisfying to me that it was good with her.”

Mrs Grant said she spoke to Bella several times on the phone before her death.

She recalled some of her last conversations with the girl.

She said Bella said: “‘Y’all coming to pick me up, aye?’ So my granddaughter would say ‘no gal, I can’t come;’ and the next time, she say I want to come to the pink house.

“The next time when I talk, she say ‘I ain’t want

come to the pink house no more. My mommy buy me a tablet and I eating grapes.’ Well that’s the last time I hear from her.”

Nearly two years later, the 81-year-old still struggles to accept what happened.

“That damage me ya know,” she said. “I don’t feel good at all ya know. This thing what they saying is vertigo –– they tell me that was lack of sleep and there’s no cure for that.”

Nonetheless, Mrs Grant said she has forgiven Bella’s mother.

“When they tell me about the man’s (sentence), I tell them ya know I hear the little voice come to me and say forgive the mother ya know,” she said. “And you have people in relationships, sometimes when you small, you get abusive and it damage people’s minds ya know, but we don’t know this. I see plenty people that come and they would say what happen to them when they was young and they gone to prosecute.”

“So I does put that into consideration and she probably couldn’t do no better.”

She said after giving birth to a girl earlier this year, Walker should be grateful she has another chance to be a better mother.

“The baby has a girl and she has a son,” Mrs Grant said. “Bella wasn’t the oldest.”

BCC: ‘We stand against’ violence towards children and rape culture

OFFICERS QUESTIONED WHETHER E VANS WAS IDENTIFIED AS A SUSPECT BEFORE SHOOTING

from page one

crowd of 90 to 100 people surrounding Corporal Wright and Inspector Wilson, the officers involved in the shooting. He said Inspector Wilson was only three feet away from Evans and had a gun under his foot.

Ryszard Humes, who also represents Evans’ estate, suggested the victim was not wearing the red shirt and white pants the officer said he was wearing.

black shirt and pants, the officer said he could not recall.

She suggested the officer did not tell police control that Evans did not match the robbery suspect’s description.

The officer agreed that he should have reported these details. However, he said he never wrote in his report that the armed robbery suspect was wearing red and white.

THE Bahamas Christian Council pledged to provide guidance and support for victims of sexual assaults yesterday, responding to frequent reports of the violent crime.

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Christian Council pledged to provide guidance and support for victims of sexual assaults yesterday, responding to frequent reports of the violent crime.

The BCC’s press conference yesterday came after a nine-year-old and a 40-year-old woman were sexually assaulted over the weekend. Authorities have said sexual crimes are the only category of major crimes that have increased this year compared to 2022.

BCC president Bishop Delton Fernander condemned the attack on the young girl as a “heinous act”.

“As Christians and as the Christian community, we express our support to the young victim,” Bishop Fernander said.

“We express our support for the family during this immensely difficult and challenging time.

“We are deeply troubled as a society. This is only a sign of what is going wrong in the Bahamian society.

“We stand against any violence against children. We stand against the rape culture that seemingly is developing in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”

Mr Fernander said the council is willing to serve

as a support system for survivors of such traumatic events. He said perpetrators should be held accountable through strict punishment.

“We wholesomely want to provide what the church does in terms of the survivors of these events,” he said. “To let them know that the church stands in this important role to provide counsel; to provide the Spirit of God; to help with the wholeness and repair of the whole being that would

have been afflicted with this kind of injustice.” Bishop Fernander urged the government, law enforcement and community leaders to take a proactive approach in addressing child protection and safety.

He said the council is willing to collaborate with various stakeholders to promote programmes emphasising child protection, respectful relationships, and the value of every human life.

Asked if he saw anyone but the two officers near Evans after the shooting –– specifically a civilian helping the victim –– PC Miller said no, contradicting the testimony of Evans’ cousin Edmund Lee who said on Monday he was on the scene beside the deceased minutes after the shooting.

PC Miller said his priority was crowd control.

When attorney Farquharson asked him if he got a description of the armed robbery suspect wearing a

Mrs Farquharson suggested that his description of the armed robbery suspect was made up after the shooting to match what he saw on the scene.

“I’m going to further suggest to you that what you are saying is a recent fabrication,” she said. “You’re making it up to match what you saw on that scene. Do you accept that or not?”

PC Miller denied her suggestions.

He said he didn’t see a gun near Evans until the crowd was under control.

K Melvern Rolle represents the two officers in the

ON MONDAY, Ostonya Walker was sentenced to three years in jail for exposing her four-year-old daughter to grievous harm and child cruelty. Bella Walker was beaten to death by her mother’s boyfriend while in his custody.

AN attorney representing Deangelo Evans’ estate questioned police assertions that Evans was the suspect in an armed robbery that preceded his death in 2018.

Photo: Lynaire Munnings

case: Corporal Wright and Inspector Wilson. Patrick Sweeting is marshalling the evidence.

The Tribune Limited

Have we committed troop support to Haiti?

THE announcement of The Bahamas’ willingness to deploy 150 personnel to Haiti to support a multinational force there is remarkable in many ways, and with ramifications both locally and internationally.

First, on the international front, the announcement was soon reverberating around the world on major news networks – picked up by organisations such as Reuters and Al Jazeera.

The move follows word last week that Kenya is willing to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti to help tackle gang violence – and on Monday, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on Haiti’s neighbours to join the effort.

The Bahamas’ name is being spread around the world as being seemingly the second country to commit to putting boots on the ground.

The dangers overseas personnel face in Haiti is clear – to the extent that last week the US government ordered embassy personnel and their families to leave Haiti due to deteriorating conditions, and issued a “do not travel” advisory for the country.

The Bahamas ordered the withdrawal of its own diplomatic personnel from Haiti in January after staff were stopped by Haitian police and stripped of their vehicle and weapons.

In Haiti itself, the latest protests by citizens have followed the kidnapping of an American nurse and her daughter. Meanwhile, there is still no elected government, and a search for a Haitian-led solution to the situation remains unresolved. The CARICOM Eminent Persons Group tasked with exploring options for a way forward –which includes former Prime Minister Perry Christie along with his counterparts Dr Kenny Anthony of St Lucia and Bruce Golding of Jamaica – has not made very positive noises about its progress so far.

So in the absence of a clear solution, or even a clear target for what a successful intervention would look like, it is unusual to hear that we are not just willing to put troops into that situation, but have committed to doing so.

Or have we? Look at the statement and you will see the following:

“For our part, The Bahamas has committed 150 persons to support the multi-national force once authorised by the United Nations Security Council. We now urge the passing of a UN

Security Council Resolution in support of this force.”

In other words, “if” the UN says yes. What is the likelihood of that yes?

Well, given the state of international politics at the moment – or ever – that is far from a given.

So this may be a commitment to nothing. Or it may be a commitment that puts Bahamian personnel in a precarious situation.

Of course, if that is what must be done, then that is what must be done – but we are a long way short of that being a decision that would gain wide support from the Bahamian public.

Then there is a local issue – and for a moment we are going to praise the former Prime Minister, Dr Hubert Minnis.

As politically unpopular as he presumably knew it would be during the pandemic, Dr Minnis was the one who stood in front of a TV camera and announced lockdown measures that angered and frustrated people.

Yesterday’s announcement of the possibility of 150 Bahamian pairs of boots on the ground came instead in a press release. No national address from Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

Curiously, even the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore, Raymond King, said that he had “not been advised from the government on the matter as purported” although he said that of course the force “prepares for all eventualities”.

Does that lend credence to the thought that this is a promise that we may never have to deliver? That its dependence on the UN resolution that may never happen means our troops are going nowhere?

That we shall see, but regardless if it does or does not, it would have been appropriate for this announcement to have come directly from the leader of the nation who might have to send Bahamians into potential harm’s way.

Even the possibility of such a move deserves more than an announcement in a press release – and should be treated with the weight that such a decision must carry.

Perhaps this is all to put pressure on others for actual progress to be made towards a solution – but surely first of all we have to decide what that solution is, and we still seem very far from that.

Focusing on a plan for our future

EDITOR, The Tribune.

AS Bahamians, we recently celebrated the big 50 years as an Independent Nation. On July 10, 2023, thousands stood erect as a new day dawned upon these shores. We have come a long way, baby. There is nothing we cannot achieve as a people. Academically, there is nowhere we cannot go. We are just that versatile! A celebratory spirit touched down at Clifford Park as the entire Bahamas embarked on a feeling of camaraderie - be they black; be they white; everyone belongs. There are no halls of higher learning where we Bahamians haven’t ventured through. Some people, tourists and natives alike, refer to The Bahamas as the most

beautiful place on earth. Even as space Astronauts have vowed to refer to these imperial isles of June as a place to behold. I concur with clergyman Bishop Walter Hanchell, that we are like a ship without a sail. The nation needs direction and vision lest our nation shall perish. Our leaders - be they political, religious, or civic mindedall we need is a national vision for our beloved nation. A plan Hanchell reiterates should have been put in place since July 10, 1973. Thus we have paid severely, and it is today haunting us, for such an oversight.

“Similarly, as a collective agent, Mr Hubert Edwards, a principal of Next Level Solutions Limited (NLSL) a management consulting firm, in his article noted the advisers must commit and grapple with social cohesion and the future destabilizing effects of lack of decision around Immigration and Integration. There should be a shift in the outlook while applying the “Rule of Laws” with reasonable fear or favour.

So there you have it in a basic nutshell, all of the attributes that we need to venture further into 2023 and beyond into an advancing frontier. We must allow each one to teach each one.

AMEN!

LOXSLEY L BASTIAN Nassau, July 31, 2023.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

BPL’s statement on solar is incredible in fact unbelievable that after six plus years of studying receiving numerous proposals even one totally funded not costing Government, then Minnis, a dime and have two KW generation and now we hear

fanfare about we will get just a little solar - honestly, hardly worth the energy!

Laugh? No cry as this is incompetence.

So the New Day Government is pro-Climate change? I suggest New Day Government is hell bent of cap in hand trying to find sources for hard

cash which they can use to defray upcoming multi-million repayment of maturing debt...hundreds of millions!

BPL rating itself seven out of 10...dream on, CEO dream on.

T MOSS Nassau, August 1, 2023.

EDITOR, The Tribune.

DA rains! Clearly we are not protected from a severe rain imagine yesterday over three-four days in a hurricane? Oh, yes, PWD will come with ‘resilient drains’… Bay Street, bulla, start afresh trench from Bay out to dock/bulkhead with large diameter water drains.

West Bay by OPM...soon you will need a boat to get

to OPM … surely priority has to be to dig some more drains. PW your first ‘resilient drain’ ain’t working... water four plus inches deep across the road.

The Woman Rape Bill didn’t dey promise a long discussion period with public meetings, etc? Ops, had to distract to get away from the embarrassing BellImmigration Ling. Woman’s groups power in and cause

dem to amend the weak Act they presented. Goombay - ahh am I missing something what time in the afternoon does the cruise ships sail out of Nassau Harbour? Ahh, Goombay for who? Hotel people stay in hotels, dey paid for their evening meal! Oh politics as usual.

J HALL Nassau, July 28, 2023.

THE FULL moon passes behind the illuminated windows of a New York City skyscraper, last night. This is the first of two supermoons in August. A supermoon is broadly defined as a full moon that is closer to the Earth making it appear larger than normal.

Photo: J. David Ake/AP

Defence lawyer says the evidence doesn’t support AG’s call to deny bail in certain cases

By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net

DEFENCE lawyers are pushing back against Attorney General Ryan Pinder’s call for courts to deny bail to defendants accused of committing violent acts under certain circumstances.

Last week, Mr Pinder noted recent cases where the Court of Appeal upheld decisions by lower courts to deny bail to defendants. In those cases, the judges found protecting the public’s safety, and the defendant was important.

However, attorney David Cash said yesterday the problem is prosecutors often fail to provide substantial evidence that people released on bail must be kept in custody for their protection.

“It’s not the courts,” Mr Cash said. “It’s his office,

and the office that comes under him cannot provide evidentially substantial grounds for believing that these people who are being released on bail need to be kept in custody for their own protection or whether they’re a threat to the public.”

People on bail represent a large subset of those murdered. Mr Pinder highlighted several recent Court of Appeal judgments that affirmed the denial of bail, including cases where an accused’s life was in danger, an alleged offender was connected to organised gang activity, and a repeat offender posed a risk to society.

Mr Cash said to deny someone bail, adequate evidence to show the person’s life is in jeopardy or that confining the person in custody will protect the public is necessary.

“If you assert that a

person has to be kept in custody for his own protection, you have to, as the prosecution, provide evidence to the court tending to show that there are substantial grounds for believing that if this person is released on bail, there is some reasonable ground that his life would be in jeopardy, that his life would be threatened.

“In the same way, if you assert that the person should be kept in custody in order to protect the public, you have to be able to show by substantial grounds for relief, evidentially that if this person is released, either they themselves will commit further violent offences that would affect the public, or that by someone retaliating against them, it will affect the public.”

Mr Cash stressed it is absurd to deny a person bail as a blanket reaction

Bus driver found guilty of sex assault of woman on bus

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A BUS driver was found guilty yesterday of sexually assaulting a female passenger while threatening her with a hammer outside the Mall of Marathon in 2021.

Justice Guillimina

Archer-Minns presided as the attempted rape trial of Douglas Eddy, 37, concluded.

During the trial, the 21-year-old victim said she was riding Edey’s number 15 bus on the evening of March 7, 2021, when he pulled out a hammer and

threatened her outside the bus near Kelly’s Home Centre at the Mall at Marathon. She said he forced her into the bus and attempted to sexually assault her.

She recounted through tears how she fought her assailant and “felt it” when he put the tip of his penis inside her.

She also said the convict rubbed her private parts and saw him put on a condom. She briefly managed to escape before he dragged her back onto the bus.

Edey was arrested outside Kelly’s Lumber Yard on East Street in the

company of a visibly traumatised victim later that evening.

Attorney Nathan Smith, who represented Edey, suggested the victim and the defendant were in a relationship during the incident. The complainant denied these claims.

After reviewing the evidence, the jury unanimously found Edey guilty.

The convict will be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until a probation report is given in court on September 28. Eucal Bonaby prosecuted the case.

to the murder rate.

“You can’t just say that a particular person is going to be murdered if

released on bail because other persons were murdered when released on bail,” he said. “That’s

like saying I can’t drive my car because someone in Eleuthera got in a car accident. That’s absurd.”

SHOP-BREAKER HELD ON CHARGES INCLUDING ATTEMPTING TO KILL AND OFFICER AND ROBBERY

By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN is behind bars after a recent string of robberies in New Providence, including an incident involving police shooting him at the scene last month.

The man is also accused of a failed bid to kill a police officer in a separate incident earlier this year.

Acting Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley charged Calvins Alain, 23, with two counts of shop breaking.

Alain faced further charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and two counts of possession of instruments for shop breaking. Alain allegedly broke into the Asure Win Web Café on Tedder and Madeira Streets to steal items on the night of April 6. He is also accused of trying to kill PC 4439 Gladstone Bodie that day.

Alain reportedly broke into the Prescription Centre

Pharmacy on Rosetta Street at around 3am on July 24. When PC 4063 Rolle responded to the incident, he became fearful when he is alleged to have seen the defendant with a black knife. He shot the defendant in his right leg. During the incident, the defendant allegedly resisted arrest and was found with shop-breaking instruments. His case will be transferred to the Supreme Court by a voluntary bill of indictment due for service on October 25.

LAST week Attorney General Ryan Pinder called for courts to deny bail to defendants accused of committing violent acts under certain circumstances. Some defence lawyers disagree.

The bare minimum is not satisfactory

OVER the past few years, I have been working with the Equality Bahamas team to not only advocate for the Gender-Based Violence Bill (2016) to be updated and passed, but to make recommendations on the draft to strengthen it and bring it to compliance with international human rights standards. We looked at the draft alongside human rights mechanisms including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), also known as the bill of women’s rights, and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, also known as the Convention of Belém do Pará. We read it alongside the draft Gender Policy and the Strategic Plan to Address Gender-Based Violence which are specifically referenced in the draft Gender-Based Violence bill.

Understanding the importance of a bill addressing gender-based violence and ensuring that it is effective in preventing and responding to genderbased violence, Equality Bahamas discussed the draft bill with technical experts. We reviewed laws for a similar purpose in other countries, both in the Caribbean and in other regions. Recognising the expertise of people who are affected by gender-based violence, as a critical part of its process, Equality Bahamas invited community members to join us in reading through the draft bill and discussing its purpose, content, and likely impact.

Review of the gender-based violence bill was not limited to reading the scores of pages that comprised the bill itself, but several other drafts, published reports, and human rights conventions and declarations. This was not a one-day process. It did not take one week. We did not rush through it in a month, or even two months. We spent months on the draft bill, finding gaps and ways to fill them, in the absence of engagement by the Department of Gender and Family Affairs which should have undertaken a similar process and engaged non-governmental organisations, but, it must be noted, has almost always lacked the capacity — including technical experts — to adequately do so. To have an honest, clear conversation about what took place last week and

By Alicia Wallace

to understand the depth of the deceit by government officials, it is important to understand the state of affairs. The Department of Gender and Family Affairs has not had a director for over one calendar year. This was never formally communicated to its “NGO partners” and there appears to be no progress, if there was ever any effort, in recruiting a qualified person. The gender-based violence bill, last revised in 2016, received no attention over the past few years and has not been presented to the non-governmental organisations or the general public for feedback.

Over the past few years, marital rape has come as close to taking centre stage in public discourse about legal reform as we have seen thus far. Administration after administration claimed that the criminalisation of marital rape was a matter of priority. The draft Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2018 was entirely unacceptable and Equality Bahamas made its position clear through its #Strike5ive campaign and direct engagement with those responsible for drafting a new bill. A new bill was drafted and it is much closer to the bill we need to criminalise marital rape. It amends the definition of rape in Section 3, it repeals Section 15 on sexual assault by spouse which is currently insufficient and will be completely unnecessary when the definition of rape is amended to remove the marital exclusion. It includes a definition of consent. There are still gaps that we have made clear. Equality Bahamas has, since the relaunch of its #Strike5ive campaign in 2020, called for the inclusion of a clause of non immunity on the basis of marriage which would make it clear that marriage is not a defence of the violent, criminal act of rape. The current government administration seemed to want to posture as though it was committed to criminalising marital rape, but failed to take any meaningful action toward that end. Politicians made embarrassing statements, from the

empty and inane to the idiotic and misogynistic. Few of them firmly stated what ought to, by now, be obvious — marital rape is rape, all rape is unacceptable, rape is a form of gender-based violence that disproportionately affects women, women are human beings with human rights, and all rape must be criminalised. Inability to understand or clearly state these facts is an indication of rampant, deeply rooted misogyny or, at best, complete ignorance which justifies that requirement that these people have training on gender, gender-based violence, and human rights. For no apparent reason, this administration refuses to end its so-called consultation — a complete farce— in the interest of making the necessary changes to strengthen the draft bill and passing it. Rather than engaging with non-governmental organisations and technical experts in meaningful, productive ways, and stating a clear position in support of women’s human rights, it is spinning its wheels, kow-towing to the most regressive, blatantly antirights people who happen to claim that they represent Christians and/or Christianity. Misquoting and mal-interpretation of the text of one religion, in this secular State, have been allowed to impede progress on the marital rape bill.

This administration has communicated to the public, especially women and girls, that it is more concerned about being accepted by misogynistic religious leaders than making it clear that there is no form of rape that is acceptable, no rapists who is excused, and no relationship that changes the definition or understanding of (sexual) violence. If any one of the people in Parliament has any integrity and is clear that women have human rights and must have access to them, all rape is violence, no interpretation of any religious text negate those facts, and it is the responsibility of the government to legislate and develop policies to protect, promote, and expand access to human rights, they would

not and will not be silent. They would not and will not make empty or idiotic statements. They would and will be clear in their call for marital rape to be criminalised, not only in statements to the press, but in their direct appeals to their colleagues and parties. They would and will separate themselves from the weak and the misogynistic. They would and will refuse to allow a Member of Parliament accused of rape to continue to hold that title and the power that comes with it as investigations into the matter take far too long to begin and yield no results to a demanding public. Is that happening? Will it happen? This tells us what we need to know about our representatives.

The marital rape bill drew attention from people who never thought or spoke about it before. Non-governmental organisations working on issues of gender and gender-based violence turned their attention to the bill and the (lack of) progress. They tuned in to the public discourse.

Equality Bahamas consistently challenged the current administration to end its cowardly “consultation” and to stop hiding behind non-governmental organisations and antirights religious leaders. It clearly communicated to the government that it was irresponsible in its creation of a debate on an issue that is based on facts that the government has already accepted. Women are human beings and have human rights. Women have the right to live free of violence and discrimination. Rape is an act of sexual violence. The government is responsible for taking every measure available to it to end gender-based violence and address issues of gender stereotyping and harmful gender ideology. This government administration has, instead, reinforced and supported gender-based violence, gender stereotyping, and harmful gender ideology by consistently inviting anti-rights religious leaders to make statements, amplifying their hateful, violent messages, and using those messages as an excuse to avoid meeting its

obligations to the people.

Early this year, it was clear that there was a significant reduction in interest and action to move the marital rape bill forward. It was unclear what the government was trying to do. It became clear around the second quarter of the year when there was a sudden switch to this administration referencing the gender-based violence bill. The expectation was the gender-based violence bill would be open for true consultation so that it could be strengthened.

As Equality Bahamas started this process years before, it was prepared to actively engage; however, there was a completely different bill being proposed. Not only is the content of the bill now being discussed different and significantly weaker in content than the gender-based violence bill, the language has changed.

The title was changed to “Protection of Women Against Violence Bill” which is a ridiculous name that is both unclear and inaccurate, especially if we are to believe that this bill is meant to offer any solution to the issue of gender-based violence which, to be clear, is not synonymous with violence against women. The title changed again, this time to “Protection Against Violence” which is just as ridiculous and reductive, but even worse, dangerous in its exclusion of people who experience gender-based violence who are not women.

I have already described parts of the process Equality Bahamas undertook to review the draft genderbased violence bill from 2016. I have made it clear that it was not the work of one day, one week, or one month. It should be clear that reviewing a different bill on its own and then putting alongside the previous bill and the related documents is not a one-month job either. This is just the beginning. This is before we delve into the content of the genderbased violence bill and the one that has been rushed to parliament without consultation. This is the bait and switch this administration has done. This does not even begin to reveal

the disrespect meted out by the government to nongovernmental organisations and technical experts who have been working on this issue for years. This is not the meetings called one or two days, literally, in advance, or the presentations with little or no time for responses, or the failure to provide the draft at all, much less in advance of meetings. This is not the absence of parliamentarians, including women parliamentarians who dare to suggest that women’s rights organisations and feminist organisers are liars, at the meetings held with non-governmental organisations.

It is unwise for this administration to make enemies of feminists, technical experts, and non-governmental organisations. When it fails, when it does not know, and when it refuses, we are the ones who show up. We raise the money. We find the resources. We meet the needs. For decades, the government has refused to meet its obligations, from education and healthcare to disaster preparedness and response. It is civil society that shows up, and without notice. We know what is happening on the ground, in homes, and within communities. We know how we have and have not been engaged. We know this administration made a decision to shelve the marital rape bill and quickly pass the latest drivel it tried to call the gender-based violence bill, perhaps with the expectation that we would be satisfied.

The bare minimum is not satisfactory. Watering down bills is not going to fly. Glossing over human rights obligations and rushing to check boxes will not stand. Suggesting to the public that civil society is lying will not go unchallenged. Either we are going to meet human rights obligations and address gender-based violence in substantive ways, or we are going to be horrified, embarrassed, and personally harmed by continual increases in sexual violence and intimate partner violence. This administration can decide what it is going to, and so we can we.

The government is responsible for taking every measure available to it to end gender-based violence and address issues of gender stereotyping and harmful gender ideology.

SAMSUNG UNVEILS FOLDABLE SMARTPHONES

IN BET ON DEVICES WITH BENDING SCREENS

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea

(AP) — Samsung Electronics last week unveiled two foldable smartphones as it continues to bet on devices with bending screens, a budding market that has yet to fully take off because of high prices.

The clamshell-designed Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, a larger device that opens and folds like a book, could be pre-ordered in certain markets including the United States and South Korea starting last week Wednesday.

Built with 6.7-inch and 7.6-inch main screens, the phones have bigger displays than Samsung’s previous folding devices and are equipped with more advanced cameras, providing crisper visuals and more features for work, text and video chats, movies and games, the company said.

Designed to be compact and easy to carry, the Flip 5 is also built with a 3.4-inch cover screen that allows it to be used folded in half.

The phones, which run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor chips, are slightly sleeker and lighter than their predecessors but designed to be more durable and shock-resistant.

All that technology comes with hefty price tags. In the United States, Flip 5 will start at around $1,000 while the Fold 5 is set at $1,800.

Samsung, a South Korean technology giant that’s also a major producer of computer memory chips, has been the longest provider of

folding phones, releasing its first devices in 2019.

The company announced the new phones at a lavish product event in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, choosing one of the markets where folding phones are closer to being mainstream products than novelties.

Foldable devices accounted for around 40% of Samsung’s highend devices sold in South Korea last year and the share is expected to increase in 2023, TM Roh, chief of Samsung’s mobile business, said during a meeting with a select group of reporters.

While Samsung has goals to develop cheaper folding phones, Roh said it’s difficult to specify when they would come, considering the complicated engineering involved and the tradeoffs between cheaper components and advanced functions people expect for such devices.

But high prices will not prevent foldable phones

from becoming mainstream in global markets, Roh said.

“The form factor is not something that’s entirely new – it’s actually something people have been very accustomed to for a long time,” Roh said, pointing to a reporter’s notebook that folded.

“People want products that fold, making them easier to carry and protect important information … and then to flip them open to use and make notes. That has been a natural pattern for such a long time, for people in both the East and West.”

There’s optimism in the industry that the worldwide sales of foldable phones are growing at a faster pace with other vendors like Google, Motorola and Huawei now providing competition to Samsung.

Accord-

ing to Counterpoint, a technology market research firm, global shipments of foldable phones will approach 19 million units in 2023, which would mark a 45% increase from 2022, mainly fueled by rising consumer demands in China.

The shipments may exceed 100 million units by 2027, Counterpoint said in a report released last week, although that projection was based on a presumption that Apple would eventually release

LEFT: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Phones displayed during the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event at the COEX in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 26.

BELOW: TM Roh, president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience business, speaks during the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event at the COEX in Seoul, South Korea.

(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

NASA HEARS SIGNAL FROM VOYAGER 2 SPACECRAFT AFTER MISTAKENLY CUTTING CONTACT

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — After days of silence, NASA has heard from Voyager 2 in interstellar space billions of miles away.

Flight controllers accidentally sent a wrong command nearly two weeks ago that tilted the spacecraft’s antenna away from Earth and severed contact.

NASA’s Deep Space Network, giant radio antennas across the globe, picked up a “heartbeat signal,” meaning the 46-year-old craft is alive and operating, project manager Suzanne Dodd said in an email Tuesday.

The news “buoyed our spirits,” Dodd said. Flight controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California will now try to turn Voyager 2’s antenna back toward Earth. If the command doesn’t work — and controllers doubt it will — they’ll have to wait until October for an automatic spacecraft reset. The antenna is only 2% off-kilter.

“That is a long time to wait, so we’ll try sending up commands several times” before then, Dodd said.

a foldable iPhone, sometime around 2025.

Apple, which closely competes with Samsung for the top spot in global smartphone shipments, has yet to confirm any plans for foldable devices.

Samsung on Thursday said its operating profit for the April-June quarter fell 95% from the same period last year to 670 billion won ($526 million), mainly due to a slow recovery in the global semiconductor market.

VINTAGE COMPUTER THAT HELPED LAUNCH THE A PPLE EMPIRE IS BEING SOLD AT AUCTION

BOSTON (AP) — A vintage Apple computer signed by company co-founder Steve Wozniak is being sold at auction.

The Apple-1 set in motion the company that in June became the first publicly traded business to close a trading day with a $3 trillion market value, according to RR Auction in Boston. The computer has been restored to a fully operational state and comes with a custom-built case with a built-in keyboard, the agency said.

“It’s an incredibly rare commodity,” said Tim Bajarin, chairman of Creative Strategies, a technology research firm with deep knowledge of the industry. “You can trace the growth of the PC industry to the Apple-1.”

The computer, which originally sold for about $666, is expected to sell for about $200,000 at an auction that runs through Aug. 24. An Apple-1 prototype sold last year for nearly $700,000.

“Before this, the idea of having a personal computer was totally outrageous,” Bajarin said.

About 200 were manufactured in Steve Jobs’ garage in Los Altos,

California, in 1976 and 1977 and about 175 of them were sold, RR’s Executive Vice President Bobby Livingston said.

“It is the legendary computer that launched Apple,” he said.

Jobs approached Paul Terrell, owner of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, and

he agreed to buy 50 Apple-1 computers, but only if they were fully assembled, according to RR Auction. The Apple-1 thus became one of the first personal computers that did not require soldering by the purchaser, RR said, although it did not come with a power supply, case, keyboard or monitor.

It was followed by the introduction of the Apple-2 in 1977, which revolutionised the personal computing industry.

The Apple-1 up for auction was signed “Woz” by Wozniak at an event at Bryant University in 2017. The signature “adds to the desirability,” Livingston said.

It was acquired used by the owner in 1980 at a computer hobbyist show in Framingham, Massachusetts, and was used throughout the 1980s.

It was brought to an operational state earlier this year by Apple expert Corey Cohen, the auction house said.

The auction also includes Apple company check No. 2 signed by Jobs and Wozniak and dated March 19, 1976.

The check for $116.97 was made out to Ramlor Inc., a circuit board maker, and experts think it was likely linked to the production of the first Apple-1 computers, RR Auction said.

The check was expected to sell for $50,000, but early bidding has already surpassed that total.

Voyager 2 rocketed into space in 1977, along with its identical twin Voyager 1, on a quest to explore the outer planets.

A MAZON ADDS V IDEO TELEMEDICINE V ISITS US -WIDE TO ITS V IRTUAL CLINIC

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer

AMAZON is adding video telemedicine visits in all 50 US states to a virtual clinic it launched last fall, as the e-commerce giant pushes deeper into care delivery.

Amazon said Tuesday that customers can visit its virtual clinic around the clock through Amazon’s website or app. There, they can compare prices and response times before picking a telemedicine provider from several options.

The clinic, which doesn’t accept insurance, launched last fall with a focus on text message-based consultations. Those remain available in 34 states. The new video telemedicine option also will be available in Washington, D.C. Virtual care, or telemedicine, exploded in popularity when COVID-19 hit a few years ago. It has remained popular as a convenient way to check in with a doctor or deal with relatively minor health issues like pink eye.

Amazon says its clinic offers care for more than 30 common health conditions. Those include sinus infections, acne, COVID-19 and acid reflux. The clinic also offers treatments for motion sickness, seasonal allergies and several sexual health conditions, including erectile dysfunction.

It also provides birth control and emergency contraception. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nworah Ayogu said in a blog post that the clinic aims to remove barriers to help people treat “everyday health concerns.”

THIS photo provided by RR Auction shows a vintage Apple computer built in the 1970s and signed by company co-founder Steve Wozniak. It is being sold at auction in Boston. The Apple-1 set in motion the company that in June became the first publicly traded company to close a trading day with a $3 trillion market value. (Nikki Brickett/RR Auction via AP)

Haitians protest the kidnapping of American nurse and her daughter

HAITI

Associated Press

CHANTS of “freedom” echoed through the streets outside an aid facility in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Monday where just days earlier an American nurse and her daughter were kidnapped by armed men.

Hundreds of Haitians marched through the gangravaged zone, bursting with anger at the abduction, which has become a symbol of the worsening violence plaguing the Caribbean nation.

New Hampshire woman Alix Dorsainvil had been working as a community nurse for the religious and humanitarian aid group El Roi Haiti when she and her daughter were taken from its campus on Thursday, the organization said. She is the wife of its founder, Sandro Dorsainvil.

Witnesses told the Associated Press that Dorsainvil was working in her organization’s small brick clinic when a group of armed men burst in and seized her. Lormina Louima, a patient waiting for a check-up, said one man pulled out his gun and told her to relax.

“When I saw the gun, I was so scared,” Louima said. “I said, ‘I don’t want to see this, let me go.’”

Other members of the community said the unidentified men asked for $1 million in ransom, something that’s become standard as Haiti’s gangs turn to slews of kidnappings to line their pockets and bleed the country dry. Hundreds have been kidnapping in Haiti this year alone, figures from the local nonprofit Centre for Analysis and Research in Human Rights show.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, gangs have taken over much of Port-au-Prince, killing, raping and sowing terror in communities already suffering endemic poverty.

The same day that Dorsainvil and her daughter were taken, the US State Department issued a “do not travel advisory” for Haiti and ordered nonemergency personnel to leave amid growing security concerns. In its advisory, the State Department said that “kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include US citizens.”

The violence has stirred anger among Haitians, who say they simply just want to live in peace.

Protesters, largely from the area around El Roi Haiti’s campus, which includes a medical clinic, a school and more, echoed that call as they walked through the

sweltering streets wielding cardboard signs written in Creole in red paint.

“She is doing good work in the community, free her,” read one.

Among the protesters was Jean Ronald, a local resident who said the community has significantly benefitted from the care provided by El Roi Haiti.

Such groups are often the only institutions in areas far beyond the reach of the law, but have increasingly had to shut down operations as violence has deepened. The closures often leave thousands of vulnerable families without access to basic services like healthcare or education.

Earlier this month, Doctors Without Borders announced it was suspending services in one of its hospitals because some 20 armed men burst into an operating room and snatched a patient.

As the protesters walked through the area where Dorsainvil was taken, the streets were eerily quiet. The doors to the clinic where she worked were shut, the small brick building empty.

Ronald and others in the area worried the latest kidnapping may mean the clinic won’t reopen.

“If they leave, everything (the aid group’s programs) will shut down,” the Haitian worried. “The money they are asking for, we don’t have it.”

Shortly after, protests dispersed.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller refused to confirm Monday whether the abductors had made any demands, or to answer other questions.

“I will say we are aware of the reports that two US citizens were kidnapped in Haiti. Obviously, the safety and security of American citizens overseas is our highest priority. We are in regular contact with the Haitian authorities. We’ll continue to work with them and our US government interagency partners, but because it’s an ongoing law enforcement investigation, there’s not more detail I can offer,” Miller wrote in a statement Monday.

In a video for the El Roi Haiti website, Alix Dorsainvil describes Haitians as “resilient people.” They’re full of joy, and life and love. I’m so blessed to know so many amazing Haitians,” she says.

Dorsainvil graduated from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, which has a program to support nursing education in Haiti. Before that, she went to Cornerstone Christian

Academy in Ossipee, New Hampshire which offers pre-K through eighth grade education.

“Pray that God would keep her safe, be with her through this trial, and deliver her from her captors,” the school said on its Facebook page.

Dorsainvil’s father, Steven Comeau, reached in New Hampshire, said he could not talk.

El Roi Haiti celebrated the nurse’s work in a statement over the weekend.

“Alix is a deeply compassionate and loving person who considers Haiti her home and the Haitian people her friends and family,” El Roi president and co-founder Jason Brown said in the statement.

Alix has worked tirelessly as our school and community nurse to bring relief to those who are suffering as she loves and serves the people of Haiti in the name of Jesus.”

Earlier this month, the National Human Rights Defence Network issued a report warning about an upsurge in killings and kidnappings and the UN Security Council met to discuss Haiti’s worsening situation.

IN this undated photo provided by El Roi Haiti, Alix Dorsainvil, right, poses with her husband, Sandro Dorsainvil. Alix Dorsainvil, a nurse for El Roi Haiti, and her daughter were kidnapped last Thursday, the organization said.

Photo: El Roi Haiti/AP

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2023

Major Jr, page 15

RICARDO SMITH ELECTED AS NPBA PRESIDENT

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

or the past 10 years, Genaq Cylmer-Taylor has served as a referee in swimming. But she never envisioned that last week she would become the first Bahamian female to officiate at the FINA World Championships.First Bahamian woman to officiate at FINA World Aquatics Championships

As a World Aquatics certified official who is on the World Aquatics Officials list, Culmer-Taylor served as a referee during every session of the week-long competition that featured four Bahamians, including her son, Lamar Taylor.

“I feel honoured being the first Bahamian female to officiate,” said CulmerTaylor as she made her long trek back home from the championships.

“It was exciting officiating at such a high level. A lot of preparation went into it. We had a workshop the day before the meet started and we were informed what was expected from us.”

Culmer-Taylor has been involved in the Bahamas Aquatics for more than 25 years and is serving as a Member-at-large. She thanked current president Algernon Cargill for supporting her in her advancement in the sport.

But like every official or participant in any sport, Culmer-Taylor said her ultimate goal is to reach the pinnacle of swimmingthe Olympic Games.

“I want to continue working at local meets, work more international meets and one day hopefully I would be able to officiate at the Olympic level,” she stated.

“Amazing is all I can say, that both of us were able to be on the big stage at the same time,” said CulmerTaylor of watching her son compete on deck at the same time in Japan.

Lamar Taylor, who led the Bahamian swim contingent at the championships

GENAQ CYLMER-TAYLOR, of The Bahamas, is the first Bahamian female to officiate at the FINA World Aquatics Championships, doing so this year at the event which was held in Fukuoka, Japan.

with two record breaking performances in the mixed 4 x 100 medley and freestyle relays as well as individually, said he was

just as pleased to have his mom on deck working. “I feel proud and I know she is proud of her accomplishment,” he said. “I didn’t

feel any type of pressure from my mother knowing she is out there. I felt like a proud son watching my mom officiate out there.”

Caribbean Hoopfest to bring top NY high school teams to New Providence

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT seems like every year, more and more doors are opening for international events to be staged in the Bahamas.

The latest to make its way here is the Caribbean Hoopfest.

It’s an event organised by Donald Francois that will bring some of the top high school teams out of New York to play against local teams at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium from August 19-20.

“It’s a new event dubbed Bahamas vs New York,” said Francois, a high school coach in New York who is the founder and producer of Caribbean Hoopfest.

“We’ve been doing this event in Jamaica for the past 5-6 years, but we decided to bring it to the Bahamas. We have three teams coming in from New

York, who will play against six Bahamian teams.”

Some of the top tier players heading into colleges and universities will be a part of the teams coming in from New York, who are currently listed as highly ranked players in Nike and Under Armor.

Among the list from Team NYC - Molloy are Eli Smails, Josh Powell and Sincere Folk.

Canarsie High School out of New York will feature Skyler Hopkins, Chase Beasley and Xavier Burkett. They will be matched up against teams from CI Gibson Secondary High, Street Legends AllStars, Raw Talent and 242 Ballers, all of whom will be under the age of 20.

Caribbean Hoopfest, according to Francois, is a premier basketball tournament that features international teams, showcasing

CARIBBEAN Hoopfest organiser Donald Francois.

high-level competition and providing an exciting experience for both players and spectators in the Bahamas.

For the players in the Bahamas, Francois said they will get a number of benefits from participating in the tournament.

“They are able to develop valuable skills like teamwork, discipline, perseverance and leadership,” he said. “They get exposure to international competition, the

SEE PAGE 15

And Culmer-Taylor said it’s that kind of inspiration that has kept her going.

RICARDO Smith and his Basketball Beyond Boundaries group were elected to serve as executives of the New Providence Basketball Association for the next four years.

During the NPBA’s annual general meeting and election of officers last night at the Ministry of Education, Smith dethroned incumbent James Price 7-3 to take on the new role as president.

Going in unopposed were Mario Pickstock as first vice president, Donillo Culmer as second vice, Ryan Turnquest as third vice and Sterling Pratt as fourth vice presidents.

Request Sands beat out incumbent Rochelle Kemp 6-5 in the closest margin of victory for the post of secretary. Quisheda McKenzie went in unopposed as the assistant secretary.

For the post of treasurer, Jason Oliver claimed the spot over incumbent Sophia Hunter 8-1 with two spoiled ballots not counted by presiding officer Eugene Horton, the president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation.

Elected as the new commissioner is Dwayne McGregor, who will be assisted by Kevin ‘Island’ McPhee. They both went in unopposed along with broadcaster Marcellus Hall as the public relations officer.

Smith, a political activist, who once ran a semi-professional basketball team that was based between the Bahamas and Florida, provided a 10-point plan that he hopes to implement during the first year of his tenure in office.

They are as follows:

1) Provide $10,000 cash for the division one champions.

2) Carry the season opening game live on TV and other social media outlets.

3) Host big game nights for each division one teams.

SEE PAGE 15

SPORTS NOTES

BASKETBALL BASKETBALL

CLINIC THE #NoCeilings with Coach Yo Foundation will hold a free basketball clinic at the Basil Neymour Court in Coral Gardens, Grand Bahama, 2-5pm on August 13.

The clinic will be conducted by Grand Bahamian Yolett McPhee-McCuin, who is the head coach of the Ole Miss Lady Rebels basketball team.

There will be three sessions for students of kindergarten to grade 1 from 2-2:30pm, grades 2-4 from 3:3:45 pm and grades 5-6 from 4-5 pm.

Each participant is being asked to come properly dressed in their basketball gear and bring their own basketball.

BASKETBALL BGDBA ACTION

THE Bahamas Government Departmental Basketball Association continued its regular season action on Monday night at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

at the games played:

Real Deal Rangers 71, Customs Taxmen 40: Kenrio I graham scored 14 points to lead the Rangers to victory.

Airport Authority Avengers 70, Bamboo Shack Patrollers 66: Cameron Chery scored 24 points to lead the Avengers to victory.

TONIGHT

7:30pm - Police Enforcers vs Beat & Teach Clinic Sharks.

8:30pm - Police Crimestoppers vs Baintown Shark Patrollers.

FRIDAY

7pm - Police Royals vs Customs Taxmen.

8pm - BDOCS Challengers vs MOYSC Panthers.

9pm - Airport Authority Avengers vs Bains & Grants Town Cybots.

SEE PAGE 15

I-Elite and Reloaded Baseball to host baseball and softball camp

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

INTERNATIONAL

Sports Academy and Reloaded Baseball will return to host inaugural “Bat 2 Base-Ics” baseball and softball camp. The training will get underway August 14-19 at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

The two-sport camp comes on the heels of the Reloaded Baseball team returning today from their first international Perfect Game baseball tournament in Sanford, Florida.

Peron Burnside, president of the Reloaded Baseball programme, talked about how important it is to remain proactive with the development of the young players. “We have seen our deficiencies as we analysed the execution of our kids during each game and now we will work specifically to develop them in these areas with the intent to return to more tournaments to test what was taught,” Burnside said. The collaborative camp will include the Tee-Ball to the 14-and under (14U)

division. The coaches will brush up on baseball and softball fundamentals such as game rules, discipline and conduct, and real ingame scenarios as well as situations that prompt them to react to them. With the camp also focused on softball, Burnside said it will also help to develop young girls in softball and they aim to afford all of their kids the opportunity to receive scholarships in pursuit of a higher education.

Despite the Reloaded Baseball team’s shortcomings at the Perfect Game

Florida Summer Select Championship (Open), Geron Sands, co-founder of I-Elite and Reloaded president, both have the same goal going forward.

“The goal of Reloaded and I-Elite is that all of the kids who attend, whether softball or baseball, will have a clear understanding of where they are from a fundamental standpoint and where they need to be,” Burnside said.

He added that the plan is to take them to that point and he is adamant that they will be responsible for taking baseball and softball

development in The Bahamas to a higher level.

The “Bat-2-Base-Ics” baseball and softball camp will be an annual event.

And, according to the organisers of the event, other initiatives like this one will continue to pop up throughout the calendar year. Individuals who are interested in registering or require any additional information can contact 242-445-4551 or bat2basics242@gmail.com.

Reloaded Baseball will celebrate one year as a programme in August.

VALDEZ THROWS NO-HITTER AS ASTROS DEFEAT GUARDIANS

HOUSTON (AP) — Framber Valdez threw the 16th no-hitter in Houston Astros history in a 2-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians last night.

Valdez (9-7) allowed just one baserunner on a walk in the fifth inning, but still faced the minimum thanks to a double play in that frame. Gabriel Arias grounded out to start the ninth before Myles Straw lined out to center field. Cam Gallagher then lined out to Jeremy Pena to end it and set off the celebration.

BRAVES 5, ANGELS 1

ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II ended a homer drought with two blasts, including a go-ahead shot in the fifth, Spencer Strider added to his majors-leading total with nine strikeouts and the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-1 last night. Strider (12-3) allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings in his first victory since July 8. He has nine or more strikeouts in 17 of 22 starts, giving him 208 for the season.

ORIOLES 13, BLUE JAYS 3

Reloaded Baseball team enjoys first international experience

By TENAJH SWEETING Tribune Sports Reporter tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

AFTER competing in their first international tournament, many of the Reloaded Baseball team members thoroughly enjoyed the inaugural experience. The 30-member team wrapped up their twoday competition in Sanford, Florida at the Perfect Game Florida Summer Select Championship (Open) this past weekend.

Both 9-and under (9U) and 10-and under (10U) teams enjoyed a nine-day trip to Orlando, Florida filled with camaraderie, fun, as well as developement.

Ethan Burnside, a member of the 10U team, shared his experience after nine days with his teammates.

“I liked that the teams were very competitive and I was challenged in my baseball skills. I cannot wait to return home for my Reloaded developmenet and to return to another tournament,” Burnside said.

Among the other teammates to enjoy the combined experience were Casey Hanna and Nathan Alleyne. Hanna said he felt the experience was very good and he especially loved being with his friends in the tournament and travelling with them.

One of his favourite aspects of the international tournament was being able to train and he was happy with the coaches that helped him with catching and showing him how to steal bases.

Meanwhile, Alleyne said despite not winning any games, he was happy to get the experience of his first international tournament.

“I enjoyed the tournament a lot. I am just kind of sad that we lost all our games but I had a fun time with the training in a real tournament. I am glad that I at least got to play and I love that our coaches helped us out. I feel like

I got a good experience travelling to Orlando for the first time for a baseball tournament,” Alleyne said. The young baseball players were also accustomed to regular daily meals courtesy of Blue Plate Catering. While commuting back and forth for training and tournament play, the company prepared nutritional breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the entire trip, making the experience one of a kind.

Sion Robinson, who plays first and third base, said the meals were one of his favourite parts of the trip. “I think it was good, the meals were great and everything on this trip was good. The tournament was a fun and great experience to have with my teammates,” Robinson said.

Chef Osborne Pintard and Jamaal Russell of Blue Plate Catering described the experience as a challenging but fulfilling one.

With only two chefs preparing 27 different meals for 30 different people, they talked about how it felt.

“Twenty-seven meals over a period of nine days was kind of challenging but fun because kids are picky eaters and usually stick to one particular diet, but we tried to keep it fun and nutritional,” Pintard said.

He added that timing and logistics were some of the most challenging parts,

especially on days when the kids had tournaments at far locations.

Overall, chefs Pintard and Russell enjoyed their culinary experience and look forward to cooking it up at future tourneys.

International Sports Academy and the Reloaded Baseball programme

TORONTO (AP) -Anthony Santander hit his second career grand slam, Gunnar Henderson homered for the second straight game and AL-leading Baltimore remained unbeaten in Toronto this season. Santander went 3 for 4 with a walk and four RBIs. He cleared the bases with his 19th home run, a deep drive off Nate Pearson in the eighth.

RAYS 5, YANKEES 2 NEW YORK (AP) — Zach Eflin pitched six shutout innings of threehit ball to become the American League’s first 12-game winner, Randy Arozarena hit a two-run homer off Carlos Rodón and Tampa Bay beat New York.

Yandy Díaz also connected for the Rays, who won their third straight game and have gone deep six times in the last two nights at Yankee Stadium.

RANGERS 2, WHITE SOX 0

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andrew Heaney struck out 11 without a walk while throwing twohit ball over six innings, Mitch Garver and Adolis Garcia hit solo homers and the AL West-leading Texas shut out Chicago.

Josh Sborz and Aroldis Chapman each pitched an inning before Will Smith’s perfect ninth for his 18th save in 20 chances to wrap up the Rangers’ eighth shutout this season.

PHILLIES 3, MARLINS 1

MIAMI (AP) -- Nick Castellanos slugged a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning to rally Philadelphia past Miami.

Castellanos, who has been mired in an 8-for68 skid in the second half of the season, drilled a slider from Marlins closer David Robertson (4-3) over the wall in leftcenter to punctuate the three-run outburst in the inning.

BREWERS 6, NATIONALS 4

provided housing, food and transportation for the entire 30-member team and their guardians in efforts to facilitate their development on the international level.

I-Elite and the Reloaded programme will continue to collaborate, develop and prepare young talent for international tournaments.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Brice Turang and Joey Wiemer hit consecutive two-run singles as part of a four-run fourth inning, and Milwaukee defeated Washington to snap a four-game skid.

Freddy Peralta (7-8) earned his second victory since May 21, allowing three runs in six innings and strikeout out seven. Devin Williams pitched the ninth to earn his 27th save in 29 chances.

RELOADED Baseball programme players, shown above and below, compete over the weekend in the Perfect Game Florida Summer Select Championship (Open) at the Boombah Sports Complex.

Photos: Antonio Rahming/Reloaded Baseball

Denmark beats Haiti 2-0 to set up a round of 16 encounter with Australia

PERTH, Australia (AP)

— Denmark advanced to the round of 16 of the Women’s World Cup for the first time since 1995 after beating Haiti 2-0 yesterday in its last group-stage match. The win sets up a round of 16 matchup against tournament co-host Australia in Sydney next Monday.

Denmark’s goals came courtesy of a penalty kick by Pernille Harder in the 21st minute and a calm finish by Sanne Troelsgaard in stoppage time.

Haiti exits the tournament without any goals or points to show for its World Cup debut despite pushing

NETHERLANDS BLOWS OUT VIETNAM 7-0 TO WIN GROUP E

By ELLEN MCINTYRE Associated Press

DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) — Netherlands scored four times in a torrid 15-minute first-half stretch, overwhelming Vietnam 7-0 in the Women’s World Cup yesterday and sealing first place in Group E.

The Dutch went into the match in second place on goal differential behind the United States. But the blowout win combined with the Americans’ 0-0 draw with Portugal made Netherlands the group winner. The U.S. advanced in second place.

Netherlands dominated almost from the start. Lieke Martens chipped a shot into the net in the eighth minute over 5-foot-4 (1.63-meter)

Vietnam goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh to get the scoring started. Then the rout was on, as goals from three other Dutch players quickly followed.

Esmee Brugts scored one in the flurry on a curling ball from outside the penalty area in the 18th minute, then got another from nearly the same spot in the second half. Jill Roord also scored twice.

Vietnam changed goalkeepers at halftime, substituting Khong Thi Hang in for Tran Thi Kim Thanh. It was too late.

Attendance for the match was 8,215, a big drop from the sold-out crowd of 25,947 at the previous match, when co-host New Zealand played Switzerland to a 0-0 draw and was eliminated from the tournament.

KEY MOMENTS

Martens and Katja Snoeijs scored within four minutes of each other, setting the tone for the match. Coming into the game in need of goals to catch the U.S. on goal differential, the Dutch players wasted little time celebrating and put the ball right back into play.

WHY IT MATTERS

Netherlands will advance to the round of 16 for its third time in tournament history, which includes the 2019 final. It will leave the group stage ranked first in Group E, followed by the defending champion United States.

Tuesday’s match was Vietnam’s last in this year’s Women’s World Cup, its tournament debut. The Vietnamese finished 0-3 with no goals and 12 conceded.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

“We have been playing with the spirit of Vietnam. We have tried our best. But it is clear that we cannot close the gap between us and the Netherlands.” — Mai Duc Chung, Vietnam coach.

“From the very beginning of the preparation time, we were quite convinced we could beat every opponent in this tournament. But of course it helps if you get first in your group. And of course it helps when you win 7-0.” — Andries Jonker, Netherlands coach.

Group D winner England all the way in its opener.

KEY MOMENTS

A handball from Haiti’s Dayana Pierre-Louis led to a penalty kick for Denmark in the 21st minute. Star forward Pernille Harder sent the keeper the wrong way to score her 71st career international goal. It was the third penalty Haiti conceded in as many games in Australia.

Sanne Troelsgaard put the game out of reach in the 10th minute of stoppage time with a composed finish after a Danish counterattack. Despite its efforts, Haiti was unable to create many scoring opportunities. Denmark

limited Haiti to two shots on target, earning its second shutout of the group stage.

WHY IT MATTERS

With the win, Denmark placed second to England in Group D and booked its place in the knockout stage.

The Danes, who are making their first World Cup appearance since 2007, will face co-host Australia in the round of 16 in Sydney.

WHAT’S NEXT

Denmark will play Group B winner Australia in Sydney on Monday, Aug. 7 in the round of 16.

Haiti is out of the tournament after finishing last in Group D.

Relieved Americans escape and move on at Women’s World Cup

By ZACH ALLEN Associated Press

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — The Americans came into the Women’s World Cup as the two-time defending champions and tournament favorites.

By the end of the group stage, they are relieved to still be in the competition.

“That was stressful. I was like (expletive),” said United States star Megan Rapinoe, using a curse word to describe her emotions after the team squeezed into the knockout stage with a 0-0 draw against Portugal yesterday.

Had Portugal substitute

Ana Capeta’s shot gone into the net rather than hit the post and rebounded out in stoppage time, the Americans might have been eliminated.

As it is, they are advancing in second place behind the Netherlands.

A blast of relief ran through every American player, coach and fan in Eden Park when the final whistle sounded.

While they may not be playing their best at the moment, the U.S. players were quick to point out after the game that they are, in fact, still playing.

“We’re not happy with the performance we put out there, but at the same

time we’re moving on,” Alex Morgan said. “This isn’t the first time in my career that we’ve moved on second in the group.”

The last time the United States didn’t win its group was 2011, when the Americans finished second to Sweden before eventually losing to Japan on penalty kicks in the final.

This time around, the back-to-back defending champions scored just four goals during the threegame group stage. And the three goals were scored in

their tournament opener against Vietnam. The 2019 United States team more than tripled that number in its groupstage opener against Thailand, which it won 13-0 in a record for goals in a match at a Women’s World Cup. “We trust our forwards, we trust our players to get it done. We haven’t in the group stage –- and that’s on us,” defender Julie Ertz said.

“Once it gets to the knockout stages, you kind

of become a different team. It’s just do or die at that point.”

Part of the Americans’ problem has been injuries.

U.S. forward Mallory Swanson missed the tournament with a torn patellar tendon suffered in April in a friendly versus Ireland. Prior to that, Swanson was the United States’ leading scorer, and netted four of the team’s five goals in this year’s SheBelieves Cup.

But on Tuesday night, the players weren’t making excuses.

“I think we can create better chances to get a goal,” forward Lynn Williams said. “But at the end of the day, it’s one of those things where you turn the page and you have to learn and grow really quick because you have no time to dwell on this.”

The United States will likely play Sweden in the round of 16 on Sunday in Melbourne, Australia.

Sweden currently sits undefeated on top of Group G. In order for the date between the United States and Sweden to fall through, Sweden would have to lose to Argentina, and Italy would have to beat South Africa by a large margin to overcome the current 10-goal goal difference between the two teams.

The Swedes are familiar foes for the Americans, and another matchup would be the seventh time the two countries have played in the Women’s World Cup. Sweden beat the United States 3-0 in the group stage of the Tokyo Olympics.

“I feel like we always play them. We know them so well,” Ertz said. “They’ve been great this tournament, so I’m excited. You always want to play against the best and I’m so excited to play them and show them what we have.”

Lauren James scores twice as England routs China 6-1

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

SYDNEY (AP) — Only

VAR prevented England’s Lauren James from scoring a hat trick against China at the Women’s World Cup.

China certainly didn’t know how to stop the inspirational forward as she scored two goals and provided three assists in a 6-1 rout yesterday at Adelaide, South Australia.

“She did special things today. ... she flows over the pitch,” England coach Sarina Wiegman said.

James’ impressive performance should be a warning for future opponents of the threat she poses at this World Cup, with England entering the knockout stage with three straight wins.

The Chelsea forward makes it seem so easy. James scored with her right and and with her left. One goal was a powerfully controlled strike from the edge of the area and the other was a clinical volley from a tight angle.

“It’s what dreams are made of,” James said. “I felt free. Whether I’m on the wing or in the middle, I’m happy to be playing and contributing to goals.”

James thought she had another memorable goal after expertly firing into

the corner from distance in first-half stoppage time. But the effort was disallowed because her teammate Lucy Bronze had been in an offside position during the build up.

“It was frustrating, but those things happen,” James said. “I’m just looking forward to the next one.” That could mean bad news for Nigeria, which is England’s next opponent in the round of 16 in Brisbane on Monday.

James appears almost unstoppable, whether it be scoring goals or created chances for others.

After scoring six minutes into her first start at

the tournament against Denmark, she produced an even better performance against China as England finished atop Group D with three straight wins.

As well as her two goals, she provided assists for Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp and substitute Chloe Kelly.

Rachel Daly got the European champion’s other goal at Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium, and China’s Wang Shuang pulled one back from the penalty spot.

In a performance of rare brilliance, there were so many stand out moments for James. But the control and precision of her

left-foot volley in the 65th minute, taken with her instep, was special.

“I’ve known LJ for a long time, played with her at Manchester United, so I’ve known the talent she had,” England midfielder Katie Zelem said. “So there is no surprise she is playing this well at the tournament.”

England equaled its biggest-ever World Cup win, matching the margin against Argentina in 2007.

The Lionesses also set a World Cup record by scoring in 16 consecutive games at the tournament.

China’s worst-ever loss at the tournament means it failed to advance from the group stage for the first time at a Women’s World Cup.

Denmark finished second to England in the group, advancing after a 2-0 win over Haiti.

England just had to avoid defeat to be guaranteed a place in the knockout stage after backto-back wins against Haiti and Denmark.

Even with a 100% winning start there had still been questions over England’s performances, while a knee injury for Keira Walsh raised concerns about how coach Wiegman would replace one of her key players.

While the loss of Walsh is a setback for England, the emergence of James has made her one of the stars so far in the tournament.

She was the provider as Russo got England off to a flying start in the fourth minute. With her first goal of the tournament, Russo controlled James’ header and fired low past goalkeeper Zhu Yu.

Hemp scored England’s second in the 26th, with James the provider again after swift counterattack.

James struck from the edge of the box in the 41st and, after Wang scored from the spot in the 57th, she provided the moment of match with a volley into the top corner.

James was the provider again with a perfectlyweighted pass beyond China’s defense for Kelly to score in the 77th. Daley rounded off the scoring in the 84th.

“I said before the game we had to do things a little different than we did before. We did really well it shows how adaptive we are on the pitch,” said Wiegman.

“We expected China to press high because they had to win to go through. But they just stayed in shape. They didn’t expect us to play this way and they didn’t find a solution.”

ENGLAND’S LAUREN JAMES, right, battle for control of the ball with China’s Wu Haiyan during the Women’s World Cup Group D soccer match between China and England in Adelaide, Australia, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

UNITED States’ Megan Rapinoe embraces Portugal’s Jessica Silva, left, following their Women’s World Cup Group E soccer match at Eden Park yesterday.

(AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

DENMARK players celebrate their victory at the Women’s World Cup Group D soccer match between Haiti and Denmark in Perth, Australia, yesterday. (AP Photo/Gary Day)

Pirates tie the game with buzzer-beater against visiting VMI team to force overtime

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

STEPHAN Smith

canned a buzzer-beating three-pointer for the Pirates to tie their game at 98-98 against the visiting Virginia Military Institute to force overtime last night.

But VMI, coming off a one-point loss to the Raw Talent Elite in the opener of the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Summer of Thunder Basketball Tournament on Sunday, opted not to play the extra period as the floor was a bit too slippery inside the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

Despite not having an outright winner of the game, Smith said he was delighted to be able to put the Pirates in a position to play for it in overtime.

“I just wanted to get a little breathing space so that I could get the shot off,” said Smith, who dribbled the ball over the half-court line and separated himself from the defender for the desperation shot. “I believed in myself. I believed that it was going to go in and it did.”

The VMI team opted not to speak after the game. They were a little bit frustrated that the game had to be stopped constantly as officials, and even their team, had to wipe up the moisture on the court.

CARIBBEAN HOOPFEST TOURNEY DUBBED: ‘BAHAMAS VS NEW YORK’

opportunity to showcase their talent in front of scouts and recruiters from college teams, and the chance to network with players and coaches from around the world. It fosters personal growth and opens doors for professional basketball careers.”

Through the tournament, Francois said they will also get to see empowerment and unity at work.

“Caribbean Hoopfest goes beyond basketball,” he stated. “Through our tournament, we aim to empower athletes to reach their full potential on and off the court. “We provide a platform for cultural exchange, fostering friendships from diverse backgrounds.”

And one of the greatest aspects of the tournament is the fact that there will be life-changing opportunities for the participants.

“Caribbean Hoopfest attracts scouts and recruiters from college teams as well as international leagues,” Francois summed up.

Smith said hopefully this will inspire his Pirates team-mates to play even harder as the tournament continues for the rest of the month.

To go along with his big shot, Smith finished the game with 10 points.

Valentino Simon led their attack with a game high 36 points, eight rebounds and three assists, Christopher Stuart had 22

points and five rebounds and Randy Miller added 10 points with 11 rebounds. Virginia Military had a more balanced scoring attack with six players in double figures.

Corey Chesey had 19 points and eight rebounds, Brennan Watkins had 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals, Koree Cotton had 14 points and five rebounds

CULMER-TAYLOR FIRST BAHAMIAN WOMAN TO OFFICIATE AT THE FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

FROM PAGE 12

“I would first like to thank God, the federation especially the president Mr Cargill for affording me the opportunity to be able to represent my country at such a high level,” she stated.

“Lastly my family, especially my husband, Lester Taylor, who has

always encouraged me to move further in my development as an official. He officiates in swimming as well.”

Culmer-Taylor, however, noted that she never envisioned that she and her son would be on the same stage in the world, but when she was offered the opportunity to officiate, she couldn’t turn it down.

with two steals, Maurice Wright Jr had 13 points, four rebounds, four steals and two assists. And Taeshaud Jackson Jr had 12 points, 16 rebounds and five assists and Tyran Cook also contributed 12 points.

VMI build their biggest lead of 11 points (14-3) in the first quarter, but the Pirates rallied back for their biggest margin at

six (65-59 in the fourth to make it a close ball game.

The tournament now switches to the Imperial Ballroom at the Atlantis resort on Paradise Island on Friday.

BC Zalgiris Kaunas will take on the University of South Carolinas at 2pm. Then at 6pm, Bahamian Frederick King and the Creighton University will face the Raw Talent Elite.

“These influential individuals provide participants with life-changing opportunities.”

Francois said he likes what he’s seen here in the Bahamas through events like Battle 4 Atlantis and that is why he decided to bring the top notch high school basketball tournament to the Bahamas.

Tickets for the event are priced at $15 for a day package.

RICARDO SMITH NEW NPBA PRESIDENT

FROM PAGE 12

4) Bring back the All-Star games with special events surrounding the All-Star Week with incentives for players and fans.

5) Host two new fundraisers geared to raising funds to support the league and new initiatives.

6) Have water and sport provide sport drinks and water for teams during all games during the 2023/2024 season.

7) Within the first 100 days open a NPBA Business Office.

8) Provide full 2023/2024 season schedule with half time activities and attractions and get new marketing advertising strategy.

9) Re-introduce Summer Programme with a new name - Project Phoenix - and brand new programme.

10) Introduce new division II team collegiate tour alone with all Division one team Super Sports Tour.

Tennis ace Michael Major Jr eager to get started with Howard University Bison

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER holding his own as one of the top junior tennis players in the region, Michael Major Jr is eager to get started at the next level as he displays his skills on the collegiate circuit.

Major Jr, 17, will be leaving town on August 7 for Howard University where he will be playing for the Bison men’s tennis team, coached by Nicholas Askew.

“I am excited. I’ve been working out and I think I’m ready,” said Major Jr as he heads to Washington DC. “I think I’ve put in the work to prepare myself to become a college player.”

Apart from representing the Andros Chickcharnies in the sixth Bahamas Bahamas, Major Jr said he’s been working out in the gym 24/7 with his trainer Raserio Russell to help him in his conditioning to play longer tennis matches that he anticipates will come.

On his decision to go to college rather than taking

the professional path in the sport, Major Jr said it’s “better for me to get my education” as he pursues a degree in biology before he concentrates on becoming a pro. He goes in the freshman class with at least a pair of Bahamians, sprinter Adam Musgrove and hurdler Otto Laing, who will be competing on the track and field team.

“I don’t know Otto that well, but I know Adam personally because we went to the same high school at St John’s,” said Major Jr, who eventually transferred to Windsor High School where he played in the Albany Tennis Academy.

“It would be good to have some guys who come from the same culture around. At least I know it will be like home having them around.”

Even though they probably won’t get a chance to interact as much because of the road they will be taking, Major Jr said he’s focused on trying to help his team not only win their Mid-Eastern Athletic

Conference (MEAC) title, but go on to make the NCAA Division I Championships. “My goal is to be

Rookie of the Year,” Major Jr said. While here at home, Major Jr got a chance to

play for Andros with the return of the Bahamas Games after a 20-year-plus hiatus. Not born at the time the last one was held, Major Jr said he was just delighted to get the experience in July.

“Playing with my teammates and helping us to get the gold was exciting,” said Major Jr, who teamed up with Jacobi Bain, Kevin Major Jr and sisters Sydney and Sarai Clarke.

“It was a tight battle against Grand Bahama in the final. There were a lot of emotions, a lot of drama and so to pull it off with this team, I couldn’t ask for a better outing. I feel this team did very well and I’m so happy to play with them.”

His mother, Bernie ‘Chips’ McPhee-Major and her husband, Michael Major Sr, rarely miss an opportunity to watch their son play locally.

Whenever they get the opportunity, at least one of them travels with him when he plays overseas. But as he gets set to leave for college, just like she did

when she played softball, McPhee-Major said it will be difficult to see him go, but they have every confidence that he’s prepared for the challenge ahead of him.

“It feels amazing to see where he was and now where he’s at,” she lamented.

“Just to see how he has grown so much is just awesome. This is a proud moment for us.”

Like she did when she left in 1986 to play softball at St Augustine’s College with a number of Bahamians, including Mary ‘Cruise’ Sweeting and Natasha Huyler, McPhee-Major said her only advice to her son is to stay focused.

“Remember what you went there for, continue to study hard and keep up your grades,” said McPheeMajor, who returned home in 1990 and is now in the banking industry.

“Make sure you attend your practice sessions when you’re supposed to. Make sure you surround yourself with like-minded, positive people and just stay positive.”

MICHAEL Major Jr flanked by his parents Michael Sr and Bernadette Major.

GENAQ Cylmer-Taylor

BUT VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE OPTS NOT TO PLAY THE EXTRA PERIOD DUE TO SLIPPERY FLOOR AT THE KENDAL ISAACS GYMNASIUM

PIRATES face visiting Virginia Military Institute in the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s Summer of Thunder Basketball Tournament last nght at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

Photo: Moises Amisial/Tribune Staff

Wall Street edges back from the year’s big rally

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

WALL Street took a step back from its big rally so far this year, and most stocks fell Tuesday following a mixed set of earnings reports from U.S. companies. The S&P 500 lost 12.23, or 0.3%, to 4,576.73, coming off its fifth straight winning month. The Nasdaq composite sank 62.11, or 0.4%, to 14,283.91. The Dow Jones Industrial Average squeezed out a gain of 71.15 points, or 0.2%, to 35,630.68 even though most of the stocks within it weakened.

Travel-related stocks helped drag the market lower after they gave up some of their big gains from earlier in the year. Norwegian Cruise Line lost 12.1% despite reporting stronger profit and revenue for the spring than expected. Expectations have been high for it and rivals after its stock soared 80% for the year through Monday.

JetBlue Airways sank 8.3% to roughly halve its nearly 20% gain for the

year through July, despite reporting better profit than expected for the latest quarter. It cut its forecast for results for the full year, partly because of the cancellation of a partnership with American Airlines Worries have been broadly rising that expectations have built too high for the entire U.S. stock market after the S&P 500 surged more than 19% so far this year. Stocks had leaped to a 16-month high on hopes inflation is cooling enough to get the Federal Reserve to stop hiking interest rates. That in turn could allow the economy to avoid a longexpected recession. While inflation has indeed come down since the summer and the economy has remained remarkably resilient, critics say it’s no guarantee inflation will continue to cool at the same rate. They say stock prices have risen too far, too quickly. Among other stocks that struggled with high expectations Tuesday was Molson Coors Beverage. It fell 4.7% after reporting weaker revenue for the

spring than expected, even though its profit topped expectations.

Most companies so far this reporting season have beaten forecasts, but that’s usually the case. And expectations were low coming into this season, with analysts calling for the worst decline in S&P 500 earnings per share in three years.

Among the winners on Wall Street Tuesday was Caterpillar. It rose 8.9% after blowing past analysts’ forecasts for earnings during the spring. It was the stock pushing up the most on the Dow, where Caterpillar can have more of an impact than on the S&P 500 because of its big stock price.

Arista Networks jumped 19.7% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after it also beat expectations for profit and revenue in the latest quarter.

Reports on the economy Tuesday came in mixed. The number of job openings advertised across the country dipped slightly in June, when economists were expecting a rise. But

Yellow is shutting down and headed for bankruptcy, the Teamsters Union says

BY WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

Business Writer

AP

TRUCKING company Yellow Corp. has shut down operations and is headed for a bankruptcy filing, according to the Teamsters Union and multiple media reports.

After years of financial struggles, reports of Yellow preparing for bankruptcy emerged last week — as the Nashville, Tennessee-based trucker saw customers leave in large numbers. Yellow shut down operations on Sunday, according to the Wall Street Journal, following the layoffs of hundreds of nonunion employees on Friday.

In an announcement early Monday, the Teamsters said

that the union received legal notice confirming Yellow was ceasing operations and filing for bankruptcy.

“Today’s news is unfortunate but not surprising. Yellow has historically proven that it could not manage itself despite billions of dollars in worker concessions and hundreds of millions in bailout funding from the federal government,”Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien said in a statement.“This is a sad day for workers and the American freight industry.” No bankruptcy filings had gone live as of Tuesday afternoon. Yellow, formerly known as YRC Worldwide Inc., is one of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers, which move freight

NOTICE

NEW MOON LTD.

Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Registration Number 203573 B

(In Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 1st day of August, A.D. 2023.

Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is Ricardo Palmari, whose address is Alameda Olviedo 82 Alphaville Do Conde II CEP 06473-070 Barueri, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 31st day of August, A.D. 2023 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof the ma e e cluded from the eneft of an distribution made before such claim is proved. Dated this 2nd day of August, A.D. 2023.

RICARDO PALMARI Liquidator

LEGAL NOTICE

HUCEDGE LTD.

NOTICE is hereby given that in accordance with the provisions of Section 138 (8) of The International Business Companies Act, 2000, of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, the dissolution of HUCEDGE LTD. has been completed; a Certifcate of Dissolution has been issued by the Registrar General and the Company has been struck from the Register of Companies on the 23rd day of June, 2023.

Lucy Dalrymple-Smith (Liquidator)

that doesn’t require a full truck, allowing multiple shippers to share one. The company’s reported closure puts 30,000 jobs at risk.

The bankruptcy reports have renewed attention around Yellow’s $700 million pandemic-era loan from the government, among other bills the

the job market broadly remains solid, propping up the rest of the economy and keeping it out of a recession so far.

One report on the manufacturing industry from the Institute for Supply Management said it contracted at a slightly worse pace in July than economists expected, but not as badly as it did in June. A separate report from S&P Global also said U.S. manufacturing is continuing to decline.

“However, producers are clearly shrugging off recession fears and planning for better times ahead,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Other profit reports scheduled for later in the week could have more of an impact. Amazon and Apple

trucker has racked up over time, and heated contract negotiations with unionized workers.

When reached by The Associated Press, Yellow did not comment directly to the bankruptcy reports, but addressed the negotiations. In a statement, a company official said the Teamsters “refused to negotiate for nine months” and accused the union of trying to “destroy”Yellow.

are scheduled to report on Thursday, and because they’re two of the biggest stocks by market value, their movements pack more punch on the S&P 500 than other companies’. Both have also soared this year, along with other Big Tech stocks. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has also 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.

NOTICE

International Business Companies Act (No. 46 of 2000)

CAPITAL CONSULTING GROUP LTD.

Registration No. 145072 B

In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138 of the International Business Companies Act, (No. 46 of 2000),

CAPITAL CONSULTING GROUP LTD. is in Dissolution. The date of Commencement of dissolution was July 18, 2023.

We, Sovereign Directors Limited of Suite 205A – Saffrey Square, Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas, are the appointed Liquidators of CAPITAL CONSULTING GROUP LTD.

It is estimated that the winding-up and dissolution of the Company will require approximately thirty (30) days.

Therefore, any person having a Claim against CAPITAL CONSULTING GROUP LTD. is required on or before August 31, 2023 to send their name, address and particulars of the debt or claim to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they ma e e cluded from the eneft of an distri ution made efore such claim is approved.

Sovereign Directors Limited Liquidator

A MAN walks past monitors showing Japan’s Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in Tokyo, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023. Asian shares mostly rose Tuesday, boosted by market optimism set off by a Wall Street rally despite lingering worries about inflation and regional growth.

Photo:Hiro Komae/AP

‘Major progress’ on one insurance law

casualty underwriters combined - increased by 5.5 percent year-over-year in 2022 to account for a sum equivalent to 7 percent of national economic output.

“The industry continues to be a key contributor to the economy, generating $963.8m (2021: $913.2m) in gross premiums in the domestic market, which constituted approximately 7.5 percent of the country’s nominal GDP. Overall, the industry reported growth in net income of 11.8 percent over the prior year. Premium taxes from the sector amounted to $29.6m (2021: $26.3m),” Mrs Fields wrote.

“The financial results of the Commission for 2022 reflect prudent management and stewardship of entrusted funds. The Commission’s

income of $8.4m (2021: $7.6m) is derived primarily from the retention of 25 percent of premium taxes collected from registrants on behalf of the Government.

“Other sources of income include license and registration fees and interest income. Total expenses in 2022 amounted to $5m, an increase of 10 percent over the prior year, largely due to increased staff complement and the return to in-office operation.”

The Bahamian insurance industry’s total combined profits rose from $47.534m in 2021 to $53.167m last year. A significant amount of the increase in gross written premium income, especially on the general insurance side, will have been driven by an increase in property and casualty rates due to the “hardening” of reinsurance

costs following Hurricane Dorian and similar disasters elsewhere in the Caribbean and rest of the world.

“During 2022, gross premiums in the general insurance market amounted to $479.1m (2021: $427.8m), an increase of 12 percent,” the Insurance Commission said. “This increase in gross premiums is as a result of growth in the volume of business and rate increases across the market. In particular, the cost of catastrophe cover on property insurance has been impacted by increasing reinsurance rates. Property, motor and liability insurance were the three largest lines of business accounting for approximately 69 percent, 16 percent and 9 percent of gross premiums respectively. These lines of

FORD RESTARTS ELECTRIC PICKUP TRUCK FACTORY AFTER RETOOLING TO INCREASE OUTPUT, SAYS ORDERS ARE UP

DETROIT Associated Press

FORD is resuming production of the F-150

Lightning electric pickup after closing a factory in Dearborn, Michigan, for six weeks to triple production capacity.

The move comes just two weeks after the company cut prices on all versions of the trucks, some by as much as $10,000, fueling speculation that demand had fallen.

But company officials said Tuesday that they’re getting six times the orders now than before the price cuts, and Ford has an order bank big enough to take up 45 days of production at the reworked Rouge Electric Vehicle Center. The company wouldn’t give an exact number of orders.

Lightning sales in the second quarter of the year

were more than double the same period in 2022, but there were up only 4% from the first quarter.

Ford says that’s because they stopped production at the Rouge Electric Vehicle center in June to add equipment and expand the plant so it can make more vehicles. The plant, which now employs about 2,000 workers, will be able to produce electric trucks at a rate of 150,000 per year starting this fall.

Two weeks ago, Ford slashed prices on the electric trucks by thousands of dollars across the board in anticipation of increased factory output, falling costs for battery raw materials and internal efforts to scale production.

The price cuts across the Lightning line, some as deep as $10,000, were seen on on Wall Street as more

evidence of a coming price war among electrical vehicle makers.

The cuts also were announced two days after Tesla said its first production Cybertruck electric pickup had rolled off the assembly line, though nearly two years behind the original schedule and with little information about how much they may cost. Large-scale Cybertruck production isn’t expected until late this year or early next year.

Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer for Ford’s Model e electric vehicle unit, said the company sees strong EV demand at present “but the future is somewhat unpredictable and volatile.”

The company has orders to match the increased factory output, but Gjaja said Ford will watch to

business experienced growth in premium during the year. Property insurance grew by $36.3m (12 percent), motor insurance grew by $7.7m (12 percent), and liability insurance increased by $8.9m (27 percent).

“The marine, aviation and transport line of business experienced marginal growth of $1.8m (3 percent), while the pecuniary loss and personal accident lines, which account for less than 1 percent of gross premiums, shrunk by 25 percent and 46 percent, respectively, compared to the prior year,” the regulator added.

“The general insurance market finished the year with a net claims ratio of 27 percent, and a combined loss ratio of 70 percent. Net claims increased by $10m (45 percent) in this market and totalled $32.2m at

the end of the year (2021: $22.2m).

“The motor line experienced a 62 percent increase in net claims to $23.2m (2021: $14.8m), and the property line increased 106 percent to $6m (2021: $3.1m). These lines of business accounted for approximately 90 percent of the claims; property – 18.5 percent, and motor – 71.6 percent.”

Continuing with its analysis, the Insurance Commission said: “General insurers use reinsurance to mitigate their risk. Companies cede between 70 percent to 90 percent of insurance risk to highly rated reinsurers, as determined by A. M. Best. The Commission reviews the reinsurance treaties of general insurers annually to ensure that the reinsurance programmes

appropriately mitigate risks and adequately protect insurers’ capital.

“At December 31, 2022 general insurers reported a retention ratio of 25.2 percent (2021: 26.2 percent), with net premiums of $125.5m (2021: $112m), an 8 percent increase over the prior year.

“Net underwriting income for the year amounted to $36.1m (2021: $39.4m), a decrease of 8 percent. Operating expenses rose by $2.5m (7.8 percent) to $33.9m (2021: $31.4m).

Nonetheless, general insurers reported a 20 percent increase in net income to $16.8m (2021: $14m) after taking into account the investment income.”

see how things play out.

“We’re seeing competition increase. We’re seeing inventories out there grow as competition adds supply and availability. And we’re going to have to adjust with the market. Ultimately,

the customers are going to decide,” he said.

The updated starting price for the Pro model, Ford’s lowest priced electric pickup, will be $49,995, down about $10,000. The price for the high-end Platinum Extended Range

version of the Lightning was cut from $98,074, to $91,995, a drop of more than $6,000. Ford and others face increasing competition from automakers rolling out full-size electric pickup trucks.

FORD Lightning electric pick-up trucks are displayed at a dealership, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. Ford is resuming production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup after closing a factory in Dearborn, Michigan, to add more production capacity.

Photo:Charles Krupa/AP

Inflation’s high but ‘not as frightening’

of inflation, that augurs well for the country.”

US inflation dropped to 3 percent in June, representing a two-year low, but consumer prices remain high. The increase was the smallest for more than two years since March 2021 and down from a four-decade high of 9.1 percent in June 2022.

“In The Bahamas, the big thing which is affecting us is that inflation on food and energy are the major drivers of local inflation,” Mr Edwards added. “Those two areas are also maintaining a higher rate than in the US. I think overall, while it seems with us for a while, inflation may not be as frightening as it was a year ago or a year-and-ahalf ago, so maybe we can wait and see if the US gets inflation down to its 2 percent target.

“If that happens this year it could be a major shift on the local front if they get anywhere close to that.”

However, Mr Edwards warned that further interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve will increase debt servicing costs that have to be paid by Bahamian taxpayers as costs on the Government’s US dollar variable rate bond issues will also rise.

Meanwhile Kwasi Thompson, the Opposition’s finance spokesman, urged the Government to do more as inflation “continues to ravage ordinary Bahamians” through the continuing cost of living crisis driven by price rises such as the 12.7 percent food and beverage hikes in the year to April 2023. He accused the Davis administration of making this worse by the up to 163 percent increase in Bahamas Power & Light’s (BPL) fuel charge, and 71 percent

rise in the all-in cost of electricity, due to the failure to support the utility’s fuel hedge with more cut-price oil purchases.

As a result, Mr Thompson said energy cost rises were having a “devastating inflationary effect” on Bahamian households and businesses. He added: “Bahamians have seen their light bills double and triple, and also face a second whammy when businesses have to increase their prices to allow them to meet higher energy costs.”

He called on the Government to bring further relief to vulnerable Bahamians by expanding the electricity assistance programme under social services; eliminating VAT on breadbasket food items; and providing energy and inflation assistance grants for small businesses via the Small Business Development Centre. The ex-minister of state for

finance also urged the provision of free energy audits and a public education campaign on energy saving measures.

John Rolle, the Central Bank’s governor, warned earlier this week that Bahamians will have to wait for BPL’s soaring energy bills to ease before “the moderation of inflation starts to look more like” other countries.

Acknowledging that the “highest level of inflation we have observed in The Bahamas did occur post2022”, 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 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 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 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).”

‘No issues’ over Govt’s $3.5bn debt refinance

FROM PAGE A24

needs. The Government will see a peak in maturities due in fiscal 2024, when gross refinancing needs reach 14.3 percent of GDP,” Moody’s said.

“Although the Government doesn’t intend to access international bond markets through commercial issuance, it will need to find alternative financing sources to repay upcoming external amortisations amid still tight financing conditions.

Refinancing upcoming maturities at higher borrowing costs would weigh on the Government’s debt affordability.”

The Ministry of Finance’s latest public debt sustainability bulletin, covering the final quarter and full 20222023 fiscal year and which was released quietly on Monday, revealed that the Government will this year have to refinance the equivalent of more than $1 out of every $4 of its outstanding debt. Redemptions where investors are repaid their principal are likely to be minimal and concentrated on the international side given the Public Treasury’s cash-strapped position.

“At end-June 2023, approximately 28.06 percent of the portfolio was due to mature in one year, up from 21.24 percent a

year earlier, and included a near doubling in the external component to 16.57 percent arising from the bond maturity,” the Ministry of Finance report said.

“The debt redemption profile for fiscal year 2023-2024 includes reissuances of Treasury bills ($908.8m), Treasury notes ($97.5m) and Central Bank advances ($323.1m). The large increases in external payments for fiscal year 2023-2024 and fiscal year 2028-2029 reflect the incidence of central Government’s bond maturities, as is the case with fiscal year 2027-2028 and fiscal year 2029-2030 through fiscal year 2031-2032.”

The report added that the Government plans to smooth out these debt maturity spikes through “appropriate liability management exercises” in a bid to ease the strain imposed by having multiple domestic and international debt issues expire at the same time.

“Across the maturity spectrum, the longer maturity and amortising profile of the multilateral and bilateral credits continue to provide smoothing to debt operations,” the Ministry of Finance said, referring to multilateral lenders such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Caribbean Development

Bank (CDB). “Domestic redemptions reflect the heavy concentration of bond issuances, which are typically refinanced upon maturity.”

To secure lower interest costs than prevailing market rates on its planned commercial bank borrowing during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the Government’s recently-released annual borrowing plan signalled that it is “pursuing” guarantees from the IDB and other multilateral institutions to help underwrite this financing.

As an example, The Bahamas’ $385m foreign currency bond issue last year saw some $200m of the principal underwritten or guaranteed by the IDB in return for so-called ‘blue economy’ reforms. This produced a combined interest rate, or debt servicing cost, that was lower than prevailing market conditions.

Mr Wilson confirmed to Tribune Business that the successful execution of the Government’s annual borrowing plan rests heavily on its ability to obtain these IDB-type guarantees, describing these as “very important in the shortterm, very very important”.

The Ministry of Finance report, meanwhile, confirmed that The Bahamas’ total public sector debt over

Fitch downgrades US credit rating, citing mounting debt and political divisions

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer

FITCH Ratings has downgraded the United States government's credit rating, citing rising debt at the federal, state, and local levels and a "steady deterioration in standards of governance" over the past two decades.

The rating was cut Tuesday one notch to AA+ from AAA, the highest possible rating. The new rating is still well into investment grade.

The decision illustrates one way that growing political polarization and repeated Washington

standoffs over spending and taxes could end up costing U.S. taxpayers. A lower credit rating, over time, could raise borrowing costs for the U.S. government.

It's only the second time in the nation's history that its credit rating has been cut. In 2011, the ratings agency Standard & Poor's stripped the U.S. of its prize AAA rating after a prolonged fight over the government's borrowing limit. The Government Accountability Office, in a 2012 report, estimated that the 2011 budget standoff raised Treasury's borrowing costs by $1.3 billion that year.

At the same time, the huge size of the U.S. economy and historic stability of the federal government has kept its borrowing costs low. Global investors often flock to U.S. Treasury securities during periods of economic turmoil, lowering the interest rate paid by the U.S. government.

Fitch had warned May 24 that it could remove the government's triple-A rating as Congress again struggled to raise the borrowing limit. A deal was reached nearly a week later that suspended the limit and cut about $1.5 trillion from the government deficit over the next decade.

the 12 months to end-June 2023 had increased by more than half a billion dollars to hit $12.644bn. “Total public debt stood at an estimated $12.644bn at end-June 2023, which corresponded to a quarterly rise of $130m (1 percent) over end-March 2023 and an annual gain of $513.4m (4.2 percent) relative to end-June 2022,” the report said.

“Foreign currency debt at $5.776bn represented a reduced 45.7 percent of total debt compared to 46.2 percent at end-June 2022. Reflecting almost uninterrupted quarterly gains, Bahamian dollar debt registered annual growth of $340.1m to $6.868bn with the corresponding share in the total firming by 0.5 percentage points to 54.3

percent. Approximately $462.6m or 90.1 percent of the annual increase in the debt stock was attributed to operations of the central government.”

When it came to the Government’s direct debt, the Ministry of Finance report added: “The central government’s debt outstanding was an estimated $11.255bn at end-June 2023, a gain of $462.6m (4.3 percent) over end-June 2022. Benefiting from the sustained improvement in domestic economic indicators, outstanding debt ass a proportion of nominal GDP receded to an estimated 81.9 percent from 87.3 percent for fiscal year 2021-2022.”

As for debt servicing costs paid by Bahamian taxpayers, the report said:

“Annual debt service costs amounted to an estimated $3.252bn for fiscal year 2022-2023, an increase of $401.8m (14.1 percent) over the prior year. Paralleling the central government’s debt profile, nearly 72.9 percent of the aggregate costs were associated with Bahamian dollar obligations with the remaining 27.1 percent appropriated to foreign currency liabilities

“Principal payments aggregated $2.603bn, with the dominant 79.8 percent in Bahamian dollars primarily explained by the Government’s domestic securities issuance programme. Of the $648.8m in interest costs, approximately 54.5 percent was denominated in foreign currency.”

BISX-LISTED FIRM ‘QUALIFIED’ FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR

consolidated statement of financial position at December 31, 2022.

“We were unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to reconcile this amount to the underlying accounts, specifically the subsidiary ledger. The unreconciled difference between the consolidated statement of financial position and the subsidiary ledger amounted to $91.549.”

These findings match almost exactly those detailed in Benchmark (Bahamas) 2021 “qualified” audit opinion on the same topic, albeit the numbers are different. The “due from customers balance” referred to in the 2021 results was much higher at $18.44m, while the “unreconciled difference” was more than three times’ larger at $337,369.

Mr Brown yesterday pointed to the reductions as evidence that Benchmark (Bahamas) is making progress in reconciling its accounts, but the fact the same issue was flagged twice in successive annual results statements affirms that it has not been fully resolved a year later.

And PKF (Bahamas) also highlighted a new matter driving its “qualified opinion”, adding: “The group also has accounts receivable amounting to $346,242 and ‘other assets’ amounting to $309,028 included in its other receivables and pre-payments, and accounts payable amounting

to $351,045 included in its accounts payable and accrued expenses in the consolidated statement of financial position. “We were unable to obtain sufficient evidence to verify these balances. Consequently, we were unable to determine the adjustments that are necessary to be posted to the said accounts.” Auditors issue a “qualified” report whenever they find discrepancies or anomalies with particular aspects of a company’s financial reporting and accounts that warrant shareholder attention and questions being raised. These can involve an absence of supporting documentation to verify the accuracy of particular transactions and/or figures presented by management to the auditors. However, the 2022 financial statements said that PKF’s inspection of Benchmark (Bahamas) financial statements proved satisfactory in all other respects.

Mr Brown, in response, told Tribune Business that all the issues that led to the “qualified” audit involved inter-group transactions between two Benchmark entities and difficulties in reconciling them following the switch to a new information technology (IT) platform in its 2021 financial year. He added that this was no reflection on how the group was being managed or “the soundness of the business”.

N O T I C E EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ROMANIA (NARD) LIMITED

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

(a) EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ROMANIA (NARD) LIMITED is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

(b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 28th day of July 2023 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(c) The Liquidator of the said Company is Daniel A. Bates, of 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring, Texas 77389, U.S.A.

Dated the 2nd day of August, 2023

HARRY B. SANDS, LOBOSKY MANAGEMENT CO. LTD.

Registered Agent for the above-named Company

“It really is related to some reconciliations we were doing on an intercompany basis that created the hold-up,” the Benchmark chief said of the 2022 “qualified” audit opinion.

“It’s a carry over from the [IT] migration we did last year. We hoped to have it all resolved but, as the auditors said in their note, it related to trades between the two companies.

“They are inter-group companies that trade between themselves for securities execution, Benchmark Advisors and Alliance Investment Management. Alliance is the client broker, Benchmark Advisors the executing broker. There was an issue with them the year before in which the trades couldn’t be reconciled to the penny.

“In the 2021 numbers it was $338,000, and this year we got it down to $92,000. We’ve made significant progress, but the auditorsdoing their job - felt it should still be a zero balance and we’re going to get it to zero for the 2023 numbers for sure,” Mr Brown pledged.

“Because we were migrating last year [2021], and because the migration stalled the results last year, it’s a carry over from what was not cleaned up in 2021 and what we thought we cleaned up last year. There’s a few outstanding items and we thought we would get them resolved. We’ve made good progress but there’s still work to be done.”

Mr Brown predicted twice before that Benchmark (Bahamas) 2022 annual results would receive a clean bill of health from external auditors. The first occasion was in September 2022, after the 2021 financial statements and first “qualified” report were issued, and a similar pronouncement was made this May after the company received an extension to end-July 2023 for publication of its full-year 2022 results. That extension, which was granted by the Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX), was intended to give Benchmark (Bahamas) more time to address any remaining deficiencies and escape a second “qualified” opinion. However, even this proved insufficient.

Mr Brown, though, said that because the issues flagged by PKF Bahamas were “non-material” when set against the size of the company’s near-$8.6m net current assets and $16.222m total net assets, the company decided not to seek any further extensions and met the end-July publication deadline.

Asked whether shareholders should be concerned about the financial results being qualified for a second successive year, the Benchmark chief replied: “I don’t think there’s any need for concern. It’s not hindered our ability to function. It’s us reconciling the balance between our companies.

N O T I C E

EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ROMANIA (NARD)

LIMITED

Creditors having debts or claims against the above-named Company are required to send particulars thereof to the undersigned c/o P.O. Box N-624, Nassau, Bahamas on or before 28th day of August, A.D., 2023. In default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made by the Liquidator.

Dated the 2nd day of August, A.D., 2023.

Daniel A. Bates Liquidator 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway Spring, Texas 77389 U.S.A.

“I don’t think there’s any concern in relation to the way the business is being managed and the soundness of the business. The auditors were quite clear. They did their work, and with the exception of this one item everything is in good order. I don’t see that there’s any need to be concerned in that regard.”

Asked about the inclusion of the accounts receivables and payables in the auditors’ qualified opinion, Mr Brown said this, too, was related to the inter-company reconciliation issue. “They could not, in the review of our accounts, on inspection find some of these balances and not identify them,” he added of PKF (Bahamas).

“They’re all related to inter-company balances. There’s no major concern, and we have to make them comfortable with the migration and we intend to do that because we have a full picture of what occurred in 2021 and came across in 2022, and we have a plan on how we’re going to fix that for the 2023 audit.”

Stating that he is “very” confident this will be achieved, Mr Brown added:

“I don’t think for our shareholders we’re doing a bad job all things considered and, despite the opinion we got on the results for 2021 and 2022, they are not material and are not going to cause us any financial problems. They’re all debits, credits and reconciliations, but are not cause for anyone

running up and down worrying whether the company has a solid footing. It has a very solid footing.”

However, several capital markets sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the situation should attract the attention of both BISX and the Securities Commission. “The regulator should have something to say about it,” one contact said.

“A qualified audit opinion means the auditors are not able to issue an opinion on the fairness and accuracy of some aspect of the financial statements. They’re saying, in essence, that we’re not satisfied you are accurate. You get it one year, you fix it, but it’s not supposed to be an annual event.”

Keith Davies, BISX’s chief executive, yesterday said the exchange does monitor the issuance of “qualified” audit opinions for its listed companies. He added that “the nature of the issue” identified, as well as its impact on the company’s operations and ability to meet the exchange’s requirements, would determine if any action is taken.

“To say that we are aware, yes,” Mr Davies said of Benchmark. “The extension addressed a number of issues. We review, analyse and investigate, if necessary, issues such as this to determine if additional steps are needed to ensure listings meet the suitability criteria.”

Gov’t confirms three-week ‘Back to School’ VAT relief

FROM PAGE A22

argued that the financial benefits from the initiative as presently structured are more “symbolic than real” because many school supplies - including clothing and computer equipment - already enjoy duty-free exemptions year-round.

The precise nature of the “tweaks” and “more meaningful benefits” was not disclosed, and it is unclear from the Department of Inland Revenue communication if the Government has made them as the release for 2023 is identical to the one issued in 2022 save for the dates.

Mr Wilson also said the Ministry of Finance has seen fewer businesses apply for the exemption because

it was viewed as “administratively burdensome” and did not spark a significant increase in sales as shoppers are able to buy Back to School supplies on a yearround basis.

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

LEGAL NOTICE

N O T I C E

EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ROMANIA (CALIFAR)

LIMITED

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

(a) EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ROMANIA (CALIFAR) LIMITED is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

(b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 28th day of July 2023 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(c) The Liquidator of the said Company is Daniel A. Bates, of 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring, Texas 77389, U.S.A.

Dated the 2nd day of August, 2023

HARRY B. SANDS, LOBOSKY MANAGEMENT CO. LTD.

Registered Agent for the above-named Company

N O T I C E

EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ROMANIA (CALIFAR) LIMITED

Creditors having debts or claims against the above-named Company are required to send particulars thereof to the undersigned c/o P.O. Box N-624, Nassau, Bahamas on or before 28th day of August, A.D., 2023. In default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made by the Liquidator.

Dated the 2nd day of August, A.D., 2023.

Daniel A. Bates Liquidator

22777 Springwoods Village Parkway Spring, Texas 77389 U.S.A.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE DEALER IN NEW HQ EXPANSION

experience and financing tools” to help speed up Easy Car Sales’ growth plans as well as enable more Bahamian investors to have an ownership stake in “transportation’s transformation”.

“It’s a great benefit to Easy Car Sales to have RF show such confidence in our plans, in our vision and in our product, and also have so much faith in our team to deliver profits for investors and benefits to people who invest in the Strat Equity Fund,” she told Tribune Business. “For us, it’s significant in terms of an injection not only of capital but knowledge and experience from RF. They have a lot of expertise and tools to help us advance more rapidly......

“It’s going to help us to grow. We have already outgrown our current location. One of the plans is an expansion to a new location, headquarters and showroom. We’ve just added an additional brand in Jac Motors, and we need more space and we need more team members. It’s going to help us expand physically on what we’re able to do.”

Confirming that this involves a move from Easy Car Sales’ current site

on Gladstone Road, Ms Farmer declined to identify its new home on the basis that the real estate transaction is “still being closed”, but added that it will be to “a major location” on New Providence.

“Our staff has grown in the last two-and-a-half years from six people to 18 people, all Bahamian and all committed to changing the world of transportation,” she said. “We have been adding new team members” and Easy Car Sales still needs to expand “by a significant number of people”.

“We were growing very fast,” Ms Farmer continued. “We were doubling sales, we were expanding team members and growing quite rapidly in the last twoand-a-half to three years. This will allow us to even accelerate this speed, which is pretty intensive.

“It will also enable faster adoption of electric vehicles. It will spread the wealth to other people who can now invest in it, and it will add much-needed jobs in a new field. When you get into this field you will be busy for the foreseeable future. These are goodpaying jobs where people will learn new skills for new growth and accelerated growth....

“We are now going to be doing in-house financing again in the next few weeks, which we had stopped doing - leasing and in-house financing.” Ms Farmer said the investment by RF’s Strat Equity Fund, which is aiming to fill “a huge void in the market” by providing Bahamian businesses with much-needed equity capital to jumpstart the expansion of their enterprises, will also help Easy Car Sales bring in increased electric vehicle and new brands.

“We have a new brand now, so we will be bringing more options to the table,” she added of Jac Motors. “If we want people to switch to electric transport then we have to give them the models they want at a price that is competitive. We just received something in the order of 120 new vehicles in the last couple of weeks. Thirty of them are leaving shortly. They were already spoken for before they landed.

“What they’re [RF] doing with the Strat Equity Fund is they are selecting companies that have the promise of profits and growth. For us, it’s a great vote of confidence. It’s going to enable more people to have an ownership stake in the electric vehicle market. Not only can they invest in

Starbucks reports record revenue as China booms, but sales still fall short of expectations

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer

STARBUCKS reported record revenue in its fiscal third quarter as its China business roared back to life.

Still, the company's results were mixed for the 13 weeks ending July 2. While its earnings surpassed Wall Street's forecast, its revenue and same-store sales were lower than expected as North American store traffic slowed.

Starbucks shares were down 1% in after-market trading Tuesday.

Same-store sales — or sales at stores open at least a year — jumped 46% in China, reversing last year's declines due to COVID restrictions. At Chinese

stores opened in 2019 or earlier, morning routines are fully back to 2019 levels, the company said.

Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan, who spent part of the quarter visiting stores in China, noted that the company now has a record 20 million active Starbucks Rewards users in the country. And he said he's convinced there's a long runway ahead. Narasimhan noted that Chinese consumers drink an average of 12 cups of coffee per year; U.S. customers drink 380.

"We are still in our early days in China," Narasimhan said during a conference call with investors. But North American same-store sales growth

NOTICE

IN THE ESTATE OF IRVIN R. PYFROM a.k.a. IRWIN PYFROM, late of Ridgeland Park West, in the Southern District of 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 duly certifed in writing to the undersigned on or before “14th September, 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 Administrator shall have had Notice. AND NOTICE is hereby also given that all persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to make full settlement on or before the date hereinbefore mentioned.

Dated the 19th day of July, A.D., 2023

NATHANIEL DEAN & Co. CHAMBERS

Attorneys for the Administrator 55 Rosetta Street, Palmdale New Providence, The Bahamas

(J.19, 26, A.2)

Legal Notice NOTICE

SINTETICA FUND LTD.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

(a) Sintetica Fund Ltd. is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Company Act, 2000.

(b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 27th day of July, 2023 when its Notice of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(c) The Liquidator of the said International Business Company is Shareece Scott, Deltec Bank & Trust Limited, Deltec House, Lyford Cay, P.O. Box N-3229, Nassau, Bahamas.

Shareece Scott Liquidator

slowed to 7% after three quarters of double-digit gains. Customers paid more for their drinks and food, and revenue rose 11% to a record $6.7 billion for the region. But customer traffic was up just 1%.

owning an electric vehicle, they can be part of a growing business and profit from it.

“For me it’s important that as many people in The Bahamas as possible become shareholders in this technology revolution because transportation is being transformed.” Private equity funds, such as the Strat Equity Fund, work differently from how traditional mutual and investment funds have operated in the domestic Bahamian capital markets.

While the latter acquire shares in companies, these tend to be firms that are publicly traded and listed on the Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX), with positions often held for the long-term.

In contrast, private equity funds acquire shareholdings in private companies with the goal of turning these firms around, generating returns for their investors by making them more profitable and efficient before recovering the initial principal outlay by seeking an exit route for their investment. This is often done by taking the firm public via an initial public offering (IPO), and the Strat Equity Fund will typically seek an exit after five to seven years.

Narasimhan said new equipment, including warming ovens and cold foam blenders, have now rolled out to all U.S. company-operated stores and are improving service times. Cold drinks now make up 75% of Starbucks' U.S. beverage sales, he said, and cold foam is the fastestgrowing add-on. The Seattle-based coffee giant said its overall revenue rose 12% to $9.2 billion in the quarter.

Ms Farmer described the Strat Equity Fund’s creation, and the thinking behind it, as “a brilliant idea” and acknowledged that RF was already talking to several other private companies about acquiring an equity stake in their business just as it has done with Easy Car Sales.

“People can invest in Bahamian companies with growth potential and keep their money at home with investments in local companies,” she added. “One has to negotiate the best agreement for one’s own company. We have a very cordial, clearly laid out relationship [with RF] that sets out the responsibilities but the leadership stays with the managing partner, myself and John [Farmer].

“It’s a partnership that we expect to run smoothly and don’t see any problems. We had many meetings and are working together very well. Conversations were ongoing for months. It’s not a majority shareholding [for

RF]. We’re just expanding faster, and they will advise and help us to reach our goal.”

Ms Farmer said there was “more work to be done” now that Easy Car Sales has partnered with the Strat Equity Fund and its investors, and added: “Right now we are still targeting for this year to increase sales from last year by 50 percent to 280. We’re still working on that. We’re looking good but it’s a seasonal thing and it’s hard to tell until the Fat Lady sings.

“We’re still close to 10 percent market share of all new car sales right now, which is what we anticipated. We’re still at that level, but car sales have increased this year so we’re keeping up the percentage. We are feeling very optimistic and very happy that other people believe in what we’re doing other than our drivers. It’s nice when someone of the calibre of RF has confidence in what we’re doing.”

BAHAMAS HOSTS ELECTRIC GOLF CART ASSEMBLY PLANT

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

AN ELECTRIC golf cart provider says The Bahamas now hosts the "first fullfledged plant outside the US" where the vehicles are assembled.

Jason Higgs, co-owner of Icon Golf Carts, told this newspaper that the company is bringing environmentally-friendly transportation that reflects "Bahamian living" to the Family Islands and gated communities.

“Icon here in The Bahamas is actually the first full-fledged assembly plant outside of the US," he explained. "Our product is a 100 percent electric, high performance golf cart in a variety of coloyrs, styles, as well as a utility line. We have a full factory. We assemble, we cover all maintenance and service, as well as a fully-stocked parts department. We're trying to

bring an alternative means of transportation to primarily our Family Islands and our gated communities.

“We are trying to provide transportation that encapsulates Bahamian living. You go to the Out Islands and you're rolling around in the golf. That is the typical island life, really fun and carefree. We have some very vivid colours, very tropical colours, very Bahamian and we’re trying to provide that island lifestyle.”

Mr Higgs said electric vehicles such as the golf carts are better for the environment and can decrease The Bahamas dependence on fossil fuels. He added that the electric carts are also low maintenance and can hit speeds of up to 25 miles per hour, covering a distance of 30 miles on full charge.

“We have to consider the environment and climate change. If you look at the way the world is going, everything is moving

towards electric. Technology is moving towards solar panels and better sources of battery power. We can eliminate having to keep up with the demand with the gas pump, and shipping fossil fuel into the country, and we get into a neat, sustainable power source," Mr Higgs said.

“Our vehicles come standard, doing a top speed of 25 miles an hour, which is a lot higher than your typical golf carts. It gives you about a 30-mile range on a full charge. We have a wide variety of tropical colours so they will look different than your average golf cart set-up. It's basically a maintenance-free vehicle outside of tyre wear and brake pads. There's nothing to do on it apart from just making sure that electrical connection and battery power is up to standard.”

Mr Higgs said he has had a “mixed response” from Family Islanders, who are apprehensive about purchasing an electric vehicle

and increasing their electricity bills, or not being able to charge their vehicles due to unreliable service and power outages from Bahamas Power & Light (BPL). He has had to "reassure" clients that the golf cart charging systems are "smart" and will shut-off once the vehicle is charged with the same amount of power as a small refrigerator.

“It's been a little bit of a mixed response. I have been able to send a couple of them to Harbour Island as well as Staniel Cay, Exuma," Mr Higgs said. "The big debate among the Family Islanders is that they are so accustomed to gas that they question electric because of fluctuating power, and power cuts, and stuff like that. And a lot of islands have those problems so they are nervous about being able to charge,and they are nervous that their light bill will go up more.

“So I've been trying to reassure them that our

charging system is a smart charging system. You can charge anywhere that you can find a normal household socket. It will only be on charge for as long as it needs to charge, and then it shuts itself off. And the power source fuels about the same amount of power as a small refrigerator. So there isn’t a lot of demand on power from BPL.”

Mr Higgs said his company is developing a solar attachment for the carts that will elliminate the need to use electricity from BPL.

He added that some golf cart models can be used by small construction firms and landscapers, and that medical assistance golf carts are available.

He added: “All charges come built in, so they're not like the old electric golf carts where you had to have the heavy load charging box. Ours are completely built-in and programmable by computer. But, you know, they have their motivations. You know, they like

Gov’t confirms three-week ‘Back to School’ VAT relief

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

GOVERNMENT officials yesterday confirmed that the three-week Back to School 'VAT-free holiday' will run from August 19 to September 10 after merchants called for clarity on the dates.

The Department of Inland Revenue, in a statement, said personal computers, tablets, laptops, notebooks, uniforms, shoes, underwear, hair accessories and bookbags will be among the items that will attract a zero VAT rate during this period when acquired for students returning to school. The confirmation came as retailers affirmed that Back to School-related sales have returned to pre-COVID levels. James Wallace,

owner/operator of Janaees

Uniform Centre, said:

“Back to School sales are at the same level as they were pre-pandemic, which to us is a good sign that people are going back into setting up for schools to be open.

"Last year we didn't have that. When school opened in September, they weren't quite sure what they were doing. So we're satisfied that we've seen sales returned to the pre-pandemic level.” Mr Wallace said his store typically does not see an increase in sales during the 'VAT-free holiday', with many shoppers "frustrated" that it is held so late in the summer that many of the products they are seeking are sold out.

“We just see basically the same static sales; it’s just that it's VAT free," Mr Wallace said. "We're not sure whether or not people bought an extra item

because they don't have [to pay] 10 percent. We don't really see it like that. We just see a lot of frustrated people complaining that the VAT holiday is so late and, if they wait, most of the items are sold out.”

Mr Wallace explained that most parents have already purchased uniforms by the time the VAT holiday starts in mid to late August, and only lastminute clients benefit from the tax's elimination. He added that the timing of the VAT-free holiday may be intentional as the policymakers are likely aware there are fewer persons looking for Back to School items at this time.

He added: “People start purchasing before the VAT holiday because one of the things that most have come to realise is that when the VAT holiday reach they

can’t find the items because they are sold out.

“So it's kind of late. Only the last-minute shoppers are scrambling around, and they can’t really find all the items because most people shop early. So it may be strategic by the Government to put the VAT holiday very late in anticipation that there will be less people out there in the market purchasing, so it's to their advantage if they want to keep maximising their revenue.”

The Department of Inland Revenue yesterday urged merchants participating in the Back to School 'VAT-free holiday' to maintain inventory listings identifying each stock-keeping unit (SKU) sold at the zero rate along with descriptions of the items sold.

Retailers will be allowed to accommodate

layaway purchases before the 'VAT-free holiday' starts. However, Department of Inland Revenue officials said layaway purchases will only attract a zero VAT rate if they are completed during the threeweek tax relief period.

Laptops, electronic book readers, tablets and tower computers that cost $3,000 or less will be included in the VAT-free holiday. Cell phones and video game consoles will not. All clothing, uniforms or fabric costing less than $100 per unit will attract a VAT-free rate.

Uhura Woodside, manager of Nassau Stationers, said Back to School sales are "coming along" and customers have been inquiring about the 'VAT-free holiday' all summer. She added that schools such as Nassau Christian Academy (NCA) will open before the tax

the fact that they run out of gas. It's a gallon of gas and they are back up and ready to go.

"So we are trying to be very competitive in the Out Islands. We're in the process right now of getting a solar system designed that we will be attaching, or have the ability to attach, to the roofs of our golf carts, which will hopefully enable them to utilise their golf carts without actually not having to plug into BPL at all.

“That particular unit is good for holding up to around 1,000 pounds of weight. So it is very efficient for small-time construction or even a landscaper. We also carry a fully-enclosed cargo box which could be used to store supplies, and they will be locked in secure versus a typical golf cart where everything's wide open. And we also have wheelchair-assisted vehicles or medical assistance vehicles.”

relief arrives, so parents of students at that school cannot wait for it to arrive.

“Most persons are asking: 'Well, when is the VAT holiday going to be?' and they are trying to hold on," she said. "Other persons, they say: ‘You know what, I don’t want to wait on that and then I don’t find what I need’ as opposed to waiting on the 10 percent and then the item is sold out. So some wait, some don’t.”

“People come in early for books, especially how Nassau Christian Academy is going to open on August 14. They need to have their books. We have a lot of persons who have bought already.”

Simon Wilson, the Ministry of Finance's financial secretary, previously said the Government was seeking to "tweak" this year’s 'VAT-free holiday' to provide merchants and consumers with "more meaningful benefits". He

SEE PAGE A20

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SCOTIABANK (BAHAMAS) GAINS NEW RECOGNITION

SCOTIABANK (Bahamas) says it has been named as the 'Best Bank' in this nation at the Euromoney 2023 Awards.

The Canadian-owned bank, in a statement, said the honour followed similar recognition from Global Finance Magazine as The Bahamas' 'Best Bank' over the last two years.

In its published award note, Euromoney hailed Scotiabank (Bahamas) for upgrading all in-branch automated teller machines (ATMs), deepening the footprint of its off-site ATMs and engaging in significant infrastructure renovation. The bank was also praised for the launch of its sales centre.

Roger Archer, Scotiabamk (Bahamas) managing director, said the institution has delivered on its service standards and relevant financial solutions for customers. "Scotiabank has maintained its position as the bank of choice in The Bahamas. We continue to review our protocols and remain committed to high service standards," he added.

"Customer satisfaction is at the heart of our mandate, and we have been able

ROGER ARCHER

to maintain profitability while investing to provide convenient payment and digital solutions to our diverse clientele."

Scotiabank (Bahamas) added that its initiatives have sped up the recovery of small businesses from the COVID-19 pandemic and helped reposition them for faster growth in 2023. Its counterparts in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago also received Euromoney Awards at the July 2023 ceremony. Euromoney's Awards for Excellence, founded in 1992, received a record number of submissions for more than 50 regional awards and best bank awards in 100 countries.

A SENIOR regional official has met with a Cabinet minister after The Bahamas assumed the chair of an important Caribbean trade body one month ago.

Alexis Downes-Amsterdam, director-general of the CARIFORUM directorate, met with Senator Michael Halkitis, minister of economic affairs, after the Bahamas took the chair for one year from July 1, 2023.

CARIFORUM is the Body comprising Caribbean and ACP states that are signatories to the Georgetown Agreement. The agreement was signed in 1975, and it established the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP).

The grouping is composed of 79 countries. All participating

states in CARIFORUM, with the exception of Cuba, are signatories to the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement or 'Cotonou Agreement' and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe's 27-nation trading bloc, respectively. The Caribbean Forum of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (CARIFORUM), or forum of Caribbean States, are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

Maritime Academy holds graduations

LJM Maritime Academy this weekend held graduation ceremonies for its 2016-2019 intakes, its 2022 ratings cohort and pre-sea passing out cohorts 2021.

The Academy said it was created in recognition of the fact that maritime education at the officer level is too costly for Bahamians to study abroad. Its goal is to make maritime education and training locally available and affordable to ordinary Bahamians at standards of maritime excellence that meet or exceed international benchmarks.

Academy graduates are employed locally and internationally on shore and commercial vessels, with some having achieved the rank of second officers. Dr Brendamae Cleare, pictured centre among the graduates, is the Academy's president.

THE WEATHER REPORT

Photo:Patrick Hanna/BIS

Photo:Anthon Thompson/BIS

BISX-listed firm ‘qualified’ for second straight year

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A BISX-listed company’s top executive yesterday moved to reassure shareholders after auditors issued a “qualified opinion” on its annual financial results for the second consecutive year over the same issue.

Julian Brown, Benchmark (Bahamas) president and chief executive, told Tribune Business the impact is “not material” when set against the firm’s near-$16.222m

total net assets “and is not going to cause us any financial problems”.

He pledged that “we have a plan to fix” the problem which led to PKF Bahamas “qualifying” the 2022 results - the second straight year it has made such a finding - in time for Benchmark (Bahamas) 2023 audit although such promises have been made twice before.

Mr Brown argued that the publicly-traded firm has made “good progress” in tackling the woes, with the sum at the centre of the auditors’ verdict having been reduced year-over-year from an

Electric vehicle dealer in new HQ expansion

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN electric vehicle dealer yesterday unveiled plans to expand to “a major location” and grow its workforce after becoming the first investment for RF Bank & Trust’s newly-launched private equity fund.

Pia Farmer, partner at Easy Car Sales, told Tribune Business the tie-up with the Bahamian investment bank’s Strat Equity Fund will “accelerate” the company’s growth and also enable it to relaunch its in-house financing and vehicle leasing operation “in the next few weeks’.

While declining to specify how much RF’s private equity fund has invested in the dealer, or the size of the equity stake it has taken, she confirmed it is a minority shareholder and pointed to the fact that the bank previously

initial $337,369 in 2021 to $91,549 in the latest accounts.

However, Renee Lockhart, PKF Bahamas’ lead audit partner on the Benchmark (Bahamas) financials, this year flagged up a further issue relating to almost $1m in combined accounts receivables, payables and “other receivables and pre-payments” that were not referred to in the 2021 audited financials. Auditors were unable to obtain sufficient evidence to either “reconcile” or “verify” the sums in question.

said it was targeting investments between $5m-$10m in Bahamian companies it believes have strong growth potential.

Ms Farmer told this newspaper that the Strat Equity Fund’s participation was “a huge vote of confidence” in both Easy Car Sales and the wider growth potential of the electric vehicle market, which she asserted will account for one-third of all autos sold in The Bahamas by 2030.

With the dealership “looking good” to meet this year’s target of a 50 percent increase in sales compared to 2022, taking the total to around 280, she added that it was also maintaining its 10 percent share or all Bahamian auto purchases despite the market’s overall expansion for 2023.

Besides the Strat Equity Fund’s capital injection, Ms Farmer said it and RF will also bring “knowledge,

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‘Major progress’ on one insurance law

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

REGULATORS say “significant progress” has been made in combining the Bahamian insurance industry’s regulatory regime into one law after the sector saw gross written premiums increase by $60m in 2022.

Michele Fields, the Insurance Commission’s superintendent,

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

INFLATION “may not be as frightening as it was a year to 18 months ago”, a governance reformer argued yesterday, despite food and beverage costs rising by almost 13 percent during the year to April 2023.

Hubert Edwards, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) economic development

writing in the regulator’s just-released 2022 annual report confirmed that work to amalgamate the Insurance and External Insurance Acts is continuing after the initiative was sparked by the removal of preferential tax benefits for foreign entities to meet the European Union’s (EU) demands.

“The removal of preferential exemptions and the Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements)

Acts of 2018 encouraged the harmonisation of regulatory and tax treatment of foreign and domestic entities, and served as the catalyst for the amalgamation of the insurance legislation,” she said.

“During 2022, the Commission made significant progress in amalgamating the Insurance Act 2005 and the External Insurance Act 2009. In 2023, the Commission will continue with the review and amalgamation

of the regulations, following which a final industry consultation will take place.” The Commercial Entities (Substance Requirements) Act 2018 was this week replaced by upgraded legislation.

Elsewhere, Mrs Fields said total gross written premiums generated by the Bahamian insurance industry - both life and health and property and

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committee head, told Tribune Business there were some signs that the US battle against inflation is having success and that this could eventually rub off on The Bahamas given its status as this country’s major trading partner.

Acknowledging that food and energy costs continue to be the “major driver” of Bahamian inflation, and the sustained upward pressure on multiple costs across the economy, he added that

this nation may be able to afford “to wait and see” if the Federal Reserve’s concerted interest rate rises can bring US inflation down closer to its 2 percent target within the coming months.

“Inflation is always a concern because it reduces buying power,” Mr

Edwards told this newspaper. “If there’s any good news on the inflation front it’s that the US seems to some extent to be levelling out on inflation and, because it’s our major trading partner and The Bahamas is a net importer

Explaining the basis for PKF Bahamas’ “qualified opinion”, the accounting firm informed Benchmark (Bahamas) shareholders: “The group is carrying a balance in its due from customers account amounting to $1.85m, which is presented net of provision in the

‘No issues’ over Govt’s $3.5bn debt refinance

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Finance’s top official yesterday reassured there are “no issues” over the Government’s ability to refinance some $3.466bn in debt maturing this fiscal year given its access to “credit lines”.

Simon Wilson, the financial secretary, told Tribune Business he was “very confident” the Government will be able to rollover more than 28 percent of its total debt portfolio during the coming 12 months based on feedback already received from investors and holders of these securities.

“We have done market reads and have credit lines available,” he said. The Bahamas has to refinance some $868.1m of external debt, meaning foreign currency-denominated bonds and other IOUs held by overseas investors, and $2.598bn in domestic debt held by Bahamian institutions and individuals over the 2023-2024 fiscal period which closes at end-June next year.

This effort will likely be scrutinised closely by the global capital markets since Moody’s, the credit rating agency, warned in its latest June 2023 update that “the major risk” facing The

Bahamas is the potential difficulties it will encounter in refinancing some $1.9bn of maturing debt at reasonable interest rate costs. Noting that these refinancing needs, equivalent to 14.3 percent of Bahamian gross domestic product (GDP), will come due in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Moody’s said the Davis administration will “need to find alternative financing sources” given that international capital markets are effectively closed to it due to the high prevailing interest rate environment.

“The major risk for the sovereign [The Bahamas] centres on challenges in financing and refinancing its upcoming maturities. Even with a narrowing fiscal deficit that turns to a surplus in fiscal 2025, the Government faces large gross financing

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SIMON WILSON

JULIAN BROWN

L to R: Ian Johnson, Easy Car Sales general manager; Altermize Missick-Russell, Easy Car Sales financial controller; Pia Farmer, Easy Car Sales managing partner; Jontra Harvey, RF investment banking regional manager; Michael Anderson, RF president; John Farmer, Easy Car Sales executive director; and Jim Wilson, RF investment banking vice-president.

Inflation’s high but ‘not as frightening’

HUBERT EDWARDS KWASI THOMPSON

$5.70 $5.75 $5.80 $5.71