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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2021

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6,000 back to work at Atlantis

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

• Resort booked to capacity through to next year • Thanksgiving, Battle for Atlantis brings in 7,000 guests

ATLANTIS Paradise Island has 6,000 staff members back to work for the holidays as the resort is reporting full occupancy well into the New Year.

Audrey Oswell, president of Atlantis, told Tribune Business yesterday the resort will be booked to capacity straight into early next year as the resort’s promotional events are having a lot to do with this.

Ms Oswell said: “We are all set for the holidays and business is doing very well. We’re happy to report that we’re on full occupancy and we have been for about two weeks now, and looking forward to Christmas and New Year’s we will be full straight through to the beginning of next year.”

SEE PAGE 4

ATLANTIS RESORT

BREA president taking NAD meets passenger arivals projections stand against foreign realtor companies

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

• Wants MoU with international real estate associations • Warns BREA members foreign co-brokering unlawful

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Real Estate Association’s (BREA) president yesterday said she wants “law and order” in this country and made a stand on co-brokering with foreign agents as she justifies the need for BREA to have Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with foreign real estate associations.

Christine Wallace-Whitefield told Tribune Business that under no circumstance is there to be any co-brokering with any foreign agent or foreign real estate company with any Bahamian real estate company.

She said: “BREA members should be reminded that co-brokerage with a foreign agent is not permitted under law and not permitted under the Bilateral Agreement – real estate business must be conducted by a BREA licensed agent and foreign agents are paid only a referral fee for referring the business.”

The Real Estate Act, Brokers and Salesman Act 1995, states that any person

CHRISTINE WALLACE-WHITEFIELD practising real estate business on behalf of a third party is to be duly licensed under the Act. With the Bilateral Agreement with the National Association of Realtors (NAR), foreign agents are only allowed to refer their business to a licensed BREA Broker or Salesman and in doing so receive payment of a referral fee up to 25 percent. The NAR Bilateral Agreement basically indicates that when wanting to undertake real estate business in a foreign country like the Bahamas, the agent must

SEE PAGE 3

SIR Lynden Pindling International Airport met its projected 6,000 passenger arrival for this past weekend and expects this to maintain this volume throughout the remainder of the holiday season, a top executive at the Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) said yesterday.

Jan Knowles, vice president of marketing and communications, told Tribune Business yesterday: “We were pleased with how operations went over the weekend. The airport community worked closely together to successfully welcome thousands of arriving passengers this weekend given preliminary passenger numbers on Saturday, December 18, and Sunday, December 19. Like other airports around the world, LPIA is experiencing heavier traffic due to the traditionally busy holiday season.”

NAD was expected to handle over 6,000 passengers this past weekend, a mark that has not been met in many months, Ms Knowles said, but she is happy to note that while there were

LYDEN PINDLING INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT some cancellations it remained in the 6,000 passenger range as the LPIA was “the busiest it has been in quite some time”.

Ms Knowles added: “The airport community managed the many schedule changes over the weekend to smoothly accommodate all arriving and departing flights. Stakeholders like Nassau Flight Services, Airport Authority, Bahamas Customs and Bahamas Immigration, USCPB (US Custom and Border Protection) and Air Traffic Control

played a pivotal role in ensuring airport operations were successful.

“We anticipate travel will be busy throughout the holidays and into the New Year and are grateful for the recovery of our business at this time. We are cautiously optimistic in the face of the new virus variant that appears to be gaining traction in some of our source markets. We have not seen any major cancellations in this regard and preliminary numbers indicate we met our projected passenger volumes over the weekend.”

Taxicab Union warned against price gouging

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Taxicab Union (BTCU) yesterday cautioned against price gouging in the sector, encouraging visitors to check the rates prior to getting into a taxi.

Wesley Ferguson, its president, told Tribune Business about price gouging he understands is taking place at the Sir Lynden International Airport (LPIA) - but he doesn’t blame taxi drivers for this confusion.

He said: “Sometimes you have to figure out what the visitors did before they got to the hotel. It is not always what the visitors say and then sometimes these people get into these SUVs. This is one of the things we have a problem with; we are having a problem with these SUVs operating from the airport as taxis, because

WESLEY FERGUSON once tourists get in these SUVs they will overcharge these people: they don’t tell the people how much it is going to cost them until they get them to their destination.”

He added: “Then you have a situation where passengers may want

a ride to Paradise Island and it may be five or six of them, but they have to understand that each additional person after the first two is $4. So you have to take that into consideration as well.

“Then sometimes these people make a bunch of stops. Sometimes they would stop to the liquor store or the food store and they figure it is the same price. So you have to find out if these people made stops on their ride from the airport or they had more than two passengers for the taxi ride.

All of this adds to the cost.”

Calling the SUV issue a longstanding and “vexing” issue at the airport, Mr Ferguson said: “This is why we have been trying to get the government for years to regulate this system. So it could be a clear decisive system at the airport: What kind

SEE PAGE 4

Senor Frogs ‘seeing a lot of business’ since reopen

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

WESLEY FERGUSON

A POPULAR downtown eatery has brought back only 40 percent of its staff since reopening from its COVID-19 imposed closure in March, 2020.

Shanika Russell, day manager at Senor Frogs, told Tribune Business the restaurant reopened for business officially two weeks ago and has steadily rebuilt its local clientele as cruise ship passengers start pouring in to supplement that.

She said: “We’re seeing a lot of business. It seemed

as if we were never closed because a lot of returning customers are coming back and we’ve had very, very busy days.

“Of course, it took some time for us to reopen because we had to make sure that everything was set in place, according to the government of The Bahamas. So we wanted to make sure that everything was clear concerning the interest of our guests, the interest of our staff that we are complying according to the government rules of the country. So, there was a lot of preparation and of

SEE PAGE 3

PAGE 2, Tuesday, December 21, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

URCA report: Pandemic stalls BPL rate reduction bond

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

REGULATORS have acknowledged the COVID19 economic fallout was behind Bahamas Power & Light’s Rate Reduction Bond (RRB) being stalled.

The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), in its just-released draft annual plan for 2022, said that

despite the RRB for BPL being proposed in late 2019, shortly thereafter the world was beset with the onset of the COVID pandemic and that put a halt to any activity that would have accelerated the placement of the RRB. The report said: “In late 2019 Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) and the Government of The Bahamas proposed a bond offering to provide the funding required to address legacy

debt and capitalisation for the government owned power utility. In January 2020, URCA was asked to expeditiously review a compendium of Rate Reduction Bond (RRB) documents in order to facilitate the imminent issuance of the bond.

However, after URCA’s initial assessment, in March 2020 the world was sieged by the COVID-19 pandemic, which wreaked havoc economically and diminished the financial

BAHAMAS POWER & LIGHT HEADQUARTERS markets’ appetite for bonds such as the RRB. “In the first half of 2021, worldwide markets began to settle as economies adjusted for what appeared to be a long haul with the ongoing pandemic. Consequently, the Government sought to amend the legislation governing the RRB to accommodate the changing economic and financial environment.

Notably, while investors are now prepared to entertain the idea of bonds such as the proposed RRB, the interest rates associated with the same have adjusted upwards to compensate for the anticipated risks in the COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 eras.”

While URCA participated in several stakeholder workshops on the importance of the RRB, in this late hour with a new government already going on record stating that there is

little appetite for saddling the Bahamian taxpayer with such a hefty bill for BPL of well over $500m, they nevertheless remain “ready to assist with the regulatory assessment of innovative solutions to address the financial needs of BPL as the need arises.”

The report also highlighted the power company’s fuel hedge strategy and said: “In July 2020, BPL commenced its fuel hedging programme which has resulted in the application of a Fuel Charge of 10.5 cents/kWh from commencement to date. The actual fuel charge amendment was gazetted on 26 June 2020. It is URCA’s understanding that the current hedged fuel price will remain in place until June 2022, when it is subject to adjustment in accordance with current fuel prices and an agreed adjustment mechanism.

“It is noted that the goals of the hedge were not solely financial, but also economic as it was viewed as a means of stabilizing the fuel charge component of electricity bills during a period of economic uncertainty and heightened reliance on electricity supply services.

“While URCA has monitored the variance between hedged fuel price and an extrapolated fuel price utilizing pre-hedge indicators, and prima facie it appears that the hedge has been beneficial thus far, URCA will request a comprehensive report from BPL in accordance with its licence obligation, Condition 24.

“It is within URCA’s remit to ensure transparency and accountability to the regulator, customers and stakeholders concerning the effectiveness of the hedge and the fuel consumption efficiencies of BPL’s operations.”

AIR CANADA WELCOMED BACK TO EXUMA

THE MINISTRY of Tourism, Investments and Aviation celebrated Air Canada's resumption of service to Exuma on Sunday afternoon, December 19, 2021 after a year of suspension. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation (MOTIA) the Hon. Chester Cooper, Senator Randy Rolle, MOTIA Permanent Secretary Reginald Saunders, Deputy Director General Latia Duncombe, Executive Director Dr. Kenneth Romer and the ministry's Exuma team welcomed the flight from Toronto, along with other officials. It was a full flight into Exuma International Airport: photos show the welcome event.

Photos:Kemuel Stubbs/BIS

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 21, 2021, PAGE 3

BREA PRESIDENT TAKING STAND AGAINST FOREIGN REALTOR COMPANIES FROM PAGE ONE

adhere to our licensing and immigration laws.

The bilateral agreement with the NAR is not the only agreement BREA has signed on to as just recently they have signed agreements with the Long Island, New York and Sarasota, Florida real estate associations, of which Ms Wallace-Whitfield said: “We are also working in Miami and other cities in Florida and what is important is that what the associations should do is they educate their members on how business is done in

terms of if they have customers and clients who are selling property in The Bahamas, they must always refer. We just want them to be aware that it is illegal to come into The Bahamas and sell property if you are not a Bahamian.

“We would not dare go over to the US and try to sell property. We do have instances where expats living here wanting to sell their property in the US and we tell them all the time that they have to deal with someone in the US for that, or in the state you are trying to sell the property.

The only thing we can do is

refer them to a real estate agent in that state, because we do have that bilateral agreement with the NAR and we can easily find them a reputable and licensed realtor, but that’s about as far as we can go.”

Catching foreign agents selling property in The Bahamas is a problem that pops up from time to time, she added: “In the beginning of the year and during the year of COVID-19 we noticed an increase in it, but we haven’t seen too many, but we do still hear that a lot of these foreign companies that come and they put up signs on various

out islands, not so much in Nassau, but they do try to get other Family Islands like the ones closer to Florida like Bimini or the Berry Islands where they feel no one would see them.”

But BREA sees them and knows about all of the tactics foreign realtors try to use to skirt around the laws and regulations of The Bahamas and it is why such a frantic pace is being made to ensure that these MoU’s are signed with as many US real estate agencies so that a fair understanding can be made on what not to do in The Bahamas.

There is no leeway for a foreign real estate company to sell property in The Bahamas without paying stamp duty at the very least, which would require a lawyer to assist with the paperwork, something Ms Wallace-Whitfield understands.

“We are asking the attorneys to assist us because they would need an attorney to help close the transaction, so that is our next step also to go to the Bahamas Bar Association (BBA) and have a sit down with them,” she said.

“We just want law and order in this country. We

want it done right and we would like for everyone to be on board. We have to use an attorney with our transactions and we have to make sure we register and ensure all of our customers and clients are registered and that we have done our KYC (know your customer) and due diligence.

So we do everything by the book and so we are asking the legal profession to help us and make sure that these contracts and agreements are from licensed real estate agents here in The Bahamas.”

DPM COOPER MEETS WITH THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY

DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (MOTIA) the Hon. Chester Cooper met with the Civil Aviation Authority in their conference room, British Colonial Hilton, December 16, 2021. In the group photo, 4453, are from left: Ryan Sands, Civil Aviation Authority Legal Advisor; Alex Ferguson, Acting Director General of Civil Aviation Authority; Edward Patton, Director; Maudline Cooper, Director; Deputy Prime Minister Cooper; Devard Francis, Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority; Reginald Saunders, Permanent Secretary MOTIA; and Gary Cooper, Director.

Photos:Kemuel Stubbs/BIS

SENOR FROGS ‘SEEING A LOT OF BUSINESS’ SINCE REOPEN FROM PAGE ONE stuff to ensure that we were ready for the reopening.”

Senor Frogs is on “minimum staff” right now as only 40 staff members are back to working “dayto- day” out of a full staff complement of 100 they had before they closed operations in March, 2020.

Ms Russell added: “Our operating hours are normal, we are operating like we were before the closure and the crowds are coming back slowly, but surely. We have a lot of returning customers as people are excited, because even during our closure there were a lot of our return guests emailing me and sending me messages on Facebook telling

me that they want to come back... So, here we are back and we are seeing very, very busy days and I am forever grateful for that.”

Customers to Senor Frogs are obeying the safety protocols and there has not been an incident with a local or a foreigner having a problem with sanitising or wearing a mask if they are required to.

“We haven’t had a problem, we have signs up everywhere and everything is clearly visible. So, we do not have any issues with people sanitising. It is clear as they come to the door, they are greeted and they know they have to sanitise,” said Ms Russell.

Even on the busier weekends where the turnout is “stronger” with locals mixed in with the cruise passengers, things run smoothly.

“Senor Frogs is a globally recognized brand and so building back the business with our locals is very important for us,” she added.

TO ADVERTISE TODAY IN THE TRIBUNE CALL @ 502-2394

Public Notice

Please be advised that all persons or entities holding valid contracts with

Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority

are asked to present themselves at the National Sports Authority on Wednesday and Thursday, December 22nd & 23rd respectively between the hours of 9am and 5pm, to provide documents necessary to ensure payment of any arrears owed on the contracts.

The following documents are required: • Copy of contract • Government issued id or if a corporate entity evidence that you can act on behalf of the corporate entity (Power of Attorney) along with the

government issued ID. • Tax Compliance Certificate • NIB Company Registration Certificate • A copy of a Valid Business License • VAT Certificate, if the annual valule of the contracts with the authority was in excess of $80,000.00 • Bank accout information as no termination payment would be made to third party accounts on behalf of terminated contractors.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, December 21, 2021

TAXICAB UNION WARNED AGAINST PRICE GOUGING FROM PAGE ONE

of car you are getting into, what you are paying to get where you’re going and so on and so forth.”

Mr Ferguson also said: “Let me explain it to you because a lot of people don’t understand, the average rate for a taxi van right now is $75 per hour. So that means that if you were in that taxi for an hour for whatever reason, notwithstanding traffic, but say for

example I took a fare from the airport and we stopped to the liquor store and it was just for ten minutes, but by the time we got to the hotel you have spent an hour in my car that’s $75.

This is just for a taxi, but it is $100 for the SUV even though they may cut the passenger a break on the fare.”

Visitors have to be careful when coming to the airport and deciding to take

an SUV over a regular taxi, Mr Ferguson warend.

“They jam up at the door and they hustle you into their cars. They would offer you to ride in an SUV and as an unsuspecting tourist you may be tempted to take a ride in an SUV because they think it may be a taxi too, but when you get to the hotel the guy hits you with the $75 price despite taxi fares being advertised online as $35. The SUV

driver won’t tell the tourists that he is just an SUV and not a taxi driver so the taxi drivers have to take the fall for that.”

The government needs to be more involved in the taxi system at the airport, Mr Ferguson lamented.

“They don’t see the urgency or the importance of regulating the system at the airport,” he said.

“We’ve been fighting with them for years, but

6,000 BACK TO WORK AT ATLANTIS FROM PAGE ONE The full rebound is on as Atlantis is building off the momentum of the Thanksgiving Day holiday basketball tournament, Battle for Atlantis, which

brought in over 7,000 guests to the resort.

Ms Oswell added: “Party like a Royal is about sold out on New Year’s Eve and Doja Cat is almost sold out also. We have a lot of repeat visitors that typically spend the holiday period

with us here in paradise, but we also have a lot of people that are coming in especially for Doja Cat.” Atlantis is doing better in many instances than it was in 2019, despite the Beach Tower being closed for “redevelopment.”

But comparing “apples to apples, each tower that is open we are above 2019 levels,” she said.

“We are approaching 6,000 team members and we are pleased to report that everybody is back to full hours, unless they are

THE TRIBUNE

for popularity and for fear of losing votes they have decided to let it ride and let it take care of itself, because if I am the minister and I make a powerful decision to do it right then I will not be popular anymore. So they would rather to remain popular than try to find a resolution to the matter at the airport taxi system.”

Right now taxis have a system where they line up and the first taxi in line gets

the fare, but for the SUV’s they are supposed to have a special waiting area and if a tourist requests an SUV then they are called up from their designated waiting area.

Mr Ferguson said: “I want those SUVs to go and operate like they are supposed to in the holding area and not in front of the airport door, hustling for work. So when I come outside whoever is responsible will say we have taxis available, but if you want an SUV that is also available at a particular price and then give the tourists the price.”

part-time team members, everybody is back to full hours, and over the holiday period, because we are so busy, many of them will be working overtime.”

She added, however: “Due to the Omicron variant we had some cancellations, but for the most part people are still booking as quickly as we get cancellations. So, we’re

ending with a net positive, which is good news.”

The other good news is that over 60 percent of Atlantis’s workforce is fully vaccinated and Ms Oswell said that she is just happy to be turning into 2022 on such a positive note. “We are thrilled that business is back to 2019 levels and in many instances and in many weeks, surpassing 2019 levels.”

CALIFORNIA SUES WALMART OVER DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTE

By DON THOMPSON Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Retail giant Walmart illegally dumps more than 1 million batteries, aerosol cans of insect killer and other products, toxic cleaning supplies, electronic waste, latex paints and other hazardous waste into California landfills each year, state prosecutors alleged Monday in a lawsuit that the company labeled "unjustified."

"As we shop the brightly packed aisles there are products that will never make it into the cart — returned, damaged or pulled from the shelves for a variety of reasons," said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

"When a big box store disposes of unwanted goods, just like the rest of us, they need to do so properly.

Unfortunately, Walmart — the largest company in the world by revenue — has failed to do that on a grand scale here in California," Bonta said.

The attorney general's office settled a previous similar lawsuit in 2010 in which Walmart, which operates more than 300 stores in California, paid $25 million and agreed to stop the dumping into local landfills that are not

IN this May 9, 2013, file photo, a worker pushes shopping carts in front of a Wal-Mart store in La Habra, Calif. Retail giant Walmart illegally dumps more 1 million batteries, aerosol cans of insect killer and other products, toxic cleaning supplies, electronic waste, latex paints and other hazardous waste into California landfills each year, state prosecutors alleged in a lawsuit filed Monday, Dec. 20, 2021.

Photo:Jae C. Hong/AP equipped to contain the hazardous products.

It paid $1.25 million to Missouri in 2012 to settle a similar lawsuit.

And in 2013, the company pleaded guilty to six federal misdemeanors of negligently discharging a pollutant into drains in 16 California counties, part of an $81 million deal that also included charges in Missouri.

LEGAL NOTICE

Hannah Moon Ltd.

Company spokesman Randy Hargrove said Walmart will fight the "unjustified lawsuit" filed Monday.

"The state is demanding a level of compliance regarding waste disposal from our stores of common household products and other items that goes beyond what is required by law," Hargrove said. He said a judge was ready to sign off in 2018 on Walmart's

compliance under the 2010 settlement until the attorney general's office started a new investigation with "new rules" in a bid to force a new settlement.

More than 3,800 audits overseen by the attorney general's office since 2010 found that Walmart's trash compactors "contain at most 0.4% of items of potential concern," compared to a statewide average of 3%, Hargrove

LEGAL NOTICE

said: "Our compactors are far cleaner than the state average."

Bonta said Walmart's own inspections show it illegally disposes of nearly 80 tons of such waste each year, which his office estimated amounts to more than 1 million individual items.

"Pesticides, electronics, household hazardous waste must be disposed of properly, or they can be released into our air, our water and soil resulting in a number of negative health outcomes — including cancer, neurological disorders, asthma, or learning disabilities," California Department of Toxic Substances Control Director Meredith Williams said at a news conference announcing the lawsuit.

The state did 58 inspections in 13 counties of trash compactors taken from Walmart stores from 2015 to this year. In every case they found dozens of products that count as hazardous waste, medical waste or customer records with personal information, Bonta said.

The attorney general's office was joined in the lawsuit by Williams' agency and the district attorneys of Alameda, Fresno, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, Solano, Tulare,

and Yolo counties in filing the lawsuit.

By contrast with Walmart, Bonta said other large retailers have disposal practices that comply with state laws "to different degrees, some with great compliance."

"It's not rocket science," he said. "You can't be sending these hazardous waste products into the general stream of sanitation. It's dangerous, it's unhealthy."

Williams added that "other companies manage to comply with those laws," while Walmart has even more means and incentive based on its prior violations.

"So it's really quite astounding that they continue to violate these hazardous waste control laws," she said.

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LEGAL NOTICE

In Voluntary Liquidation

GENESIS HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED Company No. 66122 (In Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, MORTENSEN GROUP LTD. is in dissolution as of December 16th, 2021.

NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 204 (1)(b) of the BVI Business CompaniesAct, 2004 that GENESIS HOLDING COMPANY LIMITED is in voluntary liquidation. The voluntary liquidation commenced on 16th December 2021 and Mag. iur. Andrea Frenes of Unterbüntelistrasse 2, 9443 Widnau, Switzerland been appointed as the Sole Liquidator.

LI Q U I DATO R ______________________

LI Q U I DATO R ______________________

Dated this 20th day of December 2021 Sgd. Mag. iur. Andrea Frenes Voluntary Liquidator

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

International Business Companies Act (No.45 of 2000)

International Business Companies Act (No.45 of 2000)

International Business Companies Act

Trent Master Fund Ltd. (the “Company”)

ATMO Class I LATAM Special Opportunities Fund Ltd. (the “Company”)

Advantage Class II Cred Fund Ltd. (the “Company”)

In Voluntary Liquidation

In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000) Trent Master Fund Ltd. (IBC No. 200385 B) is in dissolution.

The date of commencement of the dissolution is 20th December, 2021. Valerio Marega Júnior is the Liquidator and can be contacted at Rua Dos Franceses 498, Edificio La Fontaine Apto 52, Morro dos Ingleses, Sao Paulo, SP, 01329-010, Brazil. All persons having claims against the abovenamed company are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before 30th December, 2021.

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000) ATMO Class I LATAM Special Opportunities Fund Ltd. (IBC No. 174904 B) is in dissolution. The date of commencement of the dissolution is 20th December, 2021. Valerio Marega Júnior is the Liquidator and can be contacted at Rua Dos Franceses 498, Edificio La Fontaine Apto 52, Morro dos Ingleses, Sao Paulo, SP, 01329-010, Brazil. All persons having claims against the abovenamed company are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before 30th December, 2021.

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000) Advantage Class II Cred Fund Ltd. (IBC No. 175081 B) is in dissolution. The date of commencement of the dissolution is 20th December, 2021. Valerio Marega Júnior is the Liquidator and can be contacted at Rua Dos Franceses 498, Edificio La Fontaine Apto 52, Morro dos Ingleses, Sao Paulo, SP, 01329-010, Brazil. All persons having claims against the abovenamed company are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before 30th December, 2021.

Valerio Marega Júnior Liquidator

Valerio Marega Júnior Liquidator

Valerio Marega Júnior Liquidator

In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, Hannah Moon Ltd. is in dissolution as of December 17th, 2021.

International Liquidator Services Limited situated at 3rd Floor Withfield Tower, 4792 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator.

In Voluntary Liquidation

MORTENSEN GROUP LTD.

(No.45 of 2000)

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, December 21, 2021, PAGE 5

DEMOCRATS TRY TO ‘BUILD BACK’ AFTER MANCHIN TANKS $2T BILL

By LISA MASCARO AND FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are struggling to pick up the pieces after Sen. Joe Manchin effectively crushed President Joe Biden’s big domestic policy bill. But they face serious questions whether the $2 trillion initiative can be refashioned to win his crucial vote or the party will be saddled with a devastating defeat.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed on Monday that the chamber would vote early in the new year on Biden’s “Build Back Better Act” as it now stands, so every senator “has the opportunity to make their position known on the Senate floor, not just on television.”

That was a biting reference to Manchin’s sudden TV announcement against the bill on Sunday.

Biden and Manchin spoke later Sunday, according to a person familiar with the call, first reported by Politico. It was cordial and respectful, said the person who spoke only on condition of anonymity.

But the conservative West Virginia Democrat and his party are so far apart, his relationships so bruised after months of failed talks, it’s unclear how they even get back to the negotiating table, let alone revive the sprawling more than 2,100-page social services and climate change bill.

“We’re going to work like hell to get it done,” said White House Press

Secretary Jen Psaki, repeating the phrase several times at a briefing but never saying how.

The setback throws Biden’s signature legislative effort into deep doubt at a critical time, closing out the end of the president’s first year and ahead of congressional midterm elections when the Democrats’ slim hold on Congress. is at risk.

Coupled with solid Republican opposition, Manchin’s vote is vital in the 50-50 split Senate on this and other initiatives, including the Democrats’ priority voting rights legislation that Schumer also promised would come to an early vote.

From the White House, Psaki struck a more conciliatory tone than her weekend hardball reaction to Manchin, saying Biden is a “longtime friend” of the senator and the president is focused on moving forward.

Vice President Kamala Harris told CBS News “the stakes are too high” for this to be about “any specific individual.” She said, “This is about let’s get the job done.”

Steeped in the politics of a state that Biden lost decisively to Donald Trump, Manchin has little to gain from aligning too closely with fellow Democrats, raising fresh questions over whether he still has a place in the party.

In a radio interview Monday, he reiterated his position that the social and environment bill has far too much government spending — on child care, health care and other programs — without enough

SEN. JOE MANCHIN, D-W.Va., a centrist Democrat vital to the fate of President Joe Biden’s $3.5 government overhaul, updates reporters about his position on the bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. Despite months of being courted and cajoled, Sen. Joe Manchin is still not a yes on President Joe Biden’s big $2 trillion domestic package and has thrown Democrats into turmoil.

Photo:J. Scott Applewhite/AP restrictions on incomes or work requirements.

But the lifelong Democrat was less clear when asked if the party still has room for him — describing himself as “fiscally responsible and socially compassionate.”

Manchin said: “Now, if there’s no Democrats like that then they have to push me wherever they want.”

After months of negotiations with the White House and Senate staff members as well as Biden and fellow senators, he lashed out at hardline tactics against him by those he said “just beat the living crap out of

people and think they’ll be submissive.”

The next steps remain highly uncertain for the president and his party.

Biden returned to Washington from his Delaware home, and lawmakers assessed their options with Congress on recess for the holiday break. The president’s reputation as a seasoned legislator who wants to show the country government can work hangs in the balance along with his proposals.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., a leader of the progressive caucus, spoke with Manchin early Monday, but emerged

warning her colleagues the senator was an untrustworthy partner who “went back on his word.”

Jayapal said Democrats were working with the White House on alternative means of reaching the bill’s goals through executive or administrative actions, without legislation.

“We cannot make the same mistakes twice,” she said on a conference call with other progressives. “We cannot hang the futures of millions of Americans on the words of one man.”

The White House appeared to take interest in Manchin’s preference for a

reimagined bill that would tackle a few top priorities, for longer duration, rather than the multifaceted and far-reaching House-passed version.

But it will be extraordinarily difficult for progressive and centrist Democrats to rebuild trust to launch a fresh round of negotiations having devoted much of Biden’s first year in office to what is now essentially a collapsed effort.

For example, Manchin wants to authorize the social programs for the full 10 years of a standard budget window — rather than just a few years as Democrats would as a way to keep the price tag down.

That change would force painful cuts elsewhere in the package.

Despite Biden’s long courtship of Manchin, the senator has been clear throughout that the Democrats’ bill does not fit his vision of what the country needs, even though many residents in his state are low income, some in desperate need of the health, education and child care services the bill would provide.

The sweeping package is among the biggest of its kind ever considered in Congress, unleashing billions of dollars to help American families nationwide — nearly all paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy.

For families with children, it would provide free pre-school and child care aid. There are subsidies for health insurance premiums, lower prescription drug costs and expanded

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT, 2000 GOLDWAY CAPITAL LTD. (IN VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION)

NOTICE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT, 2000 KABOD INVEST LIMITED (IN VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in accordance with section 138(6) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000, as amended, the winding up and dissolution of GOLDWAY CAPITAL LTD. is complete.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that in accordance with section 138(6) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000, as amended, the winding up and dissolution of KABOD INVEST LIMITED is complete.

Kim D. Thompson Sole Liquidator

Kim D. Thompson Sole Liquidator

Address: Equity Trust House Caves Village West Bay Street P O Box N-10697 Nassau, Bahamas

Address: Equity Trust House Caves Village West Bay Street P O Box N-10697 Nassau, Bahamas

NOTICE Blue-Teck Limited NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a) Blue-Teck Limited is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act, 2000. (b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 17 December, 2021 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General. (c) The Liquidator of the said Company is Ms. Jonell Rolle.

Dated the 21st day of December, A. D. 2021.

H&J CORPORATE SERVICES LTD. Registered Agent for the above-named Company

NOTICE

NOTICE

Omteck Limited

Omglory Limited

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

(a) Omteck Limited is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act, 2000.

(a) Omglory Limited is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act, 2000.

(b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 17 December, 2021 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 17 December, 2021 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General.

(c) The Liquidator of the said Company is Ms. Jonell Rolle.

(c) The Liquidator of the said Company is Ms. Jonell Rolle.

Dated the 21st day of December, A. D. 2021.

Dated the 21st day of December, A. D. 2021.

H&J CORPORATE SERVICES LTD. Registered Agent for the above-named Company

H&J CORPORATE SERVICES LTD. Registered Agent for the above-named Company

NOTICE

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a) SIRRAH TELECOM INVESTMENTS LIMITED is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000. (b) The Dissolution of said Company commenced on December 21, 2021 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted and registered by the Registrar General. (c) The Liquidator of the said company is Zakrit Services Ltd. of 2nd Terrace West, Centreville, Nassau, Bahamas. (d) All persons having Claims against the above-named Company are required on or before January 21, 2022 to send their names and addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the company or, in default thereof, they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved.

December 21, 2021 ZAKRIT SERVICES LTD. LIQUIDATOR OF THE ABOVE-NAMED COMPANY

PAGE 6, Tuesday, December 21, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

WALL STREET JOINS GLOBAL SLUMP FOR STOCKS ON OMICRON JITTERS

By STAN CHOE, DAMIAN J. TROISE AND ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers STOCKS on Wall Street added to their recent string of losses Monday, joining a worldwide slump by financial markets amid worries about how badly the omicron variant, inflation and other forces will hit the economy.

The S&P 500 fell 1.1% for its third straight drop.

The decline followed similar drops across Europe and Asia. Stocks of oil

producers helped lead the way lower after the price of U.S. crude fell 3.7% on concerns the newest coronanvirus variant could lead factories, airplanes and drivers to burn less fuel.

Omicron may be the scariest force hitting markets, but it’s not the only one. A proposed $2 trillion spending program by the U.S. government took a potential death blow over the weekend when an influential senator said he could not support it. Markets are also still absorbing last week’s momentous move

by the Federal Reserve to more quickly remove the aid it’s throwing at the economy, because of rising inflation.

They all combined to drag the benchmark S&P 500 52.62 points lower to 4,568.02. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 433.28 points, or 1.2%, to 34,932.16. The Nasdaq composite fell 188.74 points, or 1.2%, to 14,980.94.

Smaller company stocks fared worse than the rest of the market. The Russell 2000 index fell 34.06 points, or 1.6%, to 2,139.87. In

global markets, Germany’s DAX lost 1.9% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 dropped 2.1%.

“Omicron threatens to be the Grinch to rob Christmas,” Mizuho Bank’s Vishnu Varathan said in a report. The market “prefers safety to nasty surprises.”

With COVID-19 cases surging again, leaders of governments around the world are weighing the return of restrictions on businesses and social interactions when many people seem to be sick of them.

The Dutch government began a tough nationwide lockdown on Sunday, while a U.K. official on Monday said he could not guarantee new restrictions would not be announced this week. The Natural History Museum, one of London’s leading attractions, said Monday it was closing for a week because of “front-ofhouse staff shortages.”

In the U.S., President Joe Biden will announce on Tuesday new steps he is taking, “while also issuing a stark warning of what the winter will look like for Americans that choose to

remain unvaccinated,” the White House press secretary said over the weekend.

Occidental Petroleum slid 3.8%, leading a long list of losing oil stocks.

Producers of raw materials, technology companies and financial stocks also fell amid the omicron worries. Steelmaker Nucor lost 5.8%, Microsoft slid 1.2% and Synchrony Financial, which offers store-brand credit cards and other financial products, dropped 5.2%.

Cruise line operators got a boost after Carnival gave an optimistic forecast for 2022, despite growing concerns about the recent rise in COVID cases worldwide.

Carnival gained 3.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500, while Royal Caribbean rose 0.3% and Norwegian Cruise Line added 2%.

Omicron’s ultimate impact on the economy is unclear. Besides weakening it by putting restrictions on businesses, another feared outcome is that it could push inflation even higher. If it leads to closures at ports, factories and

other key points of the long global supply chains leading to customers, already ensnarled operations could worsen.

Such troubles helped drive prices at the consumer level in November up 6.8% from a year earlier, the fastest inflation in nearly four decades.

But some economists argue that omicron could have the opposite effect: If the variant leads to lockdowns or scares consumers into staying home, economic activity could slow, and with it, the surging demand that has overwhelmed supply chains and driven up consumer prices “There’s been a lot of pent-up demand that’s been satisfied and I think the consumer is becoming much more price-conscious,” said Christopher Harvey, head of equity strategy at Wells Fargo Securities.

The worst-case scenario would see the economy decelerate without providing relief from already built-in inflation.

A WALL Street sign is seen next to surveillance equipment outside the New York Stock Exchange, Oct. 5, 2021, in New York. Stocks are falling in early trading Monday, Dec. 20, 2021 continuing a weak stretch as traders keep a wary eye on global increases in COVID-19 cases. Traders also got news over the weekend that a key U.S. senator wouldn’t support President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion domestic spending bill, putting its passage in doubt.

Photo:Mary Altaffer/AP

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that JOCELINE PETIT of Faith Avenue, Nassau, 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 21st day of December, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that JEAN OSMAN PREZILAN of Faith Avenue, Nassau, 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 21st day of December, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

PERSAN CORP. Pursuant to the provision of Section 138(8) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000 (Chapter 309) NOTICE is hereby given that the above-named company has been dissolved and struck off the Register of Companies and a Certificate of Dissolution has been issued by the Registrar General on 16th November 2021.

Brittany Investment Company Limited Liquidator