The Tribune

A Cabinet minister will deliver the main address to this year’s Abaco Business Outlook conference, which will be held on September 24 at the Great Abaco Beach Resor.

Michael Halkitis, minister of state for finance, will lead the speaker line-up and be joined by Ellison ‘Tommy’ Thompson, deputy director general, Ministry Of Tourism; David Johnson, chief executive, Bahamas Tourism Development Corporation; Felix Chang, country manager, China Harbour Engineering Company; Francis Clarke, senior project engineer, Caribbean Civil Group; Lynn Gape, deputy executive director, Bahamas National Trust; Neil Campbell, district administrator, North Abaco; and Roberts Myers, president, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation.

Joan Albury, TCL Group president and chief organiser of the six-part Business Outlook series, said: “We are pleased to bring the Outlook to Abaco at a time when developments are happening that promise to make the Abaco economy one of the most dynamic in the country.

“The Leonard M Thompson International Airport opened in May of this year. The Bahamas National Trust and the Abaco community are developing the Abaco Discovery Trail, combining the island’s rich natural and historic resources, which will serve tourism as well as the promotion and preservation of such resources.

“BNT’s Lynn Gape will be on hand to tell us about the latter venture. Of signal importance, the construction of the new North Abaco seaport is advancing. This facility has the greatest potential for propelling economic growth of any infrastructural projects in the Family Islands in recent years.

Mrs Albury added: “We are most pleased that Felix Chang, country manager for the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), is scheduled to speak.

“CHEC is building the $40 million North Abaco Port in Coopers Town, Abaco, and Mr Chang’s oversight of the Port project makes him eminently qualified to report on its progress.

“I have been impressed to learn that CHEC has received more than 160 awards for projects, which include the design and construction of world-record engineering and construction feats. They have built two of the three longest sea crossing bridges in the world: China’s Hangzhou Bay Bridge and the Shanghai Donghai Bridge.

“We thought it important to have a well-rounded presentation on the subject of the North Abaco Port. Consequently, the audience will also hear from Francis Clarke, senior project engineer for Caribbean Civil Group (CCG), which is providing project oversight for its client, the Ministry of Works.

“CCG has to its credit some of the key engineering design projects in New Providence in recent times, including the Baha Mar Corridor 7 project and works at the Lynden Pindling International Airport expansion.”

Dennis Lightbourn, , the Abaco Chamber of Commerce’s president, will give the welcome and the Abaco Update, while Neil Campbell, Abaco’s local government representative, and Roberts Myers will also take part.

“The combination of the two Chamber presidents and the Abaco local government representative will give a very necessary overview of how they expect various developments and the coming implementation of Value-Added Tax to impact the Abaco community and overall economy,” Mrs Albury said.

“I take this opportunity to thank the Abaco Chamber and the Ministry of Tourism for on-the-ground support. We are most grateful to all our stalwart sponsors for continuing their invaluable contributions to this needful effort of disseminating high quality information and education on subjects of local and national interest.”

Persons interested in attending Abaco Business Outlook 2014 may contact Wynsome Ferguson, Ministry of Tourism, Abaco; at 242-367-3067; Kathy Ralph, Abaco Chamber of Commerce, 242-367-6279 or Margaret Albury, The Counsellors, 242-322-7505. Online registration is also available at www.tclevents.com.