By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
THE Minnis administration is "considering all options" to replace banking services on Bimini when the island's only bank branch closes its operations next month, Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest has confirmed.
Mr Turnquest, also the minister of finance, confirmed as much to The Tribune yesterday, days after Bimini businesses were said to be "up in arms" over Royal Bank of Canada's (RBC) decision to cease operations on the island come August 2.
His confirmation also comes after some Bimini businesses have called on the government to step in and resolve the matter, with at least one suggesting that a Bank of The Bahamas branch could serve as a viable replacement for the island.
Pakesia Parker Edgecombe, MP for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, recently said she would "stop at nothing" in her attempts to urge the government to "attract a viable and suitable" replacement for RBC.
When contacted by The Tribune yesterday and asked if the government was considering placing a BOB branch on Bimini, Mr Turnquest said: "We are considering all options."
According to a public notice, RBC advised clients that the bank would be merging its Bimini branch with the RBC Freeport branch on Grand Bahama, effective August 2.
The Bimini branch will close at 3pm, and ATM services will also cease, leaving businesses, residents, and visitors with no access to banking services on the island.
The bank informed clients that its branch network is evolving.
Mrs Edgecombe has said the bank's decision is "devastating" to the island at this time, and that every effort is being made to have RBC reconsider its position.
"I remain focused on and committed to improving the quality of life for Biminites and all Bahamians," she said recently. "I will continue to update residents on this pressing matter."
Earlier this year, RBC unveiled plans to close its locations in Bimini, Spanish Wells in North Eleuthera, the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) and Treasure Cay in Abaco.
At the time, RBC told Tribune Business that all four branches would be consolidated with remaining locations.
According to RBC, the Treasure Cay branch would be merged with Marsh Harbour, LPIA would be consolidated with RBC's Cable Beach operation, while the Bimini and Spanish Wells locations would be merged with Freeport and Harbour Island, respectively.
Comments
MonkeeDoo 7 years, 4 months ago
Doesn't anyone else think that the entry of the webshops into local commerce as well as their direct lending activities are running the banks out of business. The regulatory bar is also much higher for commercial banks than web shops and the reputational risk is enormous. Who cares if Island Luck go belly up. A lot of Shareholders will care though if something untopward happens at one of the Canadian Banks.
DDK 7 years, 4 months ago
If the Government 'thinks' about this issue you certainly wouldn't know it. Closing the gambling shops should have already happened. As I said in an earlier post, if this government is not in bed with these so-called web shop operators, it is certainly not apparent. The numbers houses, scattered around our islands like flies, are a curse on The Bahamas. Their removal should be a Free National Movement Government priority.
This was actually intended as a response to MonkeyDoo's post! My bad!
sheeprunner12 7 years, 4 months ago
When will the FNM revoke these criminal webshop licences????? ....... We need a national lottery and strong indigenous domestic banking .......... not predatory webshops
ThisIsOurs 7 years, 4 months ago
It would truly be funny if they gave the entity that was sucking the economic life out of the country even more power.
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