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Engineers chief: Our growth is being ‘stymied’

The Bahamas Society of Engineers (BSE) president yesterday bemoaned how local professionals were frequently being ‘frozen out’ of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects, with work “never touching our soil”.

Court: ‘No deal’ for 25,000 acre property

An $11.5 million deal to purchase the 25,000 acre property that was once Long Island’s largest employer cannot be concluded because there was never “an enforceable sales contract”, the Privy Council ruled yesterday.

$10M PORT IPO SETS A BAHAMIAN RECORD

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Arawak Cay Port Development (APD) offering has set a Bahamian record by becoming the "most widely subscribed for IPO in the history of the Bahamian capital markets", Tribune Business was told yesterday, one of

CAR DEALERS SUFFER $75M REVENUE HIT

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Bahamas Motor Dealers Association (BMDA) members saw their collective sales revenues fall by more than $75 million over the first 10 months of the years between 2009-2011, one dealer suggested yesterday, although

CAR DEALERS SUFFER $75M REVENUE HIT

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Bahamas Motor Dealers Association (BMDA) members saw their collective sales revenues fall by more than $75 million over the first 10 months of the years between 2009-2011, one dealer suggested yesterday, although

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‘No doubt over VAT chaos’ on January 1

A well-known businessman yesterday said he had “no doubt” the Government will be unable to seamlessly implement Value-Added Tax (VAT) come January 1, suggesting “chaos” would result from failing to promptly educate the private sector.

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Gov't pushes deficit elimination forecast back three years

The Government has pushed back its original projections for eliminating the fiscal deficit by three full years, and is now pinning its hopes on a $449 million, four-year 'swing' into surplus.

LAW FIRM BLASTS CUSTOMS OVER 'WHIMSICAL FANCY'

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A leading Bahamian law firm yesterday blasted as "almost unbelievable" Customs' second effort within two years to allegedly disrupt Freeport's $70-$120 million 'bonded goods' economy, arguing that arbitrary requir

NEXT GOV'T 'CANNOT IGNORE' TAX REFORM

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The next Government cannot "ignore the need" for tax reform and moving towards a sales/Value Added (VAT" tax regime, the minister of state for finance telling Tribune Business there was still "a reasonable enough

‘Unenviable balancing act’ confronting The Bahamas

The Bahamas “faces an unenviable balancing act between food security and fiscal discipline”, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) warned yesterday, with global financial developments proving “particularly concerning”.

$150M TRUST URGED TO RESCUE HOUSING MARKET

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Government was yesterday urged to invest $100-$150 million into a Foreclosure Trust as a way to solve this nation's mortgage/housing crisis, a well-known businessman telling Tribune Business that the returns g

URCA 'u-turn' over third cellular player

URCA 'u-turn' over third cellular player By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Bahamian communications regulator has reversed course by deciding not to reserve space in the key 700 MHz radio frequency spectrum for a third cellular operator, while

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Telecom provider pledges ‘unheard of’ service levels

A newly-launched telecommunications provider yesterday promised “unheard of” service quality levels for the Bahamian market, as it will incur financial penalties for failing to meet customer expectations.

‘Lots of muscle’ required for $142m toxic BOB pile

The Bank of The Bahamas bail-out vehicle must now employ “lots of muscle” to recover its remaining “toxic” loan collateral valued at $142m, its chairman revealed yesterday.

‘Wonderful opportunity’ for Long Island revival

The resolution to a 10-year dispute over Long Island’s one-time largest employer presents “a wonderful opportunity” to revive the island’s economy, its MP yesterday describing the surrounding area as “ghost town”.

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QC: Don’t reward $35m Nygard ‘law breaking’

The Government was yesterday urged not to reward two decades of alleged law-breaking by approving Peter Nygard’s new development applications, a well-known QC suggesting he had seized land worth $35 million without permission.

$180M INVESTMENT FOR BORCO IN 2012

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Bahamas Oil Refining Company's (BORCO) parent company is planning to invest between $130-$180 million, more than half its total 2012 capital expenditure, in upgrading the Grand Bahama-based oil storage facilit

Consolidated Water: Bahamas revenues grow 22.5% in 2011

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Revenues generated by BISX-listed Consolidated Water's Bahamian operations increased by 22.5 per cent year-over-year during 2011 to total just shy of $20 million, accounting for a five percentage point increase in

Bahamas faces major tax, exchange control shake-up

The Bahamas may have to completely overhaul its corporate and taxation structure to escape European Union/OECD ‘blacklisting’ threats, the Attorney General revealed yesterday.

S&P: Gov’ts fiscal, economic reforms ‘will take time’ to work

* 1.5% average growth forecast lower than IMF’s * Grand Lucayan closure takes out 7% of rooms * Debt to rise through 2020 to 52% of GDP

THE Government’s fiscal and economic reforms will take time to “pay dividends”, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) warned yesterday, as it took a more ‘bearish’ view of the Bahamas’ growth prospects. The rating agency, in its latest Bahamas country assessment, expressed confidence that the Minnis administration’s fiscal reforms will “arrest the deterioration” in the Government’s deficit and the national debt.