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JUST 17% OF POOR GETTING BENEFITS
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Less than 17 per cent of poor Bahamian households are receiving social security benefits, an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report highlighting a dysfunctional welfare system that is failing to reach those
Road project borrowing to strike $206m
Road project borrowing to strike $206m By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Both the Government and Opposition PLP yesterday effectively attempted to blame the other for the poor management and huge cost overruns impacting the controversial New Prov
Nassau world’s 5th most expensive city for hotel vacations
Nassau’s was yesterday ranked as the fifth most expensive city in the world for hotel accommodation, a finding that will further raise concern that this nation is slowly pricing itself out of the global tourism market.
‘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.
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
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.
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.
BAHA MAR'S OCCUPANCIES 3-4% ABOVE FORECAST LEVEL
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor While occupancies at Baha Mar's two existing Cable Beach resorts are trending 3-4 per cent ahead of 2012 forecasts, the resort developer yesterday said they had yet to reach "levels considered acceptable", followi
$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
TUC chief: Labour law reform ‘unlikely’ before next election
The Trades Union Congress’s (TUC) president yesterday said it was “highly unlikely” that the controversial labour law reforms will be enacted before the upcoming general election, with little progress in negotiations at the National Tripartite Council.
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.
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.
Wilson: Ingraham responsible for Sth. Eleuthera’s ‘demise’
The developer adjacent to a newly-announced $100 million resort project believes they will together make Cotton Bay “the Caribbean’s premier destination”, as he blasted former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for decisions that caused South Eleuthera’s “demise”.
‘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”.
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.
Atlantis 'savours' $1.9bn refinance
Atlantis was yesterday said to be “savouring” its completed $1.9 billion debt refinancing, its owner having invested some $500 million in the property since taking control two years ago.
Litigation concern on Baha Mar delays
Fears were mounting yesterday that the continued delays to Baha Mar’s opening could spark litigation between the parties involved, a Caribbean tourism expert warning they had “better get their act together” to avoid lasting damage to the project and the Bahamas.
AML chair: City Markets deal 'kept changing'
AML Foods chairman yesterday said its efforts to acquire City Markets' remaining business fell apart because the latter's principal, Mark Finlayson, "kept changing the terms of the deal" on a daily basis, and had nothing to do with the BISX-listed food retail group refusing to take on the chain's staff.
Chamber urges: ‘Tighten up and enforce’ Enterprises Bill
THE Chamber of Commerce yesterday urged the Government to “tighten up the language”, and enforce the provisions, in the Commercial Enterprises Bill to prevent potential abuses.
