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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

Mortgage Corp's woes 'not good' for 70% of contractors'

Mortgage Corp's woes 'not good' for 70% of contractors' By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation's (BMC) 'going concern' woes are "not good news" for 70 per cent of Bahamian contractors who rely almost solely on the resi

OIL EXPLORER UNVEILS 'BAHAMIANISE' PLAN

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A Bahamas-based oil exploration company's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is expected to be released for public consultation on January 23 next year, the company also unveiling plans to "Bahamianise" through

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RoyalFidelity funds enjoy $10m injection

RoyalFidelity Merchant Bank & Trust yesterday said investors had injected a collective $10 million into its three-strong domestic mutual fund family for the year to end-May 2014, aided by the low interest rate “perfect storm”.

Insurers: Don’t sleep on EU blacklisting ‘breathing room’

The Bahamas must not fall asleep after it gained “two years’ breathing room” to escape the European Union’s (EU) tax blacklist and preserve up to 40 percent of its hurricane reinsurance capacity, insurers are warning.

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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.

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.

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Baha Mar 'close' to $150m spend on Bahamians

BAHA Mar is "close" to investing $150 million with Bahamian contractors for its Cable Beach redevelopment, as it prepares to today launch the $2.6 billion project's 300 luxury Residences to high net-worth buyers from across the world in London.

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BIFF ‘taken for ride’ over Dingman deal

The Bahamas International Film Festival’s (BIFF) founder yesterday said she was left “embarrassed”, and felt “taken for a ride”, after Jamie Dingman failed to deliver on his promised acquisition of the organisation.

Web shop owner in $27m bank rescue

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Bahamas-based web shop boss, Craig Flowers, along with BISX-listed Bank of the Bahamas International, were both separately approached to rescue a bust Turks & Caicos bank that required a $27 million injection to r

Web shop owner in $27m bank rescue

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Bahamas-based web shop boss, Craig Flowers, along with BISX-listed Bank of the Bahamas International, were both separately approached to rescue a bust Turks & Caicos bank that required a $27 million injection to r

Web shop owner in $27m bank rescue

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Bahamas-based web shop boss, Craig Flowers, along with BISX-listed Bank of the Bahamas International, were both separately approached to rescue a bust Turks & Caicos bank that required a $27 million injection to r

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.

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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.

INSURANCE BROKERS: OVER 25% TO 'FALL OFF'

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor More than 25 per cent of all existing Bahamian insurance brokers and agents are unlikely to be licensed under the new Act governing the sector, the Insurance Commission told Tribune Business yesterday. Arvind Bagh

'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.

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.

BABY BOOMERS LANDING ON ENTREPRENEURIAL FEET

By Simon Cooper Res Socius Although I'm not near retiring by a long shot, I was encouraged by an article I read in USA Today. The piece analysed the demographic spread of start-up entrepreneurs in the US, and came up with conclusions that few expected. T