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Attorney demands promotional body for Grand Bahama
A leading Freeport attorney yesterday demanded that the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and Hutchison Whampoa be required to finance a Professional Marketing Organisation (PMO) to internationally promote what he described as “the forgotten island”.
Bahamians overlook ‘significant progress’
Too many Bahamians are overlooking this nation’s “significant economic progress” because they are focusing on issues that “have not a Christ thing to do with sustainable development”, a leading businessman believes.
Freeport: Further uncertainty over VAT TIN demand
Fears are mounting that Freeport’s commercial environment is being further stifled by a new Customs edict that all Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) licensees must obtain a VAT TIN number.
Be ‘mad as hell’ with PLP, FNM
The Bahamian people “should be mad as hell” with both the PLP and FNM for placing the country in a position where it is being threatened with a downgrade to ‘junk’ status, the Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader has charged.
Investor group eyeing $20-$30m water sales
Investor group eyeing $20-$30m water sales By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The investor group that acquired the former Bacardi plant believes its ECH2O bottled water brand can generate $20-$30 million in annual sales in five to six years time,
Renewable energy firm 'sidelined' by BEC on tender
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A renewable energy provider has told Tribune Business it felt "sidelined" by the Bahamas Electricity Corporation's (BEC) decision to close its open bidding process and then subsequently sign an agreement with Ocea
IMF's 2.5% Bahamas growth is 'a stretch'
THE Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation's (BCCEC) chairman yesterday said it would "really be a stretch" for the Bahamian economy to achieve the newly-released International Monetary Fund's (IMF) projected 2.5 per cent GDP growth rate for 2012, unless it and the Government knew something 'outsiders' did not.
BCA chief: 'Many smaller builders' oppose regulation
BCA chief: 'Many smaller builders' oppose regulation By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Many smaller Bahamian contractors do not support the Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) or its push for legislation to regulate the industry, the latter's
BCA chief: 'Many smaller builders' oppose regulation
BCA chief: 'Many smaller builders' oppose regulation By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Many smaller Bahamian contractors do not support the Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) or its push for legislation to regulate the industry, the latter's
BEC chairman: Renewable firm 'mischaracterised' RFP-end response
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor BEC's executive chairman has told Tribune Business that the Corporation's renewable energy tender (RFP) ended because no proposal met its required standards, adding that his answer on this had been "mischaracteris
Gaming Board lacks ‘oversight structure’ for numbers houses
* Minister: Changes to make regulator ‘more relevant’ * Gaming Board will ‘look very different’ in five years * ‘92,000 didn’t vote for us to maintain status quo’
RECENT downsizings are intended to make the Gaming Board “more relevant” and help it cope with the “seismic changes” created by web shops, a Cabinet minister said yesterday. Dionisio D’Aguilar, who has ministerial responsibility for gaming, told Tribune Business that the industry regulator will “look extremely different from the Gaming Board of today within five years”.
Gov’t told: Don’t adjust tariffs at ‘last minute’
The Government was yesterday warned it has one month to inform auto dealers about whether the industry’s Excise Tax rates will be lowered to compensate for Value-Added Tax (VAT), otherwise it may see revenue generated by the sector drop-off in the New Year.
PM 'in la la land' on Bimini as top PPP
A well-known QC yesterday said Prime Minister Prime Minister Perry Christie was “living in la la land” to tout the Resorts World Bimini development as the best example of a successful public-private sector partnership (PPP).
Deloitte to collect $100m in ‘bad’ BOB commercial loans
The Government yesterday confirmed Tribune Business’s disclosure earlier this week that Deloitte & Touche has been selected as the accounting firm charged with collecting on $100 worth of ‘bad’ commercial loans formerly belonging to Bank of the Bahamas.
Airline's 18% fee cost rise in three years
Airline's 18% fee cost rise in three years By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A leading Bahamian-owned airline yesterday said its fee costs had increased by a cumulative 18 per cent over the past three years, saying the charges levied by various a
Hotel industry 'holds its own'
The Bahamas' hotel industry generated a 6.2 per cent increase in room occupancy for the year to end-October 2011, something the Bahamas Hotel Association's (BHA) president said showed the sector was "holding its own". Stuart Bowe, senior vice-president at
Ansbacher in $2myacht lien battle
Ansbacher (Bahamas) is seeking to recover more than $2 million owed by a delinquent borrower by foreclosing on, and selling, his multi-million dollar yacht.
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.
‘Get out of dark ages’, Gov’t and unions told
* Reformer urges end to worker benefits focus * Calls for more productivity ‘to lift GDP growth’ * And wants wages ‘held’ at current levels
The Department of Labour must “get out of the dark ages” and focus on improved worker productivity if the Bahamas is to enjoy higher GDP growth, a governance reformer urged yesterday. Robert Myers, a principal with the Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG), told Tribune Business that the Labour Department and trade unions needed to stop pushing for increased worker benefits “if we are to lift ourselves out of this socio-economic recession”. Arguing that both were still “singing the same old song”, Mr Myers called for wages and benefits to be “held” at present levels until the Bahamian economy generated improved GDP growth rates.
Governor: Data, privacy regimes may need reform
The Bahamas may have to reform its data and confidentiality regimes to mitigate the threat posed by the loss of correspondent banking relationships to the financial sector and wider economy, the Central Bank’s governor has warned.
