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'Five Baha Mars' needed to solve jobless crisis
The Bahamas needs “five Baha Mars going on” simultaneously to achieve the 5.5 per cent GDP growth necessary to slash existing unemployment by 50 per cent and absorb thousands of annual school leavers into the workforce.
Kosoy, Sterling eye Hurricane Hole deal
David Kosoy’s Sterling Global Financial is in negotiations to acquire Paradise Island’s Hurricane Hole property from Atlantis’s owner, Tribune Business can reveal.
Port's 25% growth hides missed trade potential
Freeport is failing to attract “a wider range” of businesses and become a true logistics/distribution hub, despite the Container Port outstripping all Caribbean rivals with 25 per cent cargo throughput growth.
AG: We’ll deal with ‘major slippage’ in anti-launder regime
THE Attorney General yesterday pledged to address the Bahamas’ “significant slippage” in the battle against financial crime through roll-out of its National Risk framework before year-end.
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.
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.
Bahamians urged: Show ‘more ‘outrage’ over financial crimes
BAHAMIANS were yesterday urged to show “more outrage” over financial crime and poor business practices, a prominent cleric arguing that these had become “entrenched in our culture”.
Bahamas ‘shooting ourselves in foot’ on insurance regulation
* Bahamas ‘going beyond’ AML standard * AG: ‘We’ll give general insurers one year’ * Fears captive revival undermined
FEARS were raised again yesterday that the Bahamas could be “shooting ourselves in the foot” by including general and captive insurers within its anti-money laundering regime. Emmanuel Komolafe, the Bahamas Insurance Association’s (BIA) chairman, urged the Government to provide the “benchmarking” studies and data to support its decision to define both market segments as financial institutions under the Financial Transactions Reporting Act (FTRA).
Liquidation reforms to give nation advantage
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Reforms to the Companies Act's liquidation regime that deal with assets held in trust are "very progressive" and give the Bahamas a competitive advantage over its main Caribbean international financial centre riva
Liquidator targeting Govt’s $720k oil fee
Some $720,000 in oil exploration license fees that were paid to the Bahamas Government are being targeted by a Cayman-based liquidator, who has written to two Cabinet ministers seeking their assistance in recovering the funds.
CIBC FirstCaribbean explores US listing
CIBC FirstCaribbean’s parent yesterday confirmed its subsidiary is exploring a US stock exchange listing, a move likely to stoke speculation of a Canadian bank withdrawal from the region.
‘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.
Union: No concern over BEC manager integrity
A BEC union leader yesterday said he had no concern over the integrity of its preferred management partner due to assurances given by the Government, telling Tribune Business: “It is what it is”.
Gov’t wipes $7m Water Corp debt
The Government appears to have wiped out the $7 million accounts receivables owed by the Water & Sewerage Corporation’s main water supplier, which has praised it for doing so.
Local dive operators reject foreign ‘double tax’ offer
A foreign dive operator’s offer to pay double the legal charter fee has been rejected by his top Bahamian counterparts, who argue that this sum pales against the “30 per cent or more of revenue” that they pay in taxes.
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.
FINCO in profit boost as bad loans hit $100m
FINCO in profit boost as bad loans hit $100m By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The $5.4 million boost from changes to its loan loss provisioning calculation enabled Finance Corporation of the Bahamas (FINCO) to enjoy a 3.18 per cent net income in
$225m World Mart principals 'very encouraged' over Chinese meetings
ONCE of the principals behind the proposed $225 million trade market proposed for Freeport yesterday told Tribune Business they were "very encouraged" by the outcome of meetings with China-based strategic partners, and hoped to engage the new PLP government over a Heads of Agreement for the project shortly.
Wind farm targets 2013 'commission'
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A renewable energy provider is looking to "commission" its Eleuthera wind farm by early 2013, having invested $250,000 in completing the first project phase involving the construction of a Meteorological tower. Th
BAHAMAS TO BECOME 'CRUISE NO.1' IN 2012
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Bahamas is expected to "exceed" and surpass Cozumel as the Caribbean's leading cruise destination if it maintains its current growth rate, the minister of tourism said, with 2011 stopover visitors to this nati
