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Bahamasair facing $1m hangar upgrade
Bahamasair facing $1m hangar upgrade By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Bahamasair's 2012-2013 government subsidy requirement has not yet been determined due to a number of unknowns, including a likely $1 million spend to upgrade its main 50 year-
Casino reforms keep expat resident bar
The Government’s decision not to allow permanent residents and work permit holders to gamble in Bahamian casinos is a “miniscule” issue that will not delay much-needed reform, a tourism industry executive said yesterday.
Payroll tax unable to cover NHI
A 3 per cent payroll tax will not be sufficient to cover the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme’s total costs, the private sector yesterday warning that sticking to a January 2016 implementation will create a “challenging sprint to the finish”.
Gov’t renews oil explorer’s four licences
A Bahamas-based oil explorer last night said it had obtained “hugely significant clarity” from the Government renewing its key licences for a further three years, removing a potential obstacle to finding a joint venture partner and drilling its first exploratory well.
'WHAT'S CHANGED' ON BAHAMASAIR GB AIRLIFT PLANS?
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The head of a Bahamian privately-owned airline has expressed scepticism over plans to solve Grand Bahama's tourism woes via Bahamasair servicing five US markets, asking Tribune Business: "What's changed?" Acknowle
'WHAT'S CHANGED' ON BAHAMASAIR GB AIRLIFT PLANS?
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The head of a Bahamian privately-owned airline has expressed scepticism over plans to solve Grand Bahama's tourism woes via Bahamasair servicing five US markets, asking Tribune Business: "What's changed?" Acknowle
'WHAT'S CHANGED' ON BAHAMASAIR GB AIRLIFT PLANS?
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The head of a Bahamian privately-owned airline has expressed scepticism over plans to solve Grand Bahama's tourism woes via Bahamasair servicing five US markets, asking Tribune Business: "What's changed?" Acknowle
Superwash chief: VAT bites 12-14% off key products
A leading businessman says the Bahamian economy is stuck "in a funk" as Value-Added Tax's (VAT) full impact starts to bite, with sales in two of his key product categories down 12-14 per cent. Dionisio D'Aguilar, Superwash's president, told Tribune Business that the Bahamas desperately needed to change its attitude towards "rebooting the economy" and making it easier to conduct business.
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
Gov’t ‘won’t ruin’ economy revival with labour laws
* Minister reassures private sector on changes * No move on ‘controversial’ issues yet * Will only proceed if business/union ‘consensus’
THE Government “will not do anything to ruin” efforts to revive the Bahamian economy, a Cabinet Minister pledged yesterday, as he sought to reassure businesses over labour law reforms. Dion Foulkes, the Minister of Labour, told Tribune Business that the Minnis administration had yet to move on “contentious” election commitments to raise the 12-year redundancy pay ‘cap’ and increase the notice period for terminated employees.
QC: VAT rejected if no ‘value for money’
The Bahamian people will not accept Value-Added Tax (VAT) unless the Government convinces them they will receive “value for money” in return, a top QC warned yesterday.
Hotels target 'modest increase' for 2012 Q1
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Nassau/Paradise Island hotel industry is hoping to enjoy "a modest increase in all key metrics" for January and the 2012 first quarter, the Bahamas Hotel Association's (BHA) president last night pointing out t
'STRAW THAT BREAKS THE CAMEL'S BACK'
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Failure to implement crime-prevention methods "could be the straw that breaks the camel's back" for many struggling Bahamian companies, private sector leaders warned yesterday, with "slack" businesses more suscept
'STRAW THAT BREAKS THE CAMEL'S BACK'
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Failure to implement crime-prevention methods "could be the straw that breaks the camel's back" for many struggling Bahamian companies, private sector leaders warned yesterday, with "slack" businesses more suscept
Bimini Bay facing homeowners revolt
The Bimini Bay Resort is facing a homeowners revolt in the Supreme Court, with multiple purchasers voicing concerns over how their properties and multi-million dollar maintenance fee sums are being managed.
Contractor loses ‘millions’ in 4-year BEC theft fight
A former Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) president yesterday said his business had lost “millions of dollars” during his four-year fight against electricity theft charges, and he was now trying “to put the pieces together again”.
Insurer sees 38% fall from Summit
Summit Insurance blamed reduced real estate valuations for a 38.2 per cent year-over-year profits slump, as it focuses on “defending our book” in a year that will have “negative growth”.
Miller confident on Robin Hood replacement
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Robin Hood's landlord yesterday told Tribune Business he is extremely confident about finding a replacement tenant for the closing retailer, describing the Summerwinds Plaza location as "second to none" and "the b
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).
TAX RETURNS PAY FOR $44M DREDGE IN JUST '1.5 YEARS'
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The $44 million Nassau Harbour dredging costs will be paid back in full within one-and-a-half years in taxes alone, the minister of tourism yesterday telling Tribune Business that any impact on the Bahamas' cruise