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MSC cruise port: No lease agreement yet

No agreement has yet been reached to transfer the lease of Ocean Cay to Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) for its private cruise port, with the current holder saying of the project: "It won't be done overnight."

Services Coalition ‘irony’ over WTO

Lack of private sector involvement has been a key factor in why the Bahamas’ bid for full World Trade Organisation (WTO) membership has lasted 15 years and counting, a former Securities Commission principal believes.

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GB Power minimises $4.7m recovery effect

GB Power minimises $4.7m recovery effect By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) has received regulatory approval to minimise the consumer impact of recovering a $4.7 million impairment charge by spreading it out o

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

Bahamas can’t afford ‘another five years’ of secretive governance

The Bahamas cannot afford “another five-year cycle” of unaccountable government spending, a governance reformer warned yesterday, arguing that a Fiscal Responsibility Act should have “preceded” Value-Added Tax (VAT).

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Governor to ‘bridge gap’ between banks, web shops

The Central Bank’s governor has reaffirmed his commitment to “bridge the gap” between the commercial banking industry and web shop operators, and help ease his licensees’ compliance concerns.

Sixty-day termination notice ‘recipe for woe’

The National Tripartite Council’s co-chairman has branded the proposed ‘60-day advance notice’ that employers must give of impending redundancies as “a recipe for putting your business in trouble”.

12 union-saving law creates a ‘win-win’

The Government’s recent 12 union-saving legislation helped produce what one labour executive yesterday described as a “win-win” in the Court of Appeal, with a Harbour Island resort and its opposition both achieving their main objectives.

TUC chief: ‘jury still out’ on union-saving legislation

A trade union leader said yesterday that “the jury is still out” on whether the Government’s recent union-saving had truly “cured the mischief”, as one attorney confirmed he had filed for a Judicial Review over the issue.

LAW FIRM BLASTS CUSTOMS OVER 'WHIMSICAL FANCY'

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A leading Bahamian law firm yesterday blasted as "almost unbelievable" Customs' second effort within two years to allegedly disrupt Freeport's $70-$120 million 'bonded goods' economy, arguing that arbitrary requir

25,000-acre dispute solution 'critical to 'thousands of jobs'

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Resolving a long-running dispute that has tied up 25,000 acres of prime real estate is "critical" to potentially creating "thousands of jobs" and reversing Long Island's depopulation, a Court of Appeal ruling havi

RESORT PROJECT'S 'RISE FROM ASHES' VIA $20M SPEND

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor An Eleuthera resort project many thought 'dead and buried' may be about to rise from the ashes, its developer yesterday telling Tribune Business that the revised development would involve an investment "in excess

SPEED WEEK CHIEF EYES 2,500-3,000 EXTRA ROOM NIGHTS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Bahamas Speed Week's president has estimated that the revival event generated between 2,500-3,000 room nights for the Bahamian hotel industry, describing its economic impact as "quite substantial". While Bahamas S

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‘No guarantees’ for web shops

Web shop operators were yesterday said to be “very concerned” over the uncertainty and lack of any guarantees surrounding the industry’s impending legalisation.

OECD attacks like ‘unofficial blacklisting’ of the Bahamas

A former finance minister says the recent OECD-inspired media onslaught against the Bahamas is akin to an “unofficial blacklisting” of its financial services industry, describing the situation as “a new form of international colonialism”.

Gov't urged: 'Change air cargo fines today'

The Government has been urged to "amend right away this Monday" the new and increased Customs sanctions on air cargo operators, a Bahamian courier company branding them "ridiculous".

IMF slashes Bahamas 2016 growth to 1.5%

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed its 2016 growth forecast for the Bahamas by a further 0.7 percentage points to just 1.5 per cent, due to the Baha Mar impasse.

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AG’s Office: We bungled Blackbeard’s Cay appeal

The Attorney General’s Office has admitted that the Government’s appeal over the $8 million Blackbeard’s Cay project was thrown out because it was asleep on the job.

Landfill chief: ‘Don’t read anything’ into our CEO transition

Renew Bahamas’ principal shareholder yesterday said “nothing can be read” into his stepping down as the New Providence landfill manager’s chief executive, as concerns persist over its financial health.

Bahamas can take $5-$10bn premium 'captive' with focus

Bahamas can take $5-$10bn premium 'captive' with focus By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Bahamas could attract between $5-$10 billion in premium income within five years if it made a concerted effort to re-establish itself as a captive insura