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$8K PER MONTH LOSSES CLOSE GB'S 'FAVOURITE EATERY'

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A well-known Bahamian businessman yesterday told Tribune Business he had closed "Freeport's favourite restaurant" because it had been losing between $6,000-$8,000 per month for the past two years, adding that rent

$8K PER MONTH LOSSES CLOSE GB'S 'FAVOURITE EATERY'

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A well-known Bahamian businessman yesterday told Tribune Business he had closed "Freeport's favourite restaurant" because it had been losing between $6,000-$8,000 per month for the past two years, adding that rent

BAHA MAR'S OCCUPANCIES 3-4% ABOVE FORECAST LEVEL

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor While occupancies at Baha Mar's two existing Cable Beach resorts are trending 3-4 per cent ahead of 2012 forecasts, the resort developer yesterday said they had yet to reach "levels considered acceptable", followi

BRISTOL PREMIER'S 'BEST OF THE BEST'

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor Bristol Wine and Spirits is aiming to showcase "the best of the best" in its wine and spirits portfolio through next week's 'soft opening' of its one-acre Premier Cru venue on Gladstone Road, its president yesterd

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'Mixed bag': Auto sales 50% off peak

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A leading auto dealer believes the industry will "eventually" recover to levels comparable to its 2007 peak, despite 2011's new car sales being almost 50 per cent down on that banner period in what was described a

Insurers ‘not oblivious’ to Bahamas sanctions threat

THE insurance industry “is not oblivious” to the need for the Bahamas to comply with global anti-financial crime standards and avoid sanctions, its chairman said yesterday.

Leading importers face ‘major’ VAT uncertainty

Major importers were yesterday said to be facing “major” uncertainty over how Customs will calculate duty rates post-January 1, a factor that is preventing them from making essential computer system adjustments.

IDB to combat 'stodgy' image

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor The Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) country representative yesterday pledged to reach out more effectively to the Bahamian private sector, admitting that the institution was perceived as "too stodgy and bu

WATER CORP DISCONNECTS 5,400 IN '11

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A net 5,435 customers were disconnected by the Water & Sewerage Corporation for non-payment in 2011, data supplied to Tribune Business reveals, even though reconnections reached their highest level for five years.

CIBC: Bahamas worst for ‘bad’ mortgages

CIBC’s top Caribbean executive yesterday revealed that the “magnitude” of non-performing home loans in the Bahamas was “greater than anywhere else” in the region, this nation accounting for 50 per cent of the bank’s ‘bad’ mortgages.

‘Lessons must be learnt’ from Baha Mar’s chinese woe

Lessons must be learned from Baha Mar’s construction woes to ensure other Chinese-led investment projects avoid similar delays, a leading contractor yesterday noting the same company is poised to begin the British Colonial Hilton’s $200 million redevelopment.

De-risk 'client migration' to benefit larger banks

Correspondent bank 'de-risking' could drive another wave of Bahamian financial services consolidation by sparking "client migration" to larger institutions, a former finance minister has warned.

Green economy gives ‘opportunities galore’

The Government would help create a “far greater” number of “meaningful” Bahamian jobs if it abandoned its current development approach in favour of the ‘green economy’, a well-known QC believes.

Banks to ‘double’ VAT recovery.... to just 10%

The Bahamian banking industry is hopeful it might be able to recover ‘double’ the amount of Value-Added Tax (VAT) inputs than previously thought, as one institution yesterday revealed its total tax burden will increase by $6-$7 million in two years.

SMALL BUSINESS BILL DISCUSSION TARGET BEFORE 2012 ELECTION

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor A government minister says he is "reasonably certain" that broad consultation with stakeholders on the much-awaited Small and Medium-Sized Business (SME) Development Bill can be held prior to the general election,

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Gov’t urged: Don’t lose momentum on ‘sole tax panacea’

The Government has been urged to set a date for the Central Revenue Agency’s (CRA) creation, the Tax Coalition’s chair fearing that momentum on a tax compliance “panacea” may be lost.

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BIA chair warns on Brexit's potential to impact FDI, banking

The Bahamas Insurance Association's (BIA) chairman yesterday warned it was currently impossible to predict how the UK's European Union (EU) exit will impact the Bahamas, adding: "The only certainty is uncertainty".

Gov't 'dragging on everything'

The Tax Coalition’s co-chair yesterday said there ad been no contact with the Government since the Budget’s unveiling more than a month ago, complaining that the Christie administration was “dragging their feet on everything” vital to the private sector.

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BTC to complete Abaco cell overhaul in mid-May

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is set to complete its wireless system overhaul on Abaco and the northern Bahamas by mid-May, giving customers improved cellular service, including faster speeds for downloads and browsing on smart phones.

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VAT guidance notes undermine core financial sector policy

The Government’s “inconsistent” Value-Added Tax (VAT) positions are threatening to undermine core financial services policy objectives, a top QC warned yesterday, threatening a loss of competitiveness and high-value business.