From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
This week in the Bahamas Commentary by Elcott Coleby: August 10-14
By Elcott Coleby, BIS
Aug 14, 2015 - 7:09:37 PM
The Baha Mar debate continues
The public debate over the
future and handling of Baha Mar continued this week with the charge of conflict
of interest on the part of the Attorney General by the leader of the
Opposition.
In her response, the
Attorney General Senator Allyson Maynard-Gibson categorically rejected the suggestion
of a conflict of interest, accused Dr. Minnis of “manufacturing an issue where
none exists” and clarified what she characterized as the “undisputed facts” on
the relationship between Baha Mar and Gibson family:
“I have no interest in or
control of any company with ownership in Baha Mar.
“My husband, Maxwell
Gibson, is the owner and CEO of one of the country’s leading 100% Bahamian
family owned retail jewelry businesses. About 2 years ago Baha Mar announced to
much media coverage that he, Fred Hazelwood and Wayne Chew A Tow – owners of
two other leading Bahamian family owned retail businesses – had been granted
leases for retail space in Baha Mar.
“The Government of the
Bahamas played absolutely no role in this commercial transaction.
“Pending the opening of the
resort, my husband’s company alone – as are so many other Bahamian businesses
waiting on Baha Mar’s completion – is shouldering liability for the risks
related to the delay” said the Legal Affairs Minister.
“These facts are easily
available to Dr. Minnis” she continued.
“Nonetheless, as a warrant
of my transparency, I reminded the Prime Minister of them prior to leading our
Government’s delegation to Baha Mar negotiations in China.
“There is no conflict of
interest” insisted Mrs. Gibson. “Baha Mar’s opening will serve all Bahamian
businesses hoping to work within, or for, the resort – including my husband’s –
and I make no apologies for this.”
The Attorney General again
reiterated the sole objective of the government which is to facilitate the opening
of the resort.
“One objective alone has
informed my actions: facilitating the opening of Baha Mar so that it may
fulfill its promise and serve the interest of all Bahamians” said the Attorney
General.
Turning
to the legal arguments surrounding Baha Mar, the hearing in a Delaware court to
determine whether Baha Mar's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing will be dismissed has
been postponed until
August 28.
Here
in Nassau, in an attempt to allow negotiations to proceed in private and not in
the public domain where unsolicited opinions are fast and furious, Prime
Minister Perry Christie was mum this week on questions regarding the status of
negotiations on an out of court settlement on the Baha Mar mega resort.
Also,
and in the interest of transparency, the Prime Minister has removed Minister of
State for Legal Affairs Damian Gomez as the government's lead Counsel on the
Baha Mar court matter to prevent and appearance of "collusion" or
"Cabinet involvement" in the case; the State Minister confirmed this
change
on Thursday. When the Supreme Court meets on the 19th August before
Justice Ian Winder to argue for the appointment of a provisional liquidator,
Simon Peter Knox QC will represent the crown as lead Counsel.
In
other Baha news, the developer of Baha Mar is still unable to pay its
expatriate workers despite securing nearly $15 million in debtor-in-possession
(DIP) loans, according to resort Senior Vice President Robert Sands.
2015 BGCSE exam results revealed
At a
press conference
on Tuesday to discuss the 2015 BJC and BGCSE examination
results, the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald, Minister
of Education, Science and Technology, indicated that he was "encouraged"
by this year's Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) exam
results.
Student
performances improved this year in under half of the 27 Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary
Education (BGCSE) exam categories compared to 2014, but students continued to
average D+’s and E’s, respectively in English language and Mathematics,
according to statistics released by the Ministry of Education.
The
2014 exam performances were the best in twenty years and 2015 builds upon the
successes of 2014.
Minister Fitzgerald noted that the
number of students taking the exams is the largest in the last six years. While
students
still wrestle with English and Math, more students overall are attaining grades
A to C in five or more BJC subjects. Most successful students were those who
utilized the Ministry’s after-school exam preparation programme, a vital government
service the Minister would like to see expanded with students taking greater
advantage of.
Also
in attendance were Evelyn Sawyer, Assistant Director of
Education with the Examination and Assessment Division and Donella
Bodie, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry.
Christie celebrates emancipation in Fox Hill
Prime
Minister Perry Christie led cabinet and Parliamentary colleagues to his 17th
consecutive appearance at the annual Fox Hill Day celebrations, an event
celebrated by Fox Hill residents to commemorate the emancipation of their
ancestors from slavery in the
British Empire in 1834, 181 years ago. The Prime
Minister made appearances at Saint Paul’s, Macedonia and Mount Carey’s Baptist
Churches. Fox Hill has celebrated this historic event since the 1880’s.
Room revenue grows in Freeport
More
good news for Grand Bahama’s economy as the latest report from the Ministry of
Tourism reveals that Grand Bahama is showing significant improvements in hotel
room revenue, which has hit $16 million this year, $2million ahead of same
period in 2014.
“Our room revenue this year is reporting somewhere around
$16 million verses $14 million last year,” Ms Bethel said. “So, it is all good
news and the MOT has been putting in new experiences for these guests.”
According to Ms. Betty Bethel, director of the Ministry
of Tourism in Grand Bahama, this increase is attributed to tourism business from
Grand Celebration Cruise ship and the Sunwing Group, which together account for
a total of 14,000 room nights per month on the island.
She reported that Grand Celebration is responsible for
6,000 room nights and the Sunwing Group for 8,100. Sunwing and Vacation Express
provide airlifts to Grand Bahama from eight US cities, resulting in a
significant increase in air arrivals.
According to tourism figures, there was a 4.6 per cent
increase in the amount of available rooms on the island this year. In June,
there were 352,767 rooms occupied compared to 337,009 last year.
This week in Parliament
The
Senate met
on Monday of this week and passed the Minimum Wage Bill and the
Declaration of Currency Act. With these passages, the minimum wage in the
private sector will be US $210 on 15th August 2015 and declaration
of funds on a traveler’s person both entering and leaving The Bahamas becomes law.
Haitian Ambassador bids farewell
After
serving in The Bahamas for five years, the Ambassador of the Republic of Haiti
to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas His Excellency Antonio Rodrigue paid the customary
and farewell Courtesy Call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration
the Hon. Fred Mitchell. Also in attendance was Permanent Secretary Sheila Carey
(Head of the Foreign Service), and other senior staff at the Ministry. The
meeting took place on Wednesday, August 12.
During a
formal dinner reception in the ambassador’s honour held
on Thursday evening,
Deputy Prime Minister and acting Foreign Minister the Hon. Philip Brave Davis reflected
on the historic and cordial relationship both countries enjoyed even though diplomatic
relations were formalized in 1977.
He
recounted some major accomplishments between the two countries over the past
three years, especially three critical bilateral agreements signed in July 2014:
-
a Framework Agreement on Bilateral
Cooperation,
-
an Agreement on the Promotion and
Protection of Investments, and
-
an Agreement on Technical
Cooperation in Agriculture and Fisheries.
Ambassador
Rodrigue’s last day in office is Friday, 14th August 2015.
Tax Compliance Certificate to be issued
In an attempt to
strengthen its central revenue administration, the Department of Inland Revenue
advised this week of the introduction of a new Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC)
to be issued to taxpayers who are current with their tax obligations to the
government. These obligations include filing tax returns and full payment of assessed
taxes.
According to the
statement, the certificate is required for individuals who fall in the
following categories:
- Individuals wishing to tender for the award of a
contract with the government or a public body.
- Individuals wishing to collect monies for services
rendered under a contract awarded by the government or a public body.
- Individuals wishing to register ownership or change
ownership of a taxable good.
- For individuals who receive concessions (or allowances)
under the provisions of the legislation, the TCC will be valid for a
period of one month or six months, depending on the value of the contract.
Information about the
Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC) can be found in the Financial Administration
and Audit (Amendment) Act 2015 Part IIB (of Section 19i).
The statement also noted
that a Tax Compliance Certificate will not limit the execution of audits and
will not rule out taxes that are owed to the Government. Business License
operations are) now located in new facilities at the Department of Inland
Revenue (CRA) in the rear of the Shops at Carmichael Plaza on Carmichael Road
Minister Rolle
assesses upgrades at Paradise Island’s Warwick Hotel
Minister
of State for Investment, Hon. Khaalis Rolle and members from the Bahamas
Investment Authority toured the Warwick International Hotel
on Thursday
afternoon. Warwick is located at the old Paradise Harbour Club and Marina,
Paradise Island.
The
Contractor and senior executives of Warwick addressed the media after the tour,
revealing that Warrick International is investing "north of $18
million" as it undertakes renovations to transform the former Paradise
Island Harbour Resort which it acquired in 2012.
Bahamas government receives letter of appreciation
Kevin Cronk, Program Manager of
U.S. Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, presented the Hon. Dr. Michael
Darville, Minister for Grand Bahama, with a letter of appreciation from US
Homeland Security, August 10, for the invaluable support of the Government of The
Bahamas.
It was in recognition of the fact
that Decision Sciences, a well-known provider of integrated security and
detection systems has implemented a cargo scanner at Freeport Container Port
that quickly detects shielded and unshielded nuclear and radiological threats
in containers, and prevents hazardous matter moving through the container
port.
All Bahamas Merit
Scholars announced
Calling
the All Bahamas Merit Scholarship “one of the most coveted (scholarship awards)
in The Bahamas and is awarded to the most promising Bahamian High School
graduates accepted to college,” Education Minister Fitzgerald thanked the staff
of the selection committee, senior education officials and parents of the twenty-one
worthy recipients who sacrificed much to ensure the consistently high academic
performances of their children.
He
was speaking at the award ceremony at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium
on Wednesday, 12th August 2015.
Additionally,
the Education Minister reiterated the government’s continued commitment to providing
greater educational opportunities to our next generation of national leaders
and to youth development generally.
“This
year, the Government of The Bahamas, is demonstrating its commitment to
ensuring that our bright, young leaders of
tomorrow are afforded the best
opportunities for tertiary education locally and abroad. Our total financial
contribution to you represents some $405, 000.00 per year or 1.62 million
dollars over the next four years” said the Minister.
The
financial support for our scholars did not stop there as the Ministry of
Education, Science and Technology (MOE) announced this week that its
partnership with four international colleges and universities will benefit
eighteen more of our finest public school scholars to the tune of $1.4 million
in the form of scholarships over the next four years. The breakdown is as
follows:
Monroe
College and the MOE are partnering to give
1.1 million dollars in
scholarships.
Texas
Southern University and the MOE are partnering to give
$120,000.00 in
scholarships.
Taylor
University, a private donor and the MOE are partnering to give
$160, 000.00
in scholarships.
Holland
College and the MOE are partnering to give
$150,000.00
in scholarships.
The
award ceremony is scheduled for Monday, 17th August 2015 at the
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.
In Passing…
Scores
of young people gathered at the E. P. Roberts Primary School
on Wednesday to
close out the six-week Z Bandits summer youth programme where the young
participants showcased handicraft projects along with their acting, singing and
dancing abilities. All in all the Z Bandits hosted a successful summer camp. In
attendance at the closing ceremonies were Prime Minister Perry Christie and Attorney
General Allyson Maynard-Gibson.
State
Minister for Investments Khaalis Rolle said
on Thursday that the much awaited Small
and Medium Sized Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDA) would be launched in
tandem with the National Development Plan, stating that under its current
design "it won't go as far as we need it to go." Enabling legislation
is also expected to be tabled in the near future.
Attorney
Wayne Munroe said
on Thursday that a Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) captain
recently rejected his motion for a no case submission in the hearing into the alleged
abuse of a group of Cuban immigrants by several marines at the Carmichael Road
Detention Centre in 2013.
The
government revealed this week that Minister of Financial Services Hope
Strachan, Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis and other senior technocrats
will join Prime Minister Perry Christie on
August 20 at the Office of the Prime
Minister for a meeting with Organization of Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) representative Pascal Saint-Amans to discuss the recent --
and much disputed -- European Union (EU) blacklisting of The Bahamas and other
jurisdictions.
Police
Commissioner Ellison Greenslade said he has no intention of publicly addressing
the "intimate workings" of the Royal Bahamas Police Force as
questions about his decisions to transfer members of the Police Staff
Association linger.
In world news with direct impact on The Bahamas
is the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between the United States and the
Republic of Cuba. On Friday, 14th August, the United States Embassy in
Cuba was officially re-opened after being closed for fifty-four years – since 1961.
Former President Fidel Castro who celebrated his 89th birthday on
Thursday, said that the US still owes Cuba millions over a lingering trade dispute.
As for the Bahamas, its strategy on tourism is one of cooperation rather than
direct competition with Cuba. The recent Air Service Agreement with China
allows for Chinese tourists to visit both Cuba and The Bahamas on a single
visit.
About the author: Elcott Coleby is a Deputy Director at the
Bahamas Information Services. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
Chemistry (B.Sc) and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). He provides
frequent commentary on public policy and communicates the works of the
government. Address all comments to the following email:
egcoleby44@gmail.com
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