This day in
Parliament
: The
Bahamas Parliament convened at 10am on Wednesday, 24th February to
debate and pass amendments to the Bail Act.
Minister of Social
Services and Community Development the Hon. Melanie Griffin officially
presented to the House the report on gender-based violence and its
recommendations inclusive of the establishment of a Gender Based Violence
Authority to supervise the various programs proposed in the report. This comes days
after the report was presented to Bahamas Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G.
Christie at a press conference at his office in Cable Beach. The committee is chaired
by Justice Rubie Ann Nottage.
Minister of Youth,
Sports and Culture the Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson presented his Junkanoo
report. There were 23 junkanoo parades held around The Bahamas said the
Minister, starting with the Junior Junkanoo parade here in Nassau in December
2015. Bimini won the 2015 Junior Junkanoo parade which indicates the great
strides the Family Islands have made in this premier cultural expression.
The
Minister named just a sample of the 40 local festivals across The Bahamas, all
under the supervision of the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC). He
also defended the government’s commitment to keeping Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival
Bahamian and within the bounds of decency.
An
anthology of Bahamian Rake and Scrape music is now at the Smithsonian Institute
in Washington DC, thanks to Fred Ferguson and Ronald Simmons noted the Minister.
The
Minister also took the opportunity to name a number of elite Bahamian athletes
who continue to excel on the international stage. They were Zhivargo ‘Buddy’
Hield of the Oklahoma Sooners, the Big 12 NCAA Div 1 player of the year; Clay
Thompson of the world champion Golden State Warriors and three-point shooting
champion; basketball players Yonette McPhee and Jonquell Jones with the later of
George Washington University.
Finally,
Dr. Johnson announced that the Junior Commonwealth games will be held in The
Bahamas in 2017 and praised the country’s judo team for their recent success in
regional competition.
Immigration and
Foreign Affairs Minister the Hon. Fred Mitchell reported on several
immigration matters currently in the public domain. In doing so he responded to
Attorney Fred Smith QC, the Nassau Guardian and the chairman of the Free
National Movement. The minister’s statement was interrupted on several
occasions by House members for being ‘controversial’ as private citizens were
named in his statement. The Minister argued that the issues he was addressing were
raised in the public domain; the attacks on his character, his privilege and
integrity were made in the public domain so what more appropriate a place to
defend himself than the democratic parliament.
Minister
Mitchell pointed out that the immigration board is the cabinet and a minister
is only a delegate. He pointed out that a request was made of the immigration board
to make a decision on the status of the detained Cuban nationals and the board
did. He said he stands by the decision of the immigration board. Attempts by
individuals to accuse him of untruths either demonstrated a fundamental
misunderstanding of the Westminster system of government or just pure political
mischief by those individuals.
Mitchell
read a dossier on the two Cuban detainees chronicling their arrests, membership
in the Cuban military, their arrests and detention, participation in a fire,
attempts to escape lawful immigration custody, their criminal activities and
applications by The Bahamas government to their home and foreign countries for
their asylum and the rejection of those applications. The dossier spanned more
than two years.
Prime Minister the
Rt. Hon. Perry G. Christie also delivered a communication on the immigration
matter. He said the Republic of Cuba, the United States of America and the
Republic of Panama refused to accept the two Cuban refugees. Mr. Christie
stressed the difficult position the government of The Bahamas was placed in
with these two refugees and revealed that just recently, he penned a letter of
appeal to the government of Cuba to reconsider the matter.
National Security
Minister the Hon. Bernard J. Nottage led off the debate on amendments to the
Bail Act. Citing some of the challenges connected with the granting of bail,
Dr. Nottage revealed that a number of persons murdered this year were out on
bail. He lamented that persons who are aware that bail conditions are being
violated are not forthcoming in reporting these violations to the proper
authorities. He also told House members that some people use their properties
as surety on behalf of persons applying for bail only to profit from this. He
believed this practice to be illegal and would like to see it stopped.
The
amendment to the Bail Act, according to Dr. Nottage, makes it a criminal
offence to violate the terms and conditions of bail, an offense punishable by a
fine of up to $50,000 and five years imprisonment.
House
members from the government side were generally supportive of the amendments
while the opposition members characterized the amendments as “window dressing”
and a “public relations exercise.” In the end the amended Bail Act passed the
House unanimously late
Wednesday night.
Minister
Nottage gave notice to the House that the four constitutional amendment bills
before the House in committee will be put to a vote at the next sitting of the
House on Wednesday, 2nd March 2016. He advised that after further
review of the bills, a decision was made against further amendments to the four
pieces of legislation.
As
a refresher, the proposed constitutional amendments are as follow:
Bill
#1:
This
bill seeks the grant the legal right to a Bahamian woman to automatically pass
on her Bahamian citizenship to her child born in a foreign country with her non
Bahamian spouse just as a Bahamian male married to a non Bahamian woman currently
has the legal right and privilege of doing under the current constitution.
Bill
#2:
This
bill seeks to enable a Bahamian woman who marries a non Bahamian man to secure for
her foreign husband the same access to Bahamian citizenship that a Bahamian man
married to a non Bahamian woman currently enjoys under the constitution.
Bill
#3:
This
bill seeks to grant to an unmarried Bahamian man the legal right to pass on his
Bahamian citizenship to his child he fathered with a non Bahamian woman. Under
the constitution, only an unwed Bahamian woman enjoys that legal right and
privilege. The unwed male must provide proof of paternity by any method listed
under the constitution.
Bill
#4
This
bill seeks to eliminate gender discrimination by inserting the word “sex” into
article 26 of the constitution to make it unconstitutional to discriminate against
anyone on the basis of them being male or female.
PM
Christie opens first phase of February Point redevelopment
“We are witnesses today to a
state-of-the-art newly constructed Welcome Centre, Restaurant, Bistro Bar and Spa.
The small boat marina is 90% completed. Construction has begun on the 20 unit
condominium complex. And plans have been completed to begin construction of six
(6) penthouses and four (4) estate homes.”
Bahamas Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Perry G.
Christie was delivering the keynote address
on Friday morning on the occasion
of the completion and official opening of the first phase of the February Point
Resort, Spa and Marina development in picturesque Exuma.
The latest investor at February Point is John
Garvey, an accomplished commercial and luxury residential developer mostly in
the Southwest Florida area. Prime Minister Christie said that Mr. Garvey now
leads a group of investors and are embarking on a mission to “make an
impressionable mark on Exuma Island through the creation of an ultra luxury
resort that will transform the landscape of Georgetown.”
Mr. Christie commented on the community
outreach and corporate citizenship of the Garvey investment group for the
advancement and development of Exuma.
“In addition to a $40 million project
investment” continued Mr. Christie, “February Point will donate a minimum of 150
acres of land in Flamingo Bay to Government and will contribute $250,000.00 for
a joint venture Master Plan with Government for the transformation of
Georgetown into a mini city with a state-of-the-art Government Administrative
Complex, a primary and a high school, an Industrial Park, Community Sports and
Recreational Centres, a hydrophonic botanical farm, residential subdivision,
and a commercial retail and entertainment district.”
Bahamasair pilots
get new 5 year contract
Admitting
that the nearly two years of negotiations were sometimes beset by delays and
unfortunate events, the Board of Directors and Executive Management of
Bahamasair Holdings expressed satisfaction at the announcement of a new
industrial agreement between the national flag carrier and the Bahamas Airline
Pilots Association (BALPA).
The
announcement was made via press release on Tuesday, 23rd February
2016.
“This
brings to a close almost two years of negotiations which at times experienced
unnecessary delays and unfortunate events” said the statement. “However, both
Management and the Pilots Association express their total satisfaction that
this process has been concluded. The contract, signed on February 19th
will go into immediate effect and is for five years covering the period January
1, 2013 to
December 31, 2017.
”
The
unnecessary events included sickouts by pilots at critical times such as the
Christmas holidays as the sometimes contentious negotiations played itself out
in the media.
The
statement also revealed that Bahamasair had successfully negotiated and signed
off on three industrial agreements with the IAMAW, the PMU and the Pilots
Association, respectively. “Moreover,” said the statement, “the company looks
forward to announcing the signing of its fourth and final agreement with the
AAAWU hopefully, later this week. With the acquisition and integration of the
new fleet, research of new routes and improved performance Bahamasair looks
forward with a renewed sense of purpose and vigor.”
Chamber of Commerce
meets with NHI Secretariat
The
Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) released a
press statement
on Tuesday of this week, one day after meeting with the
National Health Insurance (NHI) Secretariat for further discussions on the
proposed NHI Bahamas plan.
“At
the end of the meeting” said the statement, “a decision was made for a wider private
stakeholder consultation meeting and the BCCEC agreed to facilitate that
meeting. While there were still many questions and concerns expressed by those
present, the meeting was informative and engaging. The BCCEC is pleased that
the NHI Secretariat expressed their openness to have further dialogue and to
consider the views and expressions of the BCCEC to be included in the draft
Bill, as well as their plans going forward.”
In
its statement, the BCCEC did not list any specific stakeholder concerns.
This
meeting which included the insurance industry, medical and allied medical
services, came on the heels of the December 2015 meeting, the first private
sector stakeholder symposium with the NHI Secretariat, organized by the BCCEC.
Only blue NHI Smart Card
necessary for NHI enrolment
The
National Health Insurance Secretariat issued a statement
on Thursday reminding
all Bahamians that they only need one card – the NIB Smart Card – in order to
be prepared for enrolment in NHI Bahamas once that phase begins.
The
statement sought to clarify misinformation that created some confusion in the
public domain about the need to secure a separate NHI Bahamas card as a
precursor for enrolment in the NHI Bahamas programme.
“There has been some confusion where persons believe
they need their NIB Smart Card and another card specifically for NHI Bahamas,”
says Dr. Delon Brennen, Project Manager for NHI Bahamas. “The system is
designed to be efficient and coordinated, therefore it is intended that your
NIB Smart Card will not only be used for NIB purposes, but for NHI Bahamas as
well.”
Only legal Bahamian residents who register for, and
receive their NIB Smart Card will be able to enroll in NHI Bahamas once that
phase begins.
Bahamas regional
leader in airlift per hotel room says IMF report
In
2014, The Bahamas attracted 20,920 outbound commercial aviation flights from
the United States, making this country the regional leader in airlifts per
available hotel room and the third leading Caribbean destination in attracting
outbound commercial flights. The Dominican Republic was first with 25,684
flights followed by Cancun with 25,360 flights. With a stopover visitor count
of 1.286 million, The Bahamas placed fourth behind Cancun, the Dominican
Republic and Jamaica. This was according to an International Monetary Fund
(IMF) study on the impact and role played by airlift on Caribbean tourism.
During that year, The Bahamas was serviced by 18
international airlines, also the highest in the region. These airlines departed
18 US cities – placing The Bahamas third in the region in this category.
On a more sober note, the report found that the number
of flights to The Bahamas has declined by 50% since mid-2000 while the number
of flights leaving US cities for the Caribbean has picked up since the
financial crisis.
The authors of the report entitled ‘Flying to Paradise’ are
Sebastian Acevedo, Lu Han, Hye Sun Kim and Nicole Laframboise.
IDB optimistic about
The Bahamas in 2016.
“The
groundwork laid paints a positive picture for 2016” for The Bahamas said the
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in its latest Caribbean Quarterly
Bulletin. The bulletin echoed the sentiments of The Bahamas government that it
was engaged in the requisite ‘heavy lifting’ over the past three and one half
years in order to stabilize the economy and place it on sound footing and
poised for growth.
“With
the arduous demands and pains of 2015 now behind, the foundation has been laid
for a 2016 that is rich with new mobile options, lower electricity rates,
universal health care, and maybe a new mega-resort, among other things” said
the IDB bulletin.
The
report however pointed out that the delay in the opening of Baha Mar has slowed
the country’s economic recovery, delaying its acceleration for one or two years
with the positive economic impact of Baha Mar likely to be felt in 2018. Baha
Mar’s eventual opening is expected to give the Bahamian economy a strong boost;
this boost will support the government’s fiscal consolidation plan, facilitate
a reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio and build up stronger buffers against
external shocks to the economy said the IDB report.
In Passing…
The
Ministry of Finance Accounting & Audit Officers Comprehensive Assessment
Course officially began at the C.A. Smith Building in Freeport, Grand Bahama,
on Monday, February 22, during which representatives dealing with financial
matters in various government departments began training upgrade in proper
financial procedures. At the opening,
they were addressed by Financial Controller I, Eloise Nixon, and by Acting
Financial Secretary Simon Wilson, who emphasized the importance of
accountability.
The Utilities Regulatory and Competition Authority
(URCA) held a town hall meeting in Marsh Harbour Abaco
on Tuesday evening, 23rd
February, to educate local residents on the role of URCA, the current
regulatory regime governing utilities and how their decisions affect the lives
of ordinary people. URCA also sought to hear the concerns of residents and
secure a better understanding on how URCA can better serve the community.
The Bahamas Insurance Commission held its 5th
annual workshop at the Yacht Club on Tuesday, 23rd February. The
meeting brought together all stakeholders who shared information on the latest
trends and developments in the local and international insurance industries.
The hottest topic is National Health Insurance and one industry leader said
that they want to work with the government and other stakeholders in creating
the best National Health Insurance system possible.
Public servants participated in a one day
workshop on the Andros Sustainable Development Plan Master Plan at the Harry C.
Moore Library, College of The Bahamas on Wednesday, 24th February
2016. This project on sustainable development is being implemented by the
Office of the Prime Minister and the Inter-American Development Bank.
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
