Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruise lines have agreed to a new combined investment of $350 million in the Grand Bahama Shipyard, Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis announced today in his wrap-up of the 2021/22 Budget Debate in the House of Assembly.

The Prime Minister pointed out that to understand the scale of this investment, the original investment and other investments to date in the Shipyard have totaled approximately $250 million dollars...

The Government has embarked on a major initiative aimed at zeroing in on deficiencies in specialized skills in the country’s workforce. On Monday, 21st June, the Ministry of Labour in conjunction with the National Training Agency (NTA), the Department of Labour and the National Tripartite Council, formally announced the launch of the National Workforce Skills Gap Survey 2021 during a press conference held at the NTA on Gladstone Road.  

Executive Manager at the Ministry of Labour, Robert Farquharson said that in 2012, a similar survey was conducted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Government of The Bahamas...

Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis today announced several changes to the Emergency Powers Order, including adjustments to curfews, testing requirements for domestic travel, travel health visa fees, wedding receptions, funeral services and provisions for fully vaccinated individuals.

With lively Junkanoo performances and celebrations, government officials and key business leaders welcomed Royal Caribbean International with open arms on Friday, June 18 as Adventure of the Seas completed its inaugural homeporting ceremony in Grand Bahama Island, with 1,000 eager passengers.

The Government of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas invites interested parties to attend an Industry Forum concerning private operator/developer concessions and related opportunities in connection with The Bahamas Airports PPP Program.  

Tourism is rebounding every day in The Bahamas with almost 300,000 visitors receiving Bahamas Travel Health Visas to enter the Commonwealth of The Bahamas over the first five months of the year, Minister of Tourism and Aviation, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar said. Mr. D’Aguilar said statistics show that the Family Islands are “bouncing back” even faster than New Providence.
“Everyone sees it!  The airports are getting busier!  The marinas up and down The Bahamas have never been busier...

The second phase of construction of the Ragged Island Multi-purpose Center has begun. 
The Hon. Desmond Bannister, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works shared details of the center in his contribution to the House of Assembly June 16.
He said the building will be an example of what modern schools in the Family Islands will look like...

After cruise tourism had stopped for many months, Friday marked the return of cruise passengers to Grand Bahama, said Minister of Tourism and Aviation, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar, during the Inaugural Ceremony marking Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas’ Bahamas Homeporting and Weekly Calls on the Port of Freeport, held June 18, 2021 at Freeport Harbour.

Royal Bahamas Defence Force Entry 22 paid a courtesy call upon Governor General His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Cornelius A. Smith, on the occasion of their 33rd Anniversary on Monday, June 14th, 2021.  

(BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson)...

See enclosed Budget Debate presentation by Minister of Health, the Hon. Renward Wells, June 16 & 17, 2021 in the House of Assembly:

Mr. Speaker,

I rise today in this House in the usual fashion, with thankfulness in my heart, praising HaShem, The Elohim of the Elohim, who has blessed us in the Heavenly place with all spiritual blessing.  He is the Lord of Life, the source of all hope, faith, and love.  May his name forever and forever be praised...

The Hon. Marvin Dames, Minister of National Security, delivered remarks during the Royal Bahamas Police Force Retirement Luncheon Honouring Ms. Ismella Davis-Delancy, Deputy Commissioner of Police, June 16, 2021 at the Paul Farquharson Conference Centre, Police Headquarters.  The Deputy Commissioner is pictured standing with Minister Dames and Commissioner of Police, Paul Rolle, and also giving her Response to the audience.  Paul Rolle, Commissioner of Police, along with his Executive Team, are pictured during a Presentation to Ms. Davis-Delancy...

The recent Home Porting of Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas is expected to pay huge dividends for the Bahamian economy in general, and the tourism economy in particular, Minister of Tourism and Aviation, the Hon. Dionisio D’Aguilar told House Members.

Minister D’Aguilar said while the Home Porting has already begun paying dividends for countless Bahamians and the economy since its launch one week ago...

The Ministry of Health has been allocated the sum of $297,081,014 in the 2021-22 Budget in order to carry out its planned phased upgrade to health care facilities around the country. Minister Wells noted that over the past two years, The Bahamas faced Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19...

The more than $80 million that has been allocated to the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development in the2021-2022 Budget will account for the largest allocation of funds for the provision of social assistance in the history of The Bahamas, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development, the Hon. Frankie A. Campbell told Parliament Wednesday. He said this was in comparison to post-Hurricane Matthew when the budget was decreased by $3 million.

Minister Campbell said the allocation will allow the Ministry to continue to provide the services...

Mrs. Lonnie Rolle of Gregory Town, Eleuthera, was sworn in as Deputy to the Governor General by the Hon. Sir Brian Moree, Kt., QC, Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, at the Office of the Governor General, One Montague Place on Wednesday, June 16, 2021.  

(BIS Photos/Letisha Henderson)...

As part of its ongoing digital transformation initiatives, the Government of The Bahamas has announced the opening of the Centralized Collection Centre, a centralized location for the collection of government documents requested via the MyGateway portal. The establishment of the Centralized Collection Centre is part of the Government’s $30 million investment in digital transformation and related to the launch of MyGateway.gov.bs...

The Grand Bahama Utility Company (GBUC) is pleased to provide an update on the development of its new three-million-gallon Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant and the return of full potability to customers across Grand Bahama.

The Office of The Governor-General wishes to advise that Their Excellencies The Most Honourable Sir Cornelius A. Smith, O.N., GCMG, and Lady Smith departed The Bahamas for Florida shortly before mid-day on Wednesday, 16th June 2021.

The Governor-General is on vacation leave and scheduled to return to The Bahamas on Saturday, 3rd July 2021. Mrs. Lonnie Rolle will act as Deputy to the Governor-General during his absence...

See Enclosed Budget Communication by Minister of Tourism and Aviation the Hon. Dionisio D'Aguilar, in the House of Assembly, June 15, 2021:

I rise on behalf of the great and wonderful and resilient people of Freetown.
We have accomplished a lot but there is still a heck of a lot more work to do within the constituency.  There is no doubt that COVID has thrown us off track...