Thursday, May 9, 2019
By MORGAN ADDERLEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
madderley@tribunemedia.net
ONLY 100 of the more than 3,500 registrants of the Access Accelerator Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) are from the Over-the-Hill community, SBDC chairman Geoffrey Andrews said yesterday.
Mr Andrews made this observation during a press conference held yesterday at the Office of the Prime Minister, where the Over-the-Hill rejuvenation initiative received $500,000 from three separate donations. Mr Andrews described the donation as a “great seed of capital”.
The funding will also benefit the Over-the-Hill Community Development Foundation, and the redevelopment of the Southern Recreation Grounds.
Businessman Mark Holowesko first donated $100,000 to SBDC, which provides small business grants to entrepreneurs.
Mr Andrews accepted this donation and subsequently delivered remarks.
“A donation like this provides a great seed of capital,” he said. “To date, only 100 of our 3,500-plus registrants are from Over-the-Hill. We hope that with this donation and the programming that we launch in the area we’ll see that number grow exponentially.
“This donation…will go a long way in helping us to boost the local economy, create jobs, and develop ownership,” Mr Andrews said, as he celebrated 22-year-old Benjamin Davis, a University of the Bahamas student, who recently became the first local entrepreneur to receive capital funding from commercial banks through SBDC.
He also noted the launch of a SBDC office at the Edmund Moxey Cultural Centre on Baillou Road, which took place last night.
“We believe that in the long-term having immediate access within walking distance will help the pace of growth of the small businesses within central New Providence,” Mr Andrews said.
During his speech, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said he’s challenged SBDC with the establishment of a programme so that the money be dispensed “as grants in tranches of $2,500-$3,500”, particularly for small businesses such as barbershops, beauty salons and stores, and tailor shops.
Mr Holowesko gave another $100,000 to the Over-the-Hill Community Development Foundation, which is a newly established non-profit chaired by Robert Turnquest.
Mr Turnquest yesterday said the foundation’s goal is to “serve as a vehicle for bringing lasting and tangible benefits to this important and historic community and its people”.
He also underscored the “participatory and collaborative” nature of the foundation as he appealed for public assistance with the initiative.
“The foundation will be responsible for the comprehensive programme of Over-the-Hill,” Dr Minnis added. “We are trying to present and come forth with opportunities for the inhabitants of the inner city so that they themselves will be able to improve the quality of their life and become entrepreneurs in society.”
Finally, Dr Tyrone McKenzie, former senior vice-president of Albany Bahamas, presented Dr Minnis with a $300,000 donation — the second half of the total $600,000 contribution Albany has given to the redevelopment of the Southern Recreation Grounds.
Describing Albany as a “great partner”, Dr Minnis said: “We’ve already started the rejuvenation of the Over-the-Hill programme. As you know we’re more than 3/4 way completed with the Southern Recreation grounds.” He added it will be an “excellent facility” and tourist attraction and be a “model park” within Bahamian society.
Of the inner city, Dr Minnis said: “We’ve declared that area a tax-free zone and we would look (further) to extending these tax free zones to other under privileged areas.”
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic says...
And what will be the quid pro quo for these tokenistic contributions?
What new government approvals are the developers of Albany seeking?
Is Mr. Holowesko one of those behind the proposed big land grab from the Bahamian people of properties that have been rundown by successive governments?
Posted 9 May 2019, 9:28 a.m. Suggest removal
jus2cents says...
Well done and Thank You! We need more people to 'step up and Out' like this!
Putting their money where it can help others is good news for a change.
Under an article regarding these contributions on a Facebook page, the general public are sadly responding with resentful bitching? Yet these are the same ungrateful people who cry for the rich to help the poor more, like a bunch of two faced psychotic hypocrites.
These contributors don't have to give any donations, they could buy a boat and forget about ‘Over the Hill’ Grow up Bahamas!
Dammed if you do help and dammed if you don't!
Posted 9 May 2019, 10:51 a.m. Suggest removal
geostorm says...
yes @jus2cents, we are sometimes an ungrateful bunch of people. It's sad.
Posted 9 May 2019, 1:10 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
We've already had an international consultant describe to us how governments are bought from his personal experience of buying governments.
Since we weren't in the room we can't know if this money was given in hopes that a requested transaction would go through. But in general this is how it's done, sponsor a junkanoo group, donate computers to a school, offer a few scholarships and boom, deal done.
Posted 9 May 2019, 2:52 p.m. Suggest removal
Well_mudda_take_sic says...
And who do you think controls most governments around the world today, governments that have been so instrumental in growing the ever increasingly wide chasm between the haves and the have nots? The fundamental flaw of raw and unchecked capitalism in any democracy is that governments can be too easily bought, especially the governments of smaller nations like ours. But you know no doubt believe the very privileged and greedy wealthy few are able to do a much better job at allocating a society's limited resources given the many inferior attributes of the have nots, including their inability to elect competent and honourable government officials of the highest quality who would serve all of society well. In that case, your expectation of much gratitude for the occasional bone thrown to the have nots is fully understood. LMAO
Posted 9 May 2019, 1:27 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Yes, yes, if Imperial red shirts stick their 'UpAsses' but elite 100 comrades singled special attention out of the more than 344,000 registrants officially accounted for the general populace's since seising instruments govern over Colony of Out Islands 729 days days back - expect same don't give real damn shi# results, yes, no........ it's all pre 2022 General Election Imperialist red shirts designer spin out PMO propagandising, yes, no?
Posted 9 May 2019, 12:48 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
What are they doing to the southern recreation grounds. The donations seems large.. But
the amounts given to Barbara shops and beauty salons are interesting to say the least.
Doc has another Kodak moment. The proof is in the pudding. time will tell.
Posted 9 May 2019, 3:13 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
Mark Holowesko's $100,000 is a welcomed donation. However, $300M minimum is what's really needed to make a noticeable dent in the over-the-hill areas **AND** the Holoweskos' are not philanthropist, so Minnis is now obligated to give the Holowesko group of pirates "something" they're asking for, and we can be sure it's not something in the interest of the majority of Bahamians!
Secondly, how anyone could be surprised that only 100 of the more than 3,500 registrants of the Access Accelerator Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) are from the Over-the-Hill community, as SBDC chairman Geoffrey Andrews pointed out is astonishing to you as.
Over 96% of over-the-hill residents only live there because they cannot do any better! These people do not have the finances to make ANY investments. They are doing what they can to survive, living on basics, and certainly, do not have any funds to invest!!!
Mark Holowesko has more than likely pulled a fast "ONE" on Minnis, similarly how the Chinese pulled several fast ones on imbecile Christie.
Posted 13 May 2019, 5:49 p.m. Suggest removal
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