Natario McKenzie

Activist slams Shell LNG deal as ‘regressive step’

A WELL-known environmentalist yesterday said the adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the Bahamas’ main power source is a “huge regressive step”, questioning why the Government was not aggressively pursuing solar energy.

DPM: Business Licence fee is ‘inherently unfair’

THE Government is examining how to adjust a Business Licence fee that the Deputy Prime Minister yesterday branded “inherently unfair” to firms with high turnover and low profit margins. K Peter Turnquest, who is also minister of finance, described as “misinformation” any suggestion that the Government has committed to the European Union (EU) that it will introduce a corporate tax or income tax.

Employers identify dozens of new hires

THE Director of Labour yesterday hailed the success of his department’s latest job fair, with major New Providence employers having identified dozens of potential hires.

Super Value chief in VAT ‘exclusive’ push

* Blames ‘inclusive’ switch for 10% sales fall * Plans to ‘go back at Gov’t’ over issue * ‘We don’t have to be contrary to world’

SUPER Value’s owner yesterday said will appeal to government for permission to revert to Value Added Tax (VAT) ‘exclusive’ pricing, blaming the switch for this year’s 10 per cent sales decline. Rupert Roberts, while likely reigniting the ‘inclusive’ versus ‘exclusive’ VAT pricing debate, told Tribune Business that Super Value’s 2017 top-line had seen a marked decline in comparison to the two years prior, during which time the food store chain had used VAT ‘exclusive’ pricing.

Retailers await ‘busy weekend’

BAHAMIAN retailers yesterday said sales have began to pick-up in the week prior to Christmas, amid anticipation of a “very busy weekend”. “The response to our retail Christmas offer has been outstanding. We are so thankful to our subscribers for their continued support of us, and we are looking forward to closing out the season with a bang,” Aliv’s chief business developer, Gravette Brown, told Tribune Business.

Economist backs spending cuts to end ‘major wastage’

A University of the Bahamas economist yesterday backed government spending cuts on the grounds there has been “a great deal of wastage”. Rupert Pinder, addressing a Rotary Club of West Nassau luncheon, said: “We cannot overemphasise the importance of economic growth. You can cut spending until the cows come home, but what is really going to put this economy on a strong footing is growth. I am a proponent for cuts in public spending because I think there has been a great deal of wastage.

Chamber chief urges holiday crime ‘vigilance’

THE Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) chief executive yesterday urged businesses and consumers to be “vigilant” and “take every precaution” to avoid becoming victims of crime this Christmas season. Edison Sumner expressed concern over the “startling” increase in cyber crime and credit card fraud.

Economist: Enterprises Bill $250k should be ‘bit higher’

THE Commercial Enterprises Bill’s $250,000 investment threshold should have been “a bit higher”, a University of the Bahamas economist argued yestrerday. Rupert Pinder, addressing the Rotary Club of West Nassau, said the $250,000 benchmark for foreign companies applying under the Bill did not match the level of incentives being granted.

PM: ‘No time to rest on laurels’ over EU

THE Prime Minister yesterday said the Bahamas has “no time to rest on our laurels”, given the European Union’s (EU) concerns over the absence of corporate income taxation. Dr Hubert Minnis told the House of Assembly that the EU’s Code of Conduct group had written to the Government expressing concerns that this nation’s tax system did not comply with its ‘blacklisting’ criteria.

Some fishermen ‘shut it down’ following Irma

BAHAMIAN fishermen are hoping to “make up” for a rough 2017 with a better crawfish harvest before the season closes, the Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance’s (BCFA) president said yesterday.

Gov’t to tackle mail boat concerns ‘in earnest’

A CABINET minister yesterday said he has committed to a “sit down” with mail boat operators after Christmas to address “in earnest” industry concerns.

Bahamian retailers hit by ‘showroom effect’

BAHAMIAN retailers yesterday said they have fallen victim to the “showroom effect” with consumers using them as ‘fitting rooms’ before purchasing online.

Nassau/PI resorts in New Year sell-out

MAJOR Nassau/Paradise Island resorts are predicting traditionally strong occupancies over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period.

Unions: Employers leaving us with no choice but strike

A union leader yesterday said employers are ignoring the legally-stipulated 45-day period in which to begin negotiations, leaving organised labour with no choice but to resort to industrial action.

A Cabinet minister yesterday moved a parliamentary motion to create a select committee that will probe the the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) 2011 privatisation.

All ‘milestones’ come Aliv for mobile player

The Bahamas’ second mobile operator said yesterday it had met all “milestones and obligations” for cellular coverage and infrastructure roll-out as required by its license, its sales and marketing head arguing it has “the best network in the Caribbean”.

QC tells the web shops: Form own credit union

A prominent QC has called on web shop gaming operators to establish their own credit union, as blasted the Canadian-owned banks’ refusal to accept the sector’s deposits as making “no sense whatsoever”.

Harbour Island ‘thrilled’ at BPL energy resolution

Tourism stakeholders on Harbour Island yesterday hailed Bahamas Power and Light’s (BPL) plan to provide a 6 Mega Watt (MW) power plant to address long-standing energy concerns as “very encouraging”, one executive telling Tribune Business: “We’re thrilled.”

Govt continuing ‘targeted’ Customs Duty reductions

The Government is proceeding with its “targeted” reduction in Customs duties to accompany Value-Added Tax (VAT), a Cabinet minister has revealed, with more cuts to be triggered by enhanced revenue administration.

Mortgage Relief: 16%of targeted borrowers qualify

Some 16 per cent of troubled borrowers targeted by the Government’s revised Mortgage Relief Plan have been enrolled in the scheme, a Cabinet Minister yesterday saying it had already been “more successful” than the first version.

Govt targets extra $40-$80m revenue from enforcement

The Government is targeting an extra $40-$80 million in additional revenue over the next six to 12 months as it pursues an enhanced enforcement/compliance strategy, a Cabinet minister said yesterday.

Just 30% of workers covered by pensions

Just 30 per cent of the Bahamian workforce is covered by employer-sponsored pension plans, the Central Bank’s governor said yesterday, acknowledging that the relative lack of diversified investment opportunities in the Bahamas presented challenges.

NHI manager blasts sector’s ‘false division’

The National Health Insurance (NHI) project manager yesterday asserted that the primary care phase’s roll-out by early 2017 remains “reasonable”, while dismissing the “false division” between public and private health care providers in the Bahamas.

Correspondent de-risk threatening 25% of Bahamas institutions

The Central Bank’s chief inspector warned yesterday that 25 per cent of its licensees will find it “difficult” to maintain existing correspondent banking relationships, even though the Bahamas has not been exposed to “wholesale vulnerability” yet.

Pinder: Sue for $13m over ‘Bahamas papers’

A former financial services minister yesterday suggested that this nation sue to recover the $13 million in Companies Registry search fees owed by the international journalists’ group responsible for the ‘Bahamas papers leak’.

BISX seeks embrace with crowdfunding

The Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) is seeking to marry its Small Alternative Market (SAM) and regulated environment with the new crowdfunding phenomenon, its chief executive said yesterday.

Accountants facing US state challenges

The Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) is in talks with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AISPA) to resolve challenges encountered by members in maintaining their US State Board memberships, its president said yesterday.

Business ease slippage ‘doesn’t represent nation’

The 121st ranking in the World Bank’s 2016 ‘ease of doing business’ rankings “does not represent who the Bahamas is”, Prime Minister Perry Christie argued yesterday, touting a Competitiveness Council as the answer to these woes.

Hutchison ‘streamlines’ Freeport investments

The sales process for the 409-acre Grand Lucayan property on Grand Bahama is “still ongoing”, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday.

Tripartite Council ‘serves no purpose’

The Trade Union Congress’s (TUC) president has vowed to pursue the its grievance against Sandals Royal Bahamian’s termination of 600 employees to its “logical conclusion”, arguing that the Attorney General’s decision to nullify their case against the resort’s top executives had put workers in a ‘frightening” position.

Land registration still ‘stuck in 18th century’

The Bahamas’ land registration system remains “stuck in the 18th century, an Abaco realtor believes, while calling on this country to develop a proper Land Use Plan (LUP).

Abaco’s airlift capacity up 9%

Abaco has attracted 47,000 stopover visitors year-to-date, a Ministry of Tourism official says, with the island’s airlift capacity for international arrivals increasing for the third straight year.

Businesses monitor air cargo fall-out

Bahamian businesses are continuing to monitor the fall-out from new and increased Customs fines on the air cargo industry, which has prompted some carriers to threaten to withdraw from this market.

Ex-Senator renews call for Bahamian industry ownership

Bahamians must have ownership of key economic sectors "from the top straight through the supply chain", a former FNM Senator is arguing, adding that this would protect the "haemorrhaging" foreign currency reserves.

Air cargo costs to rise ‘tremendously’

Bahamians were yesterday warned that the cost of imported air freight will increase “tremendously” as a result of the new Customs fees and fines set to be imposed on operators from today.

‘Much work’ ahead over business ease

The Bahamas has “a lot of work to do” before it sees a dramatic improvement in the ease of doing business, the Opposition’s finance spokesman said yesterday, adding: “There’s just too much government bureaucracy.”

PM targets ‘top 50’ business ease rank

The Prime Minister yesterday said he was targeting a ‘top 50’ ranking for the Bahamas in the World Bank’s ‘ease of doing business’ index within five years, arguing that its current 106th spot does not reflect its capabilities and potential.

Union to ‘do what it has to do’ over Hilton meltdown

The hotel union’s president yesterday said that if working conditions at the British Colonial Hilton do not improve soon it will “do what it has to do”, amid an air conditioning breakdown that has persisted for more than a week.

Price Control: Our 2-year plea was fruitless

The Price Control Commission’s chairman yesterday reiterated warnings that it may seek to dictate business prices via legislation, arguing that many had failed to respond to two years’ worth of pleading by himself.

Mortgage Corp still stuck at 40% arrears

The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation’s (BMC) arrears ratio continues to hover around 40 per cent, its chairman said yesterday, despite it adding $49.7 million in new mortgages to its portfolio over the past four years.

Fishermen: Gov't late on storm relief

Bahamian fishermen are hoping the Government will give further thought to their cry for fuel concessions, one representative telling this newspaper: “That would go a long way to helping the industry”.

Bahamas financial services set to feel BREXIT's impact

The UK's decision to leave the European Union (EU) could have a significant impact on the Bahamas' financial services industry, the Chamber of Commerce's chairman urging this nation to be an "interested observer" of what unfolds.

FNM deputy questions Mortgage Relief ‘sense’

The Christie administration’s revised Mortgage Relief Plan does not make much sense “on the face of it”, according to the Opposition’s finance spokesman, who questioned what return the Government would get for its $20 million ‘investment’.

‘Nothing to celebrate’ on $99m borrowing

The Opposition yesterday argued there was “nothing to celebrate” in the Christie administration’s revelation that it is only borrowing $99 million to fund the 2016-2017 fiscal deficit, its finance spokesman saying it had over-burdened Bahamians with taxes to achieve this.

Stories by Natario

* Blames ‘inclusive’ switch for 10% sales fall * Plans to ‘go back at Gov’t’ over issue * ‘We don’t have to be contrary to world’

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