They are. You just have to know how to decipher, extrapolate and project

Two are in Bimini and how many are at PMH

That that PM Minnis allowed additional businesses to open prevented all the money from going in the same pockets as it has been doing for the past five weeks. And hopefully Minnis will continue to allow additional businesses, like car service and appliance repair businesses to open on a limited schedule to allow more money to circulate, but without compromising social distancing and safety measures. The islands where the Covid-19 virus has not appeared over the five weeks of curfew and lockdown indicates the virus is not present in those communities and they can be lifted from some of the safety requirements, provided their boarders remain closed. As for Grand Bahama and New Providence, these islands must go at least 24 days with no new cases. Some say 21 days and so it can be ways into summer before the all clear is given. And that is provided a second beave of the virus doesn’t appear, which may be mutated and can be either more milder or harsher than the first. If BPL could only lock in current oil prices for a full year. Not only will the rate reduction bond be unnecessary but electricity bills can be reduced by at least 50%

So who took time to write this absolute bull crap? How can BTC give itself authority to make ID’s and even suggest that authorities only accept their card? Do government issued and PMH And BPL ids are no longer valid? And the worker pool to pharmacies and food stores is not static. So by the time you go to the trouble to get the I’d, the employee has quit. And what about the fact that the PM had decided to add to the list of stores that can open? Bad idea, bad timing. Ps. Don’t forget public transportation is not operating. So now an essential worker must now find a way to BTC to validate his employment. Rubbish, absolutely.

How much has changed with BEC/BPL since the last major economic collapse in 2008? Probably the most significant thing is the name change. And is that BPL an indicator of how far back the economic lag is in this country. Still in the age of fossil fuel. Should the government be hedging funds outside the country and stimulating economic growth inside the Bahamian economy. Can domestic tourism help soften the blow of some family islands or will it be too much of a health risk?

Is Minnis jinxed or being fire tested?

It appears that government itself is at odds with what the VAT and businesses license policies are under these emergency circumstances. Someone who loves to be referred to as, ‘a high ranking government official’, at one point said payment for business license was extended until May. Then whilst hey said VAT filings and payments for March were deferred, there was no direct address to the quarterly filings that are due today. If you call the VAT office, they will tell you that the filings are still due today and so are the payments. Anything filed or paid for after today will attract penalties and interest. One business owner said he waS told to file as much as the return as he can and he can file an amendment at a later date. He then asked how was he supposed to pay vat and business license if his business was closed since Mid-March. Again he was told to, ‘pay what you can, and see what happens from there.’ With the economy operating at the level it is, yes government is hard pressed for revenue. But if a business is not operating or operating on a reduced schedule then that business may be operating at a loss and experiencing cash flow problems. And if they was to take all the limited cash and hand to the government, what about rent, payroll, inventory and other operating costs?

While government must hope for short term recovery, it must plan for long term. Tourism, for example depends on what happens in tourist markets and whilst New York claims it has seen the apex in its Corona cases and now a decline, a lot of the US have not yet or are just now seeing their surge. And same for most of Europe and Asia. So why are parts of this country that have had their boarders closed for five weeks not allowed to return to normalcy? Why can’t farmers in Abaco and Eleuthera and cat Island and Long Island and Exuma and elsewhere go back to the farms and be given stimulus money to produce even more crops? If they miss the planting season they miss that crop for the entire year. Same for fishermen. Are we leaving the seas open just for poachers? Cut down on the food bill and the fuel import bill. A good time to get Bahamians back into the habit of purchasing locally grown produce. Even schools in those islands can now be open. And even New Providence and Grand Bahama must be put on a rotation where business owners can continue to survive. As food stores and pharmacies traffic return to normal, their hours can be reduced by at least a day to allow other businesses to operate without returning to crowded streets and infringing on social distancing. And remember hurricane season is right around the corner.

This is a touch and go situation. First off the economy is operating at less than 70% and most of this activity is for food and medicine. So even if stores were given permission to operate full hours, there would be a tremendous decline in sales. So it may be better to take the reduced schedule and thereby cut the overhead. And as other sectors of the economy opens, food stores and pharmacies will see a decline in their sales as consumers seek to repair their vehicles, their homes or even replace or purchase other necessities household linen and clothing for example. And in the US, for example many small and medium businesses are claiming that their loans and grants are running out before they get the permission to reopen. One of the stipulations is to keep 51% of their staff employed. And pay rent. And this has proven costly for many businesses. Now that car parts stores are allowed to open, government must consider allowing car dealerships to operate their service departments. Essential workers need to have their vehicles operating properly as well as service and delivery vehicles.

With oil currently as low as $15 a barrel was this NOT to be expected? Will it be wise to stagger plans for drilling until favorable markets return? Will the discovery of oil in The Bahamas lead to situations similar to what has happened in Venezuela? Does the drilling company pave contingency plans in the event of an oil spill? Can they afford a multi- dollar clean up and the potential lawsuits? At least in the current oil market?