Many local businesses have seen sales reductions by as much as 40% since the early part of the year. While a lot of this may be a corresponding decrease due to the fall off in tourism some of it is also due to high unemployment and the increases in taxes, more specifically VAT. Your government got the 'wise' notion to continue to charge VAT along with other taxes instead of replacing the designated taxes with VAT. This is drawing every single loose penny out of the economy and, along with other factors, like the decline in Tourism and the failure of Bah Mar to open, leading to the biggest shrinkage and loss of businesses the country has ever seen, even before 2008. Just watch the back-to-school shoppers as they struggle to purchase bare necssities for their children to go back to school and forgo buying some things because they have no funds. this will mean that many businesses will have a great struggle between now and Christmas and many may have to downsize staff or close.

They should rewrite a law requiring all politicians to give notice before an election if they intend to be crooked, corrupt, inept, lousy, non productive, anti-citizen, against local business and pass any laws that go against their election mandate. Punishment is jail time and hefty fines, especially on corruption and flogging in the Public (Rawson) Square. twice.

Thought The Tribune would have corrected the headline by now. But there is a serious with over spraying of pesticides and insecticide. The US had a serious bee shortage and had to import bees.

I still believe ZIka, for the most part, is a money making exercise. Imagine the billions of people who will now be tested and treated for ZIKA. Persons who show symptoms, women who are pregnant, new born babies, persons traveling to high risk areas. Then multiply that number of persons by the cost of the testing and you can see the multiple billions of dollars involved. And most of it will end up in the hands of the same people.

The government, by virtue of interfering with Bah Mar's bankruptcy plan took a foreign direct investment out of the hands of a private investor and placed it squarely in the laps of a foreign communist country, China. And now by allowing the China Construction Company back on the project, they can correct and eliminate all faults and defects on the project, making Izmirilians' claims baseless or, at least, without evidence, if he has not already documented these faults and defects. Bahamian people have the rights to know the details of whatever contract exists between the Bah Mar and The China Bank and The China Construction Company, and, by extension, The state of China. Bahamians will have a voice in this matter even if they have to wait until May, 2017 to speak.

Scientist predict that there will be two billion cases of ZIKA worldwide with most of the cases being in Asia and Africa. They also expect that there will be thousands of babies born with microcephaly (a birth defect where babies born with small heads and underdeveloped brains). Scientists claim that there is no vaccine for ZIKA, but many persons develop a natural immunity to the virus. When pressed further a scientist admitted that while there is a direct link between Zika and microcephaly, there is not evidence to say that the virus, alone, causes the disease. Other factors must be present. In Brazil, for example where most of the microcephaly cases are located it is suspected that the insecticide used to control mosquitoes cause the disease. Brazil uses aero spraying techniques to control mosquitoes and one of the chemicals uses is known to cause birth defects.Government is urged to be cautious and aware of what chemicals it is spraying to control mosquitoes.

Scientist predict that there will be two billion cases of ZIKA worldwide with most of the cases being in Asia and Africa. They also expect that there will be thousands of babies born with microcephaly (a birth defect where babies born with small heads and underdeveloped brains). Scientists claim that there is no vaccine for ZIKA, but many persons develop a natural immunity to the virus. When pressed further a scientist admitted that while there is a direct link between Zika and microcephaly, there is not evidence to say that the virus, alone, causes the disease. Other factors must be present. In Brazil, for example where most of the microcephaly cases are located it is suspected that the insecticide used to control mosquitoes cause the disease. Brazil uses aero spraying techniques to control mosquitoes and one of the chemicals uses is known to cause birth defects..and here comes ikaliki...

The beaches on Paradise Island has also been closed...to Bahamians. Any Questions? Is there any other country in the world that bans its citizens from its Beaches? Done so only on the basis of color and bold facedly lies to the people when they know chains and locks and fences have already been bought? Your creditability,Obie, is incredible. Election soon come.

Most likely this money will come out is Sarkis' equity. So if and when Bah Mar is sold the Chinese will claim this as expenses . Dark is will end up with nothing not even peanuts

A friend was calling on a family member last night to check up on him. As he didn't answer his phone the person got concerned and kept calling. When she finally got through and asked her family why he did not answer his phone, his reply was "I wa getting robbed and when my phone keep ringing it scare them off."