The disastrous ride you predict will turn out to be the best five year ride any government has put together in the Bahamas since the seventies. We needed this change because the status quo of leadership over the past 15 years was leadership by popularity while our country slipped in world rankings in every major category. This first year will be painfull but watch as it all come together, By the end of this term even the small man will be singing the gov praises. .

I agree ....i call it modern day plantation economics !

The Building of a new berth would be great for the ever expanding size of those cruse ships. Sand from the dredging of the harbour could be used to finally fill in and create the much needed broad walk stretching from PGW to the new beach soccer stadium . Thus finaly creating the foot trafic needed in that area and making the area more attractive for redevelopment ! As for operation/management of the harbour i agree with putting it in the hand of the private sector but i also think we only need maybe one or two consultant form an experienced port operator we do not have to reinvent the wheel . Bahamains are doing every thing with executing Aliv business plan from scratch using the latest technology and there is very little foriegn leadership at the top. Bahamains are all over the globe lets bring one or two home with port operation experience.!

The amount of cronyism contracts and curruption being eliminated by the red shirts along with 10% expenditure across all gov ministries justify a MP salary increase in my book.

The PM should Keep some of the cronyism info for the next election campagne. Then he can use it as ammo aganist the PLP. This article proves its a "who you know", World when the PLP is in power. The sad thing about it all is the curruption will continue if the bald headed one wins next time. This is all a very bad example for the youth one this nation.I am trying to come to term's in my mind about what would lead PGC to allow a contract like this to be written. The only word i can think of is greed !. Please the "confiscation of proceeds crime act" is needed like yesterday.

.Execellent investigative article, Mr Coulson. I for one believe the web shops can co-exist with the Banking Industry..Your article should remove some of the boogey man stereotype image some commenters try to portray the gaming industry as.
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So why dont we make things right by finding, passing and implementing the correct legislation to to make things work between the Banking system and the web shops industry. How does the two systems function in places like las Vegas and Macau and other gameing cities around the world with large web shop industries. We can bring in consultants from those places to advise the government on what needs to be done, weather is stiffer KYC rules, More use of technology, training of Bahamians in specialized areas, implementing the latest proceedures and policy in use around the world,..Bahamians just love gambling too much,...something for nothing.... so the local Web Shops are not going anywhere. Even the gran ma's are now sitting in their bed rooms spinning all day. . We can satisfy the imf ..cfatf and all other international agencies if we get the right experts in here and fix the issues and set up a marriage made in heaven between the web shops and the financial service industry. I am sure the web shop bosses wont mind footing the bill....The answers to these issues exist in some of the Gambling cities in asia and north america ... Both sectors are all about profit and i just think that one sector is now jealous because the other sector is making more profits much easier than the traditional banking way of doing things, so they are using their clout and influences in all these international agencies and organizations to try and maintain their profits by attacking the new web shop money guys on the block.

Well Mike, ...you and the CFO can make recommendation to the Board for approval a for a double Dividend payment this year. ...

This administration needs too adjust the terms of this offering to include the Small retail investors and individuals who have brokerage accounts and are interested it purchasing Aliv holding co shares. As it stands now there are thousands of Bahamians who are not apart of pension funds, mutual funds and credit unions and would like to paticipate in this offering. ...come on Mr Bowe you and the Board can convince them to change it ..If **"ts the people time"** Let the Institutions eyed use their funds like they traditionally do ..no one would miss their money. The offering would still be over subscribed.Convince the Gov to go the IPO route Aliv can sponsor the IPO ..they seams to have enough funds on hand to be sponsoring every event happening in this country at the moment....Only then would this truly be covering the broadest possible spectrum of Bahamian ownership. As it stands now this offering discriminates aganist the Bahamian investing public....Fix it, make it right !

I hope more of the Bahamain electorate would continue to be awoken over the next five years to the gravity of the situation our country is in. The daily talk shows and the print media have a huge part to play in making this happen. The clowns in the PLP always put on a good show but it seams like only a certain segment of the population supports their shenanigans activity. This is the 21st century and while the world moves forward The Bahamas has to play catch up in many critical areas, the thirst for power by the currupt tainted leaders of the PLP will be met by a intelligent youthfull voting population next time around. We must keep them out and let this country reach its potential. Shame on MR C C for teaming up with that smiling clown. The Old guard should be relegated to the political dump heap for the mess they have done to this country. In many other countries around the world they all would have been jailed and in some cases banished.

@sheeprunner12. You forgot to include the government shares in Alive Holding co valued at approximately 70 million that can also be sold to the public and retail investors with an IPO thus changing the former gov policy of selling only to mutual funds, pension funds, and institutional investors. Including the public would truely be the wideest distribution of spreading the wealth.