https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-…

Don't you just hate it when racially biased foreigners come to the Bahamas and blame everything on black people, call us dumb, stupid and uneducated and our leaders just sit back and take it out of fear they may not get a loan or their $8 billion in government debts won't get renewed.

The above article in the Canadian Globe and Mail Newsaper point to a more systemic and regional issue related to banking in the Caribbean. The problem with banking in the Caribbean is that it is not scalable as the markets are too small. Who wants to role out a technology platform for 300,000 people when you can role out a platform for hundreds of millions in north america? Who wants to deal with a bunch of legislators who clearly don't have a clue.

The Bahamian government makes it even harder when the role out basically impossible legislation to administer (e.g. the Homeowner's Bill) and the Regulator proudly roles out exchange control relaxation (virtually instructing the banks to regulate US accounts for Bahamians - the work fiduciary not a service provider). The Canadian banks will simply not give house loans and will simply not open up US accounts for Bahamians. E.g. One of the more idiot exchange control relaxations is that a US dollar bank balance can't go over US$100,000! So what is the bank to do? Stop taking deposits? Reject incoming wire transfers? Or supposed a business man uses the account to pay their child's school fees? What is the bank to do? Ask them why they are sending money to a school in Canada? No, no...the banks will simple not do the business and try to shut down as quickly as possible.

Adrian. Can you please resign as Chair of the Water and Sewerage Corp and do the work you were elected to do by the great people of Long Island?

The banks in Long Island do not accept cash anymore and rumor has it that one of them is about to close.

Businesses cannot operate efficiently without banking.

With no international airport, no foreign investment and a web shop in every settlement the people of Long Island are hurting. No one ever sees you on the island. If the election was held today you would not win. Neither would the PLP.

I could care less about the length of reverse osmosis contracts when I can barely keep the lights on.

Good point SP. Any statistics on how many small businesses are closing because of government red tape? VAT and VAT reporting requirements are a real small business destroyer.

I buy all my cloths at Walmart and Costco. A polo shirt for $6 in Walmart would be $40 in Nassau plus VAT if you can find something of similar quality and the correct size in Nassau.

Oracle you are so so right. I detail the "thousand cuts (and bribes)" below. I could have gone on and on but had better things to do with my time.

Why would anyone want to open a business in the Bahamas...especially a small business with limited capital? With a national education level of "D", VAT on Customs duty, Business License fees regardless of if you make a profit or not, high shipping cost (due to Arawak port high fees and monopoly), high electrical costs - lots of stealing at that company, undrinkable water - stealing hear too, high gas prices - one importer/monopoly, inferior low octane gas - it can't meet US standards so its dumped in the Bahamas, oil monopoly, web shops on every corner and island settlement (anyone bin to West End lately? its a wasteland) liquor stores on every corner, crime, exchange controls, lousy banking, high bank charges, low tech baning, pot hole roads, crooked politicians, beggars everywhere, impossibly high construction costs, real property taxes very high on foreigners, foreign owned properties being "expropriated" with the nood of the government (Cable Beach), poor airlift to the family islands.

But no worries - the BTC marketing man will solve everything. Is this a joke or what.

Hmmm. I wonder who this intelisys is?

Its easy for PLP and FNM's to prey upon foreigners from the former owner of a couple of Cable Beach hotels straight down to foreign owned bush land with no utilities in the middle of no where on an barely developed family island.

But this is absolutely wrong.

Thanks Licks2.

The Government really needs to take a more careful look at aviation in the Bahamas to ensure we are safe as possible when flying around the family islands.

"Established in November 1981, ATR is a joint partnership between two major European aeronautics players, Airbus and Leonardo."

http://www.atraircraft.com/about-atr/co…

Airbus is the controlling shareholder and inbeds its best practices and best of breed, production and maintenance policies and procedures into ATR.

ATR are first class planes. I fly Bahamasair to the islands because of the quality of their equipment and training of their pilots to world class standards. ATR/Airbus would have it no other way.

So why is Bahamasair which is owned by us the Bahamian people subjected us to lesser standards? Where are they flying these 8 planes they bought? To Cuba? To Haiti? Where? and Why.

I hate when I book my entire family on Bahamasair’s brand new European made Airbus planes to go to Long Island and then they put me on these old nasty looking planes.

While Bahamasair looses a lot of money I know thier pilots were professionally trained by Airbus to fly theses planes.

I also know that Airbus controls the maintenance of these planes to a global standard.

My heart sinks and I feel like asking for my money back and going back to my house in Nassau and not visiting Long Island.

Please please Bahamasair, stop f’ing with the Bahamian people who are paying hundreds of millions in taxes to support your operation.