come on man!!! We all heard Minister Halkitis say there were negotiating fees, commissions and a couple of the cabinet ministers and party supporters had birthdays that month. Or was that VAT. Either way we know where the money gone.

As someone who has been in the Mortgage Loan Underwriting (Front End) and the Mortgage loan Default management (Collections and loan mitigation ) the ( Back End) for many years, The Bahamas Mortgage Loan Industry need to establish a Bahamas Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice allowing only persons who have been Trained and Certified to produce a uniform Real Estate Property Appraisal based on the Appraisal Standard. No Drive by inspections or Realtor Property valuations. Appraisals should include at least 1 comp of sold property within last 6 months, 2 comps of sold properties within last 12 months and 1 property for sale with all comps within 1 mile of the subject property.
Banks should review and approved all mortgage loan through a Loan Approval Committee make up of mortgage loan officers and none mortgage loan officers of the bank, with written documentation records of the reason(s) the loan was approved or denied. Remove the responsibility of 1 individual making the decision. Collection departments should have, 15 day late collectors, 30 days collectors, 60 days collectors and 90 days and Loan Mitigation collectors, so that at every late stage the file is being reviewed by a different person/collector..

There is a new government in Town. You are now authorized to report the correct statistics and stop padding the figures. this the people time!!!.

its very difficult to graft an oak tree. if the trunk ( the people in government) are immoral and corrupt you can not have the branches ( laws) to effect change. If laws are going to work, you must have governments who are morally committed to uphold them. Short term Investors love corrupt governments, why, they know that the governments are not committed to long term results and neither are they. Only governments can bring about Investors long term meaningful investments and results, by displaying to the world that they will do business above board, transparent and ALWAY for the tangible long term betterment of the country and its people and not for the betterment of the individuals representing Governments, their family members and Lovers as have been the case for far too long in the Bahamas. To my knowledge 30 percent (%) maximum of all profits from International business are put into the local economy through salaries and in most of the cases on a short term basis. The present government must enact laws that will eradicate all perceived condoned government corruption and prosecute any and all government members of previous governments for corruption and if found guilty sent to prison and they and any immediate family members BARRED from serving in any future government of the Bahamas.

If we, the Bahamian Peoples elect a corrupt, corrupted and shamless government then we can only expect corruption at it fullest. So you have a problem with it??

minister halkitis, this where the vat money gone !!!!!!

If you cannot win the lottery in the USA, no problem man, just come to the Bahamas. Why are we complaining, its just the cost of a modern day change of company name and old time corruption.

It would appear that the same names of persons who have screwed the Bahamian people under the pretense of serving the people in government keep popping up in these unethical, immortal and corrupt revelations. The cost of these revelations like all the others will be borne by the people through increases in the costs of services. Imagine if they were allowed to do this with government agencies what have been done to individuals businesses. We are experiencing some of it now with the Banking high fees and the unwillingness of the Banking Industry to grant necessary loans. real bahamiam patriots. It is more interesting that the Media seem to seek these individuals out for their opinions on pressing national events and News.

The Ministry of Tourism need to take the lead and assemble a pool of Business people, Cultural people, Local Architects and based on the current real statistics and desired improvements results present a plan with drawings and projections of the increase in Tourist guest and improved economic benefits to the Bahamas and Bahamian people. Once formulated, it should be presented to the public for comments and enhancing suggestions so that every Bahamian will be able to feel a part of it. The forgotten Bahamian asset is always the friendly people, so it should include the interaction of the people ( Tourist Ambassadors ).

Forbes representatives must have heard through the grapewine that 'all beach front properties in the bahamas" were created for the foriengers and they can charge the local Bahamians a fee to view them from a distance.