TUESDAY i’m lovin’ it!
HIGH 79ºF LOW 65ºF
The Tribune Established 1903
24/7 BREAKING NEWS ON TRIBUNE242.COM
Biggest And Best!
VOLUME:115 No.28, JANUARY 2ND, 2018
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1
WOMAN: BAHAMIAN BEAUTY QUEEN GOES GLOBAL
Stunning Saxons rush to victory
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE Shell Saxons Superstars were named the unofficial champions of the 2018 New Year’s Day Junkanoo Parade, ending a four-year drought which saw major changes within the group’s senior command. Committed to delivering the “greatest performance downtown had ever seen” from the start of Monday’s parade, the Saxons, under the theme: “An Expression of Love: Feel the Rush, Junkanoo” finished the parade with a score of 88.66, a full 2.12 points ahead of One Family, which finished second. The group, much to the delight of its supporters who turned up in droves at Arawak Cay for the reading
of the unofficial results, scored first place finishes in the music, banner and overall performance categories. The group also secured second place finishes in the overall costume and best Shirley Street performance categories. “We had blood in our eyes; we saw the eye of the tiger and we had to get it done this morning,” said Kendenique Campbell Moss, the group’s public relations officer. “Having lost parade after parade, sometimes within a four or five point margin, it was very difficult for us. We had to go back to the drawing board. We have a team of young professionals that decided that we wanted to bring something different, something new, something innovative to the table.”
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
SEE PAGE FOUR
THE Minnis administration aims to completely privatise Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival (BJC) ahead of its 2018 festival, according to Culture Minister Michael Pintard, who yesterday stressed no government should be in the business of funding a foreign culture. Mr Pintard, who has been adamant about reforming both BJC and the Bahamas National Festival Commission (BNFC), in an
interview with The Tribune asserted if the private sector and entrepreneurs deemed the various components of BJC practical, now would be the time for them to “take the lead”. He added while the government remains opposed to providing any major funding for BJC moving forward, options for subvention would be made available to any group or company that could present a quality plan to host and produce one of the events. SEE PAGE FIVE
By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net TWO would-be thieves are in police custody after they locked themselves in a walk-in freezer of a convenience store attempting to evade capture. The incident took place shortly before 6pm on Sunday. According to police, two men armed with a firearm entered a convenience store on Poinciana Drive, held several employees at bay and robbed them of cash. Police said as the men were attempting to leave the store, they were confronted by an employee who was armed with a licenced shotgun. SEE PAGE THREE
CHRISTIE: I STAYED TOO LONG
CARNIVAL - NO MORE MONEY, WE’RE OUT By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
FREEZE YOU’RE UNDER ARREST
FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie admitted on Sunday he was “in politics too long” but said he had an “exceptional run” in public life. In an interview with Wendall Jones on the Jones Communication Network, Mr Christie also said he believes he lost his Centreville seat because he “did not campaign” and was instead dedicated “to finishing polices” before the general election. Last May, in a surprising and humbling defeat at the polls, Mr Christie lost his seat in the Centreville constituency by four votes after representing the area since 1977. SEE PAGE THREE A MEMBER of the Shell Saxons Superstars in action on Bay Street as the group marched to victory in the New Year’s Day Junkanoo parade. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
AIDAN CARRON - A FINAL FAREWELL FUNERAL services for two-year-old Aidan Roger Dupuch Carron, who died in Baltimore, Maryland, on the morning of Christmas Eve will be held at 3pm on Friday at St Anslem’s Catholic Church, Fox Hill. Aidan, the only child of Mr and Mrs Robert Dupuch Carron, born a health baby, spent 515 days of his life in US hospitals battling therapy related leukaemia. Funeral services will be conducted by Fr Anslem
Russell, pastor of Sacred Heart Church, assisted by Fr Noel Clarke, pastor of St Anslem’s Church. Interment will follow in the eastern cemetery adjacent to St Matthew’s Church on Shirley Street. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made to the John Hopkins Childrens Hospital Oncology/BMT research or to the Aidan Roger Carron Children’s Foundation in Nassau.
AIDAN Roger Dupuch Carron with his mother, Elizabeth.
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
91 CAUGHT IN MIGRANT OPERATIONS By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) apprehended nearly 100 illegal migrants in three separate incidents over the holiday weekend. In the first incident, RBDF officers caught 76 Haitian migrants on Saturday in waters near the Exuma chain. SEE PAGE TWO
PAGE 2, Tuesday, January 2, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
91 CAUGHT IN MIGRANT OPERATIONS
ONE of the boats intercepted by the RBDF. from page one It is the third group of Haitians to be captured in The Bahamas in recent weeks and came the day before Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ December 31 deadline for all illegal immigrants to leave the country voluntarily or face being “aggressively pursued and deported”. In mid-December, Dr Minnis reiterated the call, saying undocumented migrants must leave the country by the end of the year or apply for legal status. According to the RBDF, while on routine patrol on Saturday, HMBS Cascarilla under the command of Lieutenant Commander Clinton Johnson, apprehended a 40-foot Haitian sloop near the southern end of the Tongue of the Ocean, 20 miles west of the Exuma chain. The migrants were taken into custody and turned over to Department of Immigration officials. Also on Saturday, officers took six undocumented immigrants into custody after they were discovered at a local resort on North Bimini. According to reports, shortly after 11am, officers acting on information went to the resort and discovered six immigrants, five males and one female, all from Ecuador.
They were handed over to the Department of Immigration. Hours later, early on Sunday morning, nine foreign nationals were turned over to a RBDF patrol craft by a tanker off Grand Bahama. The foreign nationals, one Haitian-Bahamian and eight Chinese, were retrieved from a partially submerged vessel by the crew of the passing tanker approximately 17 miles southwest of Grand Bahama. The RBDF’s base at its Northern Command operations in Freeport was informed of the incident and one of its patrol craft took the foreigners into custody and they were later handed over to Immigration authorities in Freeport for further investigation. THE RBDF said the latest apprehensions come as it continues to unfold its coastal and maritime security strategies to interdict people engaged in drug, human, gun and wildlife smuggling, in addition to poaching of marine resources by local and foreign fishermen along with a recent increase in boat theft. On December 23, the RBDF apprehended 87 Haitian migrants on a sloop near Great Inagua. Three days later, a RBDF Harbour Patrol Unit
Photo: RBDF vessel, while on routine patrol, stopped a vessel off Montagu Beach in New Providence with 14 foreign nationals on board. The foreigners, several of whom arrived in country as passengers aboard an international airline, were from the United States, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Ecuador and Colombia. No Haitian nationals were among this group. Last week, the Department of Immigration deported 114 Haitians. According to the head of the Department of Immigration’s Enforcement Unit, Kirklyn Neely, the Department of Immigration deported nearly 7,000 people in 2017. The Department of Immigration intensified its apprehension efforts in November after a large empty sloop was discovered on the shoreline of Adelaide Beach. One month later, a boat “loaded” with Haitian migrants landed near Clifton Pier, about three miles from Coral Harbour. Immigration officers and other authorities spent the following days combing the area for the migrants. The RBDF said 57 people - 43 men, 11 women and three children - were taken into custody and transported to the Carmichael Road Detention Centre as a result of that sloop landing.
BAHAMIANS NAMED IN NEW YEAR HONOURS GOVERNMENT House has announced the Queen’s 2018 New Year’s Honours, recognising the accomplishments of people who have made major contributions to various spheres of Bahamian life. Awarded the CMG are: Mark Holowesko, for services to business and the community; former Long Island MP Lawrence Cartwright, for services to education and politics; and former Christian Council president, Reverend Dr Ranford Patterson, for contributions to religion, education and the community.
Awarded OBE: Dr Robin Roberts, for his contributions to medicine; Antonius Roberts, for education, the arts and the community; Pastor Rex Major, for services to religion and the community; and David Thompson, for contributions to the legal community and politics. Honoured with MBE are: Elma Garraway, for her work in education and the community; Nancy Kelly, for her contributions to education and volunteering; Dr Nigel Lewis, for dentistry, the community and politics; and Dr Jonathan Rodgers, for his contributions to
ophthalmology. The BEM was awarded to: Roney Armbrister, for his work in entertainment and the community; Willis Bain, for services to arts and the community; Llewellyn Augustine Cartwright, for contributions to business; Kendal Romeo Haurtwerth Culmer, for business and politics; Elijah Miller, for politics and the community; and Quintin Woodside, for services to business and the community. The Queen’s Police Medal was awarded to Police Commissioner Anthony Ferguson for contributions to policing and the community.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, January 2, 2018, PAGE 3
FORMER Prime Minister Perry Christie.
CHRISTIE: I STAYED TOO LONG from page one
“When I apply retroactive thinking to it, objectively, I can make the judgement that I have been in politics too long,” Mr Christie said. “Take for example how I dealt with Centreville, I should not have lost that seat in Centreville, it is impossible virtually, but I did not campaign. I reached the point where I dedicated myself to finishing policies, one of which was a major intervention on the supply of electricity at an affordable price for Bahamians and I left in place a package that we will talk about later on... People seem to want me to stay in politics because when you tell egregious ignorant lies about me, it really bothers me...
I have had an exceptional run in public life and I owe a great deal of gratitude to thousands of Bahamians who made it possible for me to sustain myself in public life for so long. “I am in the company of Sir Roland Symonette who did 50 years and Sir Lynden Pindling who did 41 years and when you add my public life it’s 43 years and so I am in very rarefied company in terms of the history of our country. There have only been three of us who have been able to put that kind of time in.” Mr Christie entered frontline politics in 1974 as one of the youngest senators ever appointed at the age of 31. He joined the House of Assembly after the 1977 general election as the member for Centreville and went on to win his seat
eight consecutive times, including the 1987 general election when he contested the seat as an independent candidate. When asked by Mr Jones about his wishes for 2018, Mr Christie said he hopes the current government can work more with the opposition for the betterment of Bahamians. “My wish for the New Year is for this government (to) see the significance of bringing all us together to advance the country and create a new paradigm,” he said. “Let’s assume they say it has never been done before, well we are able to look back and know if we all take advantage of our strengths the country will be much better off, notwithstanding the fact that we can agree to disagree on many of those issues.”
FREEZE - YOU’RE UNDER ARREST from page one
The suspects then locked themselves inside a walk-in freezer. Officers were called to the scene and took the men into custody. The stolen cash was recovered as well as a firearm. Police believe the men were involved in several armed robberies.
Police are also investigating a shooting incident that left two men in hospital on New Year’s Day. The incident took place shortly after midnight off Pineyard Road. Police said three men and a woman were standing in a yard when they were approached by two men armed with firearms. The suspects fired at the group, shooting two of the
men before fleeing the area on foot. The victims were taken to hospital where they are listed in stable condition. Investigations continue into both incidents. Anyone with information on any of these crimes is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.
THREE IN CUSTODY AFTER $1.6M DRUG HAUL THREE men are in police custody in connection with the discovery of $1.6m worth of marijuana in Andros on Thursday. The incident took place shortly before 6pm in the Mangrove Cay area. According to Superintendent Jameal Ferguson, head of the Drug Enforcement Unit, officers went to waters off Mangrove Cay after receiving an anonymous tip. “Around 5.45pm, DEU officers along with the police support unit, acting on information, along with officers from South Andros, went to waters in the Mangrove Cay area where they intercepted a 32-foot type vessel with three adults males on board,” Supt
Ferguson said. “The men, one Jamaican and two Bahamians, were taken into police custody. While searching the vessel officers discovered a quantity of crocus sacks and black duffle bags with a quantity of suspected marijuana.” The men were arrested and brought to New Providence to face criminal charges. The drugs weighed 1,606 pounds and have an estimated street value of $1,606,000. The discovery came a little over a week after police discovered three marijuana fields in Andros. According to police, in late December DEU officers along with a DEA
MAN HELD AFTER DRUG SEIZURE POLICE in Eleuthera arrested a man after the seizure of a quantity of dangerous drugs on Wednesday. Sometime around 2pm, officers from the Eleuthera Division went to the settlement of Green Castle where they searched a home and property and recovered a quantity of marijuana. One man was subsequently taken into custody and is expected to appear in court later this week to be formally charged. • POLICE are looking for two gunmen who tied
up and robbed two men and a woman inside a home in Coral Harbour on Thursday morning. Shorty before 1am, police said two men and a woman had just pulled up to a home in Coral Harbour when they were approached by two gunmen. The thieves forced the trio inside the home, tied them up and robbed them of cash and other items before fleeing in one of the victim’s black Ford truck. The truck was later recovered on East Street South, police said. An investigation is ongoing.
agent went to an area near Owens Town where they uncovered three marijuana fields. An estimated 4,000 marijuana plants were uprooted. One week earlier, local officers and US agents uncovered as estimated 10,300 marijuana plants from two fields in the same area. No arrests were made. Investigations are ongoing.
PAGE 4, Tuesday, January 2, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Stunning Saxons rush to victory from page one The last time the group won a Junkanoo parade was January 2013. She continued: “We had not won the parade in an extremely long time and it showed. The morale of the group was down, but we banded together as a group of people (and) we did what we had to do. “(Our theme was) a combination of all the things that are indigenous to Junkanoo, from whence came. You know, Junkanoo is still on the books as a noise ordinance, so we put everything in to that, from Maureen Duvalier to John Chipman. We wanted to make sure that everyone
was on the line this morning. Of course, Maureen Duvalier is of course dead, but we had a memorial for her, in terms of representation in the group.” The Saxons also displayed several pieces that paid tribute to other Junkanoo pioneers and historical moments for the art form. Mrs Campbell Moss added: “It was an extremely difficult task to make sure that everything came together. We had to line up the group properly, meaning that you had the proper era with the proper group section, it was extremely difficult, but we got it done this morning. “And everyone that sat around the board this morning are new people,
when I say new people, new creative energy. I think when you saw us line up this morning and when you looked down Bay Street and you saw the emblem of the Shell Saxon Superstars, the crowd loved us this morning. “We are the people’s champions. You saw it in their faces. You saw the expression. We came alive this morning; the crowd came alive. “The Saxons deserve this win this morning,” she concluded. According to unofficial results for the New Year’s Day parade, the Valley Boys finished third with 86.04 points, the Roots placed fourth, which won the Boxing Day parade, with 85.90 points and Genesis finished fifth with 81 points. The Prodigal Sons for a fifth consecutive parade did not leave the starting gate. With respect to the B Division, Colours emerged victorious yet again, out pacing the Fancy Dancers, Original Congos, Redland Soldiers and Conquerors for Christ, which rounded out the top five.
THE SHELL Saxons Superstars - including Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, below left, on their way to victory in the New Year Junkanoo.
Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, January 2, 2018, PAGE 5
ONE FAMILY
VALLEY BOYS
Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff
Changes may lie ahead after low crowd By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture’s proposed Junkanoo conclave could lead to major changes for the holiday Junkanoo circuit, following low attendance at the 2018 New Year’s Day Parade. Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Michael Pintard said yesterday – while reflecting on the issues that marred last week’s Boxing Day parade and the abundance of empty seats at Monday’s event – there was a need for “several serious conversations” on the overall state of Junkanoo. Speaking to The Tribune in Rawson Square, Mr Pintard said the conclave, planned for later this month, will centre on ways to improve future parades, ranging from locations and time, to bleacher
arrangements and the construction of multi-purpose Junkanoo shacks. “While there is a lot to be proud of coming from our two major parades, there is still a lot that we need to discuss and in some cases make changes,” Mr Pintard said. “To that end, we will be meeting with the JCNP (Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence) and the NJC (National Junkanoo Committee) to have a discussion about structuring what will be the largest and well-equipped conclave relative to Junkanoo. “When we look at the position we were left (in) after the postponement of the Boxing Day parade - with respect to the downtown area - there could be some things we can toy with when it comes to location as to avoid circumstances like the one we faced last week.
“There is a similar discussion needed to be had on the nature of Junkanoo and one on the way we position the crowd. Maybe there are better options on both fronts. None of this is final, but rather things I’ve toyed with in my mind and plan to present when we meet. “These are the sorts of ideas that we are going to have to look at and nothing is off of the table here and all ideas are welcome,” Mr Pintard said. “We are looking to expand on what we consider Junkanoo to be, historically. We need to take a look at the financial components, how much is spent, what is being made and how we are generating jobs. Junkanoo is an industry and we plan to look at it like that. The results of these two parades will lead us into that discussion and I look forward to what
comes out of it.” The crowd size of Monday’s parade paled in comparison with that of last week’s parade and the 2017 New Year’s Day Parade. Silbert Ferguson, president of the JCNP, said ticket sales for the parade were around 65 percent. Noting New Year’s Day parades are always the hardest to promote and sell, Mr Ferguson admitted Monday’s turnout was the lowest in recent years. Pointing to the many options that attendees face, combined with the high-cost of the parade, Mr Ferguson said there continues to be many obstacles to overcome to make the New Year’s Day parade successful. This comes in the wake of the hiccups which caused the delay of last week’s Boxing Day parade. This prompted Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis to meet
CARNIVAL - NO MORE MONEY, WE’RE OUT from page one
“There is no contradiction in our position and certainly no duplicity. We, as a government, are out,” the Marco City MP insisted. “This is now a private venture that will be guided by the government through an amended commission. But for all intents and purposes, all avenues are open.” He continued: “If a private enterprise wants to go ahead, this is your time, but we will not take the people’s money and use it for this venture. We don’t believe, in a free enterprise economy, the government should stand
in the way of any entrepreneur or group that sees the possibility to earn money from this.” Mr Pintard, who said his ministry was still awaiting the results of an ongoing audit into the BNFC, said the Minnis administration made the decision to withhold substantial funding from BJC due to the lack of cultural benefits. To that end, Mr Pintard said the government chose to expand its investment into ingenious festivals and events. “It comes down to culture. The people’s money will not be used to further a foreign culture. That does not go to say we won’t support Bahamian companies
and entrepreneurs interested in holding events and concerts. We simply won’t spearhead anything along those lines. “There is no particular musical genre that does not have the right to apply for government subvention. I’ve always advocated that the most a government should do when supporting a foreign culture is to provide subvention, not complete funding.” While refusing to emphatically state that the government was out on footing the bill for international acts to perform at Junkanoo Carnival, Mr Pintard told The Tribune: “What I am saying is that
we will not spend more money to advance a foreign product. We are interested in a concert series but will love that to be privatised. We have no issue in collaborating as long as it is a Bahamian-based concert series.” In 2015, the government spent $11.3m on the inaugural festival, going over its initial budget of $9m. The total cost of the first carnival $12.9m, with the rest covered by sponsors. In 2016, the festival ran a cost of $9.8m, $8.1m of which was subsidised by the government. The Minnis administration has not released the BJC’s 2017 financial report.
Junkanoo leaders at his office to express his “pain and disappointment” at the one day postponement of the cultural event. Mr Pintard added: “The plan here isn’t to come in and promote drastic changes, but rather finding creative ways to fix the flaws.” Asked for his view on how well Monday’s parade was executed from a performance standpoint, Mr Pintard called the overall experience at Monday parade “wonderful”. “Away from (a) broader spectrum, a closer look at this parade, when we view it in of itself, we will see that this was a wonderful experience,” he said. “The groups, I am presently surprised at the level of detail despite them having had to prepare for so many months for two full parades, it is a very difficult feat to pull off, but the
groups have been effective. “In terms of the parade, I am very pleased. We had complications before, because one of the major groups did not have its banner in place in the previous parade. The group leaders have worked quite diligently to make sure that at call time all aspects of their groups were in place; so it has been much easier to coordinate. “What we see here this morning from these groups, when we consider performance and participation, this is what we expect and applaud. Groups are in place. Groups are ready to go. There is order at the gate, on the route and from what I understand, in the bleachers. “These are the kinds of parades we can expect going forward over the next few years. In fact, I dare to say, I can only see it getting better.”
PAGE 6, Tuesday, January 2, 2018
ROOTS
THE TRIBUNE
Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff
GENESIS
Dr. Robert Ramsingh Office Number Down Our office number is down due to circumstances beyond our control.
Our new numbers are
601-8684 or 823-9862 We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, January 2, 2018, PAGE 7
COLOURS Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff
Conquerors for Christ
Redland Soldiers Original Congos
Fancy Dancers
PAGE 8, Tuesday, January 2, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,
jrolle@tribunemedia.net
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991
EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,
C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-
Published daily Monday to Friday
Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES
News & General Information Advertising Manager Circulation Department Nassau fax Freeport, Grand Bahama Freeport fax
(242) 322-1986 (242) 502-2394 (242) 502-2386 (242) 328-2398 (242)-352-6608 (242) 352-9348
WEBSITE, TWITTER & FACEBOOK www.tribune242.com
@tribune242
tribune news network
We must have a vision for our country SUCCESSFUL businesses nail down a vision of exactly what they want to be and work toward achieving that. They identify their market, define it, monitor its evolution and take the necessary steps to cultivate and continue to satisfy it. We have examples of businesses in The Bahamas, not visionary in the sense of Elon Musk-like space travel fantasies, but in setting a vision and getting to the place they want to be. Commonwealth Bank, for example, wants to be ‘the leader in personal banking’. It does not try to be a trust company or the financier of big business or even the first bank to turn to for a mortgage. It became a $1.6 billion success story with more than 6,000 shareholders reaping dividends by defining and staying true to exactly what it set out to be, the leader in personal banking, nothing fancier - it succeeded by living up to its vision. But the country in which that bank operates is a different story. As a nation, The Bahamas is a gypsy in thought, 700 meandering islands in a massive 100,000 square mile pool of open ocean. It is time for The Bahamas to define and create a vision for what we want this country to be. We cannot say we want to be ‘the best little country on earth’ or pretend that we are because being the best little country on earth is too hard to define. What would make it the best? Would it be the best because of health care? If so, the vision would read something like ‘The Bahamas, the best place in the world to live healthy’ or “The Bahamas: For your health.” Or would it be the best little country on earth for doing business? In that case, we would have to overhaul our regulatory processes, enable and expedite legitimate business, provide incentives for domestic and foreign direct investment, create economic zones, revise how Town Planning works, establish standardized frameworks and look at successful businessmen as leaders who inspire and create economic growth rather than a threat created by evil, self-serving people. If being best for business was the vision, the message would be “The Bahamas, the best little country for business in the Western Hemisphere.” The country’s leaders could choose education, medicine, sports, environment, culture, or a combination that creates an unparalleled quality of life, but whatever the vision, it must be followed by direction and include a means for measuring its attainment. Otherwise it is like a football team that takes to the field wanting to win but having no strategy for gaining yardage or making turnovers. A goal to win is not the same as a vision with direction. That is why lines like ‘the best little country on earth’ or ‘It’s better in The Bahamas’
may be catchy but they do not create vision. Vision is critical. It not only sends an external message to the consumer world, but reverberates internally, impacting the culture that can make or break that vision from coming true. Let us say the current administration wants to be known as the island nation that is corruption free. That seems a reasonable vision given the emphasis the Minnis government is placing on finding and charging those who violated the law. Attorney-General Carl Bethel clearly has his orders and is carrying them out as the bull dog he is, the fierce, highly-motivated prosecutor attacking alleged past offenders. But while charging past offenders, making examples of a few of the big guys for what happened before is a starting line, it is a far cry from the finish line of having a vision to be the cleanest government in the region. If the direction is to be recognised as a desirable place to live, work or play in a clean, fair and corruption-free environment, the vision requires going deeper than charging for past offences. It must take a turn that may include deprivation of certain freedoms. It could mean closed circuit TV cameras in offices where payments are made. It could involve rewards for turning coworkers in for breaches. It will require strong whistleblower protection. It also requires courage. The police officer who knows other officers are involved in a human smuggling, prostitution and illegal drugs ring must be protected if he is going to provide the information that will lead to charges against fellow officers. His life will be at stake, his family could turn against him for taking ‘unnecessary risks’ instead of participating in the money flow of the underground business. Whatever we choose, it is time to have a vision and stop pretending IT is better in The Bahamas when we have no idea what the IT is. Any day now the Prime Minister is due to give a national address, a bit like the State of the Union speech by the President in the US when he goes to Congress to report on the year’s performance by his government and the road ahead. Dr Minnis told us in the run-up to last year’s election that this was “The People’s Time” and the voters believed him. 2018 is a critical year for this government. It stumbled through its first months in office and of late has started to take some of the decisions which hopefully will improve the economy. What we need from him now - in his address - is a fuller description of what the government intends to do: it’s vision, warts and all.
Women must have a standard EDITOR, The Tribune. AS a woman, I am disappointed by the thinking of many women these days. Watching the news last night I heard Father Palacious’ comment about women being addressed according to how they are dressed and I agree with him wholeheartedly. Women must have a standard for themselves and their bodies. Anything that is high in value is treated as such. Priceless paintings, jewellery, antiques and even cars are treated with great care. Those who own them go to great lengths to care for them in a special way. They even buy special products to care for them and in many cases they are insured.
How much more should we as women value ourselves and show respect for ourselves by the way we dress? We should not fool ourselves into thinking that having morals and self respect is a thing of the past or is old fashioned. We must be careful of thinking that we are wise when we are actually becoming fools in every sense of the word. No one deserves to be assaulted. However, women would be naïve to think that the way they dress has no effect on the way they are perceived or treated by the opposite sex. Can we say then that a woman can go to an interview dressed inappropriately and be offended because she does not get the job? Get real Bahamas!
Just as there are standards and guidelines for dress on the job or in the business world, there are standards in general and in everyday life. Why are their standards of dress for both men and women on the job? The way you dress says a lot about you in every arena of life. Do not use entertainers and celebrities as your guide. They can afford to pay bodyguards to protect them from the men who would treat them indecently if they had the chance. Women find your self esteem and your self worth. Dare to be different and have a standard. A WISE WOMAN Nassau, December 29, 2017.
Was 2017 a year of mistakes? EDITOR, The Tribune.
WAS the choice of a new Government on May 10, on one part a massive relief vanquishing the PLP and Rt Hon Perry Christie but on the other hand electing a party whose leader just did not have the leadership qualities or plans needed? I, more so than ever, remind myself of the decision of Hon Loretta-Butler Turner, Richard Lightbourne, Hubert Chipman, Theo Neely when they declared they had no confidence in now Dr Hon Hubert Minnis. They seem to have been right! May 2017 is now along time ago - the FNM massive majority Government’s honeymoon is over and what do we see - what do we hear? Eternal silence! There is no leadership - there is now open public discontent of ministers clearly showing the syndrome that Loretta Butler-Turner experienced has not changed and we could in 2018 easily be heading into a Constitutional crisis as a result. So the Minnis plan to bring jobs is seemingly anchored on those Bahamians who decided it is better not in The Bahamas? Did I hear him correctly that investors will not be permitted to choose their own, trusted consultants? Sorry Sir, whoever is advising you on that has not a clue. Investors will only come with their own trusted advisers. Bahamas Investment Authority - one thing for sure it has zero authority except it could be a ‘processing Agency’ - their decisions are not supported by Bahamian law. I said it before but it needs to be repeated all Heads of Agreement from Kerzner time under Ingraham to now are not valid and not supported by Law with one exception, ironically, the final one Christie signed with EXIM China on Baha Mar. The most favoured nation clause so spoken on casinos that Kerzner is alleged to have is total rubbish and unsupported by Law; we can have as many Casinos in Nassau·as applied for and supported by policy.....no
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net limits. BEST Commission another processing Agency with zero legal authority. National Economic Council - another processing agency which cannot under Law make decisions or grant any concessions. It has no legal standing. Here it has to be understood if the NEC is the authority that has been approving Investments, it calls into question whether any or all of the economic concessions and incentives where you are guaranteed not to be liable to present and future Taxes have any legal standing? They don’t. How this passed the eagle eye of our local attorneys is beyond me. The Prime Minister says The Bahamas is open for business - great then show it. There is zero evidence to support that since May 10, Mr Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister trying to tell us there was no project/investments inherited from the Christie Government which, if he was sensible and business-conscious, should have been accelerated and processed and within threemonths have announced some new job opportunities? The record shows there were no announcements except for the much fan fared cigarette project in Freeport. Hmm - Ministry of Health fighting to stop cancer as the Government is approving investments which are the primary means of getting cancer! My diagnosis of where we are - which no public person will say and certainly the annual ‘waste of time’ Economic Forum presenters will not say - is that we are in deep do-do! 35,000+ unemployed a high percentage really unemployable 5,000 leaving school annually - high crime rate - an overpopulated Civil Service which drains the financial resources - massive debt everywhere - Electricity costs which are killing everyone. The Enterprise Act is
DOA... dead. The Investor has 12 months to train someone and then handover his investment to someone he got to know just 365 days ago! Dr Hon Minnis would not do that himself with his millions. Was 2017 the year of mistakes? I suspect so but possibly if the political gods are willing to listen (that’s a tall order) there is a small chance something might happen positively before December 31, 2018 - can’t guarantee it but it could. Lastly migrants - by the time this is published December 31 will have passed will the Minnis Government do what they said or...? The UN Human Rights Rapporteur shook the foundations of the Minnis Government to the extent the Minister responsible for Immigration stated loud and clear: We are a sovereign Nation we can do what we want. Mr Minister if you signed UN Conventions even if they are not supported by Bahamian law you are bound to uphold the Conventions, sovereign or not. Tread softly Mr Prime Minister, tread softly on this explosive issue. Blacking listing was bad, watch out. Now the Izmirlian bomb-shell - a potential investor will have read the allegations, allegations that include alleged malpractice of the Government of The Bahamas (Occupancy Certification) - I suggest PM’s Bahamas “open for business” could well have had it’s door slammed shut at least ‘til the Izmirlian legal issues are resolved and allegations cleared. Yes... we are in deep do-do and refuse to admit it - delusional thinking abounds - everything is still Red against Gold and Green - where is the leadership to finally pull us out of this mess? Will the rank and file of the FNM in 2018 in Convention resolve this? I ask who is the alternative because we can’t continue ’til the next election with the current Prime Minister. ABRAHAM MOSS Nassau, December 29, 2017.
THE TRIBUNE
Tuesday, January 2, 2018, PAGE 9
Palacious apologises for his comments on women’s dress By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
ANGLICAN Archdeacon James Palacious issued an apology on Friday for his recent statements about the impact of how women dress on sexual assault, admitting his words “could very well be seen as victim blaming”. However he also said he stood by his original words, but had only apologised for what he “should have said and could have said to provide more balance.” In a Facebook post about Junkanoo tips last week, the Royal Bahamas Police Force advised that “if you are appropriately dress, it takes away the chance of being groped or touch in an inappropriate manner (sic).” The advisory was controversial and prompted backlash against the RBPF, which later amended the post to remove the offending statement. The RBPF also said the matter was being dealt with internally. In comments published in this newspaper and another daily on Friday, Father Palacious defended the police force’s decision to tell people how to dress to ward off unwanted attention. While he emphasised
FATHER JAMES PALACIOUS women have a right to dress how they please without being subjected to such attention or groping, Father Palacious also insinuated women could invite attack
by dressing inappropriately. “If you are dressed like a prostitute, people will treat you like a prostitute,” he said last week. Following criticism of
CCA SAYS IZMIRLIAN CASE ‘VINDICTIVE AND BASELESS’ By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net BAHA Mar general contractor China Construction America (CCA) Bahamas has slammed the $2.25 billion damages claim filed by former resort developer Sarkis Izmirlian as “vindictive and baseless,” and a “gross abuse of the American judicial system”. In a press statement on Friday, CCA Bahamas vowed to “vigorously defend these unfounded claims”. “CCA Bahamas is proud of the world class Baha Mar resort it constructed and, by any objective measure, the resort is expected to have a substantial beneficial impact on the economy of the Bahamas and its citizens,” CCA said. “The lawsuit filed by Mr Izmirlian is a vindictive and baseless attempt to redeem his own failures to properly manage his companies and their investment in the Baha Mar resort project. Mr Izmirlian’s scattershot allegations are totally false and constitute a gross abuse of the American judicial system. CCA Bahamas will vigorously defend these unfounded claims.” Mr Izmirlian’s lawsuit, filed in the New York State Supreme Court in late December, alleged China Construction America (CCA) and its subsidiaries perpetrated a “massive” scheme of “cover up,” “deceit,” “outright sabotage” and lies to both conceal its failures and
“extort more money than it earned”. The action, filed in the name of Mr Izmirlian’s BML Properties vehicle, claims the Chinese stateowned construction firm deliberately concealed its intention to use Baha Mar as “a massive training exercise” that ultimately doomed the project to failure. Besides alleging CCA’s “real intent” was never to complete Baha Mar “on time and on budget,” Mr Izmirlian and BML Properties also claim it falsified and misrepresented reports on the mega resort’s construction progress and the size of its workforce. The claim, for breach of contract and fraud, alleges the Chinese contractor earned “tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions” more than it should as a result of uncorrected defects plus inflated and “sham” billings. And the lawsuit also details numerous alleged construction defects that, if not caught, would have compromised the health and safety of thousands of tourists, hotel guests and Baha Mar staff. The CCA statement continued: “In stark contrast to the outrageous claims alleged in BML’s lawsuit, CCA Bahamas’ projects are characterised by excellence, superior quality and trustworthiness. The company’s guiding principle is a respect for hard work and a commitment to collaborate with the communities in which it operates. “This credo of the
company certainly proved no more true than with respect to its tenacious commitment to complete the construction of Baha Mar, a luxury resort complex unrivaled in the Western Hemisphere. CCA Bahamas consistent goal is to help Bahamians build a more prosperous and vibrant country, by constructing happy spaces for Bahamians and the millions of visitors to the islands.” On Friday, Mr Izmirlian dismissed CCA’s as nothing more than “damage control” adding his company’s 259-page lawsuit speaks for itself. “No matter what public relations press statements CCA issues to try to do damage control of its public image in this matter, the detailed 259-page lawsuit speaks for itself,” Mr Izmirlian said in a press release. “Leaving CCA’s attempted spin aside, the reality is CCA is a defendant in litigation charging it with massive fraud, admitted sabotage, malicious acts of deceit and interference, and breaches of contract.” Mr Izmirlian said CCA must now answer for its alleged wrongdoings in the courtroom. Last week, Minister of Works Desmond Bannister said the government would investigate allegations regarding the standard of work at Baha Mar. However he said the government expected staff at the Ministry of Works as well as independent engineers who were hired to inspect the property did their jobs properly.
his comments, Father Palacious released a statement to The Tribune on Friday. “While I am prepared to stand by what I did say in the interviews and what was reported, there are some things that I should have said that would have brought more balance to my statement and position,” he said. “Both articles report me as emphasising that a woman has a right to dress the way she sees fit. I went on to say that however scantily a woman is dressed, men ought to respect them and not believe that they have the freedom to grope them. This is wrong and it is a crime. “In retrospect, my statements should have emphasised more the need for men to restrain themselves and not grope females. Such behavior is criminal and the police’s warning should have emphasised that rather than just refer to the way women are dressed. Our police do an excellent job of constantly emphasising zero tolerance policies as it pertains to things like drugs, burglary and murder, the same sort of passionate energy should be used to emphasise the pursuit of justice for crimes against
women. As a society, the conversation should move from a focus on women’s clothing to the way we treat and respect women and each other at large. “Because this emphasis was missing from my original discourse, there is good reason for me to be accused of blaming the victim, and for that - the idea that the victim is anyway responsible - I apologise. “I have been vocal about my support of gender equality. Furthermore, both newspapers reported my unequivocal stand of support for legislation to criminalise marital rape. This is a position I held from 2009 and is more representative of the high esteem in which I hold womanhood and the rights of woman over their bodies whether they are married or not. “We must teach men proper respect and appreciation for women. “Once again, I apologise for statements that could very well be seen as victim blaming.” However women’s rights group Equality Bahamas said the archdeacon was “irresponsible” in his defense of the RBPF and its “misogynistic advisory making potential
victims responsible for sexual assault prevention.” Director of Equality Bahamas Alicia Wallace said in a statement: “The RBPF is not to be excused. It needs to focus on developing and implementing effective crime prevention techniques rather than putting the responsibility on women and girls to protect themselves, especially when it is taught — explicitly and implicitly — from childhood.” The group also said: “It is clear that Palacious is out of his depth and does not have an understanding of sexual violence and its root causes or the rape culture that pervades the Bahamas. To suggest that it is acceptable or normal for women and girls to be violated if they are dressed in particular ways is irresponsible and sends the message that men are incapable of controlling themselves and not to be held responsible for their own actions. It is not possible to say dressing in a particular way would prevent rape while saying rape is not the victim’s fault.” The group also said it rejects Father Palacious’ “non-apology,” adding as a religious leader he should be more mindful of his influence.
Funeral Service For JOSEPH HESKITT ARCHER, 66
of Winton Meadows, will be held on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Ebenezer Methodist Church, East and Shirley Street. Officiating will be Rev’d. L. Carla Culmer, assisted by Rev’d Lester Ferguson and Rev’d Carla C. Campbell. Interment will follow in Church Cemetery.
Left to mourn are his mother: Sybil Archer; son: Delvano Archer; daughter: Kaj Archer, grandchild: Katalaya Archer; brothers: John Archer (Karen), Samuel Archer; sisters: Sherrine,Styles, Paulette Campbell, Pamela Roberson (John), Antoinette Hamilton, Justice Guillimina Archer-Minns (Arthur); Nieces: Kimberley McPhee-Ferguson, Kyosen Young (Bernard), Kofi Colebrook, Kara Coleby (Michael), Kareema Bowe (Javier), Joia Archer, Krizia Pratt (Michael), Dr. Jiamara Johnson (Jansen), Dr. Jerez Roberson-Mitchell (John), Tatyana Archer; Nephews: Dr. Ian Archer (Antoinette), Drumeco Archer (Chakita) Trevor Styles, Jomo Campbell, Kendrick McPhee, Brizhan & Brezile Hamilton, Jordan Minns, Nyles Archer; grand nieces: Ryelle Russell, Sy-Ann McPhee, Jahdae & Jarena Colebrook, McKenzie Coleby, Brooklyn Campbell, Llondyn Armbrister, Katia Archer; grand-nephews: Joshua and Jayden Archer, Kaelin Coleby, Micheal Pratt, Jeremiah Johnson, Dylan Archer; cousins: Nadeen Beneby & Family, Brenda Simmons & Family, Rev. Carl, Peter, Monique, Patricia, and Eleanor Campbell, Rosemond Carey & Family, Deann, Joy and Wayne Archer, Veronica Williams & Family, Creswell and Ivan Archer, Ryan Archer, Fabian Archer and Family, Emmitt Archer & Family, Glenda Knowles and Family, Angie Collie and Family, Dr. Denise Archer and Family, Vyrona Archer, Evelyn Archer, Whitlean Roberts, Tyrone and Patricia Archer and Family, Evie Simmons and Family, Margaret Turnquest and Family, Wadie Green and Family, Eleanor and Ann Turnquest and Family, Mark Demeritte and Family, Monique, Jasmine and Ambry Moss and Family, Donald Moss and Family; other relatives & friends: Playdell Newton, Karen Hepburn, Rev. L. Carla Culmer, Anthony Dean, Garfield McPhee, John Styles, James Campbell, Natalie Popat, Amanda Johnson, the Dalton Family, Grant’s Town Wesley Methodist Church, the Mackey Street Family, Philip Tynes and Family, Lenny and Family, Lawrence Major and Family, Charles McKinney and Family, Shiloh Ranch Family, the Dart Group Family, the East Coast Family, Lands & Surveys Department, Ministry of Works, Staff on Male Surgical 2 Ward, Dr. Ablack, Dr. C. Thompson, the staff of Princess Margaret Hospital, the Valley Boys Family, and a host of other relatives and friends.
Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians #44 Nassau Street on Tuesday from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. and at the church on Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until service time.
- CONVENIENCE, PERFORMANCE & STYLE -
DISHWASHERS
ADJUSTABLE FLATWARE THIRD RACK RACK
The holidays are messy, let’s make clean up easy with GE Dishwashers available at Geoffrey Jones. With advanced technology like 102 cleaning jets to ensure that even closely stacked items get thoroughly washed and rinsed; a fullextension smooth-glide, adjustable third rack for cleaning an entire flatware collection or LED interior lighting to illuminate the entire interior, the art of clean has never been made so crystal clear.
SILVERWARE JETS
Sales & Full Service Department Rosetta & Montgomery Streets
T: 322-2188/9
E: geoffjones@comcast.net www.geoffreyjonesandco.com FLUSH-INSET DISHWASHER
LED INTERIOR LIGHTING
PAGE 10, Tuesday, January 2, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
Columnists from The Tribune consider the future - and tell us how they are...
Looking ahead to 2018 SAFETY IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOODS
TIME TO TAKE THINGS WITH A PINCH OF SALT
By SGT NATHALIE RANGER
By ALICIA WALLACE
LONG gone are the days where all the neighbourhood kids played together. Where parents say hello to their neighbours, where neighbourhood socials and gatherings are held, where a parent can discipline another parent’s child, long gone are those days but we as a community can bring those days back and make our communities safe again. New beginnings, fresh starts, reaffirmations of love and promises for a brighter future all come to mind as we ring in a New Year. In this New Year, 2018, let us also remember the safety of ourselves and others. Let us also remember to come together and make our neighbourhood a united safer place for all residents and visitors. Neighbourhood safety and inseparability is a team effort and it starts with you. To make your neighbourhood a safer place you can; • Be your neighbour’s keeper • Live as one • Solve conflicts in a calm respectful way when faced with them • When you see a child doing wrong tell their parents or report it to the proper authorities • Report suspicious people hanging around in your neighbourhood • Report crimes as soon as possible by calling the police at 919, 911 or Crime Stoppers at 328-TIPS
(8477) (New Providence) or 1-242-300-8476 (Family Islands) Violence in our communities is killing our children and destroying families. It is time all citizens and residents and visitors feel safe from crime. It is a challenge each of us can do something about. Let us reclaim our communities, because this violence is tearing our community apart. Too many lives lost and injured and these violent acts, such as, murders are more likely between people who know each other than between strangers. It is my opinion that persons turn to violence because of: • Peer pressure • To boosts self-esteem through violence • The lack of inability to control attitudes, emotions, and reactions • Other family members and or friends that are into violence • Lack of love and attention in the home from parents. In this New Year, make yourself, your family and your community safe from violence by working with your own children, and other children throughout the communities. I propose, that a campaign be launched against violence where all agencies, organizations, citizens and residents come together and educate the community, specifically young people and their parents, on how to solve disputes without becoming violent.
COMING out of a year of sitting around, watching and questioning, 2018 has to be a year of collective action. From early on, we will not only pay attention to what is being said by whom, but scrutinise those words and hold them up against behaviour and supposed values. We will find inconsistencies, wherever they are, and call on relevant organisations and individuals to address them. In 2018, Bahamians will finally move beyond conversation and not just to participate in political stunts. We will be thoughtful in our contributions to national discussions, cautious in our commitments and unrelenting in our pursuit of the common good. The people have been duped enough times to now recognise the tell-tale signs of liars, opportunists and manipulators and our experience will be put to the test. Politicians, wannabe politicians, career criminals and those seeking celebrity will continue to use pressing issues to push their own agendas, tying up Bahamians thirsty for change in their webs of deceit. We will do our best to see these people miles away, ask the hard questions and listen to what they don’t say. We won’t have the time to
warm seats or fill streets for anything other than a better Bahamas for all of us - and we know this. We’ll be more discriminating in the causes we take up, who we allow to lead us and how far we go without seeing a long-term plan. This is the year of the sceptic. Conspiracy theorists will continue to buzz in our ears about other eras, curses and outlandish outcomes unnamed people are working toward. Those aren’t the sceptics, or the people the sceptics question. Most of us will become — if we haven’t already — untrusting. Leaders in all arenas will find it more difficult to gain support because we are determined to avoid all forms of trickery. We won’t be easily convinced and we will refuse to get on board without nearabsolute certainty of the outcome. It’s going to be a tough one. While we want to move from talk to action, there isn’t much we can accomplish alone. Unfortunately, we don’t know who to trust. We may be facing the toughest year yet, for politicians, yes, but it isn’t an election year. It’s going to be most difficult for the activists, advocates and civil society organisations that need buy-in. So many have disappointed Bahamians over the past year it should not be surprising that we’re made to work much harder to gain trust, mobilise and take the kind of collective action that forces change.
A YEAR TO RE-IGNITE BELIEF IN OUR COUNTRY By DIANE PHILLIPS IT is easy to say The Bahamas is at a crossroads. You could say that at the end of any year though a new year is only an artificial separation of one day from the next. Birds don’t mark the years, nor do wild animals. Man does it out of convenience to give us a moment to stop and reflect, to think about where we were and where we are going. Upon request, we, as
writers, agree to reflect and predict. But I, for one, do so with extreme trepidation for I fear for our country in the next year and pray that right wins out in this land of promise. Here is what I fear: I fear that for all the good intentions of a government committed to wiping out corruption, the culture is so ingrained that the struggle will be greater than the short-term results, though the takedown of some will send a message. And that is reason for hope. I fear public education
will continue to suffer from too much administration and too few teachers who have the freedom to teach children not just lessons but how to think and problem-solve. I fear our national unhealth and obesity will continue to kill us at too early an age. I fear that in our haste to slay illegal immigration, we will allow overzealous officers to turn us into a nation of hate, trading humanitarianism for authoritarian rule and that is the scariest fear of all for it is exactly how
others pretended not to see when Hitler began rounding up Jews. Thankfully, I also have greater reasons for hope. I believe 2018 will be the year of transparency. Freedom of the press, better reporting and a stronger civil society are forcing more transparent governance and that is a very good thing. I believe there is far greater appreciation of the environment than there has ever been. Though grateful for Atlantis and Baha Mar, I believe leaders recognise the need for future
development to centre around and bring renewed life and vitality to Family Islands with small-scale sustainable resorts. I believe we will get a handle on crime and that starting children in school at a younger age - when minds are at their greatest learning capacity - will make a difference longterm and I believe the economy, given new initiatives, will take a sharp turn for the better. I see 2018 as the year of the city when there is finally recognition that autonomy
encourages growth, prosperity and creativity. Above all, I see the beauty in our people and in our country re-igniting. We are blessed to live in one of the most precious places on the face of the earth and I believe with all my heart the goodness that lies within each of us will overcome the wrong-doing threatening to dishearten us. So long as our individual and collective voices ring out our reasons for hope in the land of promise will be re-affirmed.
THE ECONOMY IS THE KEY PRORITY IN 2018 By PETER YOUNG
NEW Year crystal-gazing is invariably guesswork and can be hazardous. But, having been asked to provide brief comments on The Bahamas’ prospects for 2018, it was not hard to single out the economy as the issue likely to be of major concern in the coming months. The new Free National Movement government is already being criticised for not fulfilling various campaign promises. But how it deals with the economy should be a priority, since this could dictate the future of The Bahamas for years to come – in the reported view of leading lawyer Brian Moree, QC, possibly the next 20 years. Recent significant developments include a narrow escape from being “blacklisted” by the European Union, the country’s continued “junk” status credit rating and the clear need for major fiscal and economic reform. Since the evidence was there, it would be mindless to ignore the dire state of the nation’s finances and the unprecedented level of debt facing the incoming FNM government in May last year. But apart from a
stagnant economy there is now growing pressure as well on offshore centres to become compliant with international anti-money laundering regulations in order to remain off global “blacklists”. As a small island economy dependent on tourism and financial services and the foreign currency inflows needed to acquire the goods and services vital for everyday life, The Bahamas is highly vulnerable to the effects of external events (including hurricanes) that are beyond its control. Thus, it has no option but to comply with these regulations in a globalised economy in order to remain competitive. The Government’s recognition of this should surely be welcomed even by the sceptics and critics. In accepting the need at the same time for urgent action to restructure the country’s economic model including comprehensive tax reform, together with liberalising and deregulating the economy with the overall aim of stimulating growth and creating jobs, it is clearly moving the country in the right direction towards sustainable recovery. Its willingness to re-examine preferential tax regimes and structures that can
BAHA Mar is a big part of plans to re-energise the economy - but the economy remains the biggest issue of concern for many. be exploited by multinational companies is equally a welcome step forward. The most controversial issue may be
possible introduction of a corporate income tax so there will be a need for careful consultation with the private sector.
Effective management of the economy should be a top priority for any government. So far, Dr Minnis’ administration
seems to be adopting the correct policies for the nation and the portents for the coming year are good.