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Volume: 120 No.23, February 3, 2023
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$64K NIB SALARY AS MUCH AS AUDITOR’S IDB says ‘bloated’ cost REBUILDING structure highlighted OUR WETLANDS by workers’ income By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net NATIONAL Insurance Board (NIB) employees enjoy an average $64,000 income that nearly matches the earnings of the government’s top financial watchdog due to a bloated cost structure, a study has revealed. An Inter-American Development Bank analysis of government spending noted that NIB’s compensation structure “appears high” given that the average
annual pay and benefits package taken home by staff was just $1,000 less than the Auditor General’s salary. And their income is some $10,000 higher than that of a leading secondary school headteacher. The report, which has been reviewed by Tribune Business, suggests that previous “generous” industrial agreements have been a key factor in inflating both NIB’s wage structure and, in turn, its administrative costs. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
SELECT COMMITTEE CALL ON IMMIGRATION AND FTX By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard has called for the establishment of select committees in Parliament on matters relating to the country’s immigration crisis and the collapse of FTX. In a press release, Mr Pintard called for the establishment of both select committees to investigate
and consider all matters in relation to each. The opposition leader suggested five terms in reference to the select committee for the immigration crisis: border security by air and sea; Bahamian citizenship, inclusive of addressing issues such as naturalisation for those that have long been waiting, conducting an audit of the granting of permanent residence and SEE PAGE THREE
LEROY MAJOR, MP for Southern Shores, and Lakeshia Anderson-Rolle, executive director of BNT, planting a tree at Bonefish Pond National Park yesterday for World Wetlands Day. See PAGE FIVE for the full story. Photo: Austin Fernander
MARIJUANA LAWS NEARLY COMPLETE - BUT NO DATE FOR PARLIAMENT YET
COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR EXUMA SPILL ‘WILL FACE PENALTIES’ SAYS AG
ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder said legislation for marijuana legalisation is nearly completed however, he was unable to provide a timeline as to when it will be presented to Parliament. After assuming office, the Davis administration
ATTORNEY General Ryan Pinder said yesterday the company responsible for last summer’s Exuma oil spill will face penalties. Mr Pinder made these comments when asked about the diesel spill that occurred in Exuma last July. The
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
promised to present the marijuana legalisation to Parliament before the end of 2022, but that deadline was ultimately missed. When asked for an update yesterday, Mr Pinder told reporters that draft laws to decriminalise marijuana were just about complete. SEE PAGE THREE
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
incident resulted in 35,000 gallons of diesel being spilled into waters off an Exuma bay as a vessel contracted by Sun Oil was offloading fuel to Bahamas Power and Light at George Town. He said: “They will absolutely see penalties. We prepared our litigation materials, we’ve conducted SEE PAGE THREE
SIGNING ALLOWS $150M BRILAND EXPANSION By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Davis administration signed an amended Heads of Agreement yesterday with developers behind the Briland Club Residences & Marina development that will allow for the expansion of the Harbour Island-based project, set to cost some $150m. Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis said he was delighted by the stronger
PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and Michael Wiener, of 4M Harbour Island Ltd, at yesterday’s signing. Photo: Austin Fernander investor confidence the development represents and was looking forward
to the economic benefits it would bring to the island. He also thanked 4M Harbour Island Ltd for their “bold and ambitious” investment in The Bahamas. “What began as a boutique resort and marina has evolved to encompass an impressive retail component comprising 93 estate homes, cottages and villas, building on $112m already invested into the commercial ecosystem of Harbour SEE PAGE FOUR
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
ONE ELEUTHERA:
WHEN GOOD FOOD CAN BE MEDICINE
- SEE PAGE EIGHT