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Wednesday, April 22, 2026
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Shooting delays $130m grid upgrade end by two months By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Grid Company’s new chairman yesterday voiced “200 percent” confidence it will fulfill its energy reform obligations despite its managing partner’s sudden exit as he revealed the recent shooting death of a US contractor had delayed completion of $130m in network upgrades by two months. Anthony Ferguson, who is also CFAL’s principal, told Tribune Business that the separation with Island Grid and Eric Pike had been “an amicable dissolution” although he referred this newspaper to Bahamas Grid Company’s now-former management firm and
its principal when asked to explain the reasons for the relationship ending less than two years into what was supposed to be a 25-year tie-up. He pledged that the new all-Bahamian management team, led by just-appointed chief executive Dareo McKenzie, “will continue the playbook” created by Island Grid for the continued transformation of New Providence’s transmission and distribution (T&D) network with 85 percent of the $130m “foundational” upgrades now completed. Mr Ferguson disclosed that, despite Island Grid’s departure taking effect from Monday this week, North Carolina-based Pike Electrical, which was providing
Bahamas Grid Chair says Island Grid exit ‘amicable dissolution’ Initial work ‘85% finished’; says ‘we’ll prove doubters wrong’ Staffing 50% to target, but ‘foresees no challenge’ in sourcing the manpower, equipment, supplies and technology for these initial improvements, remains contracted to Bahamas Grid Company and is now scheduled to complete this work in June 2026 - two months later than originally targeted. Numerous Pike employees, thought to number
around 40, left New Providence in the immediate aftermath of the shooting death of their colleague, Cody Castillo, which resulted in Superintendent Berneil Pinder of the Royal Bahamas Police Force being charged with his murder. Their departures sparked multiple questions as to
Morton Salt warns of Inagua closure as union accepts 75% redundancy BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net MORTON Salt yesterday warned it may be forced to suspend or close its Inagua operation if its “competitive position” does not improve as staff and union members decided to accept its ‘offer’ to make 75 percent of the workforce redundant with effect from Friday, June 5. Richard Ingraham, president of the Bahamas Industrial Manufacturers & Allied Workers Union (BIMAWU), which represents the salt producer’s line staff, told Tribune Business that following staff and union discussions they had opted for the termination plan - rather
Downsizing tied to sale delay over payable tax Staff ‘caught in middle’; reject 50% work week cut Gov’t labour chief ‘bit troubled’ over no notice than the alternative, which would retain all 60 workers but slash their work weeks by 50 percent - in a bid to pressure both the company and the Government to find a solution. The union president revealed, and Tribune Business was able
RICHARD INGRAHAM to confirm, that Morton Salt’s move yesterday to drastically downsize the workforce and cut costs is directly linked to the Chicago-headquartered company’s planned deal to sell the Inagua operation to Lusca Group and its subsidiary, Grand Bahama Salt Company - entities
linked to the Liwathon Group, which has acquired and restarted operations at Grand Bahama’s former South Riding Point oil storage terminal. The deal, which was agreed around seven months ago, has yet to close because of a significant difference between the Government and Morton Salt over how much “transfer tax” - VAT and other levies charged on the assets of the business being sold, such as land - is payable to the Public Treasury on the transaction. This is likely to be a much-needed multi-million dollar sum from the Government’s perspective, but Morton Salt feels
TAXING - See Page B4
Arawak Cay chief to tackle child vendors BY FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net THE newly-elected head of the Arawak Cay vendors association yesterday pledged to address long-standing operational challenges, including unauthorised vendors, infrastructure strain and financial compliance by members. Lilian Laramore-Smith, president of the Arawak Cay Fish, Conch, Vegetables and Food Vendors
Association, said one of the most pressing concerns is the re-emergence of unauthorised vendors - including children selling goods without proper oversight. She added that previous enforcement efforts, including co-ordination with law enforcement agencies, had temporarily reduced the activity but it has since resurfaced. “This has been an ongoing problem,” said Mrs Laramore-Smith. “Over the last three to four months, the children
have returned. They’re out here on their own - some as young as six or seven, up to 13 or 14 - selling jewellery and perfume with sponsor sheets. “I understand if a school gives a child a sponsorship, but it needs to be verified. There should also be a time limit. We welcome them, but they should be leaving by 5pm or 6pm. Instead, they’re here until 10pm at night, and the timing and behaviour have to conform.” Beyond enforcement concerns, Mrs
Laramore-Smith said the Association is also focused on strengthening its economic base through new initiatives aimed at increasing visitor activity and vendor revenue. “One of the most important things is bringing revenue back to the Cay on a different level,” said Mrs Laramore-Smith. “I’ve committed to forming an Activities Committee that will plan events for the rest of the year and beyond.” She said
PROBLEMS - See Page B5
Goldie’s to rebuild ‘bigger and better’ BY FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net AFTER losing his entire business in last year’s devastating Arawak Cay fire, Goldie’s Conch House owner, Kirkwood “Goldie” Evans, yesterday said he has begun rebuilding under stricter rules and at his own expense. Mr Evans’ business was among those completely razed as flames swept through the closely-built wooden structures. Now, months later, he says he has secured the necessary approvals and is moving forward with reconstruction.
“I’ve gotten all the necessary paperwork I need from the Government agencies, so I’m in the process of building back,” said Mr Evans. “I don’t feel like the Government is trying to close anybody down; they just want things to be different. They want the Cay to operate with proper rules and guidelines.” The blaze, which erupted last November, destroyed multiple restaurants along the Fish Fry’s western end, including Goldie’s, and caused widespread losses he estimated in the millions of dollars. Mr Evans said the rebuilding process reflects a broader shift in how Arawak Cay is being
GOLDIE’S CONCH HOUSE FIRE AT ARAWAK CAY regulated, with stricter oversight compared to previous years when construction was less controlled. “If you look around, we had a lot of structures built years ago where people just built whatever they wanted,” said Mr Evans.
“Now we’ve reached a point where we actually have to build the way the Government requires.” He outlined the multi-agency approval process now required before construction can proceed, including clearances from agriculture,
CONSTRUCT - See Page B5
whether work on the New Providence energy grid improvements would be impacted, and if the completion timeline would be delayed. Mr Ferguson, while confirming that work had been set back by around two months, acknowledged that the incident had left many Pike workers “fearful”. He added, though, that some have already returned to New Providence, with more due to have arrived yesterday and today. The Bahamas Grid Company chairman added that he “doesn’t foresee any challenges” with the electricity network owner/ operator’s ability to access essential expertise, supplies and energy equipment
ANTHONY FERGUSON when needed, asserting that it will still be able to “engage” Pike as well as tap into Mr McKenzie’s relationships with previous employers, such as General Electric (GE) and Consolidated Edison moving forward. And, disclosing that Bahamas Grid Company will be investing an average $20m per year in capital expenditure into New Providence’s energy grid after the “foundational” upgrades are completed, Mr Ferguson said it has recruited about 50 percent of its target 150-strong workforce to-date. Once
NETWORK - See Page B4
Court upholds land partition to favour ex-Cabinet minister BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Court of Appeal yesterday ruled in favour of ex-Cabinet minister, Leslie Miller, and his family by upholding the partition of a 92.33-acre tract that holds their now-closed Mario’s Bowling & Entertainment Palace and another portion of the Summerwinds Plaza. Appeal justice Gregory Smith, writing a unanimous verdict, refused to give the Higgs family “a second bite at the cherry” after they “made tactical decisions” to allow the land’s partition - the final act in resolving a near-60 year legal dispute dating back to 1967’s Majority Rule - to be determined solely on written evidence and without the cross-examination of witnesses. The Higgs had sought to challenge the decision by Sir Ian Winder, the chief justice, to divide the property - located on the southern side of Tonique Williams Highway opposite Stapledon Gardens - with three-quarters of the land allocated to them and the remaining 25 percent, comprising 22.55 acres, going to Leshelmaryas Investment Company, a corporate vehicle owned by Mr Miller and his family.
LESLIE MILLER While the two sides had “agreed to create a 60-foot road reservation at the northern boundary where it meets Tonique Williams Darling Highway” to “ensure the highest value to each parcel of land”, the Higgs family subsequently contested their 67.78-acre allocation and how this was calculated. Drawing on an appraisal that priced Mr Miller’s parcel at $300,000 per acre, triple the value of their property, they argued that based on this valuation the former Cabinet minister would receive more than one-quarter interest if granted the 22.5 acres. This, though, was rejected by Sir Ian who upheld an earlier Supreme Court verdict from 2006 that split the 92.33 acres via the 75/25
RULING - See Page B5