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PM wants ‘generational’ shift over land reform By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net CURLY’S BEACH RESORT
$3.4m resort to help revive Cat Island By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net DEVELOPERS of a new $3.4m development, set to open in Cat Island next month ahead of the island’s annual Rake and Scrape Festival, said the resort will play a key role in the island’s economic and cultural revitalisation. Vince McDonald, owner of Curly’s Beach Resort, said the first phase of the resort will include seven villas, a restaurant, and a beach club, and will initially employ 11 local employees. He said Cat Island’s economy is growing, and with the ongoing infrastructural upgrades, the number of visitors is expected to increase significantly. “Cat Island is on the move! We have two new international airports under construction, the road works are going on, the water mains are being installed. Things are really looking up and this resort is just another piece of the Cat Island’s revitalisation,” said Mr McDonald. “We’re expecting domestic and international guests. This first phase is going to have the restaurant, seven villas and the beach club and we want everyone to come down and enjoy Cat Island.” The resort is located on the site of the former Sammy T’s Beach Resort in Bennett’s Harbour, which has been closed for over a decade, and will cater to families, groups, and couples. Mr. McDonald said he has invested about $3.4m thus far to acquire the property and undergo renovations to the existing structures.
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THE government’s land reform legislation promises a generational shift in the management and security of land ownership in The Bahamas, according to Prime Minister Philip Davis. Mr Davis said the Land Adjudication Bill and Land Registration Bill will bring a “complete overhaul” to the way land ownership is recorded and determined in the country, and that the new system will bring clarity and “justice”. Speaking at the Bahamas Parliamentary Land Reform Consultation yesterday, Mr Davis said that while previous administrations have acknowledged the failures in the land system, they did not act to change the legislation. He said the current
• Land reform promises clarity, justice for Bahamian property rights • Adjudicators to resolve claims, ensure fair property access. • Bahamians to gain mortgage access with titled land administration has a “responsibility” to correct it. “We know the consequences of delay: Bahamians left without clear title to their land, unable to pass it on, unable to develop it, unable to access credit using land as security. We know that disputes drag on in court for years,” said Mr Davis. “We know the cost not just financially, but emotionally for families caught in uncertainty. And we know that those with deep pockets and clever attorneys have often found ways to manipulate
a chaotic system to their advantage. We now, have a responsibility and an opportunity to change all of that.” Mr Davis said that under the new title-based registry, each parcel of land will receive a unique identification number and owners will be issued legal certificates that serve as “indisputable” proof of ownership. “Adjudicators supported by teams on the ground will visit communities, hear claims, assess evidence, and resolve disputes through an independent Land Tribunal.
PHILIP DAVIS KC Once claims are settled, the land can be officially registered and secured,” said Mr Davis. “This means: No more overlapping claims. No more land locked in legal limbo. No more families unable to access mortgages or sell property. And no more generations
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Yntegra defends record amid claims of ‘misinformation’ BY ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net THE Yntegra Group has hit out at what it claims is “misinformation” about the $200m Rosewood Exuma Resort project. The response comes in the wake of comments by the Save Exuma Alliance, with founding member David Hocher, also owner of Staniel Cay Yacht Club and Makers Air, questioning whether the
Rosewood project was a right fit for Big Sampson Cay or if a development of that scale belonged elsewhere. Mr Hoher also claimed inconsistencies between the plan for the site and what some of Yntegra’s principals have said in public meetings. He said: “If the public, like myself, can’t look at a plan made available by Physical Planning and have confidence in it, what else will we not have confidence in? It’s a big issue.”
Addressing environmental concerns, Yntegra Group maintained that its partner has obtained a Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certification. “We take environmental concerns very seriously. It is part of the lives and livelihoods of Exumians,” Yntegra said. “Yntegra and its resort partner share the core values of effective sustainable management and environmental responsibility. Yntegra is
collaborating on a $200M project with a global, awardwinning, ultra-luxury resort partner that has a proven track record in responsible development and environmental sustainability and received a Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certification.” Yntegra added: “We have teams of best-in-class environmental consultants and engineers working with us.
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Imports up and exports down according to latest figures By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net NET imports last year increased by 18 percent while exports fell by 6.4 percent, according to new figures. According to the 2024 Foreign Trade figures released by the Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) yesterday, some $4.9bn worth of goods were imported into the country last year, representing an 18 percent increase from 2023. The BNSI report said machinery and transport equipment was the largest contributor of imports followed by food and live animals.
“Machinery & Transport Equipment the largest contributor to imports, totaled some $1.2 b or 24 percent of all imports. This was followed closely by the category of Food & Live Animals which accounted for 17 percent or $815m,” said the BNSI report. “Other categories that contributed significantly to total imports were Mineral Fuels, Lubricants Goods which totaled $703m, 14 percent of total imports, and Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles which accounted for almost $632m or nearly 13 percent of total imports. The report also revealed that exports totalled
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Legislation target ‘by end of year’ on health and safety regulations BY ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net LABOUR Minister Pia Glover-Rolle is seeking to enact into law recommendations on health and safety at work by the end of the year, according to a labour specialist. Robert Farquharson, who oversees the Ministry of Labour’s special project unit, said the stage has been set after recommendations were proposed at the National Symposium on Occupational Safety. With the commitment to the provisions of the Decent Work Country Programme, the Ministry of Labour and the Public
ROBERT FARQUHARSON Service “have set the stage” by proposing recommendations to be submitted and read to the minister. Mr Farquharson said the process must happen quickly so the report can be compiled and presented to
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