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VOLUME:115 No.145, JUNE 21ST, 2018
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INSIDE
‘It was my duty to fire rebels’ READY TO ROLL
Minnis bound by need to follow Westminster system By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said that his decision to revoke the government appointments of three Free National Movement members of Parliament who voted no to an increase in value added tax was not personal, but was based on his responsibility and obligation to follow parliamentary procedure. While speaking to reporters in Grand Bahama yesterday, Dr Minnis stressed that he will not shirk his responsibility. “I cannot allow my personal views to get into
democracy; we have a parliamentary procedure, and I must adhere, respect, and ensure the procedure lives on, and is honoured, and respected thoroughly,” he said on the sidelines of a conference. Dr Minnis fired Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson and Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller from their posts as parliamentary secretaries and Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine from his post as chairman of the Hotel Corporation. Mr Robinson and Mr Miller were cited for breaching the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure. SEE PAGE FIVE
ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel has defended the firings of two parliamentary secretaries and one board chairman this week by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, however he insisted “reconciliation” remains the focus. While giving a speech during the Senate’s budget
debate yesterday, Mr Bethel, the leader of government business in the Senate, implored people who have taken issue with the prime minister’s decision to review the Westminster parliamentary system. While he admitted that there are some “peculiar” factors built into the system, he contended the rules must be followed. SEE PAGE FIVE
L SOUR CE
GRAND BAHAMA ‘CAN BE THE NEW SILICON VALLEY’ By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis told more than 400 persons attending the first Bahamas Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Conference in Grand Bahama The Bahamas is poised to be “new Silicon capital in the Caribbean”. He noted that much progress had been achieved to create a technology industry that will uniquely position the country as the jurisdiction of choice for tech firms. SEE PAGE NINE
FOULKES: WEB SHOP JOB CUTS UNFORTUNATE
By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net
A DAY after web shop Asure Win said it will close 11 locations and layoff about 50 workers, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes described impending staff cuts from the sector as “unfortunate”, but said there are several factors contributing to the closure of gaming houses aside from a tax increase. Speaking to reporters outside the Senate yesterday, Mr Foulkes also called for web shop owners to take a moment and examine how the government’s new sliding tax scale will affect them, instead of “anticipating” that it will be detrimental. SEE PAGE SIX
DOOR LEFT OPEN FOR RECONCILIATION By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
$1
BANK TELLER ‘FALSELY SIGNED’ FOR HANNA By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
AN OFFICER is pictured at the commissioning of 26 new motorcycles yesterday for the Royal Bahamas Police Force at their headquarters. See page two for more photographs. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
THE former Bank of The Bahamas teller accused of stealing over $50,000 from former Governor General AD Hanna would fraudulently sign on behalf of a customer in order to validate cash withdrawal transactions, a bank employee alleged yesterday. SEE PAGE SEVEN
FNM CONSTITUENCY REGRETS PICKING CHIPMAN By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Free National Movement’s Centreville Constituency Association regrets backing Reece Chipman’s nomination for Parliament and will not recommend he be re-nominated in 2022, association chairman Juan Cartwright told The Tribune yesterday. Mr Cartwright said he would prefer if Mr
REECE CHIPMAN Chipman resigns right now as the MP for the area. He revealed Mr Chipman was neither the association’s first nor
second choice to represent the constituency. Those spots belonged to Lanisha Rolle, who eventually ran and won in the Seabreeze constituency, and businessman Mark Roberts who rejected the nomination for personal reasons, he said. Mr Cartwright said it was Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis who asked the association to work with Mr Chipman. SEE PAGE THREE
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PAGE 2, Thursday, June 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
READY TO ROLL
COMMISSIONER of Police Anthony Ferguson inspecting the new motorcycles he commissioned for the Royal Bahamas Police Force at their headquarters. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
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BOY ACCUSED OF SHOOTING DEATH By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
A JUVENILE was charged in a Magistrate’s Court yesterday for the murder of a man earlier this month. The minor was arraigned before Magistrate Koschina Marshall charged with one count of murder stemming from the June 4 incident. It is alleged that on that date, he murdered Michael Johnson at Homestead Avenue. According to initial
reports, the deceased was standing outside his home when he was approached by two armed men in hoodies. The men opened fire, striking Mr Johnson in his body before leaving the area. The victim was taken to hospital where he died a few hours later. The juvenile was not required to enter a plea and the matter was adjourned for service of a voluntary bill of indictment. In the interim he was remanded to the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys.
TWO HELD OVER DRUGS FIND TWO people were arrested after police searched a residence and discovered dangerous drugs and ammunition. According to police, shortly after 7.30pm on Tuesday officers of the Rapid Response Unit
executed a search warrant at house on Abaco Drive where they found 14 rounds of .38 ammunition and a quantity of suspected marijuana. A man and woman were arrested and taken into police custody.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 21, 2018, PAGE 3
Miller vote praised by Golden Isles residents By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net
SOME Golden Isles residents are in support of their member of Parliament Vaughn Miller for “being a man” and voting against the value added tax amendment earlier this week, which will make law a new 12 percent VAT rate to come into effect July 1. However, it seems the residents who spoke with this newspaper and Mr Miller are at odds with the Golden Isles Constituency Association which is not only angry, but said the MP’s “no” vote came as a complete surprise to the executive members. According to the association’s Chairman Brian Brown, Mr Miller’s rejection of the VAT hike did not reflect the views of any of the FNMs heading the constituency’s executive team. Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis fired Mr Miller as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development along with Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism for voting against the amendment. Frederick McAlpine, Pineridge MP, was also fired as chairman of the Hotel Corporation for taking the same position. FNM Centreville MP Reece Chipman also voted against the increase, but was not affected because he did not hold a government appointment. “We are upset he voted against our wishes,” Mr Brown told The Tribune. “He clearly went against what we wanted. I think
he voted his on his own conscience. “We elected a government to manage the affairs of the country. The government went in there and they had to do what they had to do. “The executive said if that was the best
CARDY NEWTON, above, and Lyndem Whyms. for the government, which no one wants taxes, but to save the country we prefer going that way. “I have talked to many of the constituents as chairman for eight years in the area. Many of the persons after the town hall meeting on last Monday night everyone was quite clear why the government was going the way they were going,” Mr Brown added. “So we were obviously surprised. I think there were also people trying to reach Mr Miller Monday morning to tell him to reconsider the vote unfortunately some didn’t get through to him.” Nonetheless, Mr Brown said the association will have to work with Mr Miller because he remains the area MP. “But we are here to make the constituency a better place. We just have to
DWAYNE PRATT
move on. It’s not about me and him and so I am prepared to do the best.” Yesterday, The Tribune canvassed people in the area who applauded Mr Miller for taking a stand against the VAT increase. Many of them expressed some level of disdain for the government and Dr Minnis. Among these was a man who wanted to be identified as “Blocks”. “The government joking,” Blocks told The Tribune as he stood on a bus stop at Bacardi Park. “They fool the people man. By next year they gone man. The people ain’t into them. To be honest I sorry I voted for the FNM. “If I know they would do this I wouldn’t vote for them. I should (have) vote for the PLP and Halkitis.” Speaking of his MP, he said: “That’s a good thing he do man, he’s man. And he is the only man. So that’s good. I support him.” The Tribune also met Kelvin Johnson at a shopping plaza in the constituency. Not only does he support Mr Miller, but he was adamant that it was Dr Minnis who should be fired. “Yeah I support Mr Miller, because we are in a crisis,” Mr Johnson said. “We can’t sustain that bill on top of what we have already. It’s too costly now to live. “I think who should have gotten fired is the head man, the prime minister for this foolishness they trying to put on us.” Nearby was Michael Ingraham, who said: “We can’t take that with the way the economy is going now.” Asked his opinion of Mr Miller being fired as parliamentary secretary, he said: “I think the prime minister just getting beside himself.” Businesses owner Cardy Newton said he supports each of the four FNM MPs for going against the position of the government. He said: “For too long in The Bahamas we had persons go to Parliament and the majority agrees. Those four guys took a stand for the first time in a long time. “If you look at it, when the PLP introduced VAT at 7.5 percent it was good to
save our economy but now you introduce an additional 4.5 (percent)? Something else need to go up. I think minimum wage should go up. “It will be very hard on us. I support the stand that they took.” One woman who did not want to be named said she found it ridiculous that VAT was set to increase and that Mr Miller was fired over voting no on the hike. Others took a different position. “Somebody has to have the balls to do it,” a man who requested his identity be withheld said. “I don’t support what they did or didn’t do. They voted how they felt they should. “I am, however, in support of whatever it takes to straighten out this nasty financial mess that this Bahamas is in. Whether it is the PLP or the FNM do it to get us out this financial pity that we are in. “It could have been 15 percent,” the resident added. “It’s going to reach 15 one day. One (expletive) government will do that. I understand the financial situation we are in. The minister said successive governments have kicked the ball down the road. He didn’t say the PLP or the FNM. He said successive governments. Somebody have to have the balls enough to do what is right.” Another man said: “I understand it from both sides. When you get appointed as a PS you have to go along with the PM and his position. That was his view how he felt personally. “I don’t agree with the increase either but I understand we have to do something to get out of this situation then that’s what we have to do.” Mr Miller could not be reached yesterday for comment. However, following his termination on Tuesday, he told The Tribune he voted against the VAT increase because he believed the people should have been consulted. Mr Miller also said he saw no reason why the party would not offer him a nomination in the next general election. He said his meeting with Dr Minnis was amicable. At the time, he said he thanked the prime minister and told him he not only loved but respected him. However, the Golden Isles MP said he could not go against his convictions to vote in accordance with the plight of Bahamians. His firing came as no surprise, so he had no regrets, he told this newspaper.
KELVIN JOHNSON, above, and Michael Ingraham. Photos: Shawn Hanna/ Tribune Staff
FNM CONSTITUENCY REGRETS PICKING CHIPMAN from page one
“We feel betrayed by him,” he said two days after Mr Chipman voted against value added tax’s increase to 12 percent. Mr Chipman never consulted the association before taking that position, he added. “There is a disconnect between Mr Chipman and the association. He feels he could make decisions without informing us. Right now, we can’t support anybody we have such a disconnect with and who makes decisions for personal reasons.” Mr Chipman, who was fired as chairman of the Antiquities Monuments & Museum Corporation in March for unknown reasons, countered yesterday that he believes he has the support of most Centreville residents. “I consulted the community before my VAT vote,” he said. “We walked door to door to get feedback. I don’t know if (Mr Cartwright) wanted me to just consult the FNM association because then I would also have to consult the PLP association if I wanted a feel for the partisan position on this issue. The decision I made was based on the community
FNM Centreville Constituency Association ahairman Juan Cartwright, left, with Centreville MP Reece Chipman, second from right, last October. Mr Cartwright has said the association now regrets backing Reece Chipman’s nomination for Parliament. and what they felt in terms of the cost of living, of unemployment, of a commitment to make life better for themselves.” Friction between Vaughn Miller and Travis Robinson and their party associations in Golden Isles and Bain and Grants Town respectively has also been reported since the pair joined Mr Chipman and Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine in voting against the VAT hike. Mr Chipman said his phone has been ringing off the hook with residents overwhelmingly backing his decision. He brushed off notions that he will not be re-nominated in the constituency for the FNM, adding he has given no serious consideration to leaving the
governing party. “I think the people will back me, they will support me,” the first-time MP said. “The political fabric of our country needs work. The association just needs to be educated to the point where they do not let politics set them up. They may
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think they are doing the right thing, but it hurts so many, just like the VAT hike.” As for cries he is disconnected from the Centreville community, Mr Chipman said: “I have walked more hours, knocked on more doors than 90 percent of the FNMs sitting in the House of Assembly. (Mr Cartwright) probably doesn’t know I campaigned in this area as far back as 2005 and I was offered the nomination in 2007. I need him to learn a little more because he is new to this. He has probably never even been to an FNM council meeting where people vote for our party. I don’t know if he has ever read our party’s constitution. When you embrace a negative approach to our party’s framework, it’s important to get the information right.”
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THE TRIBUNE
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Trump’s migrant police: blowback then about-face WASHINGTON (AP) — As a crisis of migrant children separated from their families provoked national outrage, President Donald Trump said he was powerless to act through an executive order. Five days later, he did just that. The president’s abrupt about-face laid bare the administration’s capricious use of executive power as it presses forward with a crackdown on illegal immigration, first ensnaring children in its “zero tolerance” prosecution policy, then coming up with a “stopgap” reprieve in the face of global condemnation. The president who had declared as a candidate that “I alone can fix” the nation’s problems in recent weeks threw up his arms and said only Congress could solve the problem of children being separated from their parents — and then reversed course once again. What changed? Brookings Institution senior fellow Bill Galston, a presidential scholar and a Clinton White House official, described it as “classic blame shifting” in the face of mounting bipartisan criticism and amid heartbreaking tales of toddlers kept from their parents. The president, he said, was in an “unsustainable position and would like to be bailed out of it without having to admit fault.” White House officials, advocates and congressional leaders were blindsided Wednesday when word emerged that Trump was considering doing precisely what he’d forcefully claimed he couldn’t do — act unilaterally to quell a growing humanitarian and political crisis. The four-page order he signed will keep together children and parents apprehended for crossing the border illegally for at least 20 days, and directs the Justice Department to fight in court to permanently remove the threat of separation. Trump acted after encountering mushrooming blowback from Democrats, Republicans, evangelical leaders, former first ladies — even the pope. But White House officials offered little explanation for the reversal or why the president didn’t act sooner. It was a rare public step-down from the president in the face of a monumental self-imposed crisis. “I didn’t like the sight or the feeling of families being separated,” Trump said. Family separations soared after the Justice Department’s April announcement that all unlawful border crossings would be criminally prosecuted set in motion what officials described alternately as a predictable chain of unintended consequences, or a deliberate effort to pressure Congress to finally enact the president’s immigration priorities. As distressing images and audio of bereft children emerged, Trump found himself lobbied privately by his wife and eldest daughter to do more. “The first lady has been making her opinion known to the president for some time now,” a White House official said, “which was that he needed to do all he could to help families stay together, whether it was by working with Congress or anything he could do on his own.” The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe her thinking. White House spokesman Raj Shah said Ivanka Trump had phoned lawmakers on Capitol Hill to echo the president’s call to pass legislation to solve the issue completely. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who became the face of the family separations with her combative press briefing Monday, began to have second thoughts of her own. On Monday evening, she faced protesters at her home. On Tuesday, she was heckled out of a Mexican restaurant. Alumni of her Berkeley, California,
high school circulated an open letter of condemnation. Nielsen pushed the president to find a way to de-escalate the situation, said two officials, who were not authorized to describe the discussions and requested anonymity. That came in the form of the executive order, which Justice Department lawyers had drafted in the days earlier in case the president should want that option. Wednesday morning, he ordered attorneys to get it ready for his signature. The order stated: “It is also the policy of this Administration to maintain family unity, including by detaining alien families together where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources.” But despite the presidential pomp — Trump gave Nielsen the marker he used to sign the order — the president’s action is unlikely to completely fix the problem. It would keep children detained together with their parents as they await criminal prosecution and deportation, potentially indefinitely. The more than 2,000 children who already have been moved to the care of the Department of Health and Human Services won’t be immediately reunited with family members. And a top Justice Department official, Gene Hamilton, described the order as a “stopgap” fix to give the courts or Congress time to overturn the 20-day limitation on the detention of children in Department of Homeland Security facilities. If neither branch acts within 20 days, newly detained families may again be separated. On Capitol Hill, Republican leaders were caught off-guard by Trump’s sudden reversal, according to senior GOP aides who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter by name. House Speaker Paul Ryan heard about it as he was taking wayward GOP lawmakers to a midday meeting with Trump at the White House to cajole them to vote for a sweeping immigration bill. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office learned about it from an Associated Press news alert just before the Californian and his staff gathered for their daily meeting. Trump’s decision came as Republicans in the House had hoped they were on the verge of bridging internal divisions to pass a wide-ranging election-year immigration bill to provide deportation protections for so-called Dreamers and funding for Trump’s border wall. White House legislative officials watched as the president’s action threatened a delicately negotiated balance between conservative and moderate House Republicans. A so-called compromise bill between GOP factions had been teetering on brink of collapse ever since it was introduced last week. Trump had largely stayed on the sidelines of the talks but inserted himself Friday morning when he told reporters at an impromptu press conference he would not sign it. GOP leaders quickly convinced Trump to reverse course and hours later he tweeted his support. Arrangements were made for a quick Trump visit to Capitol Hill late Tuesday to reinforce his endorsement. And as the crisis at the border escalated, House GOP leaders added a provision to address the family-separation matter. But when Trump visited with House Republicans on Tuesday, he spent considerable time showcasing unrelated accomplishments, recognizing his supporters and mocking his political opponents. He did call on Congress to alleviate the plight of the separated children — but reiterated that his hands were tied. By Zeke Miller, Associated Press
Watch and drive? EDITOR, The Tribune Re: Texting while driving to be made illegal. The Tribune, June 19, 2018. ON the other hand, having phones in a “fixed position, hands free” will
probably make things easier for those who wish to watch television while driving, using REVGO TV on their mobile phones. KEN W KNOWLES, MD Nassau, June 19, 2018.
Don’t defect EDITOR, The Tribune.
IN a little under three months, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has flexed his muscles by terminating four parliamentary subordinates in the persons of Centreville MP Reece as chairman of the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC); Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine as chairman of the Hotel Corporation; Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson as parliamentary secretary in Tourism and Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Social Services and Urban Development. Minnis was left with very little ultimatum, after the four Free National Movement (FNM) MPs defiantly voted against the government’s move to increase VAT to 12 percent. Minnis was in a no-win dilemma. Had he not reprimanded Robinson, McAlpine and Miller, he would have been perceived as being weak and timid. He has conjured up the courage to relieve the trio of their well-paid official duties, and now he is being labeled a dictator. All four FNM MPs voted their conscience like the late Carlton Francis, who was the minister of Finance in the Pindling administration. Francis resigned his Cabinet post after he had voted against the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) on the gambling issue in 1973. He didn’t wait to receive his pink slip from Sir Lynden, unlike Messrs Robinson, McAlpine and Miller, who apparently were unwilling to do the honourable thing and resign, as required by the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure. Chipman, if the reader would recall, was terminated from the AMMC in March, over some matter which was never publicised. His dissent with the Minnis administration over its proposed increase of VAT comes as no surprise to the writer. If nothing else, Chipman’s opposition might have stemmed from a deep-seated need to obtain retribution due to his dismissal. In McAlpine’s case, it is now becoming obvious that the renegade Pineridge MP had been manoeuvring for months now in order to get dismissed from the FNM. I pointed out before that some FNMs believe that McAlpine’s goal is to become PLP leader and subsequently prime
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net minister. McAlpine posted a photo of himself and four burly policemen who were clad in khaki. The senior ranking officers apparently delivered Minnis’ termination letter to him. Some are suggesting that the use of four high ranking officers for such a minor task may have been an overkill; and may have been aimed at embarrassing McAlpine. This latest saga involving the Pineridge MP may finally be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. McAlpine, in all likelihood, may finally defect to the PLP. I believe he has already mentally crossed the political aisle. As for Robinson and Miller, I believe the duo when they said they were simply following orders from their respective constituents in Bain and Grants Town and Golden Isles, notwithstanding what is expected of them. Miller told The Tribune that a police officer escorted him as he returned his government assigned automobile. I recall a similar scenario involving former FNM Cabinet Minister Kenneth Russell, after he was terminated by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham in December of 2011. This practice comes off as a move to embarrass these terminated officials. The constituents of Golden Isles and Bain and Grants Town were unwilling to accept Minister of Finance K Peter Turnquest’s reasoned explanation for increasing VAT. There has been a pushback against the VAT proposal by thousands of Bahamians, because people generally hate paying taxes. I too am not happy about the idea of paying 12 percent in VAT. But with The Bahamas’ planned accession to the World Trade Organisation; a $7.3bn National Debt; $800m in unpaid bills and obligations left behind by the previous administration; Bahamas Power and Light, Water & Sewage Corporation and Bahamas Air in financial shambles; Bahamas Nurses Union, Bahamas Union of Teachers and Bahamas Doctors Union all clamouring for a pay increase, the current 7.5 percent in VAT coupled with other tax revenues were simply not enough to break even, let alone obtain a minuscule surplus.
Each year dating back to the former Ingraham administration The Bahamas has had GFS deficits. So rather than kick the can further down the road, as the cash strapped Caribbean countries of Jamaica and Barbados have done, Turnquest and Co have decided to bite the bullet and aggressively tackle our messy financial situation. Jamaica’s dollar has devalued to $129 (JMD) to $1 US dollar. Barbados’ National Debt stands close to $1.9 billion, with an IMF team expected to visit that island country in early July to further assess the situation, as per Bajan Prime Minister Mia Mottley. No sane Bahamian would want our country to experience the same dilemma as Jamaica and Barbados. When Turnquest spoke about The Bahamas’ precarious financial predicament, it probably flew over the heads of Robinson’s and Miller’s constituents. In most instances, our opposition to the introduction and increase of taxes is emotional. Had the Minnis administration chosen to “kick the can” down the road, as previous administrations had conveniently done in the past, the constituents in Golden Isles, Bain and Grants Town and the remaining 37 constituencies will blame the government for the financial mess the country would undoubtedly find itself in come 2022. They are going to say that “Minnis mismanaged the economy.” Robinson and Miller should have tried explaining this to their constituents, if they hadn’t. The trio of Miller, Robinson and Chipman will undoubtedly encounter the temptation to defect from the FNM in order to support the PLP, as a way of getting back at Minnis for firing them. They may be even entertaining the notion of seeing the FNM pummelled in 2022 at the polls. All three have fallen out of favour with Minnis. I can imagine the trio feeling some embarrassment over their ordeals. But I think the right course of action for all three is to remain within the fold of the FNM. Time often brings healing. Eventually, they will regain Minnis’ favour. Going to the PLP or becoming independent could spell the end of their political careers. KEVIN EVANS Freeport, Grand Bahama, June 19, 2018.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 21, 2018, PAGE 5
‘It was my duty to fire rebels’ from page one
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in the House of Assembly during the Budget debate.
On Monday night, the three MPs, with Centreville MP Reece Chipman and three members of the Official Opposition, voted against an amendment to VAT legislation which would increase the tax to 12 percent. After addressing a large turnout at the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Conference, Dr Minnis was asked by a reporter to comment on the firing of Mr McAlpine, who was met by a large crowd of supporters at the airport on his return to Grand Bahama on Tuesday evening. He said: “As prime minister I have a responsibility, we are a democratic society and we practice the Westminster system of Parliament procedure, and I have certain obligations and I will ensure that I adhere to my obligation - I am committed to that. “I must ensure that democracy must be always be in the forefront and democracy must always prevail. I have a responsibility, and I will not shun away from my responsibility.” Dr Minnis explained that sometimes difficult decisions will have to be made by the government. “I concentrate more on the future development and growth of The Bahamas. I do not concentrate on just what is today. Sometimes one (has) to make difficult decisions today so that you can have a better tomorrow,” he added. Although the economy in Grand Bahama is struggling and many residents are opposed to the increase in VAT, Dr Minnis said that The Bahamas is poised for 2.5 percent growth,
and many projects are coming on stream very soon in Grand Bahama. “We made some decisions that we think would be better for The Bahamas. You see what is happening in Barbados, and I have said and I will repeat again, I don’t want to leave a Bahamas behind where the future prime minister on his first day in office must call some international financial agency for rescue - that is not fair to any future government. “And, it is my job to place The Bahamas in the best possible footing for future generations, and I will do that,” Dr Minnis said. The prime minister said that he is committed to the success of Grand Bahama. “My commitment to Grand Bahama has always been there and will continue to be there,” he said. “I will outline some of the successes of Grand Bahama. We will announce very soon the success with West End project which will be great for Grand Bahama, and others will move along quickly and elevate the economy here in Grand Bahama. “I always said that Grand Bahama has been the headwind and it is essential for us to concentrate on Grand Bahama. My energies will be focused on Grand Bahama to ensure that it is successful. Once Grand Bahama is successful, the Bahamas is successful. “That is why we are moving toward this tech hub, a new branch of the economy that is the future of the world, and The Bahamas must be allowed for the future. We will continue to push Grand Bahama to be the technology hub of this region,” he said.
DOOR LEFT OPEN FOR RECONCILIATION
from page one
Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller, Bain and Grants Town MP Travis Robinson and Pineridge MP Frederick McAlpine were all fired on Tuesday from their appointed posts, a day after breaking ranks from their party and voting against an increase in value added tax (VAT). Mr Miller, former parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Social Services, and Mr Robinson, former parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, were cited for breach of the Manual of Cabinet and Ministry Procedure. Mr McAlpine, former chairman of the Hotel Corporation, also had his post given to him by Dr Minnis stripped. “So this is a system that has its own peculiar rules,” Mr Bethel said. “We know not only are they peculiar, they are well established, they are almost inflexible. These rules are clear, wellknown to all who enter in the political arena.” He continued: “Because of the special constitutional status and from the very inception of it, parliamentary secretaries . . . had to bear the same duties as a Cabinet
minister. And the manual of Cabinet ministries clearly sets out the rules which guides every parliamentary secretary and Cabinet ministers. “And not only is a parliamentary secretary precluded from voting against the government, he is even precluded from speaking out against any government measure. “He is a member of the government. Rules are irrespective of person,” Mr Bethel said. “Just because a person may become a sympathetic figure or even a beloved figure, there can be no exemption on the rules. The rules are the rules. “If you do not have a system of rules, you have chaos,” he added. “You don’t have the right of free speech that every MP generally has, as parliamentary secretary. Your voice is your own as a member of Parliament. You are elected by your constituents to represent them on the floor of the House of Assembly and say whatever the Lord lay on your breast to say, but your vote is mortgaged to the governing party. The party on whose ticket you (were) elected. If the whip is on, you must vote according to the whip.”
He added: “If the government determines that there is a question, that is a question that is properly a question of conscience and says, ‘The whip is not on, everybody may vote the way they wish to, vote according to their conscience.’ “Those are the principles and those are the rules and I explained that to my colleagues.” Mr Bethel added: “These are not Bahamian rules, there are rules that are intrinsic to the parliamentary system of governance. This is what makes the parliamentary system, quite frankly, far more efficient as a system of governance than the biggest competitor around – the congressional system.” Directly addressing calls from some for the Bahamas to move away from the Westminster system, he added: “Where should we go?” Of the congressional system, he noted the cost of managing day-to-day operations and the constant fear of necessary actions being slowed due to a lack of political will, using incidents from American history as examples. “If the House (Congress) decides it don’t like the Senate, or none like the
(US) president, nobody does anything,” Mr Bethel said. “We saw that for eight years with President Obama where the system was able to be used to totally frustrate the will of the people by persons in the congressional system. “Is that what the Bahamians wish?” He also presented the option of a dictatorship, adding: “And none of us
would like that. None of us want to follow a communist system where one single party makes up the executive.” Mr Bethel said while issues surrounding Tuesday’s firings seem extreme and controversial, he was of the view the FNM could resolve the issues and move forward. “The FNM has the distinct track record,” he said.
Mr Bethel highlighted several cases of former FNM parliamentarians, Cabinet members and senators who, at some point, dissented against the party. He said while the party has a record of being stern and respect for rules, it also has a record of reconciliation. He said the party intends to continue with reconciliation and forward progress.
PAGE 6, Thursday, June 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
$1m budget for Freedom of Information By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE government has allocated just over $1m to assist in defraying the cost of bringing the Freedom of Information Act into effect, Attorney General Carl Bethel announced yesterday. The funds were presented as a budgetary line item in a list of allocations for the Office of the Attorney General & Ministry of Legal Affairs, as a part of the 2018-2019 budget. In his announcement yesterday, Senator Bethel said despite the reduction of more than $350,000 in the allocation for permanent and pensionable salaries; and another $300,000 for contract workers, reflecting a more than $600,000 drop in the total allocation for personal emoluments and salaries; his office received a “slight increase” in other contractual services, particularly development contracts. Among those other contractual services, Mr Bethel said just over $1m is earmarked for widespread training exercises, the appointment of a national
ATTORNEY General Carl Bethel. information commissioner and the outfitting and staffing of that office - all associated with the continued implementation of FOIA. Additionally, Mr Bethel indicated that $100,000 has also been allocated for cellular liberalisation, a process he said would
include the public sale of the more than $70m worth of Aliv shares which were placed in a holding company by the former Christie administration. “The former government’s intention was to offer their shares in Aliv to institutional investors such as cooperative credit
unions, asset and investment managers and pension funds. “However, it has always been a cardinal principle of the Free National Movement that shares in privatised entities should always be offered firstly to ordinary Bahamians.” Mr Bethel said the Minnis administration intends to offer shares to the public, with the allocated sum of $100,000 being used as a “carrying cost” for the government’s involvement in the process. Further to this, budget line items also revealed by Mr Bethel included the reduction of allocations to the Eugene Dupuch Law School to $500,000. In fullness, Mr Bethel said, the Ministry of Finance has also indicated plans to cut that figure further, if the need presents itself. Moreover, he explained that the ministry expressed concerns about certain matters related to the operations of the school, matters related to its structure and functions of the institution. “They are not personal matters,” he said. “We have been asking ourselves whether it might not be more cost-effective,
and also more efficient, for the Eugene Dupuch Law School to become a school of law attached to the University of the Bahamas offering post graduate studies to students that qualify.” Mr Bethel said discussions are underway to make this a reality. He added: “I am however very happy to report that the council of legal education has agreed that going forward all students graduating from the University of the Bahamas with a law degree from that institution, will automatically be granted admission to the Eugene Dupuch Law School. No longer will Bahamian law graduates from UB need to sit a qualifying exam to enter the Eugene Dupuch Law School.” Mr Bethel also revealed that, due to the budgetary period, the government was unable to change the arrangements related to the newly appointed Independent Office of Public Prosecutions. He said as of next year, the 2019-2020 budget period, the Independent Office of Public Prosecution will have a separate
head, which will specify the details and monetary allocations for that office. Additionally, Mr Bethel announced the appointment of former Court of Appeal President Dame Anita Allen to the post of law reform commissioner. Addressing the government’s overall budget, Mr Bethel yesterday said the common practice of borrowing with a view to only service the interest on loans by former administrations has put the current government in a bind in which it has to make countless tough choices. “The chickens have come home to roost,” he said. “The old model of what is called deficit financing has reached the point of no return. It must be addressed for the good and the welfare of every Bahamian.” Mr Bethel added: “The debt burden is entirely unsustainable. Our decision on (value added tax) was not made blindly or without any idea of what we seek to achieve. It is a bitter pill; but a bitter pill that we must all inwardly digest.” The Senate will continue its debate on the 2018-2019 budget today.
(loses) a job.” Mr Foulkes noted that for those who are terminated, there are opportunities for them to get other jobs. “Fortunately for us now, the economy is growing, especially in the tourism sector, in the banking sector — the commercial banks, the Bahamian banks, are doing extremely well. And we’re getting reports across the board. “The construction industry is doing extremely well also. So hopefully, even if those persons are about to lose their jobs, they will be able to find new employment quickly.” He urged these
persons to register with the Department of Labour, adding that “every day” the department gets requests for people to come in for interviews. Mr Foulkes also said that the Labour Department has not received any notification from web shop owners about terminations. “No, I don’t have any notification, I just read what was in the papers this morning,” he said. “I don’t know when they plan to do it, but you have to give us at least one week’s notice for any number under 20 and if it’s over 20 persons, we have to get two weeks’ notice. That is the law. But I have not received any notice from any of the web shop houses.” The new sliding tax scale is set to take effect on July 1. Under the new measures, web shops will pay a 20 percent tax on up to $20m of their revenue, a 25 percent tax on between $20m and $40m of their revenue, a 30 percent tax on between $40m and $60m of their revenue, a 35 percent tax on between $60m and $80m
of their revenue, a 40 percent tax on between $80m and $100m of their revenue and 50 percent on revenue above $100m. During his budget speech last week, Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar said some web shops were on the verge of downsizing even before the planned tax increase was announced. “There are three of the seven gaming houses that are either too small or have been increasingly losing market share over the past three years that, unless something dramatic occurs, I expect them to begin to close locations,” Mr D’Aguilar said. “So, when it happens, Mr Speaker, I do not want the people to cry shame on the government. With the advent of technology and the building of bigger and more splendid locations, the smaller players in the market are slowly losing market share.” Mr D’Aguilar noted that about five years ago, there were 635 number shops, and there are now 363. “The downward trend is expected to continue,” he said.
FOULKES: WEB SHOP JOB CUTS UNFORTUNATE
from page one
On Tuesday, Asure Win blamed the budget’s tax hikes for the closure of 11 of its locations nationwide and the termination of dozens of employees by the end of the month. When asked if he had any concerns about this announcement, Mr Foulkes said: “I think it’s very unfortunate that the layoffs are occurring. “Of course as a government, as the minister of labour, we try to enhance employment whenever we can. But I would like to encourage all of the web
shop owners to take a pause and see exactly how the tax will affect them, as to anticipating that it will be negative.” Mr Foulkes added that he understands that there were “several” factors contributing to why the shops are closing. “The anticipated taxes are only one of the reasons, I don’t know if it was reported,” he said. “I understand that some of those locations were not doing very well before the tax was introduced. And I understand that it was always a plan to close some of them.” When asked if he felt as
though some web shops were using this opportunity to cut “dead weight,” Mr Foulkes said he was unsure, but thinks that in the majority of web shops, all employees are needed. “I know the two largest employers in the country is Island Luck and Chances. I think both of them employ…between 700 and 800 persons. “The government is continuing a dialogue with them, so that we can see to what extent we can address their concerns.” “As minister of labour, I am always concerned whenever one Bahamian
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 21, 2018, PAGE 7
Bank teller ‘falsely signed’ for Hanna
from page one
Emmanuel Burrows, BOB’s assistant manager of physical security, claimed Cameron Rolle Jr would print off a cash withdrawal receipt for a certain amount without the presence of a customer, then sign for both him and that individual. Then, Mr Burrows said Rolle Jr would keep the carbon copy of the receipt, as well as the requested funds for himself, and place the bank’s copy on file. And in at least one instance, Mr Burrows claimed Rolle Jr would then close down his station, lock his computer, and leave the bank with the money in hand, wrapped in the carbon copy of the receipt. Mr Burrows showed the court multiple surveillance clips from different dates, one of which purported to show Rolle Jr printing off a receipt for withdrawal without a customer in front of him — in fact, in that instance Mr Burrows claimed Rolle Jr had put up a “next teller” sign prior to conducting the transaction. Then, the video purported to show Rolle Jr applying the bank’s stamp on the document in question, then signing in the stamp as he was supposed to do as a bank teller, and then signing again where the customer is supposed to sign at the bottom. The footage was obtained from a camera situated in the ceiling directly above Rolle Jr’s former station at the bank. Mr Burrows said after performing the transaction, Rolle Jr would then wrap the carbon copy of the receipt around the money, and place it either in a drawer or somewhere on his desk. The other copy would be stashed for the bank’s records. Mr Burrows also suggested that in some instances, Rolle Jr would have the withdrawal receipt printed off ahead of time, and in between dealing with customers, would conduct the fraudulent transactions.
ARTHUR DION HANNA However, it has not been established if the alleged receipt he signed in the video was connected to Mr Hanna’s account, if he in fact forged Mr Hanna’s signature, or whether the withdrawal receipt and the associated transaction was fraudulent at all. Another video purported to show Rolle Jr moving a cash dispenser, which Mr Burrows said only certain personnel are allowed to handle, and placing unknown items on top of it before placing it back in its original position. Another video purports to show Rolle Jr returning to that cash dispenser to retrieve those same items. However, it has not been established in court exactly what his purpose for tampering with the cash dispenser was, and what those items were that he placed on top of the machine. According to Mr Burrows, him being formally involved in the matter came as a result of instructions he would have received from his boss, Anastasia Russell. He said based on the information she gave him, he used his laptop to access the surveillance equipment in all of the bank’s branches and downloaded footage from the Village Road branch. Based on that footage, Mr Burrows said he saw certain transactions that appeared to be “suspicious”. Once a report was sent to the police, they requested the footage. He said the footage was also viewed by Ms Russell. Prior to his evidence, Mr Hanna’s daughter,
Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin testified how she received information from the bank as well as police. She attended the Central Detective Unit with her father, where she found out there were transactions on Mr Hanna’s bank account at BOB’s Village Road branch of which he was not aware. Mrs Hanna Martin said police showed her a series of cash withdrawal statements that contained signatures that did not comport with her father’s signature. Those statements dated back to October 2017 and up to April 16 of this year, and involved amounts of up to $2,500. Mrs Hanna Martin said the total amount of authorised cash withdrawals she was shown by police was in excess of $50,000. Mrs Hanna Martin said she took a one-day trip to Florida with her father on Bahamasair. The flight left early that morning and they returned sometime after 7pm, she said. That flight was evidenced by a stamp on her father’s diplomatic passport dated March 2, 2018. However, Mrs Hanna Martin said she was shown a cash withdrawal statement totaling $2,000 for that same date. She also stated that her father is the only signatory on his account. Mrs Hanna Martin said she is “very familiar” with her father’s banking procedures at BOB. According to her, she said her father normally goes to the bank with his aide to conduct financial business. As part of a “special arrangement” she has with BOB, the bank sometimes contacts her when her father arrives to ensure they’re on the same page concerning his financial affairs, largely due to her father’s age. Mr Hanna is 90 years old. According to Mr Burrows, when Mr Hanna arrives at the bank, he is escorted into the office of Vanessa Seymour, assistant manager of operations, as opposed to
standing on the line. If the assistant manager wasn’t available, he would sit on some chairs nearby and wait until she was available. A bank teller would conduct Mr Hanna’s financial transaction, stamp the receipt, and then send both the money and the receipt to Ms Seymour, whose office Mr Hanna would be in at that point. Mr Burrows showed surveillance footage to substantiate his claims. When cross-examined by Rolle Jr’s attorney Ramona Farquharson-Seymour, Mrs Hanna Martin admitted that she rarely accompanies her father when he goes to the bank. And neither was she in the bank with him during the dates listed on
the withdrawal statements in question. When Mrs FarquharsonSeymour suggested that the reason the bank calls Mrs Hanna Martin is to provide a safeguard against Mr Hanna jeopardising his own financial transactions due to his age and or consequent forgetfulness, Mrs Hanna Martin said her father doesn’t doubt his banking, and maintained that his signature is “unfailing”. The matter was adjourned to October 9-15. Rolle Jr, of Golden Gates, was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis on 27 counts of stealing by reason of employment, which allege he stole some $49,600 from Mr Hanna between
October 17, 2017 and April 16 of this year. Rolle Jr was also charged with one count each of laundering the proceeds of criminal conduct and acquisition of the proceeds of criminal conduct, each concerning the $49,600 he allegedly stole between the dates in question. Five more counts of stealing by reason of employment have since been levied against Rolle Jr, and he also faces an additional count of laundering the proceeds of criminal conduct and one more count of acquisition of the proceeds of criminal conduct. The total number of charges he is faced with is now 34. Rolle Jr has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
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PAGE 8, Thursday, June 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
In the name of human kindness, what has become of America? By Diane Phillips
A
CHILD cries out, her outstretched arms clinging to her mother as officials tear her away, her tiny trusting fingers nearly ripping Momma’s skin holding on for one last futile second. Her mother’s pleas go unheeded. She weeps and screams silently, trying not to scare the child being carried off, begging just as futilely in a language the guards may not even understand, explaining she was willing to lose all she had in her homeland, but not willing to lose the child she birthed and nursed and cradled as she fled to what she hoped would be a safer place only to be separated from the one thing she loved the most in the world, her baby. How many times in the last week have we seen this image and images like it and cried out ourselves? How, how in the name of humankind, can this be happening, we ask? And how, of all places, could it be happening in America, a land built on the backs, talents and strengths of migrants in search of a better life? The scenes that move us to tears as we shake our heads in disbelief are not the stuff of horror films, bleak and buried days of past world wars and the closeted sins of mankind. They are not the work of brutal dictators whose languages and culture are so different from ours we can only assume they will never “be like us”.
The problem is the scenes are that much more troubling because they are happening in the here and now in a country that feeds us, fuels our economy and that we think of as “like us”. We dress like them. We talk like them. Our children go to their colleges or trade schools. We hope those children come home afterward but they don’t always because they feel comfortable in the place where a lot of people are “like us”. We shop at their Walmarts and the Starbuck’s we drink comes from their Starbuck’s. So much like us and yet for all the transgressions that we have been charged with in connection with the Carmichael Road Detention Centre and the repatriation of Jamaicans, Haitians and others who try to enter The Bahamas illegally, we have never been accused of separating mothers from their children and warehousing little ones in places that look like overgrown dog pens. Still, there is a frightening similarity. The abuses we now see occurring on the borders of the United States as a zero tolerance for illegal migration is being enforced are the result of failure to deal with a growing immigration problem for decades. Successive governments in America, state and federal, have done exactly what we have done, sometimes harshly enforced the law, sometimes wavered, sometimes when convenient, ignored. Mostly, they
IMMIGRANT children walk in a line outside the Homestead Temporary Shelter for Unaccompanied Children, a former Job Corps site that now houses them, yesterday in Homestead, Florida. US Rep Carlos Curbelo said he found it “troubling” to see two of his Democratic colleagues turned away from the Miami-area detention centre for migrant children. Photo: Brynn Anderson/AP let the whole subject of immigration fester. And then it erupted. The people who are “like us”, led by a take-charge bully president who promised to build a wall between the southern US border and Mexico, continued to talk to his loyal fan base, and said America would deal with it once and for all. As that forceful president wrapped his arms around an American flag at the same moment another child was being ripped from her mother’s arms, America was a nation divided. A majority of citizens, Democrats and Republicans alike, were
outraged, calling the action those who had watched of separating parents from loved ones being murdered children and warehous- before their eyes, all they ing young ones everything had to do was go through from “abhorrent” to “inhu- processing and enter legally. mane”. Every And that’s living First What is happening what they Lady, Repub- to our neighbours did – the lican and very people is a stark reminder crossing Democrat, begged Presi- of what tenterhooks the border dent Donald going we stand on in The and Trump to through stop, saying Bahamas. We are a processing all it would nation divided just centres were take is a the very ones phone call, like America. We who having while he con- want cheap labour made it that tinued to yet we fear outsiders far would blame it on now be sepapast adminis- who can provide rated from cheaper labour than each other, trations. Yet, there we are willing to an act comwere some pared more who believed provide and might than once that the dras- even work harder this week tic action or longer hours. to the last would send dark days a warning to We distrust that. of America others not when the to try to enter the US ille- Japanese were interred in gally. It would teach them camps simply because they a lesson, just stay where were Japanese. you are and leave America Problems are like boils. for Americans, forgetting, They don’t go away because of course, that had their you ignore them. They ancestors done that, there fester and fester until they would be no America. That explode. the US President Donald What is happening to Trump also decided Amer- our neighbours is a stark ica should withdraw from reminder of what tenterthe United Nations Human hooks we stand on in The Rights Council the same Bahamas. We are a nation week that all the fury about divided just like America. separating families swirled We want cheap labour yet hardly registered a sidebar we fear outsiders who can headline. provide cheaper labour Those who favoured than we are willing to prothe rough treatment as a vide and might even work deterrent argued that all harder or longer hours. We the people who were flee- distrust that. Our immigraing violence in their own tion policy, if there is one, home country, including reflects that dichotomy
– a mixture of what we need and what we fear as opposed to a broad-based, comprehensive policy that provides for standardized processing of persons who will enrich The Bahamas. Whether we set a certain number of approved migrants per year or divide it by skill sets, we need to look at what it will take to grow the economy, broaden our arts and social culture, enhance our education and bridge our technology gap. Until we take that broad look and stop rallying around the fear and resentment of those who are not Bahamian, we run the risk of one day boiling over just like those who are “like us” did in America. Immigration is that boil that has not yet popped. Let us pray that as the Royal Bahamas Defence Force continues to do its job, we do ours as humans and never separate a mother from a child, crying, clinging, not understanding, a mother asking what is so terrible that we want to come to your country because we may be killed in ours? What is so terrible that we want to work hard and will obey your laws and will teach our children to be kind? What is so terrible about us, other than we were not born here? We were not so lucky as you. (This article was written before President Trump bowed to public pressure yesterday afternoon and signed an executive order promising to “keep families together” in migrant detention centres. See page 12 for more details).
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 21, 2018, PAGE 9
Grand Bahama ‘can be the new Silicon Valley’
from page one The conference, held in the convention centre of the Grand Lucayan Resort, he said represents an important step toward the government’s new vision for the Bahamas, and a progressive step for the island of Grand Bahama. Dr Minnis stressed his government’s commitment to establishing the proper regulatory framework that will make the process easy for incorporating, funding and operating tech companies with global ambitions. “Significant progress has already been made with the passing of our Commercial Enterprise Act and our ongoing ‘ease of doing business’ changes and amendments,” he said. “Here in The Bahamas we fully understand that establishing and growing a technology industry sector is not easy, however, The Bahamas is uniquely positioned to become the jurisdiction of choice for technology companies quickly, and FinTech solution providers,” the prime minister said. Dr Minnis believes that developing a technology industry would not only diversify and grow the economy but would also create opportunities for Bahamians. “I firmly believe in growing a diverse technology industry sector in The Bahamas, where entrepreneurs can start and grow new tech companies,” he said. However, the prime minister added that existing global technology players must be courted to move their operations to The Bahamas, providing a meaningful impact to the economy. He noted that the utilisation of Blockchain technology by companies as a basis for their new products and services represents the start of a “new wave of solutions that will change the world as we know it.”
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff Dr Minnis thinks that The Bahamas offers many advantages for new technology companies looking to relocate here. He noted that The Bahamas is a sovereign jurisdiction that has been a stable parliamentary democracy for over 250 years. “We believe in the rule of law and are only 68 miles from the US,” he added. The prime minister indicated that other software and technology companies, inclusive of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing operations could make The Bahamas their home as well, forming clusters that would only serve to diversify and strengthen the technology sector. He explained that building a booming technology sector that benefits the economy would require several things to be in place. The first are policies that encourage innovation. Second, an educated and motivated workforce with
access to higher education and professional development resources. Third, a flexible immigration policy. And fourth, locations and infrastructure that can support population growth and provide broadband access and telecommunications services that are on par with the rest of the world. “We are well positioned to become the new Silicon capital of the Caribbean,” said Prime Minister Minnis, who believes that Grand Bahama is the ideal location for the development of the technology industry. He pointed out that Grand Bahama - with a population today of just over 40,000 - has the perfect infrastructure to support some 250,000 residents. Dr Minnis also boasted that broadband connectivity is of the highest quality within The Bahamas, with gigabyte networks becoming the norm for both commercial and residential usage. Additionally, more recently the prime
minister said his government announced plans to provide free tuition at BTVI that includes degree programmes in information technology management, and free education at the University of The Bahamas beginning in 2019, which also provides technology degree programmes. He also noted that many Bahamians are attending the conference with the desire to be pioneers in the new tech industry. “I do not think it would be too far-fetched for me to say that the next generation of Bahamian millionaires, and possibly billionaires, could earn their wealth in the technology sector,” he said. “What we do here at this conference is the first step in that journey: a journey that we cannot accomplish alone, which is why our international friends and partners must play an integral, an important role in all of this,” he said. He said that the government looks forward to learning from technology experts, and laying the foundation to build a technology industry. Mobile phone provider Aliv is title sponsor of the conference. Chief ALIV commercial officer Gravette Brown sat as a panelist during the “How Can I Get Funded?” session following the official opening ceremony. “We consider ourselves to be at the forefront in helping to support all efforts to deepen economic development of this important island and to our nation,” she said. “It is one of the reasons why we’ve welcomed this
opportunity to dialogue as a telecoms infrastructure partner in the necessary discussion around continuing the advancement of technology and other forms of economic development not only here in Grand Bahama but throughout the greater Bahamas. “So why Blockchain and cryptocurrency? Last year we joined the Bahamas
Financial Services Board as the exclusive telecommunications partner of their FinTech working group. “It is through our participation in this body we hope to continue to work with the foremost minds in financial services and law to help the country to prepare for the Blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies,” she said.
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PAGE 10, Thursday, June 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
FROM left, Jonathan Glinton, Troy Garvey, and Etienne Farquharson of Determined For Absolute Change announce plans for a march in Grand Bahama on Friday in protest of the increase in value added tax. Photo: Denise Maycock/Tribune Staff
Group calling for change - and ready to march to achieve it By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
DETERMINED For Absolute Change, a new civic organisation based in Grand Bahama, strongly disapproves of the increase in value added tax by the government and is organising a march in Freeport tomorrow to protest it. Troy Garvey, chairman of DFAC, said many Bahamians in the country, particularly in Grand Bahama, are not pleased with the increase in VAT from 7.5 percent to 12 percent. The organisation is calling on residents of Grand
Bahama to assemble at the old Portion Control grounds on West Atlantic Drive at noon tomorrow for a prayer and worship rally, followed by a procession starting at 3pm to the Office of the Prime Minister in the Harold DeGregory Government Complex. “We will have a peaceful march, and make our voices heard,” Mr Garvey said. Although the budget was passed in the House of Assembly on Monday night and now has to be passed by the Senate, the Grand Bahama activist said that they are determined to see to it that VAT does not increase. The government intends for the increase to
take effect on July 1. Mr Garvey is appealing to the governor general of the Bahamas to intervene on behalf of the Bahamian people. “We are aware that a parliamentary decision can be reversed, and the people are not pleased with the decision,” he said. “It (the VAT increase) is going to create havoc on the people of this nation,” Mr Garvey warned, blaming successive governments for the country’s increasing debt. “We in the DFAC group are making a plea to government, and it is quite clear that even a lot of persons on the government side are not pleased with it.”
FNM MPs Frederick McAlpine (Pineridge), Reese Chipman (Centreville), Vaughn Miller (Golden Isles) and Travis Robinson (Bain and Grants Town) voted against an increase in VAT, along with three members of the Official Opposition who were present. “We will march on Grand Bahama to send a clarion message to the government to revisit, reverse, and stop it,” Mr Garvey said. Even though the government has increased the personal travel exemption, he noted that with the 12 percent VAT, middle class and poor Bahamians would not be able to travel abroad and shop.
Mr Garvey also expressed concerns over the high unemployment rate in Grand Bahama. Etienne Farquharson, one of the founders of DFAC, said the government is inflicting pain on Bahamians with the VAT levy. He noted that the sale of the Grand Lucayan hotel has not yet materialised, and improvements are needed in the public health care system. “We are here to sound the alarm with the march, and we invite all people of Grand Bahama, and people of goodwill to join us because we are all in this
together,” he said. Jonathan Glinton, director of DFAC, believes it is important that Bahamians take a stand. “We want Bahamians to let their voices be heard against the VAT increase that the government is imposing on us. It is a sad day in this country when the people we elect to represent us and look after our interest feels it is justified for them to put unfair taxes on us,” he stressed. Mr Glinton noted that some $2.5bn in VAT revenue was raised from 2015, and wanted to know what was done with that money.
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THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 21, 2018, PAGE 11
It all adds up for young maths wizards SKILLS were put to the test as students from schools across New Providence competed in SC McPherson Junior High’s seventh annual mathematics competition. Winners recently received their awards at a ceremony held at the school’s auditorium. Taking home the first place trophy was C H Reeves; followed by A F Adderley in second place and S C McPherson in third. The competition, which is sponsored by Consolidated Water (Bahamas) Ltd (CWCO), is the brainchild of S C McPherson mathematics teacher and Teacher of the Year Tiffany Daxon. “I realised that every year they have language competitions, but math was never recognised,” said Ms Daxon, “so I decided to start something that would showcase the mathematics talent that students have.” All junior high schools throughout New Providence and the Family Islands are invited to compete in a game of “Math Jeopardy” at S C McPherson’s auditorium. Torian Carey, 12, said, “It’s exciting being on the
team and it gets pretty intense when other players try to intimidate you. Before the match we gave the competitors a heads up on what to expect, and they gave us a little smack talk. So we were like, ‘Okay, we’re in a competition!’” Thirteen-year-old Asaph Ruinolds participated in the math competition for the first time this year. “It felt exhilarating. Math is my favourite subject, and I would love to be in the competition next year,” the student said. SC McPherson math teacher Phoebe McFall said, “We always hope to place first, but we’re proud that our students entered the final at the top. And when other children see their friends showcase their talents and skills, it gives them something to aim for.” Ms Daxon said, “As the sole sponsor, CWCO’s partnership is an excellent one and much needed. We want to get more sponsors so we can have the competition someplace more schools can fit, because we can only accommodate a certain amount of students. That’s our goal.”
SC MCPHERSON recently hosted its seventh annual mathematics competition among junior high schools. From left, SC McPherson math teacher Cecilily Flowers, CWCO operations manager Jeffrey Burrows, Torian Carey, Larry Miller, Asaph Ruinolds, CWCO accounts manager Welliya Cargill, Kourtney Armbrister, and SC McPherson math teacher and teacher of the year Tiffany Daxon. Photo: Serena Williams Media and PR CWCO Accounts Manager Welliya Cargill said, “We couldn’t be more proud of what this school is doing to recognise their students’ skills and cultivate an interest in math. The Bahamas is full of bright young minds that excel in many
RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN THE Rhodes Trust is delighted to announce that Rhodes Scholarship applications are now open for most of the Rhodes constituencies. Applications have opened to students and recent graduates from Bermuda, Canada, China, Commonwealth Caribbean, East Africa, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Southern Africa, SJLP (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine), UAE, West Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with the USA and Australia opening on July 1. In addition, two global scholarships are available to
candidates from anywhere in the world for the first time in the programme’s 115-year history, bringing the total number of scholarships awarded this year to 100. Potential candidates should go to www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/apply. The selection process will conclude by the end of 2018 and the new scholars will arrive in Oxford in October 2019. Charles Conn, CEO of the Rhodes Trust, commented: “This is the first time in the history of the Rhodes Trust that applicants from every part of the world are eligible to apply. This selection announcement is also my last in post as warden of Rhodes House. During my
five years, I have witnessed the Rhodes community growing increasingly vibrant and diverse – there are now more than 250 Rhodes Scholars from over 70 different countries studying at the University of Oxford. I am extremely grateful to our donors’ and volunteers’ commitment and support to achieve this wonderful expansion. “I look forward to seeing our community continue to grow as we welcome new young leaders into our international network.” The Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards supporting exceptional students from around the world to study at the University of Oxford, England.
different subject areas, and we believe that all of them
should be encouraged. We congratulate S C McPherson
on another successful competition this year.”
PAGE 12, Thursday, June 21, 2018
THE TRIBUNE
In reversal, Trump orders halt to his family separation rule WASHINGTON Associated Press BOWING to pressure from anxious allies, President Donald Trump abruptly reversed himself Wednesday and signed an executive order halting his administration’s policy of separating children from
their parents when they are detained illegally crossing the US border. It was a dramatic turnaround for Trump, who has been insisting, wrongly, that his administration had no choice but to separate families apprehended at the border because of federal law and a court decision.
The order does not end the “zero-tolerance” policy that criminally prosecutes all adults caught crossing the border illegally. But it would keep families together while they are in custody, expedite their cases and ask the Defense Department to help house them. It doesn’t appear to
change anything for the some 2,300 children taken from their families since the policy was put into place. The news in recent days has been dominated by searing images of children held in cages at border facilities, as well as audio recordings of young children crying for their parents — images that have sparked fury, question of morality and concern from Republicans about a negative impact on their races in November’s midterm elections. Until Wednesday, the president, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and other officials had repeatedly argued the only way to end the practice was for Congress to pass new legislation, while Democrats said Trump could do it with his signature alone. That’s just what he did. “We’re going to have strong, very strong borders, but we’re going to keep the families together,” said Trump, who added that he didn’t like the “sight” or “feeling” of children separated from their parents. Under a previous classaction settlement that set policies for the treatment and release of minors caught at the border, families can only be detained for 20 days. A senior Justice Department official said that hasn’t changed. “This is a stopgap measure,” said Gene Hamilton, counsel to the attorney general. Justice lawyers were planning to file a challenge to the agreement, known as the Flores settlement, asking that a judge allow for the detention of families until criminal and removal proceedings are completed. So Trump’s order is likely to create a fresh set of problems and may well spark a new court fight. It’s unclear
PRESIDENT Donald Trump holds up the executive order he signed to end his own administration’s policy of family separations at the border. what happens if no changes official said first lady Melato law or the settlement nia Trump had been making take place by the time fami- her opinion known to the lies reach the detainment president for some time deadline. The language also that she felt he needed to leaves room to separate do all he could to help famichildren from parents if it’s lies stay together, whether by working with Congress best for the child’s welfare. And it didn’t do much for or acting on his own. And daughter Ivanka the teeming outrage over the issue. The Alabama- Trump tweeted, “Thank based Southern Poverty you @POTUS for taking Law Center said the order critical action ending family didn’t go nearly far enough. separation at our border.” Homeland Security Sec“The administration still Nielsen briefed plans to criminalise families retary on Capi— including children — by lawmakers holding them in prison-like tol Hill Wednesday, and detention facilities. There those on the fence over are workable alternatives,” pending immigration legpresident Richard Cohen islation headed to the White House to meet with said in a statement. It’s also unclear what Trump. Assessments for will happen to the children possible detention facilialready separated. Health ties at military bases have and Human Services Sec- already been done in Texas retary Alex Azar said his and another is expected in department will start reu- Arkansas on Thursday. Two people close to niting detained immigrant children with their par- Nielsen said she was the ents — but he made no driving force behind the specific commitment on turnabout that led to the how quickly that can be new order keeping families together. Those people accomplished. Trump’s family appar- were not authorised to ently played a role in his speak publicly and commented only on condition turnaround. A White House of anonymity.
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THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 21, 2018, PAGE 13
MANTA WINGS BACK TO THE SEA AS part of their renowned release and research programme, a team of 20 marine aquarists at Atlantis, Paradise Island resort successfully completed the transfer of a 700+ pound manta ray (measured at a final wingspan of 11.4 feet) named Leyley from the resort’s 2.7 million gallon marine habitat back into the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantis is one of only two aquarium facilities in the Western Hemisphere to presently care for and study the giant manta ray, a press release noted. “Leyley’s transfer marks the thirteenth manta ray release for the resort, whose marine husbandry practices and research have contributed greatly to data collection of the species,” the resort noted. “Leyley’s journey back to the open ocean
commenced at 7.50am with a comprehensive medical examination, including blood sampling, by the resort’s veterinarian Dr Kelly O’Sullivan, and the installation of two satellite tags by Dr Robert Hueter of the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida. Soon after, Leyley was transferred using a handwoven net stretched across a custom-engineered frame designed to withstand the weight of a manta, the largest known species of ray. Once she was comfortably settled, the helicopter raised the net on a hydraulically welded frame to ensure her maximum safety and comfort. It took 105 seconds for the team to complete the transfer, from lift-off to the ocean. “Mote Marine Laboratory will spearhead the tracking of Leyley’s journey and migration and the
THE TEAM secures the manta ray before, below left, airlifting it as part of its journey back to the Atlantic Ocean. depths and temperatures behaviour and acquire data. We look forward journey and sharing it with she encounters to help some longer-term migration to tracking this animal’s the world,” said Dr Hueter. understand the migratory behaviour and survival of released mantas. This data will be valuable not only to Atlantis in their care for mantas, but to many aquariums, researchers and educators as they work in tandem to learn more about this one-of-a-kind, mysterious giant of the marine JOB REQUIREMENTS world.” Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. The public can search Other duties may be assigned. for Leyley and view her migration patterns in near real-time by visiting: http:// • Assist customers in selecting and purchasing parts. www.ocearch.org/. • Place special orders for parts. “We are thrilled to tag • Read appropriate manuals to ascertain type and and track our sixth manta specification of part. ray in partnership with Atlantis. We have outfitted • Provide pricing and product information to customers. this animal with two tags • Dispense parts to the service department and body shop. to gather finer-scale data • Order out-of-stock parts. on immediate post-release
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Please email resume to partsadvisor2016@gmail.com. EDUCATION nonprofit organisation Sharks4Kids is excited to announce their official partnership with Bahamas National Trust. BNT manages 32 national parks throughout The Bahamas, some of which are marine parks. Management requires both conservation and education to be successful. The BNT Discovery Club Guardians completed a shark study, which was enhanced by a visit from Sharks4Kids to many of the schools and clubs in Nassau. This is just the beginning of this partnership, which will see the two organisations working together to increase awareness and education. In just three days, the team spoke on five radio shows, visited 11
schools, worked with two BNT Discovery Clubs and did a presentation for Ministry of Education teachers. In total they spoke with just over 900 students and teachers. Sharks4kids was also able to donate 12 copies of the book Norman the Nurse Shark to primary schools. “BNT welcomes partnerships such as it has with Sharks4Kids, which allows for increased impact,”-said Portia Sweeting, director of education. In 2011, The Bahamas shark sanctuary was established and a study released in 2017 found that shark and ray tourism generates nearly $114m US annually to the Bahamian economy. “Sharks are vital to both
the environment and the economy in The Bahamas and these students are the future. They will continue to protect these beautiful waters and the animals that inhabit them. We must empower and inspire them to be stewards for the oceans, now and always,” said Jillian Morris, founder of Sharks4Kids. The organisations are planning more outreach projects for the new school year and beyond. There are 52 Discovery clubs in locations around The Bahamas. Interested schools or communities may contact BNT at 3931317 or education@bnt.bs for more information. To learn more about Sharks4Kids, you can visit www. sharks4kids.com.
THE TRIBUNE
Thursday, June 21, 2018, PAGE 15
‘The Bahamas’ own street philosopher’
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