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VOLUME:117 No.207, SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2020
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1
ALICIA WALLACE: IT REALLY IS GOOD TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS
POLICE SHOOTING VICTIM WANTS $2M Plain clothes officer ‘opened fire without identifying himself’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net A 20-YEAR-OLD man will seek $2m in damages after police shot him “without justification” in January and caused him injuries and “emotional distress”. The Tribune understands that the officers were punished following a Police Disciplinary Tribunal hearing earlier this year but remain on the Royal Bahamas Police Force. Attorney Bjorn Ferguson said he will seek $2m for his client, Theon Hall, for the violation of his constitutional rights, damages and consequential loss for personal injuries experienced, exemplary damages, aggravated damages and punitive damages.
Police Constables Stanley Cooper and Varian Clarke are listed as defendants on the writ with Police Commissioner Paul Rolle and Attorney General Carl Bethel. Mr Ferguson said yesterday: “In a democratic society agents of the state and agencies of the state cannot just abuse their powers. They are subject to the law and I think over time we have not held them fully accountable for their acts and because of that it seems to be a situation where they are very comfortable in their wrong behaviour and conduct. It’s all about accountability. They hold us accountable and we must hold them accountable.” SEE PAGE THREE
AMID calls for more diversification of the country’s economy, Finance Minister Peter Turnquest said while officials will continue to have discussions on this, it is still “unrealistic” for the country to move away from its leading tourism industry. The minister made the comments while speaking to reporters outside
Cabinet yesterday. He was responding to questions about whether the government had planned to focus more on other industries instead of relying so heavily on tourism. With the country’s tourism industry at a near halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many have called for a diversification strategy to reduce The Bahamas’ reliance on foreign visitors. SEE PAGE THREE
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Nassau Cruise Port redevelopment could finish months ahead of its target, it was revealed yesterday. Mehmet Kutman, founder and chairman of Global Ports Holding, told a conference call that Nassau Cruise Port was “pushing very hard” to complete Prince George Wharf’s $224m redevelopment some two to three months ahead of the April 2022 finish target. While construction work was some 42 days behind schedule presently, Mr Kutman said an earlier finish would boost Nassau Cruise Port’s operating income and revenue margins. “Right now, we are unfortunately not ahead of schedule,” he admitted. “We are around 42 days behind schedule, but when I have spoken to our construction company they hope to finish it ahead of schedule. The reason we are behind schedule is because the country was locked down [for COVID-19], like most places, so the construction people could not get in.” FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
BAHAMIAN SHOT DEAD IN HOUSTON
‘THERE’S NO QUICK FIX’ TO REDIRECT ECONOMY By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
PORT PROJECT ON COURSE TO FINISH EARLY
THEON HALL, who is seeking $2m in damages after being shot in January by a police officer without justification.
‘HELP ME SAVE MY BEAUTIFUL BOY’ By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
TARA Saunders never imagined she would be fighting to raise $125,000 so her two-year-old son with a rare congenital heart defect can have surgery and live a normal life. Chavez Saunders was born with a double outlet right ventricle (DORV) and a ventricular septal defect (VSD). He has a hole in his heart.
CHAVEZ SAUNDERS “The pulmonary artery and the aorta,” his mother said, “are connected to the right side of the heart as opposed to one being
connected to the left and the other being connected to the right. Through repair surgery, we could turn one of the arteries to the left side and close the hole in his heart.” Ms Saunders, 33, does not have insurance but she said the Joe Dimaggio Children’s Hospital in Florida has agreed to discount the cost of surgery and related expenses for “roughly SEE PAGE THREE
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
A BAHAMIAN student was shot dead in Texas last week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed yesterday. Kani Rahming was studying in Houston. According to a statement from the ministry, police in Texas responded to an incident at Lazy Hollow, Houston around 10pm on September 18 where it was discovered that Rahming had been shot in the chest. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital where he subsequently died. SEE PAGE FIVE
TECHNOLOGY
MUSK BETTING BIG ON BETTER BATTERIES
SEE PAGE NINE
PAGE 2, Wednesday, September 23, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
LLOYD: UNION DID NOT DISRUPT EXAMS By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net EDUCATION Minister Jeffrey Lloyd said his ministry has regular dialogue with the Bahamas Union of Teachers over issues of contention, adding that recent union industrial action did not negatively affect students’ national exams. The minister spoke to the press briefly following the receipt of 15 tablets and wifi boxes from AF Adderley’s Class of 1986 to be donated to the AF Adderley Junior High School. This was a part of the Ministry of Education’s national drive to get tablet devices for children who could not afford to purchase one or do not have internet connections in their homes. The ministry is partnering with Aliv on this initiative. Last week Monday, about 1,000 teachers called in sick action over matters BUT president, Belinda Wilson,
said were unsettling to her members. Those matters ranged from teachers being stranded in islands outside of where they should be teaching, to teachers feeling unsafe in regards to COVID-19 in classrooms, to asking for salaries not being cut while teachers are in quarantine. The most significant issue seemed to be the fact that a “stay at home policy” was not agreed upon for teachers. Education officials have said the number of teachers who did not show up to work last week was not as high as 1,000. When she last spoke to The Tribune, Ms Wilson said there was to be a meeting between her union and the Ministry of Education. Mr Lloyd was asked about that meeting. “The Bahamas Union of Teachers, the Bahamas Educators Managers Union, the Public Service Union and the Ministry of Education are in constant dialogue,” he said. “We (are) talking
THE MINISTRY of Education receives tablets and wifi boxes from AF Adderley’s Class of 1986. about everything, every day. your principal and district requested of us with regard On a regular and consistent superintendent. So we are to the teachers working at basis we are in contact with not demanding anybody. If home, they are welcome them and they are in contact you want to conduct your to do so,” he continued. school classes from your “If you want to work from with us.” He said teachers are home, from another facility home, make your request allowed to work from home or from the school, you are known to the principal and the principal will give you once they receive the neces- welcome to that.” Mr Lloyd said the BUT their approval if that is sary approval. “We have a policy that tried to ascertain from appropriate. If you want to is already established and officials at the Ministry of work at home, you are welI’ve said it any number of Education what the stay at come to do so.” Mrs Wilson also said times. They are welcome to home policy was and then stay at home if they wish to. presented the officials with that last Tuesday, teachers You are welcome to stay at something to consider as reported to work late due to the ongoing issues. home, as long as you have the policy. “Whatever they have Mr Lloyd said the received the approval of
industrial action, which took place on the first two days of national exams, had no impact at all on invigilation. “Nothing hampered our exams,” he said. “Not one single thing. Our exams are going on marvelously, excellently, seamlessly, no difficulty whatsoever. We came prepared for this, we have enough invigilators running and all other supervisors who are necessary to conduct the exams. We are having no difficulty whatsoever.”
COVID protocols affecting decisions over voter register By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AS historical voter trends have seen around 100,000 people register for voting in the past four months before the register closes, constituting a new voter’s register does not fall in line with COVID-19 protocols,
according to Parliamentary Commissioner Philip Turner. This is why it may make more sense to use the existing register, which would only require newly eligible citizens – about 15,000 to 20,000 of them, to register. However, it would require an amendment to the law.
These options, Mr Turner told The Tribune yesterday, have been presented to the government. Officials await a final decision, he said. The current voter’s register presently stands at more than 187,000. That is roughly 126,000 in New Providence, 30,000 in Grand Bahama, and 30,000 throughout the Family Islands.
“(It) would be a massive undertaking and in a COVID environment no doubt staff of the Parliamentary Registration Department potentially would be exposed to persons who may be positive and there would be gatherings where they could potentially expose each other in this particular environment,” Mr Turner told The Tribune. “So we thought it fitting to put the options available to the government as to whether they may wish to consider maintaining the status quo, which is what the law requires to do now or proceed to what we refer to as another option which is where we proceed to a permanent register and by that the view was that we would maintain the existing register. Its present composition and thereby we would only need to register persons who are not presently included on this current register who are qualified to be on the register.” He added: “… We’re presently at 187,000. If that option were to be accepted where we proceed with a permanent register, we expect that no more than another 15,000 to 20,000 persons would need to be added to that amount.” With about 18 months until the 2022 election must be held, Mr Turner said there was still time for the needed amendments. This
rests with the Office of the Attorney General and the Law Reform Commission. “Now if the government were to accept the position that they were to proceed with a permanent register, that would require certain amendments to the law. Those amendments would fall under the responsibility of the Office of the Attorney General and particularly the Law Reform Commission who has responsibility for drafting legislation. “They have to put forward certain amendments to be able to effect the permanent register and all of those positions are with the government for consideration. “Article 66 of the Constitution states that an election must be held no later than five years after the first sitting of Parliament. The first sitting of this Parliament occurred on May 24, 2017 so five years there about from that would take you to around May of 2022. We are roughly about 18 to19 months away from that.” He continued: “You would be aware that the Constitution also allows for the prime minister that discretion to as we say to call an election when he sees fit, but within the constraints of the Constitution so that having been said from a timeliness stand point administratively we feel confident that there is
enough time. “Now having said that, operating not in the status quo, which is the law as it is now, administratively the Parliamentary Registration Department normally conducts the preparing of the new register, which is that register in readiness. “We normally go to the public at least a year prior to the expiration of the current register and as I referred earlier this register that we’re on now, which is referred to as the current register, will expire in July 2021 and so that activity of beginning that process under the existing system would have started no later than July of this year. “But you would be aware that the pandemic would have faced us as early as March of this year and there were various lockdowns and emergency orders and so that position was put to the government for consideration. “So, we have not proceeded to conduct any registration on a new register which would call for the changing of the colour of the voter’s card as we’ve done historically. “We are waiting for the government to determine whether they would proceed and maintain the status quo or proceed to a permanent register. Once that is determined then we’d be so guided and proceed.”
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 23, 2020, PAGE 3
Police shooting victim wants $2m from page one According to the lawsuit, Mr Hall and a friend left the Cheetahs Night Club on Bay Street around 3.40am on January 3 and were at a red light when a black Honda CRV vehicle pulled behind them, its horn blowing. When the light turned green and the plaintiff began to drive off, the black CRV allegedly pulled alongside the passenger’s side of his vehicle and an unknown passenger began demanding that the plaintiff pull over the vehicle and get out of the car. “The unknown passenger of the black CRV was dressed in plaid and held a gun in his hand, aiming it directly at the plaintiff,
while shouting repeatedly,” the lawsuit says. “The plaintiff was in fear of his life and inquired as to why he must get out of his vehicle. The unknown passenger of the black CRV demanded once again, that the plaintiff must get out of the vehicle. As the plaintiff proceeded to exit the vehicle he heard the sound of the unknown passenger of the black CRV gun cock back and the unknown passenger continuously shouting and demanding that he get out of the vehicle. “During this time the plaintiff, who was in fear of his life, still had his vehicle in drive gear with his foot on the vehicle’s brakes. He slightly turned his body and used his right hand to shift the vehicle gear from drive into park, so he may
be able to exit the vehicle, he then heard two loud bangs and immediately he felt his body get extremely cold and then he felt really hot. His left hand dropped and went dead. He then felt excruciating pain and he was dumbfounded for a few seconds and in shock as he did not understand why this unknown passenger of the black CRV, whom he did not know or never seen before was trying to kill him. “Survivor (mode) quickly struck and his instincts were to get out of there and to get police assistance right away. The plaintiff used his right hand to shift the gear of the vehicle into drive and pressed gas and turned south onto Elizabeth Avenue swerving around the black CRV and
he drove straight up the hill near the 66 Steps and stopped his vehicle by the security booth for safety where he saw an unknown female security guard and informed her that he had just been shot. He then saw the unknown male who had shot him headed up the hill towards him. The plaintiff also saw officers from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and he told them that he had just gotten shot and needed some help and that the unknown assailant who shot him was headed towards him now and he pointed at the unknown passenger of the black CRV who had shot him, who was now standing by his vehicle.” The lawsuit adds: “The unknown passenger of the black CRV, who shot him
proceeded to walk away to the corner, however, the defence force officers stopped him and asked him to lift up his shirt. When the unknown passenger of the black CRV lifted his shirt the plaintiff was astonished to see the black handle with the silver top of the gun in his waist and more particularly was in shock and awe to see a police badge. One of the defence force officers assisted the plaintiff to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Princess Margaret Hospital so he could receive urgent medical care.” Mr Hall was allegedly shot in his left arm with the bullet hitting a bone and grazing his right arm. He was released from hospital on January 6 but readmitted on January 26 to undergo open reduction and internal
fixation (ORIF). According to the lawsuit, he continues to feel pain and will require further medical attention. He was not arrested in connection with the incident. The lawsuit alleges that, among other failures, the officers failed to identify themselves as police and failed to provide reasonable justification for why the plaintiff should pull over his vehicle. Officers, the suit argues, used “unreasonable, unnecessary and unlawful force” against the plaintiffs. “Bearing in mind the age of our client, a young man in his prime, he has suffered grave emotional harm and experiences anxiety and depression and has become an insomniac,” the lawsuit said.
‘HELP ME SAVE MY BEAUTIFUL BOY’ from page one
DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest.
‘THERE’S NO QUICK FIX’ TO REDIRECT ECONOMY from page one
In response, Mr Turnquest said: “The reality is The Bahamas has been dependent upon tourism and financial services for the most part since before independence. “That is not going to change overnight and when we talk about what we are going to do, this is not an immediate solution. Yes, we have and we need to continue the conversation about how we diversify this economy and how we move our reliance away from these big box resorts in the main to a more diversified product, because we are not going to get away from tourism. “It is unrealistic to think we are going to get away
from it. God has given us a wonderful environment and beautiful location and we have to take advantage of it but we have to do so responsibly, environmentally as well as sustainably in terms of how we get more people involved in the industry and how we spread the risk of these kinds of pandemics affecting the industry in the way that is has to date.” The deputy prime minister also said that while officials are doing all they can to quicken the economic recovery pace, there is no “quick solution” that will result in a full economic recovery from the COVID19 pandemic right away. However, the minister said officials are working with several industry stakeholders to increase tourism diversification, aiding in
the country’s recovery from COVID-19. “So, the secret or part of the secret is determining how do we create or cause more development to happen throughout the country so that people have more options, meaning they will come back to The Bahamas more often because they have different options and different experiences but also Bahamians can participate more directly because the cost of getting into the industry is lower, if you only have to build ten rooms or twenty rooms whatever,” he told reporters. “That’s our challenge, how do we put in place the incentives, how do we put in place the infrastructure and how do we put in place the experiences that will
have people come and take advantage and leave more of their dollars here on the islands. “We’re working with agriculture to see how that can be a part of it. We’re working with the tourism development corporation to see how we can incentivize some creative experiences.” He added: “Outside of that, we’re also working with the Small Business Development Centre as you know to try and create a culture of entrepreneurship that would’ve hopefully spur developments and activities that we have not taken advantage of whether that is in service industries or the production of goods and services that can be used here locally. “We believe that that investment is going to pay
dividends in the long run. Again, there is no quick solution and anybody that tells you that is selling you a dream. There is no quick solution, but discipline, patience, smarts and vision will get us there.” Earlier this month, the Ministry of Tourism recommended that hotels throughout the country resume operations on October 15 to help jumpstart the tourism industry. However, several major resorts have since announced they will not reopen on October 15, with one property saying it won’t reopen until late 2021. Last week, Mr Turnquest said the Minnis administration is hopeful that the re-opening of smaller hotels will help jumpstart the tourism industry.
BPL ‘CAN’T PLAN AGAINST’ RECENT POWER FAILURES By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net WORKS Minister Desmond Bannister yesterday blamed recent power outages in New Providence on bad weather and technical issues, saying such power failures are problems officials “can’t plan against”. He said officials can only work towards ensuring the impacts are minimal. Bahamas Power and Light customers continue to express frustration with frequent power cuts, with some noting the issue has
affected students who are using virtual learning platforms and even some small businesses. By The Tribune’s count, there have been more than a dozen outages – including an island-wide blackout and other widespread cuts over the past three weeks since September 1. Service disruptions continued on Monday affecting customers in parts of New Providence. Asked about the issue by reporters yesterday, Mr Bannister admitted that while the power company is “going through growing pains”, it still has reliable
generation. He said yesterday: “I don’t know if people are outraged. BPL is going through growing pains. They have reliable generation. Yesterday, they had a lightning hit, something that you can’t plan against. “Last week, we had an island-wide outage because there was a problem with one of the fuel tanks. These are challenges that you can’t plan against, but they are challenges that we have to work to ensure that we minimise. “In this season and time of year, we can’t do anything
about lightning but what we can do is ensure that first the public is informed quickly, that is the duty of Mr (Quincy) Parker there and secondly, to ensure that we respond on an urgent basis and that’s what BPL has been doing.” Last summer, residents in New Providence suffered almost daily load shedding since June 19. The power provider added a new engine to its Blue Hills Power Station in March of this year, in a move officials said would help improve the country’s energy production. At the time, BPL
chairman Donovan Moxey called the new GE TM2500 engine a “game changer” for BPL and the Bahamian people, adding it will aid in fixing long-standing problems experienced by BPL consumers. Yesterday, the minister also urged BPL customers to pay their utility bills. “BPL is very concerned about people who are able to pay and who are not paying. If you’re able to pay I would urge in your best interests to pay. If you’re not able to pay, I would urge you to make an arrangement with BPL,” he said.
$125,000,” all of which must be paid by October 2. “The hospital gave me the schedule for his testing and his surgery and it was all a shocker for me because I didn’t expect them to say we need to go straight into surgery,” she said. “They gave us a discounted price for the surgery. We were told a surgery like this could easily cost over a million. We don’t have anything except for the donations we have already raised in the amount of $8,000. We have a campaign we started through Cofund Health, which is a (crowdfunding resource). We wanted to do a cookout but with COVID-19 that’s really difficult.” Ms Saunders said the older her son gets without having the corrective surgery, the greater the risks are for his quality and length of life. “Because of the heart condition, he’s not able to go outside,” she said. “I have to keep him isolated. When he runs around inside playing, he gets shortness of breath, he’s unable to play with other kids so I have him usually playing with blocks just to keep him stimulated. As simple as getting a cold we have to monitor him closely. Any sickness can be detrimental to him so we try to minimise the amount of interaction he has with other children that may be sick so his immune system and condition doesn’t worsen. He’s getting older and the paediatric cardiologist said you don’t want him to be unable to live a longer life as he ages.” The young mother said she is exhausted but hopeful. “I never expected or dreamt that I would be in this position today,” she said. “You could never account for when you have children what’s going to come of it.” Ms Saunders, who can be reached at 426-2865, established a CoFund Health page at https://app.cofundhealth.com/campaign/ aG6xycVRdP
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PAGE 4, Wednesday, September 23, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
ISLAND HOUSE CONFIRMS STAFF MEMBER POSITIVE By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
MANAGEMENT of Shima at The Island House has confirmed that in recent weeks a staff member tested posted for COVID19, but proper protocols were followed and continue to be adhered to. James Wyndham, general manager, defended the popular high-end eatery after The Tribune inquired on claims that Shima had not closed for deep cleaning and sanitisation following confirmation of the COVID-19 positive case.
It has also been claimed that Shima has repeatedly broken Emergency Powers protocols by allowing indoor dining. “About two weeks ago, one of their kitchen staff tested positive for COVID19,” a reliable source told The Tribune. “They just continued on serving guests and making people come to work. They, unlike every place else that had a case, did not close or deep cleanse, nor did they even inform anybody. The staff is extremely anxious.” The source also alleged the restaurant was frequently allowing indoor dining, despite only outdoor dining being allowed
under the current Emergency Powers Order. In an interview with The Tribune on Friday, Mr Wyndham admitted a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus, but insisted the area in which the person worked was sanitised. “Essentially, you are right,” Mr Wyndham said. “We did have one colleague who had a fever. We immediately sent that colleague home and instructed the colleague to get a COVID19 test. We immediately determined who that colleague had been around and we narrowed it down to a group and they were immediately tested.
he said. “We are as vulnerable as anybody else in the community and so we take it seriously and with the same level of concern. “Unfortunately, this virus is with us and these things are going to happen repeatedly until we do the things as we said that we need to do to stop the spread. As to what will happen tomorrow (Wednesday), I guess we will decide that today when we go into our Cabinet meetings but again all I can say is we follow the health protocols as we did last week on the advice of the health professionals and depending on that they tell us – we will act accordingly.” Mr Bannister told reporters he had tested negative over the weekend, despite not being present in Parliament for the past two weeks. “I’ve tested and I’ve tested negative and remember now I haven’t been in the House of Assembly last week, so I haven’t been there for two weeks, but I tested negative on the weekend,” he said. “And I would urge all of you, every Bahamian who has been around someone who tested positive to get your test.” Their comments come after officials revealed a
second confirmed COVID19 case at the House of Assembly, nearly a week after the first case. House Speaker Halson Moultrie told The Tribune on Monday only four of Parliament’s 17 staff members have taken the COVID-19 test to date, including himself, Parliamentary Clerk David Forbes and the two positive cases. “It is a concern of mine that it is taking an inordinate amount of time to get these tests done,” he said. “I think some of the difficulties would be that some persons are afraid to take the test, second some don’t have the proper facility established that Doctors Hospital demands, some people may not be in the financial position to pay for the test.” Mr Moultrie, who voluntarily entered selfquarantine after the first case, is expected to be present during today’s sitting as his quarantine period would have ended. When asked about the issue yesterday, Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson replied, “no comment”. Former Health Minister Dr Duane Sands has since called for a full investigation by public health officials.
TURNQUEST AND BANNISTER TEST NEGATIVE By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest and Works Minister Desmond Bannister have tested negative for COVID-19 after two staff members at the House of Assembly were confirmed positive. Both ministers gave the news ahead of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting when asked by The Tribune whether they had taken a COVID-19 test. Mr Turnquest told reporters while he has tested negative, there is always a concern whenever someone contracts the disease as ministers are just as vulnerable as anyone else. He also revealed Cabinet members intended to have discussions about the matter during yesterday’s meeting on how Assembly proceedings will proceed going forward. He said the decision will be based on the recommendations of health officials. “I have tested again after the last scare last week, negative thank God, but you know anybody that is tested positive is obviously a concern for the government,”
“All of those colleagues came back negative, but the actual colleague who had the symptoms had a positive test result. The area the colleague was working in, as per the CDC (Centres for Disease Control) recommendation was sanitised and deep cleaned.” Continuing to defend the company’s compliance with COVID-19 protocols, Mr Wyndham said the worker was given a letter by the Ministry of Health informing that he or she was fit to return to work, but Island House went a step further. “The letter said the referenced individual had been quarantined and was fit to return to normal duty,” he
said. “We did not think this was enough from the Ministry of Health and we took the extra precaution of retesting the colleague who returned a negative test result. The colleague has returned to work. We, as a business, have always tried to be cautious and continually refer to the government updates.” In terms of COVID-19 protocols being followed at the Island House property, Mr Wyndham said everything possible is done to ensure the safety of guests and his colleagues. When pressed on allegations of breaking Emergency Orders by allowing indoor dining, Mr
Wyndham said: “Even the owners, when they come in for dinner, they sit outside. The only time that sort of experience (people seated on the inside) would happen is if it rained or a thunderstorm occurred or some monsoon condition that affected the resort. “The team and every guest is temperature tested upon arrival to the property. No mask, no entry to the property. We have regular sanitizing, regular deep cleaning, regular hand-washing – all of this is absolutely enforced throughout property. We also have feedback from our guests and they feel safe on our property.”
49 NEW CASES OF COVID-19 AND ONE MORE DEATH CONFRIMED FORTY-NINE new cases of COVID-19 were reported yesterday along with one more death. There are now 3,467 confirmed cases in the country and 77 official deaths. The latest victim is a 59-year-old New Providence man who died on September 15. Additionally, a
non-COVID related death was also confirmed. These cases decrease the number of deaths under investigation to 20, while the non-COVID related death toll now stands at ten 10. Of the 49 cases confirmed yesterday, 41 are in New Providence, five are in Abaco while three cases were confirmed in Eleuthera.
Eighty-nine cases are in hospital while 1,871 people have recovered from the disease. Data from the Ministry of Health shows 17,341 tests have been completed so far. Investigations are ongoing, and health officials continue to follow the condition of the other current COVID-19 positive cases.
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 23, 2020, PAGE 5
Eviction notices handed to residents of illegal structures By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net RESIDENTS living in newly built illegal structures on Abaco have already been issued eviction notices, according to Works Minister Desmond Bannister, who said government officials are now looking “at taking the next steps” in removing those structures. Speaking ahead of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, the minister told reporters officials began posting the notices on the shanty town structures in June. Eviction letters, he added, were given to shanty town dwellers living mainly in the Hope Town community and mainland Abaco. He said: “The Ministry of Works has posted eviction notices on a whole variety of these illegal structures, on the mainland Abaco and on Elbow Cay. Many of them have been posted since June. “We’ve documented every one with photographs and the dates when they were posted and so there is a government inter-ministry agency that is looking at taking the next steps but our job with respect to
AERIAL images of reported illegal structures in Abaco. posting them has started in “There are photographs June and we are relentless of every house of the in ensuring that we do what notices being posted. I will the Bahamian people ask us send them to you,” he said. to do.” After receiving the docuMr Bannister could not ment, The Tribune counted say how many eviction some 53 structures that had notices had been distrib- eviction notices posted on uted at the time, but he sent them, the majority of which reporters a document with are located on Farm Road, photographs showing work- one of the few shanty towns ers at his ministry posting left in Abaco post-Hurriletters on the structures cane Dorian. throughout Abaco. According to the
document, the latest eviction letter issued was dated August 25, which was posted in a shanty town community in Hope Town. It is not clear how many people have been affected by the move to date. However, before Hurricane Dorian decimated them last year, shanty towns across Abaco had more than 1,000 homes and an
estimated population size of 3,500, according to government reports. According to North and Central Abaco administrator, Terrece Bootle-Laing, the Farm Road community was estimated to house nearly 1,000 people before the Category Five storm hit the island in early September. She told The Tribune that those numbers have since increased due to the relocation of those displaced from the storm. Residents in Abaco have been sounding the alarm over unsanctioned construction on the island in recent weeks, with one official estimating that unregulated structures in the Farm area have grown from 200 to about 400 since July. Earlier this month, Foreign Affairs Minister Darren Henfield, Social Services Minister Frankie Campbell and Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson travelled to Abaco to address the concerns. During a town hall meeting, Mr Henfield told Abaconians: “The Cabinet of the Bahamas is attempting, according to the law, that we will move a notice to place upon homes that
were built illegally and take a period of two weeks for those homes to be removed or they will be removed by the proper authority. “This is an order of government approach to how we deal with irregular communities in the Bahamas specifically those that were built since the new building order was issued. “ Yesterday, Mr Bannister noted the issue of unregulated structures is widespread, saying his ministry receives calls daily about individuals building homes without the proper permits. “Every day, we get calls from our communities to go out in various parts of the communities of people building without permits or putting up all kinds of structures that are unregulated,” he told reporters. “These are the challenges that we have because they are the structures that are going to end up disappearing when they have a hurricane and the wood and materials from those structures are going to go and fly and damage somebody else’s home, so I urge Bahamians to keep letting us know when they see these unregulated structures going up.”
FRUSTRATED BAHAMIANS CLEARING CROWN LAND TO LIVE ON By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net FRUSTRATED Bahamians in North Andros are apparently clearing Crown land where they plan to construct homes, insisting undocumented migrants are being allowed to do the same without consequence, The Tribune was told yesterday. Much of their frustration stems from what they say are ignored applications to acquire Crown land, according to Alphonso Smith, a member of a group called Descendants of North Andros Association. However, North Andros MP Carlton Bowleg dismissed the claims yesterday, saying this was the work of Progressive Liberal Party propagandists. “That is complete nonsense,” Mr Bowleg said. “As we all know this is the start of political season and that is only something that is generated by some of those PLP generals out there and I want you to write it just like that. “It’s not going to happen. I always tell people that I live in Andros. I don’t live nowhere else and ain’t nobody going to come in Andros to do nothing without any kind of authorisation from the proper authorities. “It’s a bunch of foolishness. The Haitians aren’t doing anything in Andros and won’t be doing anything in Andros and that’s that. So, whoever is saying it, I know it’s political, so it ain’t gonna happen, okay?” Meanwhile, Mr Smith told The Tribune that throughout several settlements in North Andros locals have been clearing down land. It’s a situation that is out of control, he said. “What I see happening as I drove from Red Bays, Mastic Point, Nicholls Town, Queen’s Highway, there are a number of properties being cleared down and those are being cleared
by North Androsians,” Mr Smith claimed. “The reason why they are doing this is because the Haitians who occupy the shanty towns on government Crown land are building as they please. “They are not required to have any building permits, no officials are stopping them and they, the Androsians have been applying for Crown land for 20, 30 years. Some have gotten no response from the Department of Land and Surveys. So, they have taken the attitude that since the foreign migrants can build without problem, they have said they are going to do the same thing. “There is a number of land being cleared in the North Andros area by North Androsians. That is what’s going on here.” He continued: “The Haitians are building in San Andros, two and a half miles from the airport area. They are occupying the Crown land and private land and no one seems to be doing anything about it.” He claims that some Andros natives believe there could be an official working with migrants that has allowed them to evade immigration officials. “I was on a raid a couple of months ago and by the time we got to the shanty town they were all gone. So, it looks like someone somewhere in authority has been informing them that the raids would take place.” He added: “I see this as a situation out of control. Bahamians are saying they are getting what is rightfully theirs.” Back in February, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said there had been many complaints about illegal immigration in Andros and vowed to clamp down on the problem in a humane manner. His comments to The Tribune came as the Department of Immigration executed a joint operation on the island. Strong rhetoric against illegal immigration has been a feature of Dr
BAHAMIAN SHOT DEAD IN HOUSTON from page one
“According to preliminary reports from the media, Mr Rahming allegedly exited his residence to investigate a rock being thrown through the apartment window,” the ministry said. “It was during this investigation Mr Rahming was shot in the chest. The ministry has been advised by the Honorary Consul of The Bahamas
in Houston, Texas that the police have not yet made an arrest as they do not have any suspects at this time. “A motive for the incident has also been undetermined.” The ministry said the Honorary Consul will remain in contact with Rahming’s family and is ready to assist wherever possible. Attempts to secure comment from Rahming’s Bahamian relatives were unsuccessful up to press time.
Minnis’ tenure as prime minister. At the time he sounded a warning to Bahamians, saying: “If they are caught harbouring illegals they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of our laws. “We will be dealing aggressively with illegals within our borders. However, they will receive respect and be treated in a humane manner within the confines of our laws. There have been a lot of complaints coming out of
Andros and some other areas and we will be looking into all of them.” In a recent statement about the discovery of E.coli in water on the island, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries said it was examining whether northern Andros’ groundwater was contaminated by nearby unregulated communities. “...A discussion ensued as to the possible source of well water contamination which was suggested to be
as a result of unregulated development (lack of bathroom facilities attached to structures not approved for construction),” the statement issued earlier this year said. “The Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources has been actively working to determine whether any agricultural Crown land has been encroached upon by the migrant community of North Andros or Bahamians and will do everything under the law to ensure that if such
encroachment has occurred, it is brought to an end. Furthermore, the use of Crown land is strictly for agricultural purposes by those who are registered to lease the land and thus, have no right to sublease to any individual or group of persons.” In February, residents living in structures illegally erected on government land in North Andros were issued eviction notices. It was estimated at the time that this could possibly displace 1,800 people.
PAGE 6, Wednesday, September 23, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
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Tourism remains our golden goose - for now THERE is a healthy dose of realism in the comments from Finance Minister Peter Turnquest about trying to diversify the country’s income. The golden goose is, and will remain, tourism. As he says, “The reality is The Bahamas has been dependent upon tourism and financial services for the most part since before independence. That is not going to change overnight and when we talk about what we are going to do, this is not an immediate solution.” He’s right. It hurts for all those who have been calling for diversification of the economy for, well, generations by now – but he’s right. We might wish for a greater range of income from other sources – but how are those sources going to spring up and find their feet in an economy where nearly half the country is unemployed? Pick an industry and nearly every one of them is facing challenges from COVID-19 right now. Manufacturing? Who’s buying the products when belts are tight? Production of raw materials? With manufacturing down, what ingredients are in demand? Oil? With a drastic reduction of flights around the world, again where is the demand – and how far off would it be before it even being an option? Even where there are promising signs, such as the Nassau Cruise Port signaling that it might be completed earlier than planned, the interfering hand of COVID-19 is right there too, pushing the project 42 days behind schedule at present. As the founder of Global Ports Holding notes, “the construction people could not get in”. That’s going to be the case with many other projects – getting them off the ground might be a goal for the future, but so many will just not be able to get started right now. There are things that can get done in the meantime, absolutely. This is a perfect time for places such as Downtown to get the refurbishment that is long overdue, for example. But in terms of our economic woes, Mr Turnquest is right that there is no quick solution, and that tourism will likely continue to be our backbone in the long run. We hope that doesn’t always need to be the case – after all, tourism could be
in for a long recovery. Even if a vaccine is just a few months away, and we can’t say for sure that’s the case, there’s the process of distributing it and administering it. COVID won’t vanish right away, it will take time. We hope it is a wakeup call, however, for the future. Having several strings to our bow will always be of more benefit than only having one. So even if we don’t have the opportunity to add those strings right now, we can work out what we need to put in place to let those opportunities flourish in the future. What does that mean? Well, there’s elements such as infrastructure, training, incentives not just to invest but also perhaps to bring in workers where needed rather than always ringing the same bell about work permits. When given the chance, projects such as the cruise port show the potential of getting things done and getting them done quickly. The time is now to plan for what projects we can bring to diversify our economy once we come out of the starting gate again after COVID. Our options may be limited for the present – let’s make sure we try to remove such limits for our future.
Please help Chavez Chavez Saunders needs your help. Come on, Bahamas, one of our own is in need and while this may be a time when many are in need, let’s step up. Chavez is just two years old and he has a hole in his heart. The congenital defect he has needs surgery. His family have negotiated with a hospital in Florida, the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, and the cost of surgery and expenses will be $125,000. He needs that help in a hurry – with that amount needing to be paid by October 2. There are times in life when we do not know if what we do is really making a difference, but his will truly make a difference – it will let Chavez live a normal life. It’s up to us to help. So we ask directly, what can you do to help Chavez? Read his story in today’s Tribune, and you’ll find where you can make donations. Give what you can. Make a difference.
Madness of extended visa EDITOR, The Tribune, ANY doubt that the present crew governing this country have lost all contact with sense and sanity should have been dispelled for anyone listening to Financial Services Minister Ellsworth Johnson expounding the benefits of opening wide our country for anyone wishing to come here and work, study or just hang out like they’re back home. That most of the entrants attracted by this “extended stay visa” will simply busy themselves doing what too many have been doing for years (that is, competing with Bahamians for a piece of our own economic pie) seems to elude the minister. It also appears to elude both him and his government that the steady decline of the middle class and the growing disconnect between massive levels of foreign investment and sluggish growth in the domestic economy signifies a weakening of
the protections that once ensured that the activities of foreigners within our borders actually maximized opportunities for Bahamians. So they set about dismantling these protections with reckless abandon, as if they are mere nuisances impeding the ‘investment’ that will save our economy (notwithstanding that we already attract among the highest levels of investment per capita on the planet). While the dimwittedness of the present government stands out, it is sad to note that all of its predecessors since 1992 have also failed to understand the crucial relationship between foreign investment (which we need) and Bahamianisation (without which the benefits of foreign investment would largely bypass Bahamians). The result has been a rush to the bottom, where failures to stimulate the domestic economy are interpreted as evidence that we’re not rushing to the bottom fast enough. Not a moment is taken to
consider whether the medicine is exacerbating the ailment. As if that is not bad enough, the same Minister also indicated that, among the dumb and shady ideas emanating from the unelected Economic Recovery Committee and now under consideration by this government, is a proposal to sell Bahamian citizenship to raise revenues. The message is clear as daylight: faced with a fiscal crisis that only exists because successive governments have pursued a brazenly regressive tax policy that transfers wealth from the poor to the rich and builds no buffer of resilience for times of crisis, the FNM would sooner consider selling Bahamian passports than introducing even the mildest taxation of wealth and income. More good news for the FNM’s wealthy funders. More bad news for The Bahamas. ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, September 20, 2020
Economy of The Bahamas EDITOR, The Tribune. THE country’s broke. The Bahamas Minister of Finance says there’s lots of money. Some say that there will be a devaluation. Others say they’ll guarantee there will be no devaluation. Many say they’re taking a page about lying out of Trump’s playbook. You be the judge. For those who are encouraging devaluation I hope they know what they are talking about. Talk is cheap. It looks as though facts these days are taking a back seat. There are two types of economies, one made up of tangible assets and the other of intangible assets. Tangible assets, like bauxite, are consumed outside of a nation’s borders, the other, intangible assets, like sun, sea, beaches and relaxation, are consumed inside a nation’s borders. The Bahamas’ assets are intangible, and devaluation of the money does not help the problem. In economics, every time a visitor spends a dollar in The Bahamas, it is considered a “Capital Export”. The more tourists we get here, the more “exports” we are making. This is great. The other side of the coin, however, is the “Capital Imports” side. To cater to the needs of the visitor we immediately convert about 70% of that “Capital Export” into a “Capital Import” by having to import food to feed him/her. This leaves us with about thirty cents on the dollar. The question here is, “more tourists whose spending continues to go right back out of the country, or more tourists whose spending stays in the country”? Which is the most profitable for the Bahamian people? Less imports, which would create more local entrepreneurs and spread the wealth among the population, or just increase the number of tourists? It is said that the Chinese plan for tomorrow and fifty years forward, ending up with results. We Bahamians, on the other hand, appoint committees, spend fifty years planning for yesterday, and “tomorrow” never comes. Agriculture and production by local people is the answer. Many years ago I visited a town in Italy and saw a conch shell in a store with old men sitting on stools carving “cameos” from the conch shell. I commented to my companion that it looked like a Bahamian conch shell. The person answered, “It is, we collect them before they’re thrown away, ship them to Italy, and each shell produces about $3,000 worth of cameos.” The Taiwanese brought
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net some of the equipment here, put it in a Government training centre, and trained Bahamians in the art. The question today is “where is it”? I understand it is behind some partition at the school collecting rust and dust. I have been told that twelve million dozen T-shirts are sold to tourists every year. If this is true, why are they not manufactured here? Chippie Chipman set up a T-shirt factory in Nassau but went broke. Chippie told me that the reason was that he was asked to quote on twodozen with a 30-day credit and at the same time China was asked to quote on 1,000 dozen with cash in advance. Chippie was told that he had lost the bid because his price was too high! Yes, this could only happen in The Bahamas! It seems as though Chippie’s problem was that he was Bahamian. An outsider would have been given protection. I took over from Tennyson Wells as Minister of Agriculture. He had banned the importation of Poinsettias into The Bahamas so that Bahamian growers could get into the market. I continued the embargo to much objection from the local importers who insisted that I lift the ban. To give everybody a fair hearing I invited both sides to a meeting at the Ministry. Each side gave reasons to keep or to lift the embargo. The importer was first. He said that he would go to the farmer in the U.S., order 1,000 Poinsettias, pay fifty percent down and give a letter of credit for the rest. The farmer would then plant the Poinsettias. The Bahamian grower was next. He said that the buyer (the importer) would tell him to plant 1,000 poinsettias, no down payment, and if he liked them he would buy them with the understanding that the buyer would be given a 30-day credit. I was shocked. My jaw hit the floor. The embargo was not lifted. The Bahamian farmer’s first crop was nothing to write home about. But as he was able to get into the market and could plow more money back into his business, the crop became outstanding and the industry grew, Capital Imports decreased, jobs were created and the industry grew! Some of my detractors called me the “Banana Minister”. I believe it was a badge of honour. The farmers constantly told me that the wholesalers would not
buy their bananas. I invited the wholesalers who were concerned about the situation to my office where we agreed that they would buy all that the local farmers could supply and then import the excess. This sounded reasonable. The problem was that the agreement was never lived up to, and so I put a ban on bananas. In one year the farmer doubled the production and increased the quality by 100%. The banana producers were growing like wildfire and then the powers that be chose to transfer me. The rug was pulled from under the local farmer and he was left to eat his banana crop. I felt that I had let the farmers down, but the rug had been pulled. I never thought that any government would let our people down in such a way. Had the ban been left in place, it would have been another Bahamian industry, feeding our locals and visitors, and reducing our Capital Imports and thus creating jobs and leaving more money in The Bahamas. Many years ago, Dr. Lynn at the Ministry of Agriculture suggested to me that if breadfruit trees were planted we could replace the importation of potatoes. He said that a breadfruit, properly prepared, could replace potatoes. It was God’s gift to the countries that did not have sufficient earth to grow potatoes. Local stores are now selling boxes of breadfruit flour produced outside The Bahamas. The argument is that we cannot feed ourselves because when the season for oranges, for example, has passed we’ll have to import them. This is true, but it is true for many countries. But we also have an advantage. We have Abaco in the North and Inagua in the South. So when a guinep is blooming in Abaco, it is ripening in Inagua, which means we have a longer ripening season!! Plant properly and we’ll have a ripening season that is longer than many countries. What can be done? For starters the Government should start treating Bahamians like first class citizens. Long-term contracts should be given to the local farmer, just like the Government would do for an outsider. I say to Government, don’t devalue the dollar, don’t give our country away to outsiders, and start thinking outside the box ... if you are able. PIERRE DUPUCH The Bahamas September 21, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 23, 2020, PAGE 7
Teen accused of murder claims he was beaten in custody By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net THE lawyer for a teenager who was charged in Magistrate’s Court yesterday with murder alleged his client was beaten while in police custody. Tyshawn Moxey, 19, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes charged with the death of Danton Woods on September 13. According to initial police reports, sometime around 9 o’clock that night, police received reports that a male had been shot on Hawthorn Road. When officers arrived, they discovered a man’s body lying face down with what appeared to be gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. During the hearing, Moxey, who is represented by attorney Jomo Campbell, was not required to enter a plea. As a result, the matter was adjourned to December 4 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).
Yesterday, Mr Campbell told the magistrate his client had no injuries when he “voluntarily” turned himself into the Central Detective Unit. Mr Campbell alleged Moxey was beaten and suffocated with plastic bags while in custody, in an attempt to make him confess. He added his client’s jaw was swollen and said Moxey also believed one of his fingers had been dislocated. In response, Magistrate Forbes said he would make a note of the allegations. He also said he would make a recommendation for Moxey to receive medical treatment while in custody. In the meantime, the defendant was denied bail and remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Yesterday, two other men appeared before Magistrate Forbes after they were charged with similar offences. Andrew Burrows, 30, was accused of murdering Craig Trevor Smith on January 19, 2018. During the arraignment, the Abaco native was not
TYSHAWN MOXEY, left, and Andrew Burrows outside court. required to enter a plea and attention he needs while in his case was also adjourned custody. to December 4 for service After informing Burrows of a VBI. that he would be denied Burrows is represented bail due to the nature of the by attorney Roberto Reckcharges, the judge assured ley. Yesterday, he asked the magistrate to make a note his counsel that he would of the defendant’s scoliosis make a note of his request. As a result, the defendcondition, so that arrangements could be made for ant was remanded to prison him to receive the medical until trial.
Finally, in a separate incident, Alexander Williams was charged with the attempted murder of Jordan Rolle on September 15. The 40-year-old was also charged with having a Maverick 12-gauge shotgun in his possession on September 17.
Yesterday, Magistrate Forbes adjourned his matter to December 3 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). In the interim, Williams was denied bail and remanded to BDCS. All three men have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.
‘HOTEL WORKERS SOLELY DEPENDENT ON GOVT AID’ By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net
AFTER six months of hotels being closed, a hotel union official said industry workers are being negatively impacted by the uncertainty and are solely reliant on government assistance. Darren Woods, president of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union, said hotel workers could really use answers on their future, sooner rather than later. “Number one, there is an air of uncertainty,” Mr Woods said. “They are only receiving government assistance, so until they are
able to get back to gainful employment this is impacting them in a negative way because they are unable to provide for themselves or their families in a way that they would normally do. “We are trying to find out from the resort operators when they are going to open. They have not given any definitive dates to anyone. Everyone is just pushing back the dates saying they will be re-evaluating it. We were hoping the hotels would open from July, that didn’t happen. Then they said they would reassess it for October, obviously they are pushing it back so we just don’t know.” The union president said his members are anxious to
know when they really will go back to work and when their unemployment assistance will end. “The members basically want to know when the industry will open,” Mr. Woods said. “Like I said no one knows when. The hotel workers are still getting the extension, not the unemployment benefit from NIB, but the government’s (13week) extension. “I think the Prime Minister is supposed to make some communication to the House of Assembly in terms of extending the Emergency Orders and with that extension we need to know what is going to happen because if places are still not open, then what is the expectation of these
MURDERED BOY’S AUNT CRITICISES POLICE OVER WANTED POSTER RELEASE By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net
AN aunt of the sevenyear-old boy killed in Nassau Village on Sunday is upset that police released a wanted poster for another of her children in connection with a murder investigation. Verline Culmer, 40, told The Tribune on Monday that all young Reyes Williams talked about was his upcoming birthday party before he was senselessly killed. However, she faced new concern yesterday when police released a notice that her son, Marlin Smith,
is wanted for questioning pertaining to a murder investigation. Ms Culmer and her family believe police want to speak with Mr Smith about Sunday’s incident, however the police bulletin did not specify which murder investigation they want Mr Smith’s help with. One police source noted yesterday there have been several murders recently. Ms Culmer said when Reyes was shot, her son, Mr Smith, was in the back of the yard. She said the young boy was the victim of stray bullets as shooters aimed for people in a silver car parked in the boy’s yard.
“The mother of the victim, me, my other sister, the guys who were in the car, the girl who was in the car, all of them who they have in custody, could say just where my son was,” she said. “He remained at the scene after the shooting. He stayed home. It was a driveby shooting, not crossfire. They said on the news it was a blue car involved but the car was a silver Note. I don’t know where they got the incorrect information from.” Police Commissioner Paul Rolle said on Monday that three people are in custody in connection with the little boy’s murder.
TEENAGER ACCUSED OF SELLING COCONUT WATER FACES TRIAL By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net A JUVENILE street vendor who denied selling coconut water on the side of the road without a business licence was granted bail
ahead of his trial yesterday. The 17-year-old was accused of operating a business without a licence after officers alleged found him selling coconut water on Village Road without the required permits on September 19.
During the hearing before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes yesterday, the youngster denied the allegation and the matter was adjourned to November 16 for trial. He was granted $500 bail until that time.
people and then what is the government going to do to reciprocate? “That would be discussions that have to be held in the not too distant future. Everyone wants to know if the NIB payments are going to stop this month. NIB is only the facilitator for the government’s assistance programme. The only person who can answer that is the government. We have been trying to get a meeting with them to get an understanding as to what to say to the people in our sector.” Earlier this month, Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar said the government was recommending hotels throughout the country resume full operations and use of beaches on
October 15. At the time, he said he hoped there could be full re-opening of the tourism sector by early November with tourism officials eying November 1 for the reopening of tourism attractions, tours and excursions. Since his announcement, several major properties, including Baha Mar, Melia Nassau Beach, Sandals Royal Bahamian and Club Med, have confirmed they will not reopen in the next few weeks, with the latter two pushing their return back into next year. Club Med will reopen in December 2021. This has left industry workers in a state of flux. “This thing that we are facing there is no rule book
or manual that you can go to avoid this happening so you can do something else,” the president continued. “It is just a day by day thing that is so fluid it’s changing. They originally forecasted that you would get a second wave, now they are forecasting a third wave once it gets cooler. “We need to now do what is in our best interest to make sure that we stay healthy and stop the spread so that we can get back to some kind of normalcy. I know one thing, the sooner the industry does open and people can get back to some sense of normalcy it will be good. It will take a strain off the public’s purse and people will be able to actually provide for themselves as they did before.”
PAGE 8, Wednesday, September 23, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
If only we could learn to practice the old maxim - it’s good to talk By Alicia Wallace OVER the past few weeks, I have had speaking roles at numerous youth conferences, workshops and specialised sessions. There have been a few recurring themes but the one that stood out is teen relationships. During the question and answer periods and later on email or social media, participants having been asking a range of questions on topics including sex, violence and red flags. Young people are in or wish to be in romantic relationships and they need to know how to develop healthy relationships and recognise the signs of an unhealthy relationship or an abusive partner. They also need comprehensive sexuality education, going beyond biology, focusing on social interactions, common experiences and support systems. Many parents refuse to talk to their children about sex because they don’t want them to have sex. They also avoid talking about romantic relationships, except to forbid them, thinking it will prevent their children from engaging in them. Both of these are false, harmful beliefs and ineffective responses prompted by the parents’ discomfort rather than the children’s needs. It is further complicated by adults’ own limited understanding of healthy relationships, sexuality and communication. By not talking to children about
relationships and other potentially difficult topics, parents miss the opportunity to teach life skills, develop a closer bond and establish trust and confidence. It also causes children to hide parts of their lives in which they need guidance, believe their parents do not have the necessary information, or get information and advice from other sources which may or may not be accurate. For some parents, it seems impossible to have these conversations with their children, often because the relationship is already strained. Some parents only speak to their children to give instructions or reprimand, making it difficult to engage with them even on lighter topics. In these cases, it is important to shift the relationship and that can take time. Until a better relationship is established, it can be helpful to have a family member or friend talk to children about their lives, friendships, concerns and interests. An aunt, older cousin, or godparent can often fill the role because they already have familiarity and trust as well as experience and knowledge of the parents’ wishes which is key in giving feedback. One of the best things parents can do to help their children to develop healthy relationships is to create space for them to interact with their friends in their own environments. Invite
them over for dinner or to watch movies. Take them to fairs, festivals, and family events. Host game nights. With COVID-19, we need to shift to virtual options.
Encourage phone calls and other forms of interaction that take place in common spaces. This allows parents to get to know their children’s friends and also lets friends know their names and faces are familiar so they are not a secret. This increases the responsibility of the young people to treat each other with respect and reduces ammunition they may think they have against each other due to secrecy and fear of parents. It also allows parents to observe the dynamics in relationships, interrupt inappropriate behaviour and encourage healthy interaction. Parents need to push past fear and discomfort. Attempts to protect children can easily backfire. They still have to make their own decisions and navigate their daily lives in the midst of peer pressure, misinformation, personal desire and home dynamics. Choose to prepare them for adulthood. When they turn 18, their brains will not
‘One of the best things parents can do to help their children to develop healthy relationships is to create space for them to interact with their friends in their own environments. Invite them over for dinner or to watch movies. Take them to fairs, festivals, and family events. Host game nights.’ automatically be loaded with the necessary information and skills. Aid in the development of adult capabilities by providing a safe space for them to learn and practice communication, setting boundaries and asking for help. Let your children know what is and is not appropriate in romantic relationships. Tell them no one should be checking their phones, no one should be surveilling them and they do not have the right to control anyone else’s life. Let them know they are in charge of their own bodies and no one else’s. Give them someone to talk to if they don’t feel comfortable coming to you. Show them they can trust you to be
reasonable, hones, and helpful. Remember you make them more vulnerable when their relationships and experiences are secrets. There is a way to balance giving them room to grow and learn and ensuring they are safe. You did it when they learned to walk, when they wanted to touch everything as a way to discover and learn, when the training wheels came off their bicycles if they had them, and when they first got into a pool or the ocean. There is fear and the will to protect, but there is also the responsibility, as a parent, to help them to make progress, assuming an acceptable amount of risk and putting safeguards in place.
FIVE YEARS DOWN, TEN TO GO FRIDAY, September 25, will mark the five year anniversary of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations. The 17 goals — also known as the Global Goals — are focused on economy, environment and equality. The include ending poverty, ending hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, sustainable cities and communities and climate action. The goals are interconnected and interdependent. They cannot be achieved by working in silos or ignoring other issues. SDG 5 for gender equality is one that is obviously connected to all of the other goals, and we have seen that connection in The Bahamas over the past year. Disaster response is significantly impacted by gender. Following Hurricane Dorian in 2019, those of us involved in relief efforts clearly saw the distinction between men and women and the parts they played in recovery. In many families, the men stayed or returned to Grand Bahama and Abaco to protect property, salvage what they could, muck and gut
and make repairs. Women and children evacuated to Nassau and stayed or went to other islands and focused on getting the necessary supplies, securing safe temporary housing and getting children in school. When COVID-19 led to lockdowns and curfews starting in March, women were burdened with even more unpaid domestic and care work and crisis hotlines saw an increase in calls about domestic violence against women. Gender impacts the way we move through the world and the effect that crisis events have on us, so SDG 5 has to not only be a part of all disaster management and crisis intervention work, but integrated into all of the other SDGs. That means SDG 5 cannot be the focus of women’s rights organizations alone, but environmental organizations, food assistance programmes, educational institutions, city planning and economic development committees. Civil society needs to come together, look at the SDGs, identify primary areas of focus for each organization and thematic area, determine secondary SDGs of focus, and find
the intersections. We need to reference the SDGs in our public work, ensuring the general public becomes familiar with the 17 goals and how they are relevant to us in our daily lives. We are not particularly familiar with the United Nations and that has created significant distance between its useful mechanisms and initiatives and our realities and ongoing work. When we know the commitments the government has made, we are better able to hold it accountable. When non-governmental organisations make clear the connections between their everyday work and the SDGs, there is increased awareness which can lead to greater support. It can also help to familiarise people with the United Nations and its functions. For individuals interested in learning more about the SDGs, there is a wealth of information available at un.org/sustainabledevelopment and the Sustainable Development Goals Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister is working to contextualise the SDGs for The Bahamas and can be followed at facebook.com/ sdgunit242.
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Wednesday, September 23, 2020, PAGE 9
TESLA CEO ELON MUSK’S NEXT BIG BET RIDES ON BETTER BATTERIES By MICHAEL LIEDTKE and TOM KRISHER AP Business Writers
SAN RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Tesla is working on new battery technology that CEO Elon Musk says will enable the company within the next three years to make sleeker, more affordable cars that can travel dramatically longer distances on a single charge. But the battery breakthroughs that Musk unveiled Tuesday at a highly anticipated event didn’t impress investors. They were hoping Tesla’s technology would mark an even bigger leap forward and propel the company’s soaring stock to even greater heights. Tesla’s shares shed more than 6% in extended trading after Musk’s presentation. That deepened a down downturn that began during Tuesday’s regular trading session as investors began to brace for a potential letdown. Musk raised those worries with a series of tweets Monday warning that Tesla’s new battery technology might not be ready for high-volume production until 2022. Musk reiterated that timetable during Tuesday’s showcase and then added it might take up to three years before the battery technology translates into a new Tesla model selling for $25,000. That would be a dramatic markdown from Tesla’s cheapest car now, the Model 3, a sedan that starts at $35,000 but usually ends up costing
“What happens when companies get bigger is things tend to slow down. We are going to speed up.” Elon Musk
TESLA and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
buyers more than $40,000. “We don’t have a truly affordable car and that is something we want in the future,” Musk said during an event shaped by the restrictions imposed by a pandemic that requires people to keep their distance.
Range Besides lowering the price, Musk promised the new battery technology would help Tesla reduce the size of its vehicles by about 10% and extend their range by 56%. That projection implies the Tesla cars using the new batteries will be able to travel 500 miles (800 kilometres) or more on a single charge, surpassing
the distance many gascombustion cars can traverse before needing to refuel. Musk took the stage before a mostly online audience, although there was a small group of shareholders who won a lottery for the right to sit in Tesla vehicles parked in a lot near the company’s Fremont, California, factory located about 40 miles (64 kilometres) southeast of San Francisco. “It is a little hard to read the room with everyone in cars,” Musk joked as he began his presentation during an early phase of the event that was devoted to Tesla’s annual meeting of shareholders. But the shareholders in attendance frequently
beeped their horns to provide a different form of applause as Musk rattled off Tesla’s accomplishments since the company held its last annual meeting 15 months ago.
Expansion Since then, Tesla has posted four consecutive quarters of profits to reverse a long history of losses, while boosting its production and laying the groundwork for future expansion by opening or beginning work on three more factories in Shanghai, Berlin and Austin, Texas. All that progress has caused Tesla’s stock price to soar by fivefold so far this year and boost the
company’s market value to nearly $400 billion. No one has benefited more from the run-up than Musk, who has seen his estimated wealth climbed to $89 billion — the fifth-largest fortune in the world, based on estimates by Forbes magazine. “What happens when companies get bigger is things tend to slow down. We are going to speed up,” Musk said Tuesday. He said he believes Tesla will remain a step ahead of its competition in the electric vehicle market and persuade more consumers to abandon gas-combustion cars with its new battery technology. The breakthroughs that he outlined Tuesday involve some highly technical changes to the composition and design of batteries, along with new manufacturing processes. Even as Tesla tries to set new standards in batteries, Musk made it clear that the company will also continue to rely on Panasonic and other suppliers. Musk has a history of being too ambitious in his promises. For instance, 17 months ago, he bragged that Tesla was on the verge of breakthroughs in autonomous driving technology that would enable the company to deploy a fleet of robotic taxis by the end of this year. He has since backpedaled slightly from that goal, although Tuesday he said he believes Tesla’s $25,000 car will be capable to driving on its own.
APPLE TO LAUNCH FIRST ONLINE STORE IN INDIA TODAY NEW DELHI (AP) — Apple will launch its first online store in India today, as it seeks to increase sales in one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone markets. The company at present uses third-party online and offline retailers to sell its products in the country. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a tweet that the company “can’t wait to connect with our customers and expand support in India.” The launch comes ahead of India’s major Hindu festival season beginning next month. With a nearly 1.4 billion people, including millions of new Internet users every month, India has become a key focus of tech giants over the last few years. In August, three contract manufacturers for Apple iPhones and South Korea’s Samsung applied for large-scale electronics manufacturing rights in India under a $6.5 billion incentive scheme announced by the government. Apple assembles some smartphones at Foxconn and Wistron’s plants in two southern Indian states.
PEOPLE walk past an image of an iPhone displayed at an Apple store in Ahmedabad, India. Apple announced last week that it will launch its first online store in India today, as it seeks to increase sales in one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone markets. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
TECHTALK • MICROSOFT is buying the company behind popular video games The Elder Scrolls, Doom and Fallout. The software giant said Monday that it is paying $7.5 billion for ZeniMax Media, the parent company of video game publisher Bethesda Softworks. Microsoft said it is buying Bethesda in part to beef up its Xbox Game Pass game subscription service, which it says has over 15 million subscribers. Bethesda games, such as Starfield, which is currently in development, will launch on Xbox Game Pass the same day they launch on Xbox or computers, Microsoft said. Microsoft has new consoles debuting on Nov. 10, the Xbox Series X and stripped down Series S version. It will be competing against Sony’s new PlayStation 5 console. R.W. Baird analyst Colin Sebastian said the deal is part of a wider industry trend of consolidation. Microsoft already owns studios that make popular games including Minecraft and the Halo franchise. “We believe the deal checks a lot of boxes for Microsoft, such as strengthening the Xbox/Games division product portfolio as competition increases, boosting the profile of Xbox subscription services, and providing more content for the company’s cloud gaming initiatives,” he wrote in an investor note. Microsoft Corp., which is based in Redmond, Washington, expects the deal to close in the second half of fiscal 2021. • SONY’S upcoming PlayStation 5 video game console will cost $500 and launch Nov. 12, the company said last week, setting up a holiday battle with Microsoft’s Xbox Series X over whose new console will turn up under more trees this year. Video game fans have been chomping at the bit for the new consoles, and not just because they’ve been stuck inside since March. The roughly seven-year life cycle of a video game console has been nearing an end. Both predecessor consoles, the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4, launched in 2013. The new consoles promise faster load times, souped up graphics and new games. Sony’s console is also more expensive this time around; the PS4 launched for $400 in 2013. Sony’s PS5 will come in two different models — a standard version with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive for $500, and a digital-oriented version with no disk drive that costs $400. While you can still buy games on optical disks, it’s increasingly common for gamers to download them in digital form instead. The U.S., Japan, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea will see the console on Nov. 12; everywhere else will get it a week later. In a presentation, Sony previewed games including “Spider-Man: Miles Morales,” which will be available at launch, and a Harry Potter game, “Hogwarts Legacy,” which will be out in 2021. It gave a sneak peak of “Final Fantasy XVI,” which will be exclusive to PlayStation, but did not specify when that game will launch.
PAGE 10, Wednesday, September 23, 2020
by William Petri, Professor of Medicine, University of Virginia WITH COVID-19 vaccines currently in the final phase of study, you’ve probably been wondering how authorities will decide if a vaccine is safe and effective. Based on the status of the Phase 3 trials currently underway, it is unlikely the results of these trials will be available before November. But it is likely not just one but several of the competing COVID-19 vaccines will be shown to be safe and effective by the end of 2020.
I am a scientist and infectious diseases specialist at the University of Virginia, where I care for patients with COVID-19 and conduct research on the pandemic. I am also a member of the World Health Organisation Expert Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritisation. What is the status of COVID-19 vaccines in human clinical trials? Phase 3 studies are underway for the Moderna and BioNTech/Pfizer vaccines and the Oxford/AstraZeneca viral vector vaccine. Each of these vaccines
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How and when will we know a COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective?
uses the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, which the virus uses to infect cells, to trigger the immune system to generate protective antibodies and a cellular immune response to the virus. Protective antibodies act by preventing the spike glycoprotein from attaching the virus to human cells, thereby neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. In the case of Moderna’s nucleic acid vaccine, the messenger RNA encoding the spike glycoprotein is encased in a fat droplet – called a liposome – to protect the mRNA from
Funeral Service For
The short, but well lived and beautiful life of
Minister Kevin Peter Cash, 53
of Saxton Street, Golden Gates will be honored at The Western Cemetery on Nassau Street in Nassau, Bahamas on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. in a service of thanksgiving. The same location will keep his remains. Officiating the ceremony will be Senior Pastor Trent Davis of Golden Gates World Outreach Ministries, Carmichael Road and Antigua Way. Kevin is survived by his loving children: Kevanté and Kyden Cash; three brothers: Petty Officer of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Bernard Cleveland, Inspector of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Deanzar Dion and Business entrepreneur and the Golden Gates’ neighbourhood barber Dwayne Cash; three nieces: Dahlia, Angel and Bernique Cash; one nephew: Demetrius Archer; two sisters-in-law: Williamae and Tanya Cash; 10 aunts: Sandra Coakley, Creola Taylor, Betty Ann Woodside, Muriel Saunders, Terricita Thompson, Winnifred Munroe, Shanna Kemp, Rowena Spence, Ivy Conliff and Janice Burkes; 13 uncles: Eugene Coakley, Irwin Taylor, Henry, Freddie, Douglas, Luncine Sr, Willie, Pharis, Aaron, Minister Garth Anthony Cash, James “ Killer” and Carl Coakley and Erroll Johnson Coakley. Numerous cousins: Melanie Taylor Moxey, Gizell and Sharon Coakley, Retired Corporal Gregory Taylor Monte, Kelly Marvin Taylor, Corporal 2688 of The Royal Bahamas Police Force Brian Coakley, Eugene Goodman and Granville Coakley Jr., Brenda Kerr-Henfield, Louis Kerr and the Kerr family, Margaret Ferguson Campbell and the Ferguson family, Shirley Lewis Rolle and the Lewis family, Algeria Lewis and the Lewis family, Doris Rolle and Rose Burns and others too numerous to mention. Close friends who became chosen family over the years, spiritual mentors, and guides: Patricia Brown, Cashron Coakley, Ruby Cambridge, The R.M. Bailey Senior High School Class of 1984 family, Apostle Betty L. Davis-Pratt, Apostle Douglas Cleare, Elder Naomi Knowles, Pastor Kressville Ritchie, Pastor Clement Butler, Apostle Yvette Hall, Bishop Tresor Rahming, Bishops Nicholas and Carriemae Knowles and the Infinite Works Metaphysical Apostolic Fellowship Family, Rev T. G. Morrison and The Zion Baptist Church Family, The New Life Christian Centre Family, Pastor Ross Davis and The World Out Reach Ministries Family, Neighbours of the Saxton Street Golden Gates Community, Bishop Tonya Moss-Wilson and the Moss family, Ms Gibson, Mr and Mrs Sturrup and family, Cheryl Bar-Bethel, The Hanna, Heastie and Tynes families, Alice Hunter and family, Ms Ethlyn Caple, Mr and Mrs McKenzie and family, The Farrington family, The Hepburn family, Chleo Saunders, The Stuart family, The Higgs and Gordon families and the Communities of Bain and Grants Town. The family would especially like to thank all of the medical personnel who assisted on Kevin’s journey including: Nurse Burrows and the Princess Margaret Hospital Male Ward team; Dr Duane Sands and his team at Hawkins Hill Medical Center; Dr Robin Roberts and his team at Oxford Medical Centre; Doctors Hospital team on Collins Avenue and Blake Road; and all of the generous donors who contributed to Kevin’s GoFundMe page and FCIBC Medical Fund Account. Arrangements are being handled by THE NEW COMMONWEALTH FUNERAL HOME, INDEPENDENCE DRIVE.
degradation and enable it to enter cells. Once these instructions are inside the cells, the mRNA is read by the human cell machinery and made into many spike proteins so that the immune system can respond and begin producing antibodies against this coronavirus. The Oxford/AstraZeneca uses a different strategy to activate an immune response. Here an adenovirus found in chimpanzees shuttles the instructions for manufacturing the spike glycoprotein into cells. Phase 1 and 2 studies by pharmaceutical companies Janssen and Merck also use viral vectors similar to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, while vaccines by Novavax and GSK-Sanofi use the actual spike protein itself.
ANIMAL TESTS SHOW THE VACCINES PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM CORONAVIRUS INFECTION Studies in animal models of COVID-19 provide convincing evidence that vaccination with the spike glycoprotein will protect from COVID-19. Experiments have show that when the immune system is shown the spike protein – which alone cannot trigger disease – the immune system will generate an antibody response that protects from infection with SARS-CoV-2. In studies in hamsters an adenovirus viral vector – the approach used by Oxford/AstraZeneca, for example – was used to immunise with the Spike glycoprotein. When the hamsters were infected with SARS-CoV-2 they were protected from pneumonia, weight loss and death. In non-human primates, DNA vaccines – which deliver the gene for the spike glycoprotein – reduced the amount of virus in the lungs. Animals that produced antibody that prevented virus attachment to human cells were most likely to be protected.
HISTORY OF VACCINES: SMALLPOX TO SARS-COV-2 What have the early Phase 1 and 2 studies in humans shown? Overall, vaccination has triggered a more potent neutralising antibody response than even that seen in patients recovering from COVID-19. This has also been the case for Moderna’s vaccine currently in Phase 3 trials and for vaccines from CanSino Biologics and Oxford/ AstraZeneca. What side effects have been observed? Physicians have recorded mild to moderate reactions when the subjects were observed up to 28 days after vaccination. These side effects included mild pain, warmth and tenderness at the site of injection and fever, fatigue, joint and muscle pain. But Phase 1 and 2 studies are by small by design, with just hundreds of participants. So these trials will not be large enough to detect uncommon or rare
side effects. The emphasis on safety as the primary goal was recently demonstrated in the Phase 3 Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine trial where one vaccinated individual developed inflammation of the spinal cord. It isn’t clear whether the vaccine caused this reaction – it might be a new case of multiple sclerosis unrelated to the vaccine – but the Phase 3 trial was halted in the US until more is known.
secondary endpoint.
How many people have to be vaccinated to know if a vaccine works in Phase 3? The current Phase 3 trials are enrolling 30,000-40,000 subjects. Most of these participants will receive the vaccine and some a placebo. When, exactly, the results of Phase 3 studies will be released depends in large part on the rate of infection in the placebo recipients. The way that these vaccine studies work is that they How is the FDA ensuring test if naturally acquired that a vaccine will be safe new coronavirus infecyet quickly produced? tions are lower in the group The FDA has issued that received the vaccine guidance for industry on compared with the group the steps required for receiving the placebo. developing and So while it ultimately licensis good news ing vaccines to Overall, that COVID-19 prevent COVID- vaccination infections have 19 – these are the has triggered dropped recently same rigorous in the US from safety standards a more potent 70,000 to 40,000 required for all neutralising cases per day, vaccines. this drop in new antibody There are, infections may however, ways response than slow the vaccine to speed the pro- even that seen studies. cess of approval in patients that are centred Will Emeron “platform recovering gency Use technology”. Authorisafrom What this means COVID-19. tion fast-track is that if a vacvaccine? cine is using an In an emerapproach such as an adeno- gency such as we are faced virus that has previously with the COVID-19 panbeen shown to be safe, it demic, with approximately may be possible for a com- 700 new deaths and 40,000 pany to use previously new cases per day right collected data on toxic- now, the FDA is authorised ity and pharmacokinetics to allow the use of unapto fast-track clinical trial proved products for the approval. diagnosis, treatment and While speed and safety prevention of disease. That may appear conflicting includes a vaccine. goals, it is also encouraging The standard approval to note that the rival vac- process for vaccines can cine manufacturers have require more than one jointly pledged not to bow year of observation after to any political pressures to vaccination. If the shortrush vaccine approval, but term safety is good and the to maintain the most rigor- vaccine works to prevent ous safety standards. COVID-19, then the vaccine should be approved for use under an Emergency HOW TO DEVELOP A Use Authorization while it VACCINE, QUICKLY is still being studied. Under Emergency How protective does a Use Authorisation, the vaccine need be to receive FDA will continue to colFDA approval? lect information from the The FDA has set the bar companies producing the for the primary endpoint of vaccines for benefit and a Phase 3 trial of 50 percent harm, including surveilprotection for approval of a lance for vaccine-associated COVID-19 vaccine. enhanced respiratory disProtection is defined ease or other potentially as protection from rare complications that symptomatic COVID- might be observed in only 19 infection, defined as one in a million. laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection plus What should we expect in symptoms such as fever terms of approvals? or chills, cough, shortness I expect that the FDA of breath, fatigue, muscle will approve several vacaches, loss of taste or cines by the end of 2020 smell, congestion or runny under its Emergency Use nose, diarrhea, nausea or Authorisation authority so vomiting. that vaccination can begin This means that an effec- immediately, starting with tive vaccine is considered high-risk groups including one that will reduce the first responders, health care number of infections in personnel, the elderly and vaccine recipients by half. those with preexisting medThis is the minimal protec- ical conditions. tion that is anticipated to be This will be followed clinically useful. That is, in rapidly with roll-out of vacpart, because lower levels of cination to the population efficacy could paradoxically at large, while all of the increase COVID-19 infec- time the FDA and vaccine tions if it leads vaccinated manufacturers will continue people to decrease mask to monitor for side effects wearing or social distancing and work to improve upon because they think they are these first vaccines. This completely protected. process is expected to take Since a vaccine might months. be more effective at preIt may not be life back venting severe COVID-19, to normal next year, but all the FDA instructs that signs point to a healthier protection from severe 2021. COVID-19 should be a
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Wednesday, September 23, 2020, PAGE 11 PRESIDENT Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, before leaving for a short trip to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and then onto Pittsburgh for a campaign rally. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
SENATE GOP PLANS VOTE ON TRUMP’S SUPREME COURT PICK BEFORE ELECTION By LISA MASCARO, ZEKE MILLER and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Votes in hand, Senate Republicans are charging ahead with plans to approve President Donald Trump’s pick to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat before the Nov. 3 election, launching their divisive confirmation fight over Democratic objections before a nominee is even announced. Trump said Tuesday he will name his choice on Saturday, confident of support. Democrats say it’s too close to the election, and the winner of the presidency should name the new justice. But under GOP planning, the Senate could vote Oct. 29. “I guess we have all the votes we’re going to need,” Trump told WJBX FOX 2 in Detroit. “I think it’s going to happen.” Republicans believe the court fight will energise voters for Trump, boosting the party and potentially deflating Democrats who cannot stop the lifetime appointment for a conservative justice. The Senate is controlled by Republicans, 53-47, with a simple majority needed for confirmation. The one remaining possible Republican holdout, Mitt Romney of Utah, said Tuesday he supports taking a vote. Still, with early presidential voting already underway in several states, all sides are girding for a wrenching Senate battle over health care, abortion access and other big cases before the court and sure to further split the torn nation. It is one of the quickest confirmation efforts in recent times. No court nominee in U.S. history has been considered so close to a presidential election. And it all comes as the nation is marking the grave milestone of 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic. During a private lunch meeting Tuesday at Senate GOP campaign headquarters, several Republican senators spoke up in favour of voting before the election. None advocated a delay. Elsewhere, as tributes poured in for Ginsburg with vigils and flowers at the court’s steps, Democrats led by presidential nominee Joe Biden vowed a tough fight. The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, said that “we should honour her dying wish,” which was that her seat not be filled until the man who wins the presidential election is installed, in January. But that seemed no longer an option. So far, two Republicans have said they oppose taking up a nomination at this time, but no others are in sight. Under Senate rules, Vice President Mike Pence could break a tie vote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made no scheduling announcements. But hearings could start as soon as Oct. 12 by the Senate Judiciary Committee, with a vote in the full Senate by Oct. 29, according to a GOP aide granted anonymity to discuss deliberations. McConnell said more information would be coming once Trump announces his choice. After Trump met with
conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett at the White House on Monday he told reporters he would interview other candidates and might meet with Judge Barbara Lagoa when he travels to Florida later this week. Conversations in the White House and McConnell’s office have been increasingly focused on Barrett and Lagoa, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private deliberations.
AMY Coney Barrett (Robert Franklin/South Bend Tribune via AP, File) Barrett, 48, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, has long been favoured by conservatives. Those familiar with the process said interest inside the White House seemed to be waning for Lagoa amid concerns she did not have a proven record as a conservative jurist. Lagoa has been pushed by Florida’s governor, and aides tout her political advantages of being Hispanic and hailing from the key political battleground state. Democrats point to hypocrisy in Republicans trying to rush through a pick so close to the election after McConnell led the GOP in refusing to vote on a nominee of President
Barack Obama in February 2016, long before that year’s election. Romney, the GOP’s 2012 presidential nominee, dismissed that argument, saying “it was not unfair” for Republicans to refuse to consider Obama’s choice of Merrick Garland. The Utah Republican backed up his decision by saying it’s not “written in the stars” that the court should have a liberal bent. He said Trump’s pick will tip the court to become more conservative, and he said that is appropriate “for a nation which is, if you will, centre right, to have a court which reflects a centre right point of view.” At the private lunch, Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana said, senators advocating swift voting warned of “too many complications” if the process is delayed until after the election — presumably if Biden wins the White House or Republicans lose the Senate. Conservative groups pushing for swift approval also argue the election result could be disputed with legal battles dragging on for weeks. Democrats say voters should speak first, on Election Day, and the winner of the White House should fill the vacancy. Biden appealed to GOP senators to “uphold your constitutional duty, your conscience” and wait until after the election. But few Republicans are willing to cross Trump. The president has criticised Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for opposing a Senate vote before elections. Trump warned they would be “very badly hurt” by voters in November. Collins went further Tuesday saying she would vote against Trump’s pick, “not because I might not support that nominee under
normal circumstances but we’re simply too close to the election.” Republicans anticipate an election-year boost from the debate over abortion, healthcare and other issues before the court. “These sorts of fights bring Republicans together,” said Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., the party’s Senate campaign chairman. At a memorial on the National Mall marking the 200,000 COVID deaths, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid tribute to Ginsburg and warned against Trump’s coming court challenge to the Affordable Care Act. “It’s a time for us to vote health,” she said. The mounting clash over the vacant seat injects new turbulence in the presidential campaign with the nation still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic and shattered economy, with millions unemployed and heightened partisan tensions and anger. Ginsburg, 87, died Friday of metastatic pancreatic cancer. She will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol this week, the first woman accorded that honor. Her casket will be on view Wednesday and Thursday on the steps of the high court. No nominee has won confirmation so quickly since Sandra Day O’Connor — with no opposition from either party — became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court in 1981. ___ Associated Press writers Mark Sherman, Andrew Taylor, Matthew Daly, Kevin Freking and Mike Balsamo in Washington, Alex Jaffe in Philadelphia, Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Steve Peoples and Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report.
BETA WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION, STALLS OVER TEXAS COAST By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Beta weakened to a tropical depression Tuesday as it parked itself over the Texas coast, raising concerns of extensive flooding in Houston and areas farther inland. Beta, which made landfall late Monday as a tropical storm just north of Port O’Connor, is the first storm named for a Greek letter to make landfall in the continental United States. Forecasters ran out of traditional storm names last week, forcing the use of the Greek alphabet for only the second time since the 1950s. By Tuesday afternoon, Beta was 40 miles (64 kilometres) north of Port O’Connor, Texas, with maximum sustained winds of 30 mph (48 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was moving east-northeast at 5 mph (8 kilometres) and was expected to crawl inland along the coast over Texas through Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center said parts of the Houston area had seen up to 14 inches (36 centimetres) of rain by Tuesday afternoon. One area in Brazoria County, located south of Houston along the coast, got nearly 18 inches (46 centimetres) of rain in the last two days.
Flooding Street flooding was reported in parts of the Houston area. Fire Chief Samuel Peña said first responders had done nearly 100 water rescues on city roadways since Monday evening. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said there were preliminary reports of some home flooding along a creek south of Houston. Both Hidalgo, the top elected official in Harris County, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner urged residents to stay home and off the roads. About 70 barricades had been placed throughout the city in high water areas. “Your sedan is not a submarine. Your minivan is not magical. So stay off the roads right now,” Hidalgo said. “Your destination is not worth your life. It’s not worth the life of the first responder that’s going to have to come and rescue you if you drive into high water and are stuck there.” Houston-area officials worried additional rainfall Tuesday evening and Wednesday on already saturated ground and waterways could result in more flooding.
Houston resident Adam Matter, who was out near a flooded downtown area bayou on Tuesday, said Beta’s flooding was “serious in spots. You should avoid those spots, but I don’t think it’s anything to be too concerned about.” Beta was the ninth named storm that made landfall in the continental U.S. this year. That tied a record set in 1916, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. Beta was expected to move over Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi later in the week, bringing the risk of flash flooding. However, forecasters and officials reassured residents that Beta was not expected to be another Hurricane Harvey or Tropical Storm Imelda. Harvey in 2017 dumped more than 50 inches (127 centimetres) of rain on Houston, causing $125 billion in damage in Texas. Imelda, which hit Southeast Texas last year, was one of the wettest cyclones on record. Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 29 Texas counties on Monday, ahead of Beta’s arrival. Beta was forecast to dump heavy rain on the southwestern corner of Louisiana three weeks after the same area got pounded by Hurricane Laura. The rainfall and storm surge prompted Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards to declare a state of emergency. Parts of the Alabama coast and Florida Panhandle were still reeling from Hurricane Sally, which roared ashore Sept. 16, causing at least two deaths. Meanwhile, Hurricane Teddy was moving toward Canada, with a predicted landfall in Nova Scotia early Wednesday before heading into Newfoundland on Wednesday night, forecasters said. The large and powerful storm was causing dangerous rip currents along the U.S. East Coast, the hurricane centre said. Teddy was about 300 miles (480 kilometres) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Tuesday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 kph). It was expected to weaken through Wednesday, but forecasters said it would likely be a strong, post-tropical cyclone when it moves in and over Nova Scotia. Paulette, which made landfall last week in Bermuda as a hurricane, regenerated near the Azores but was weakening Tuesday, the hurricane centre said. Now a tropical storm, Paulette was expected to become a posttropical remnant low in the next day or so.
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Downtown chief supporting private island cruise return FROM PAGE 24 and co-operation between them and local tour operators, is the only way to go. “Step by step is the right way. To open everything at once I think would be a mistake. It’s not an easy process. We’ve got to rely on the cruise lines’ expertise. It’s a difficult issue and not everybody has an answer.” Other tourism stakeholders, though, were less thrilled at the cruise industry’s decision to relaunch by passing Nassau and other locations where its economic impact is felt most in favour of their Bahamian private islands - something Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, indicated the government is prepared to accept to secure the cruise industry’s return. Peter Rebmann, Pearl Island’s managing partner, said of the cruise lines’ plan: “This would be a catastrophe for every tour operator
Economic realities’ to dictate COVID support
FROM PAGE 24
really ramp up until the late fall/November timeframe. Unfortunately, it is a fact that the major hotels have already announced they will not be ready in time to meet the (October 15 tourism reopening) date,” Mr Turnquest said. “That does delay some of the recovery that we anticipate will happen. But we do hope that some of the smaller properties, the Airbnb-type properties, would be able to pick up some slack - not obviously to the level of what we would lose by not having the major hotels - but hopefully we would be able to provide some level of activity for
in Nassau. That would most likely mean first quarter 2021, no business at all. I would not understand the decision from the side of The Bahamas. We cannot hold the fort forever. Our last day of income was March 16.” The cruise lines’ decision to head to its private islands first, and only send passengers on pre-approved tours with Bahamian vendors whose health protocols have been vetted, had been long flagged in advance. This, though, means no cruise passengers wandering freely down Bay Street, and The Bahamas would appear to have little to no leverage over when ships will return to Nassau. Some vendors even went so far as to suggest that The Bahamas not permit the cruise industry’s private islands return unless it comes to Nassau. Reverend Esther Thompson, president of the Straw Business Persons Society, said: “I don’t feel like they should
open the country to that. That doesn’t make any sense. “Everyone is looking for opportunity, and if you allow them to do that they will continue to do that. I say open the country when everything is ready. How do you expect straw vendors and Bahamians at large to benefit? We need leaders with vision for the people. Our leaders are very shortsighted. Their vision is up there; their decisions are not benefiting the people on the ground. “I don’t feel like the country should open until they have a sound economic plan for tourism, until they have a plan for every Bahamian to benefit from. They need to get this virus under control. I don’t know what games they are playing, because even the domestic tourism wasn’t ready to open. I don’t know what that is they did on us.” Wesley Ferguson, the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s (BTCU) president, said of the cruise industry’s private island drive: “It was Michael Maura [Nassau Cruise Port’s chief executive] and I who had a conversation,
and I told him to get that out of his head. “He said a few months ago that cruise ship operators had devised this plan where the cruise ship passengers would have a pre-arranged destinations with certain tour buses, and the people would stay the day at certain locations without interacting with the people downtown. The cruise ship people will organise their own travel bubble and control that so the downtown vendors would not benefit from the cruise ship passengers until we have gotten rid of COVID-19.” Mr Ferguson added: “I told him I was very disappointed in that, because I told him if the cruise ship passengers were to come and the downtown businesses and people would not benefit, then they may as well not come. This is the same thing with minister (Dionisio) D’Aguilar and this VIP programme he wants to put in place; the poor people would not benefit from these people when they come to our shores. “I would hope that the Bahamas government realises that in order to grow the
the community and people to be able to at least make a couple of dollars.” However, the mandatory 14-day quarantine period imposed on all persons arriving in The Bahamas has effectively shuttered the Airbnb and vacation rental market. Its customers are those tourists who want to go off-property and explore what The Bahamas has to offer - a model that has been halted in its tracks by these restrictions. And small hotel properties, while better placed to re-open, are often closed in October anyway given that it is traditionally the second-slowest month in the tourism season. The delayed re-opening of Baha Mar and other major resorts also means that the airlift smaller hotels also rely on will be substantially reduced. Mr Turnquest, meanwhile, acknowledged the possibility that the government will have to revise its forecasts. “As we go into the late fall and the early Spring, things
will start to become more immediate for us in terms of having to look at making any adjustments that may be necessary because then we would expect to start seeing the real impact of this reduced activity,” he said. “So at the moment we are holding; we are still able to meet our commitments. We are still able to provide the same level of assistance we have been able to provide for people to try and help them through this period, but this is a fluid situation and we continue to monitor and make adjustments as necessary.” The government had been hoping an imminent hotel industry return would enable it to wind-down its social and business assistance initiatives, which are due to expire at September’s end. These include programmes such as the 13-week unemployment benefit extension; then Small Business Continuity loan programme; and the tax deferral and credit initiative.
With the tourism industry’s rebound set to be slow and protracted, the government’s hoped-for outcome is unlikely to occur. Yet, despite the continued needs of unemployed Bahamians and their families, it has given no indication as to whether these initiatives will be extended. There has also been silence over whether the temporary furlough, which allows businesses to send staff home without paying them full severance, will be extended beyond end-September. Several sources have suggested this runs until the emergency powers orders end, and the government plans this week to extend them to end-October. The government and National Insurance Board (NIB) have to-date paid out $146.5m to some 43,200 persons, and Mr Turnquest said: “The government has made it a priority to give as much assistance as we can to the Bahamian people.”
MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com
TUESDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2020
BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:
CLOSE
CHANGE
2092.35
-2.68
%CHANGE
YTD
YTD%
-0.13 -139.25
-6.24
(242) 323-2330 (242) 323-2320
BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 4.08 22.65 2.00 1.79 2.46 6.00 6.75 5.00 8.59 4.50 6.16 12.77 3.64 5.50 10.88 8.44 16.99 4.25 9.40 15.21
52WK LOW 3.13 20.91 0.67 1.65 1.67 5.40 5.39 2.70 5.05 3.62 5.60 11.05 2.71 3.19 9.60 7.50 13.04 3.20 8.00 13.90
PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00
1.00
1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00
1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00
1.00 10.00 1.00
1.00 10.00 0.90
SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Benchmark Bahamas First Holdings Limited Bank of Bahamas Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Cable Bahamas Commonwealth Brewery Commonwealth Bank Colina Holdings CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard Fidelity Bank Focol Finco J. S. Johnson
SYMBOL AML APD BBL BFH BOB BPF BWL CAB CBB CBL CHL CIB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FCL FIN JSJ
Bahamas First Holdings Preference Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A Fidelity Bank Class A Focol Class B
BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB
CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00
52WK LOW 100.00 100.00
115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00
104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
52WK HI 2.34 4.41 2.12 198.39 168.29 1.69 1.85 1.77 1.24 8.34 10.26 7.08 12.15 12.71 10.81 10.00 8.98 11.79
52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.64 1.79 1.73 1.06 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20
SECURITY Fidelity Bank Note 22 (Series B) + Bahamas First Holdings Limited
SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB
BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing)
MUTUAL FUNDS
MARKET TERMS
Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2015-1-3Y BGS: 2014-12-5Y BGS: 2015-1-5Y BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-3Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-3Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y
BAH29 BG0203 BG0105 BG0205 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0303 BG0307 BG0330 BG0403 BG0407
LAST CLOSE 3.80 17.43 1.62 1.75 1.67 6.00 6.75 3.00 5.10 3.77 6.10 11.26 2.26 5.50 9.90 8.44 14.30 3.96 8.97 15.20
CLOSE 3.80 17.43 1.62 1.65 1.67 6.00 6.75 3.00 5.10 3.77 6.00 11.26 2.23 5.50 9.98 8.44 14.30 3.96 8.97 15.20
1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.95
1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.95
LAST SALE 100.00 100.00
CLOSE 100.00 100.00
CHANGE 0.00 0.00
107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Preferred Income Fund Leno Growth Fund Leno Diversified Fund Leno Global USD Bond Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Equities Sub Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - High Yield Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F
BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00 52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks 52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume Change - Change in closing price from day to day Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings
CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.10) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.10) 0.00 (0.03) 0.00 0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
VOLUME
10,000
5,964
24,000
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.000 0.070 1.760 0.369 -0.438 0.140 0.184 0.449 0.722 0.102 0.467 0.646 0.728 0.816 0.203 0.939 0.631 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
VOLUME
NAV 2.34 4.41 2.12 196.40 163.60 1.68 1.81 1.76 1.07 8.30 9.90 7.08 11.27 12.71 10.23 N/A 8.93 11.27
DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.000 0.120 0.220 0.720 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.120 0.200 0.610 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
P/E 15.9 18.7 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.3 -6.8 36.4 20.5 13.4 15.6 21.9 11.8 15.4 11.6 17.5 19.5 9.6 24.1
YIELD 4.47% 7.23% 1.23% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 3.85% 0.00% 0.00% 3.18% 3.67% 6.39% 19.46% 1.09% 3.29% 2.84% 3.78% 3.03% 2.23% 4.01%
0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%
INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%
19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025
6.95% 4.00% 4.25% 4.25% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.00% 4.50% 6.25% 3.50% 4.25%
20-Nov-2029 30-Jul-2018 16-Dec-2019 30-Jul-2020 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2018 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2018 15-Oct-2022
YTD% 12 MTH% 2.54% 4.13% 1.12% 2.44% 1.38% 2.55% 0.65% 2.50% -1.88% 3.33% 1.10% 2.34% -2.43% 1.49% 0.34% 2.43% -11.07% -9.92% -0.45% 8.36% -3.20% 11.46% 2.10% 5.15% -6.17% 3.54% 2.92% 5.55% -4.66% -3.81% N/A N/A -4.20% 0.20% -8.60% -2.90%
MATURITY
NAV Date
31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 30-Jun-2020 30-Jun-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-Jul-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 31-May-2020 30-Jun-2020
economy the small man and poor people need to benefit. They need to re-open and be fully operational. One way they can accomplish this is to allow the small business people to benefit from the cruise ship passengers when they come back, and that is how you jumpstart the economy, instead of trying to jump-start the economy from the top from the rich people who don’t need the support.” It is uncertain, too, how cruise ship visitors will be impacted by the mandatory 14-day quarantine that The Bahamas has in place. And, of equal concern, is that the Healthy Sail plan calls on cruise lines to consider local COVID-19 infection rates, and a destination’s capacity to test and contact trace - both areas where The Bahamas is not faring too well - in selecting which ports to call at. “While in the longterm cruise operators will desire to return to a larger selection of available destinations, the panel recommends that in the initial stage of return to service that they focus on cruises to their cruise-lined owned and operated destinations
Some workers pushing Atlantis for severance FROM PAGE 24
Workers Union (BHCAWU) presidential candidate, was among those urging the mega resort to end a situation where workers are “hanging in limbo” over their jobs and financial assistance. With the government yet to formally announce whether the social assistance initiatives it is offering will continue beyond end-September, which is presently when the temporary furlough period also expires, and no date for Atlantis’ reopening, Mr Beckford urged the resort to put workers out of their misery. Arguing that “we cannot survive” indefinitely on the $150 per week provided by the government’s unemployment benefit extension, he added: “There are many hotel workers I’ve spoken to personally who would rather accept a severance package, move on and find some other way to get employed. Several persons I have spoken to would like to get their package and cut ties. “The million dollar question is that even if Atlantis opens up in November, December or January, it can’t hire all those workers back. It does not make sense
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT (No. 46 of 2000) LIRA GLOBAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FUND LTD. IBC No. 169608 B (In Voluntary Liquidation) NOTICE is hereby given that as follows: (a)
That LIRA GLOBAL INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES FUND LTD. is in Dissolution under the provisions of The International Business Companies Act 2000.
(b)
The Dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 19th day of June 2020 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted and registered by the Registrar General.
(c)
The Liquidator of the Company is Sterling (Bahamas) Ltd of 2nd Floor, Saffrey Square, Bank Lane and Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas.
(d)
Any person having a Claim against the above named Company are required on or before the 20th day of July 2020 to send their name, address and particulars of the debt or claim to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is approved
Sterling (Bahamas) Limited Liquidator LEGAL NOTICE
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT (No. 46 of 2000) FANTASY SPORTS SHARK LTD. IBC No. 201536 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
NOTICE is hereby given that as follows: (a)
That FANTASY SPORTS SHARK LTD. is in Dissolution under the provisions of The International Business Companies Act 2000.
(b)
The Dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 7th September 2020 when the Articles of Dissolution were submitted and registered by the Registrar General.
(c)
The Liquidator of the Company is Sterling (Bahamas) Limited of 2nd Floor, Saffrey Square, Bank Lane and Bay Street, Nassau, Bahamas.
(d)
Any person having a Claim against the above name Company are required on or before the 7th day of October day of 2020 to send their name, address and particulars of the debt or claim to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is approved.
30-Jun-2020
TO TRADE CALL: CFAL 242-502-7010 | ROYALFIDELITY 242-356-7764 | COLONIAL 242-502-7525 | LENO 242-396-3225 | BENCHMARK 242-326-7333
for them to hire everybody back if they do not have high occupancy rates and there are not enough people in the hotel. “We’re not about bashing Atlantis, the government and employers, but what is stopping Atlantis from giving employees separation packages? The government can’t keep extending for ever. We want to know what the plan is. We seem to be hanging in limbo. Are we supposed to settle for $150 a week to the end of the year. Baha Mar and the Hilton made people redundant. What’s stopping Atlantis”?” By taking separation packages now, workers run the risk of being unable to find a job elsewhere in the COVID-19 scarred economy. And, having been shut for six months, many employers - no matter how large - may lack the resources to make major severance payments. “The government unemployment benefit is going to soon end,” Mr Beckford added. “Where does that leave us as hotel workers? We’re the backbone of the industry. What is going to happen to us as workers? We cannot be left hanging in the balance. We don’t deserve it.”
NOTICE
30-Jun-2020
YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths NAV - Net Asset Value N/M - Not Meaningful
(private destinations) or tightly controlled ports if their own private destinations are not a reasonable option,” the Healthy Sail report said. “The panel recognises that it is not sustainable in the long-term to limit sailings to only private or strictly controlled destinations. But as a test case, in the initial phase of sailing, the panel believes there is a significant advantage to starting in these locations.” While The Bahamas will benefit from the recommendation that sailing resume via short voyages, the plan added: “The panel recommends that cruise operators initially prohibit self-guided tours and independent exploration, and only allow certain curated indoor activities until further notice. “Cruise operators should also leverage their existing agreements with vendors to further implement controls to reduce the likelihood of guests contracting COVID19 while on shore. The panel recommends that in the start-up phase, guests should only be permitted to disembark at ports if they are taking cruise line-sponsored excursions.”
Sterling (Bahamas) Limited Liquidator
THE TRIBUNE
Wednesday, September 23, 2020, PAGE 21
Cruise port’s $25m in ‘delay draw’ deal FROM PAGE 24 Given that the entire $150m was not needed in a single lump sum to finance Prince George Wharf’s transformation, he indicated to analysts that deferring acceptance of the final $25m meant Nassau Cruise Port would not immediately incur any obligation to pay interest on that portion of investor capital. “All but $25m was raised upfront,” Mr Fomferra said of Nassau Cruise Port’s bond offering, which was placed at the height of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. “Just to reconcile for readers of the financial statements, you will see that the amount of the bond outstanding at the time of reporting was $125m. “Firm subscriptions have been received for $150m, but to minimise the negative carry we have agreed with certain investors a delayed draw feature. Throughout the remainder of this year we collect the other; the outstanding $25m, so we will go to $150m outstanding on the bond by year-end.” Global Ports Holding did not name the investors involved in the “delayed
draw” deal, while Michael Maura, Nassau Cruise Port’s chief executive, could not be reached for comment despite Tribune Business efforts via phone call and What’s App. However, one investor yesterday voiced surprise that the arrangement had not been disclosed previously to the wider capital markets. “It appears there was a deal within a deal,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity and confirming this was the first they had heard of a “delayed draw”. The $25m “delayed draw” piece largely represents the over-subscribed portion of Nassau Cruise Port’s bond offering. The port developer, in which Global Ports Holding has a 49 percent equity interest and management control, had initially sought to raise $130m but received sufficient subscriptions to hit $150m. Mehmet Kutman, Global Ports Holding’s founder and chairman, told the same conference call that Nassau Cruise Port was “pushing very hard” to complete Prince George Wharf’s $224m redevelopment some two to three months ahead of the April 2022 finish target.
While construction work was some 42 days behind schedule presently, Mr Kutman said an earlier finish would boost Nassau Cruise Port’s operating income and revenue margins. “Right now we are unfortunately not ahead of schedule,” he admitted to analysts. “We are around 42 days behind schedule, but when I have spoken to our construction company they hope to finish it ahead of schedule. The reason we are behind schedule is because the country was locked down [for COVID-19], like most places, so the construction people could not get in. “We are set to complete construction by April 2022, [but are looking at] maybe two to three months before that, and are pushing that very hard. You are right. The sooner we are finished, the higher those margins, the EBITDA (earnings before income, taxation, depreciation and amortisation) and revenues will be.” Global Ports Holding’s financial statements revealed that Nassau Cruise Port will require no further financing for its construction works until the 2021 second half, with the existing bond
proceeds sufficient to cover the marine works and take the project into its landbased phase next year. Mr Kutman also forecast that Prince George Wharf’s transformation could be funded solely from debt financing, and that the proposed $74.3m equity component will not be required before the 2021 second and fourth quarters. “So far nobody has put in any equity yet,” he said. “We’re supposed to put in equity. There’s a strong possibility that it will be fully debt financed.” Global Ports Holding and The Bahamas Investment Fund, the latter of which will be the vehicle through which Bahamian investors will have an ownership interest in the cruise port, will each invest for a 49 percent stake while the non-profit Yes Foundation will own the remaining two percent. “The marine component is contracted and under way, which will carry us through into 2021,” Mr Fomferra added. “That marine component [of construction] is fully funded by the bond. Total capital expenditure there would be in the region of $100m-$110m, so there is
another $70m-$80m to go under this. “Then, in 2021, we’re looking to complete the landside development and any necessary financing needed for completion of the project.” The marine works involve the extension and expansion of two berthing piers at Prince George Wharf. The old Customs warehouse has already been demolished, while the present Festival Place facility will endure similar treatment within the next fortnight. “This phase will involve completing the marine works, which includes material purchases, an expansion of the berthing capacity of the port, and upgrades to existing infrastructure,” Global Ports Holding added of the marine works. “In 2021, phase three will see the completion of the landside works, including the new arrivals terminal and plaza, Junkanoo Museum, retail Market Place, amphitheatre, and other food and beverage and entertainment spaces. “The project will also see the port integrated into Bay Street with the expectation that it will serve as a catalyst for the wider development of downtown
Nassau. Transforming not just Nassau Cruise Port into one of the iconic cruise destinations in the world but also transforming the experience for cruise passengers, locals and the cruise lines, while generating local jobs and driving economic growth.” Global Ports Holding’s financials said some $29.8m had been invested in Prince George Wharf’s redevelopment by end-June 2020. They also disclosed that the accounting treatment for the construction project had boosted the company’s group-wide revenues by some $22m year-to-date, boosting first-half cruise revenues by almost 42 percent to $33.9m. This is because the concession agreement with the government, which allows Global Port Holdings to manage and run the Nassau Cruise Port on a long-term lease, enables it to recognise construction spending as revenue under international financial reporting standards. The project is effectively treated as a public-private partnership (PPP) run under a build, own operate, transfer (BOOT) deal.
‘Meaningful recovery’ needs 50-75% of tourism staff back FROM PAGE 24 there or we’re it, but we’re almost the most likely to be severely impacted by this problem out of all the countries I can think about. “We are a very small, open economy. We are a bit of a one-horse town. If you take away tourism we’re not left with much, which is going to affect us. So until we can recover our tourism business in a meaningful way; that is to say we’re able to send back 50-75 percent of those persons who work in the tourism sector, until we get there we’re going to be struggling. “What is carrying us now, and what I think is going to carry us for the next year really, is the extent to which the government can finance the cost of doing nothing..... Bottom line: The government is going to have to finance
this stagnation for the next 12 months. However much money is necessary to do that, I really don’t know,” he continued. “We’ve seen the expense on the government to provide food supplies to the populace has been growing steadily. This is what life looks like for The Bahamas until we return to a viable tourism business.” Mr Francis, now holds numerous private sector interests, said that based on his conversations with international investors and lenders there was “continued interest” in The Bahamas such that the government should have no difficulty borrowing and accessing debt financing over the short-term. And, while praising the government for “putting in motion” efforts to alter The Bahamas’ tourism-dependent model through the Economic Recovery Committee (ERC),
INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL RESEARCH CORPORATION (In Voluntary Liquidation) Company No. (635499)
NOTICE is hereby given pursuant to Section 204, subsection (1)(b) of the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004 that the Company is in voluntary liquidation. The voluntary liquidation commenced on 15th September, 2020. The Liquidator is Rexella Hodge of Wickhams Cay II, Road Town, Tortola, VG 1110, British Virgin Islands. Dated 15th September, 2020
(Sgd.) Rexella Hodge Voluntary Liquidator
he argued that the development of new industries and a diversified economy will be a medium to long-term objective that takes time. “Let’s be frank with ourselves: That’s going to take some time, especially when the rest of the world is having the same challenges we are,” the ex-Central Bank governor told this newspaper. “Whatever we can do now we’re in competition with everyone else who’s trying to figure out how to rebuild their economic model, and the rest of the world are in a similarly desperate situation. It’s not the kind of environment to be looking outside for solutions.” Mr Francis, who is chairman of BISXlisted Commonwealth Brewery, wrote in the company’s annual report that 2020 was likely to be the most
difficult year endured by the Bahamian economy and its private sector for decades as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns, restrictions and drop-off in business activity. “It is already evident that 2020 will be perhaps the most difficult year for the economy and its business and industrial sectors for many decades,” he said. “It is already evident that small, open economies such as that of The Bahamas, exposed as they are to global vibrations and lacking the facilities available to more developed nations, will be the most severely impacted by these developments.” Speaking to this newspaper yesterday, Mr Francis said that while there were initial signs of tourism stirring its revival was not going to occur “overnight”. The present restrictions, especially the mandatory 14-day quarantine
period for all visitors, remain a significant obstacle to its rebound. “We have to wait and see how quickly the major hotel properties recover their business and ramp up,” he added. “I spoke to one of the big hotels a week ago and they were saying we certainly hope, maybe around Thanksgiving, that we will begin the process gradually ramping up, but it’s going to be slow. “They have to experiment a bit with how they keep people safe, and will have to implement measures around how they do that. That’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to be a very slow process from where we are now to where we have a significant amount of business recovered. “I believe that translates into a best-case scenario of between the middle of next
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year to this time next year. That could be frustrated by any continued or actual resurgence of problems in the US. We don’t know what’s going to happen there when winter sets in. Again, it’s going to be a slow process and is not going to provide a sufficient economic solution for The Bahamas.” Still, Mr Francis said the US winter’s arrival could still drive customers from a market that provides 82 percent of this country’s visitors to vacation in The Bahamas provided they can do so in the “bubble” proposed by the Ministry of Tourism’s VIP Vacation in Place - proposal. Yet despite hopes for a tourism rebound, the ex-Central Bank governor warned: “This is going to be a very quiet Christmas for most people. Bahamians, if they are smart, won’t plan to spend much money. Don’t borrow money that does not make sense, and keep the budget tight. We’ll get over this some time next year, and see light at the end of the tunnel. If we hold on we will get there.”
PAGE 22, Wednesday, September 23, 2020
THE TRIBUNE
GOVT ‘WON’T JUMP’ AT EVERY LOAN OFFER By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE deputy prime minster yesterday pledged that the government “will not jump” at loan offers touting immediate savings but which could place The Bahamas’ financial stability at risk long-term. K Peter Turnquest, speaking outside the Cabinet Office yesterday, said the government had already borrowed $500m of the planned $1.3bn for the 2020-2021 fiscal year from a combination of multilateral institutions, such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and local commercial banks. He added: “As you know we went to parliament for
K PETER TURNQUEST a borrowing resolution of $1.3bn. Of that resolution to-date we have taken loans of $500m. So, the balance of that $1.3bn is still available to us. We would have indicated already that we intend to go to the capital markets some time later this year for significant borrowing, which will give us the balance we
need to carry us through this fiscal year. “So far we are holding in line with our projections. Our revenue is obviously significantly down year-on-year taking into account all that has happened, and that the tourism plant still remains closed, but we are trending just a little bit above where we thought we would be at this month. “Of course it is still early in the reporting, but we continue to monitor as carefully as possible our expenditure, and we continue to try to maximise our revenue yields given all that is available to us. We will continue to monitor and make adjustments as we go forward to ensure that we maintain stability, and that we are able to meet
Mr Major is the first Bahamian to obtain an LLM in international aviation law, completing his programme requirements with straight “A’s” and the top score among his cohorts in both private and public international aviation law. He has recently authored commentaries on aviation law topics including drones, “hacking” and air accident investigations in The Bahamas. Mr Major provided The Bahamas’ chapters in both the Legal 500 Aviation Country Comparative Guide (2020) and Lexology Getting the Deal Through – Air Transport (2021).
Doctors Hospital
AGM
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
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The Board of Directors of Doctors Hospital Health System Limited advises the shareholders of the 2020 Annual General Meeting. The meeting will be held virtually via Zoom. To register for the AGM we invite shareholders to complete our online registration form by visiting www.doctorshosp.com/shareholders and clicking the "Register for AGM" button. Vetted shareholders will receive the meeting information in advance of the meeting. You can read the annual report on our website www.DoctorsHosp.com or obtain a copy from our corporate office on #11 Collins Avenue.
Date September 24th, 2020 Time 11:00am w w w.doc torshosp.com
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ensure that, again, we are only accessing markets with integrity and sustainability and, at the end of the day, we look to see what is in the best interest of the Bahamian people in the long-term.” The government is now setting up a debt management unit in the Ministry of Finance, and Mr Turnquest believe there “is some room for sophistication” in the type of debt instruments borrowed. “Traditionally we use the capital markets,” he added, “so we are issuing a bond offering later this year. We also have traditional commercial financing if the need arises. We also obviously issue Treasury Bills for short-term financing, so we have a number of instruments we can use.”
By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net
KEITH MAJOR “On behalf of Higgs & Johnson, I wish to congratulate Keith on his appointment as deputy chairman of the Board”, said comanaging partner, Oscar N Johnson, Jr. “We resolutely support the engagement of our attorneys in the civic affairs of our country, and are pleased he has been selected to serve in this manner.” “I am sincerely thankful to the Government of The Bahamas for providing me this opportunity to render service to my community in an area that I am extremely passionate about”, said Mr Major. “I am of the firm belief that the sky is truly the limit with respect to Bahamian aviation, and I look forward to making my contribution in this new capacity.”
offers that may give us some immediate savings, but in the long-term, will turn out to be a major source of risk to our stability.”. Mr Turnquest added: “We look at a well-diversified, well-stratified debt portfolio to ensure that, one, we stretch out and have multiple layers of maturities so we don’t have any balloon payments we find challenges in servicing. “We look at the quality of the debt to ensure that those persons who are offering loans to us are able to sustain and carry those loans in times where there may be crisis. In other words, they fall into trouble and demand that we pay them today. “We look at the reputation of the people that are providing the funding to
COVID restrictions hit GB’s Dorian rebound
Aviation law specialist gains top air accident appointment A HIGGS & Johnson attorney who specialises in aviation law has been named as deputy chairman of The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA). Keith Major has been appointed to the body, which now operates under the Ministry of Transport and Local Government, that has responsibility for investigating all aviation accidents within The Bahamas to determine their cause and propose safety improvements if needed. It was first established as a separate entity in 2016, and transformed into a separate and autonomous authority in December 2019. The AAIA investigates aviation accidents and incidents to determine what happened and to make recommendations to improve safety.
the commitments that are before us.” Mr Turnquest said the government was being selective over which lending offers to accept, explaining: “We get these offers all the time where persons see an opportunity, and they believe we are desperate and they ought to take advantage of that situation. I don’t blame them; they are business people. Go ahead and do that. “But, fortunately, we happen to have a very responsible government in place today who is looking at this thing not just from the short-term but looking into the future to see what our risks are and mitigating those risks. Part of mitigating those risks are to ensure that we do not jump at these
COVID-19 restrictions are further delaying Grand Bahama’s post-Hurricane Dorian recovery, the island’s Chamber of Commerce chief saying yesterday: “The situation hasn’t gotten better.” Gregory Laroda told Tribune Business: “What we are faced with really is that a lot of folks still have repairs and stuff they have to do to recover from Dorian. With the restrictions that are in place around COVID-19 it is slowing things up on the recovery side - from purchasing stuff from overseas and travel restrictions. This is hindering people’s movement in terms of getting people back up and running. “Some of the relaxation of restrictions for businesses has made things a little better for some, but this is not for those in the tourism industry and, obviously, people that operate gyms are seeing some challenges. You are hearing gyms now coming to the forefront voicing their concerns. “Then there is the uncertainty of the major hotel operators. While we may have a plan that hotels will be allowed to open as of October 15, they’re on a different schedule than that. Some of them are
A MAN views destruction after Hurricane Dorian. telling you that they aren’t opening until next year.” Mr Laroda added that the cruise industry shutdown, with Carnival and Royal Caribbean “scaling back operations” due to COVID-19, had created much uncertainty over their proposed projects on Grand Bahama. “Their plans have changed since they entered into those agreements for those investments,” he said. “The government says they still are hopeful that these projects will continue, and we are hopeful too, but only time will tell. “The longer this draws out there is more uncertainty. So while, for example, we can say we are opening up for tourism on October 15, that does not mean that hotels will be ready for opening and their business plan permits them to open. The same situation goes for the cruise industry. Being allowed to sail is one thing, but your business plan allowing you to sail feasibly is another.”
“I have seen in the news that some of the cruise lines will visit only private islands, and if they visit private islands that does not help us on Grand Bahama.” Mr Lardoda added: “We are doing things to keep us afloat, but there is a whole lot of uncertainty. To the extent that some businesses can operate, if you are selling food and building materials you are doing good in this environment, but if you’re in tourism or the hospitality industry you are in trouble. “I hear the population on the island has decreased. I have heard folks say that an island population of 30,000 would be where we are right now. In good times we had up to 50,000, and even then we are talking about critical mass and how businesses can survive with that low number. With the unemployment you are hearing numbers like 40 percent, so that is a challenge, too.”
Bahamas targets AfricanAmerican tourism summit MINISTRY of Tourism executives recently participated in a conference designed to increase African-American ownership and investment in the resort industry. The 24th annual African American Hotel Ownership & Investment Summit & Trade Show (NABHOOD) aims to grow the number of minorities managing, operating and owning hotels; develop executive-level posts for minorities; and boost vendor opportunities. Ellison “Tommy” Thompson, the Ministry’s deputy director-general, participated in an investment virtual panel along with other leaders from the Caribbean region and top hotel brands. He reassured the 200plus attendees that The Bahamas is still a prime destination for tourism and investment as shown by several developments in the pipeline. He also voiced optimism that the region will emerge from this
FROM left Ellison “Tommy” Thompson, the Ministry of Tourism’s deputy director-general, and senior business development manager for group sales – North America, Dornell Watson Dean. pandemic with a better Caribbean tourism investment climate through business, technological and social innovations. Once NABHOOD closed, the seventh annual International Multicultural & Heritage Tourism Summit & Trade Show began under the same organisers. This was
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INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that I, CHERLYNE MESIDOR of Central District Nassau, General Delivery, The Bahamas, Parent of MALYCHA-TOUMIKA-S. AUGUSTIN A minor intend to change my child’s name to MAYLCHA-TOUMIKA-S. AUGUSTIN If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.
designed to educate attendees on how to gain a share of the $90bn-plus multicultural and heritage tourism market. It included workshops and panels. Dornell Watson Dean, the Ministry’s senior business development manager for group sales – North America, said: “This market is very important to our tourism industry because we have a shared affinity for heritage and culture. “African-Americans primarily travel in groups for reunions, fraternal, religious and civic events, conferences and meetings. The Bahamas, with its close proximity to the US, wide array of tourism offerings and rich culture, is an ideal destination for AfricanAmerican travellers.”
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Cruise port’s $25m in ‘delay draw’ deal By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
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ASSAU Cruise Port only received 83 percent of its $150m bond proceeds upfront after agreeing a “delayed draw” deal with “certain investors” for the remainder to be paid by year-end, it can be revealed. Top executives with Global Ports Holding, its UK-listed controlling shareholder, revealed that this $25m will be received from those investors during the final months of 2020 during a recent conference call
• Final 17% of $150m bond paid before year-end • Global Ports chief aims to beat Nassau deadline • $30m invested to-date in Prince George Wharf with analysts to discuss the company’s half-year results. Jan Fomferra, Global Ports Holding’s chief financial officer elect, explained that the “delayed draw” arrangement which enables its Bahamian subsidiary to access this sum over a period of time - was designed to reduce Nassau Cruise Port’s interest exposure to the bondholders.
PROPOSED development of the Nassau Cruise Port.
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‘Meaningful recovery’ needs 50-75% of tourism staff back By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas’ “economic stagnation” will last at least another 12 months, an ex-Central Bank governor warned yesterday, with recovery only arriving when 50-75 percent of tourism workers are re-hired. Julian Francis, who held the post from 1997 to 2005, told Tribune Business that the government has little choice but to pick up the COVID-19 slack from the private sector and “finance the cost of doing nothing” well into 2021. Acknowledging that The Bahamas is “a one horse town” due to its dependency on tourism, Mr Francis said this made its options for effecting a rapid escape from the economic doldrums imposed by the pandemic “extremely limited”.
• Ex-Governor: COVID ‘stagnation’ to last further year • Govt must ‘finance the cost of nothing’ well into 2021 • Bahamians warned: Prepare for a quiet Christmas
JULIAN FRANCIS He added that the country’s model as a small, open economy meant it was likely to be among those most “severely impacted” by the COVID-19 fall-out until the return of “a viable tourism business”. With this objective remaining some way off, and several
major hotels delaying their return beyond the October 15 date recommended by the Ministry of Tourism, Mr Francis said The Bahamas would find it tough to secure “outside solutions” to its economic dilemmas as it must compete with multiple rivals in a similarly “desperate state”. Disclosing that one major resort had informed him it still hoped to begin its “ramp up” around Thanksgiving, the former Central Bank governor voiced optimism that the so-called “Vacation in Place” strategy proposed by the Ministry of Tourism could generate at least some business for the hotel
industry during the peak winter season. He warned, though, that Bahamians should plan for “a very quiet Christmas” in 2020 and aim to minimise spending/borrowing until the worst of COVID-19 subsides and there is “light at the tunnel” from a a vaccine or otherwise - at some point in 2021. “I really believe that the position that The Bahamas is in; the opportunities for getting out of this for countries like The Bahamas are extremely limited,” Mr Francis told Tribune Business. “We are almost in a way, and I wouldn’t quite say we’re
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Downtown chief supporting private island cruise return By YOURI KEMP and NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Reporters THE Downtown Nassau Partnership’s (DNP) cochair yesterday backed the cruise industry’s plan to restart with voyages to its private islands only, arguing: “It’s critical they get it right.” Charles Klonaris told Tribune Business that Bay Street merchants, and other downtown Nassau vendors that rely on the industry such as straw artisans, taxi drivers, tour and excursion providers, restaurants, hair braiders and others face further sacrifice for long-term gain as the sector bids to resume sailing. Speaking out after the cruise lines revealed their Healthy Sail plan to jumpstart the industry’s return, Mr Klonaris said they and the Bahamian tourism sector could ill-afford another COVID-19 outbreak on a ship as this would potentially destroy consumer confidence and set the restart back months. For that reason he is supporting the cruise industry’s decision to resume sailing only to its private islands initially, as this will enable it to test health and safety protocols in an environment that can be better controlled in terms of preventing COVID-19 infections. “I think it’s a start,” Mr Klonaris said of the Healthy Sail plan. “For them to go to their private islands initially, I think they want to make sure the ‘i’s’ are dotted and the ‘t’s’ are crossed properly.
It’s critical they get it right. If there’s another problem on a cruise ship you’re talking delays for another six months. It would be a huge setback. “I support the initiative. I’m for it based on them getting everything right. I’d rather see it done right initially so they get comfortable and there’s confidence with the customer coming on board. I think that’s the first stage. If they get it right and the government co-operates with them in determining when they start docking at Prince George Wharf, I welcome it and think it’s a good stance.” Mr Klonaris, though, quickly conceded that the cruise industry’s return plans are of little to no immediate help to Bay Street merchants and others who have now gone more than six months without any revenue, placing their very survival at stake. “It’s no help initially in downtown,” he told this newspaper. “People are not too optimistic in the shortterm. They know where their income is coming from, and traffic is coming from, so until we get the hotels open and the cruise ships coming back the city is going to suffer incredibly. “If there’s a continual problem with COVID-19 it’s going to delay everything. It could be serious. They’ll have to re-evaluate, and may come back with stricter protocols and possibly not use local tour operators for excursions. Getting it right,
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Some workers pushing Atlantis for severance By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
ATLANTIS last night reassured employees it had not been sold and branded claims of redundancy packages being offered as “entirely false” despite some furloughed workers pushing for them. A spokesperson for the Paradise Island mega resort, responding to commentary on What’s App and other social media platforms, said in a statement attributed to management: “Atlantis has not been sold, and no team members have been
made redundant. Any such reports are entirely false.” In a message to staff, Atlantis described “rumors” regarding redundancy packages” as “entirely false” just hours after some workers went public with calls for the resort to end their uncertainty and financial hardship - at least in the short-term - by providing with them with termination pay and benefits they are entitled to under the law. Dave Beckford, a furloughed Atlantis employee and former Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied
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Economic realities’ to dictate COVID support By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE deputy prime minister yesterday said “economic realities” will dictate how long the government can keep financing its individual and business COVID19 assistance programmes. K Peter Turnquest, pictured, told reporters outside the Cabinet Office that while the government’s fiscal and economic projections are presently “holding”, the decision by
many major hotel properties to delay their re-opening will dampen the rebound it had been hoping for. As a result, he said the period between “late fall and early spring” 2021 is when the Ministry of Finance may have to look at adjusting its revenue, spending and borrowing forecasts depending on the timing - and strength - of the tourism industry’s recovery. “We have always said that we did not expect tourism to
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Correction IN an article headlined NAD seeks waiver over $370m debt, published on September 22, 2020, it was reported that the Nassau Airport Development Company’s (NAD) credit rating had been slashed from “BBB-” to “DD-”, which is a default rating. This was not correct. While NAD’s credit rating has indeed been downgraded by Fitch, it only dropped from “BBB-” to “BB-”, which is still an investment grade rating. Tribune Business apologises for the error.