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Volume: 119 No.217, October 5, 2022
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BPL BILLS HIKE PM announces BUS DRIVER SHOT DEAD, move due to rising fuel costs TEENAGER INJURED
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis announced yesterday that Bahamas Power and Light will be increasing its monthly fuel charge in response to rising fuel costs, with the rate increase set to be reflected in consumers’ electricity bills beginning November. However, he gave an assurence that the bill increases will only be temporary and are expected to come down over the next 12 to 18 months. “For a large majority of BPL customers, who consume less than 800 kWh
(kilowatt hours), the fuel charge is increasing by two cents per kWh, which will result in an increase this quarter of less than $20 per month. If your current monthly bill is $182 or less, you fall in this category,” he said during a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday. “For those who consume more than 800 kWh, the increase will be 4.3 cents per kWh. I want to note here that we will raise the VAT ceiling from $300 to $400, so going forward, no VAT will be due on any electricity bills under $400, which will take some of the SEE PAGE THREE
EU ‘BLACKLISTING’ OF THE BAHAMAS RATIFIED
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas was yesterday urged to tell the European Union (EU) that “enough is enough” after this nation’s ‘blacklisting’ for allegedly being uncooperative on international tax matters was ratified. John Delaney, the former attorney general, told Tribune Business that the 27-nation bloc’s continued use of “name and shame” tactics was more appropriate for dealing with
“a rogue state” than a nation such as The Bahamas which has always been “largely compliant” and responsive to legitimate requests for regulatory improvements. And Philip Galanis, who was an Opposition MP when blacklisting was first employed against The Bahamas some 22 years ago, blasted the EU for what he described as its “neo-colonial” approach in seemingly seeking to drive The Bahamas out of the international financial services market.
SEE BUSINESS SECTION
POLICE at the scene of the shooting on Robinson Road yesterday. Photo: Moise Amisial By JADE RUSSELL jrussell@tribunemedia.net A BUS driver was killed and a 16-year-old boy was injured during a brazen daylight shooting on a public jitney yesterday. The double shooting occurred at Florida Court and Robinson Road, while the 15A bus was on its route. Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said shortly before 10am, as a male passenger got off the 15A bus, he approached the 32-yearold driver and fired a shot which killed him. A teenager, who was a passenger on the bus, was also shot and taken to hospital for his gunshot injuries.
The bus driver was on bail for murder and attempted murder, The Tribune understands. CSP Skippings urged members of the public who may have seen a vehicle leaving the area at high speed or a suspect that may have got off the bus to contact the police. “I also take this time, again, to speak to parents and family members who know that their families are in possession of weapons. I asked you to reach out to your police department, provide us with the information. Let’s get these weapons off the streets. These weapons, yeah, they are intended for other persons. But again, I reiterate, those SEE PAGE FIVE
OFF-DUTY POLICE OFFICER SHOT TRYING TO STOP ARMED ROBBERY AN off-duty police officer was shot while trying to thwart an armed robbery at a food store, police said. Chief Supt Michael Johnson, officer-in-charge of the Criminal Investigations Department, said police got a call after 5pm regarding the shooting at the food store in the area of Mount Royal Avenue and Wulff Road. Police found the victim, an off-duty police officer,
with gunshot wounds to his upper body. “The information is he was at the mentioned store when we believe that two males attempted to rob the particular establishment,” CSP Johnson said at the scene. “He intervened, one of the males produced a firearm and shot him to the upper body.” The victim was taken from the scene by ambulance in stable condition. SEE PAGE FIVE
THELMA GIBSON TEACHERS PROTEST AT PM’S OFFICE
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
A GROUP of angered teachers from the Thelma Gibson Primary School, led by Belinda Wilson, demonstrated outside the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday in response to ongoing workplace concerns with the school’s principal. Some teachers have been calling for the removal of Olivia Daxon since last month and have engaged in
THE TEACHERS’ demonstration.
sick outs or in some cases, walked off the job in a show of frustration with the school official. Workers have said they will not stop agitating for Ms Daxon’s redeployment to another school until their
demand is met. “For weeks, we’ve been having problems at Thelma Gibson Primary School and we have tried every avenue to have the matter resolved and so this morning, we are here to meet with the prime minister so that he can cause this matter to be resolved in a timely matter,” said Mrs Wilson, president of the Bahamas Union of Teachers. Mrs Wilson said at the root of the union’s concerns SEE PAGE FOUR
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ALICIA WALLACE: A CHALLENGE WE STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO OVERCOME
- SEE PAGE EIGHT