All results / Stories / Natario McKenzie

Govt targets extra $40-$80m revenue from enforcement

The Government is targeting an extra $40-$80 million in additional revenue over the next six to 12 months as it pursues an enhanced enforcement/compliance strategy, a Cabinet minister said yesterday.

NHI manager blasts sector’s ‘false division’

The National Health Insurance (NHI) project manager yesterday asserted that the primary care phase’s roll-out by early 2017 remains “reasonable”, while dismissing the “false division” between public and private health care providers in the Bahamas.

Just 30% of workers covered by pensions

Just 30 per cent of the Bahamian workforce is covered by employer-sponsored pension plans, the Central Bank’s governor said yesterday, acknowledging that the relative lack of diversified investment opportunities in the Bahamas presented challenges.

Pinder: Sue for $13m over ‘Bahamas papers’

A former financial services minister yesterday suggested that this nation sue to recover the $13 million in Companies Registry search fees owed by the international journalists’ group responsible for the ‘Bahamas papers leak’.

Correspondent de-risk threatening 25% of Bahamas institutions

The Central Bank’s chief inspector warned yesterday that 25 per cent of its licensees will find it “difficult” to maintain existing correspondent banking relationships, even though the Bahamas has not been exposed to “wholesale vulnerability” yet.

BISX seeks embrace with crowdfunding

The Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) is seeking to marry its Small Alternative Market (SAM) and regulated environment with the new crowdfunding phenomenon, its chief executive said yesterday.

Accountants facing US state challenges

The Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) is in talks with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AISPA) to resolve challenges encountered by members in maintaining their US State Board memberships, its president said yesterday.

Hutchison ‘streamlines’ Freeport investments

The sales process for the 409-acre Grand Lucayan property on Grand Bahama is “still ongoing”, Prime Minister Perry Christie said yesterday.

Business ease slippage ‘doesn’t represent nation’

The 121st ranking in the World Bank’s 2016 ‘ease of doing business’ rankings “does not represent who the Bahamas is”, Prime Minister Perry Christie argued yesterday, touting a Competitiveness Council as the answer to these woes.

Tripartite Council ‘serves no purpose’

The Trade Union Congress’s (TUC) president has vowed to pursue the its grievance against Sandals Royal Bahamian’s termination of 600 employees to its “logical conclusion”, arguing that the Attorney General’s decision to nullify their case against the resort’s top executives had put workers in a ‘frightening” position.

Land registration still ‘stuck in 18th century’

The Bahamas’ land registration system remains “stuck in the 18th century, an Abaco realtor believes, while calling on this country to develop a proper Land Use Plan (LUP).

Abaco’s airlift capacity up 9%

Abaco has attracted 47,000 stopover visitors year-to-date, a Ministry of Tourism official says, with the island’s airlift capacity for international arrivals increasing for the third straight year.

Businesses monitor air cargo fall-out

Bahamian businesses are continuing to monitor the fall-out from new and increased Customs fines on the air cargo industry, which has prompted some carriers to threaten to withdraw from this market.

Ex-Senator renews call for Bahamian industry ownership

Bahamians must have ownership of key economic sectors "from the top straight through the supply chain", a former FNM Senator is arguing, adding that this would protect the "haemorrhaging" foreign currency reserves.

Air cargo costs to rise ‘tremendously’

Bahamians were yesterday warned that the cost of imported air freight will increase “tremendously” as a result of the new Customs fees and fines set to be imposed on operators from today.

‘Much work’ ahead over business ease

The Bahamas has “a lot of work to do” before it sees a dramatic improvement in the ease of doing business, the Opposition’s finance spokesman said yesterday, adding: “There’s just too much government bureaucracy.”

PM targets ‘top 50’ business ease rank

The Prime Minister yesterday said he was targeting a ‘top 50’ ranking for the Bahamas in the World Bank’s ‘ease of doing business’ index within five years, arguing that its current 106th spot does not reflect its capabilities and potential.

Tease photo

Union to ‘do what it has to do’ over Hilton meltdown

The  hotel union’s president yesterday said that if working conditions at the British Colonial Hilton do not improve soon it will “do what it has to do”, amid an air conditioning breakdown that has persisted for more than a week.

Tease photo

Price Control: Our 2-year plea was fruitless

The Price Control Commission’s chairman yesterday reiterated warnings that it may seek to dictate business prices via legislation, arguing that many had failed to respond to two years’ worth of pleading by himself.

Mortgage Corp still stuck at 40% arrears

The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation’s (BMC) arrears ratio continues to hover around 40 per cent, its chairman said yesterday, despite it adding $49.7 million in new mortgages to its portfolio over the past four years.