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Chamber urges: ‘Tighten up and enforce’ Enterprises Bill
THE Chamber of Commerce yesterday urged the Government to “tighten up the language”, and enforce the provisions, in the Commercial Enterprises Bill to prevent potential abuses.
Gov’t narrows inner city taxation breaks
The Government yesterday appeared to narrow its planned VAT and inner-city ‘tax breaks’, while seeking to deliver on campaign promises of accountability, transparency and good governance.
Govt tax crackdown exposes ‘desperation’
The Christie administration’s much-trumpeted tax crackdown has exposed its “desperation” over the strained fiscal position, the Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader yesterday charging: “The Government is broke.”
Governor to ‘bridge gap’ between banks, web shops
The Central Bank’s governor has reaffirmed his commitment to “bridge the gap” between the commercial banking industry and web shop operators, and help ease his licensees’ compliance concerns.
Governor: Data, privacy regimes may need reform
The Bahamas may have to reform its data and confidentiality regimes to mitigate the threat posed by the loss of correspondent banking relationships to the financial sector and wider economy, the Central Bank’s governor has warned.
OECD attacks like ‘unofficial blacklisting’ of the Bahamas
A former finance minister says the recent OECD-inspired media onslaught against the Bahamas is akin to an “unofficial blacklisting” of its financial services industry, describing the situation as “a new form of international colonialism”.
‘No way’ Bahamas can be cut to junk
There is “no way” that Moody’s can cut the Bahamas to ‘junk’ status because it is still meeting all its debt obligations as they become due, a former finance minister argued yesterday.
Governor: ‘Credible’ growth plan key to satisfying Moody’s
The Central Bank’s governor yesterday said it was “within the Government’s reach” to lay out an economic growth strategy that convinces Moody’s not to further slash the Bahamas’ credit rating.
Central Bank gives Govt ‘an uppercut’
The Central Bank of the Bahamas yesterday delivered “an uppercut” to the Government’s fiscal projections, urging it to rein in spending amid a $266 million deficit for the first 10 months of the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
De-risk 'client migration' to benefit larger banks
Correspondent bank 'de-risking' could drive another wave of Bahamian financial services consolidation by sparking "client migration" to larger institutions, a former finance minister has warned.
Gov’t ‘accelerates’ WTO member push
The Government’s reconstituted trade negotiating bodies face a “huge task”, its chief negotiator acknowledged yesterday, adding that his appointment showed it wanted to “accelerate” the Bahamas’ accession to full World Trade Organisation (WTO) membership.
China provides 'no Baha Mar comfort'
Baha Mar's Bahamian creditors and former employees "can't take much comfort" from the project's financier breaking its silence, the FNM's deputy leader arguing that it merely confirmed "no deal is in hand".
Baha Mar becoming ‘huge white dinosaur’
A former Baha Mar director yesterday warned that the Government will soon “have a huge white dinosaur on their hands”, despite the project’s secured creditor promising that a solution is being developed.
Bahamasair loses $3.5m crash monies
The Court of Appeal yesterday overturned a $3.5 million damages award to Bahamasair, finding that the airline had failed to install an upgraded part that may have prevented a 2007 crash landing.
IMF slashes Bahamas 2016 growth to 1.5%
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed its 2016 growth forecast for the Bahamas by a further 0.7 percentage points to just 1.5 per cent, due to the Baha Mar impasse.
Bahamas breaks global standards with jet fuel tax
The Bahamas is breaching international standards by levying 7 per cent import duty on jet fuel, warns a report produced for the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).
Developer seeks $10m in new equity finance
The developers behind Eleuthera’s French Leave Resort and Marina yesterday said they were “cautiously optimistic” about securing an additional $10 million in equity financing to fund the build-out of 20 more villas.
Gov’t braces for tax breaks legal battle
The Government was last night bracing for an outspoken QC’s latest Judicial Review salvo, after it missed his deadline to provide “an undertaking” that no decisions will be taken on Freeport’s tax and economic regime.
Freeport suggestions to Gov’t ‘in 2 weeks’
The Government will likely receive recommendations on Freeport’s short and long-term future within the next two weeks, the Opposition’s deputy leader yesterday calling for “quid pro quos” in return for extending the city’s tax breaks.
Deloitte to collect $100m in ‘bad’ BOB commercial loans
The Government yesterday confirmed Tribune Business’s disclosure earlier this week that Deloitte & Touche has been selected as the accounting firm charged with collecting on $100 worth of ‘bad’ commercial loans formerly belonging to Bank of the Bahamas.
