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S&P: Baha Mar to prevent any outlook upgrade
Standard & Poor’s (S&P) says the delayed Baha Mar opening has eliminated any chance that it will raise its ‘negative’ outlook on the Bahamas, as it prepares to “revise downwards” growth estimates for this nation.
AG’s Office: We bungled Blackbeard’s Cay appeal
The Attorney General’s Office has admitted that the Government’s appeal over the $8 million Blackbeard’s Cay project was thrown out because it was asleep on the job.
‘Past desperation’ on vehicle title system
Bahamian auto dealers yesterday expressed hope that proposed Road Traffic Department reforms will ultimately result in a vehicle titling system, one telling Tribune Business its creation was “past desperation point”.
DPM: Bahamas must ‘prove’ itself to S&P
* ‘Not at all’ upset nation still ‘junk’ * Blames former Govt’s failure to deliver * Nation has 12-24 months to execute
The Government must “prove” it can deliver on its fiscal and economic turnaround strategy, the Deputy Prime Minister admitted yesterday, after Standard & Poor’s (S&P) kept the Bahamas at ‘junk’ status. K P Turnquest told Tribune Business he was “not at all” disappointed at the outcome of S&P’s annual review of the Bahamas’ sovereign creditworthiness, despite having previously expressed optimism that the Government could make the case to be upgraded to ‘investment grade’ status.
BOB two years from profitability
Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday revealed it will take a further two years for Bank of the Bahamas to return to profitability, as he confirmed plans to recapitalise the troubled institution.
QC ‘awaits orders’ on Blackbeard’s Cay enforcement
A well-known QC is awaiting instructions from his environmental activist clients over how to enforce the judgment they obtained against the $8 million Blackbeard’s Cay project.
Air freight operators in Bahamas boycott threat
Florida-based air cargo companies are threatening to boycott the Bahamas over the new Customs fees and fines set to be introduced tomorrow, with this newspaper told: “It’s D-Day time.”
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.
Broker ‘in peril’ if it meets US demands
A Bahamian broker/dealer will “act at its peril” should it comply with US federal regulators’ demands to produce thousands of documents relevant to their ongoing New York legal battle.
Freeport investment law blasted as ‘anti-business’
Freeport’s new tax incentives law was yesterday branded an “abomination” and “anti-business” by an FNM Senator, who argued that it will undermine both the city’s founding agreement and economic growth.
CIBC:‘No plans’ for further terminations
CIBC’s top Caribbean executive yesterday said the bank had “no plans” for any further major outsourcing of jobs from the Bahamas, emphasising it was targeting the retail and private wealth management segments for growth.
Don’t wreck reputation with missing deadlines
Are you a ‘train wreck’ when faced with tight deadlines? If you are employed in marketing, design, web development or any other deadline-driven field, no doubt you have experienced snappy demands, postponements, obstacles, delays, distractions and all manner of commotions that can interfere with that very important project you have finally landed.
PM says: ‘Make best of bad situation’ on VAT
A “very conciliatory” Prime Minister Perry Christie has urged the private sector to “make the most of a bad situation” on Value-Added Tax (VAT) and its implementation, Tribune Business can reveal.
Broker blames SEC battle on regulator’s ‘inaction’
A Bahamian broker/dealer has blamed the Securities Commission’s “inaction” for creating its dispute with US regulators over their document production demands.
VAT guidance notes undermine core financial sector policy
The Government’s “inconsistent” Value-Added Tax (VAT) positions are threatening to undermine core financial services policy objectives, a top QC warned yesterday, threatening a loss of competitiveness and high-value business.
Atlantis’s 4.5% Xmas rate rise beats hotel norm
Atlantis has seen a “quite substantial” 4.5 per cent year-over-year increase in average daily room rates (ADRs) for the upcoming peak Christmas/New Year season, a growth rate exceeding industry norms.
RoyalFidelity predicts ‘double digit millions’ for new fund
RoyalFidelity believes its latest mutual fund will attract “double digit millions” from Bahamian investors through its promise to pay them a 4 per cent annual dividend.
Don’t make Moody’s a ‘political football’
The Bahamas will have “no one to blame but ourselves” if Moody’s follows through with its threat of a potential ‘junk’ downgrade, the Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive yesterday urging all politic
Ex-Hard Rock franchisee queries transfer to ex-MP
Hard Rock Cafe's former Nassau franchisee has questioned why the business was so readily handed to its Bahamian landlord, when a decade earlier he had been "forced" to pay $1 million to end their partnership.
Bimini Bay facing homeowners revolt
The Bimini Bay Resort is facing a homeowners revolt in the Supreme Court, with multiple purchasers voicing concerns over how their properties and multi-million dollar maintenance fee sums are being managed.
