Govt urged to ‘expedite’ Central Revenue Agency
The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation - the chief private sector representative - has urged the Government to ‘expedite’ the establishment of a Central Revenue Agency (CRA) amid growing backlash from businesses over the mandatory Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC).
'No qualifying distinction' between BahamaCare and private insurers
There will be ‘no qualifying distinction’ between BahamaCare and private insurers under National Health Insurance (NHI) according to the recently released NHI policy document.
URCA orders BTC interconnection changes to facilitate NewCo mobile entry
The Utilities Regulation & Competition Authority (URCA) yesterday issued its final determination on the amendments to the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) Reference Access and Interconnection Offer (RAIO), setting out terms and conditions to facilitate interconnection services to other licensed mobile operators, namely NewCo.
Govt finalising 'Patients Bill of Rights for NHI
While the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) will be responsible for protecting the rights of patients under National Health Insurance (NHI) it is expected that overtime a fully independent body will be established as a health ombudsman according to the NHI policy paper, with the Government said to be in the process of finalising a “Patients Bill of Rights”.
IAN FERGUSON: Corruption in business
Presidential and political elections in the United States and around the world have raised awareness of high levels of corruption that exists when individuals with power take advantage of systems where there are loopholes or insufficient checks and balances.
‘No contributions or co-payments’ for NHI primary care
THE BENEFITS included under the first stage of National Health Insurance (NHI), primary care, have been outlined in a “policy paper” released yesterday, along with other details of the health care scheme in the first comprehensive overview of the initiative.
Union chief claims “historic” legal move over Sandals closure
THE 500 and more employees of Sandals Royal Bahamian were yesterday urged by their union representatives to exercise patience as “the law of the land will vindicate them” while blasting the resort for failing to address employees on an impending two-month closure.
NHI will stem out of country spending on health says Gomez
HEALTH Minister Dr Perry Gomez said yesterday that with approximately $80m being spent annually on health care outside the Bahamas, the introduction of National Health Insurance (NHI) and modernisation of the public health care system should help to curb some of that outflow and allow local health care providers to benefit.
Crawfish season “promising” thanks to Defence Force
ALTHOUGH it is only 11 days into the 2016/2017 crawfish season, preliminary indications suggest that “things are looking promising”, according to Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA) vice-president Keith Carroll.
Tax certificate demand forcing “cash only” deals with Govt
A BAHAMIAN auto dealer said yesterday that the Government’s “unreasonable” monthly Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC) demand was putting a serious strain on local businesses and creating a “big paperwork backlog”, arguing that the Government’s failure to keep its own fiscal house in order was pushing some businesses into “cash only” arrangements.
Govt involvement a “disincentive” to Freeport investors
OPPOSITION Finance spokesman K Peter Turnquest yesterday asserted that Government’s involvement with the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) would result in neither quick decisions nor efficient business, suggesting that one need “only look as far as BEC and NIB” to see the results of political considerations.
BPL’s request for turnover-based licence fee agreed
THE Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) acceded to Bahamas Power and Light’s (BPL) request that its annual fees to the regulator be based on turnover - with the exclusion of fuel charge - while dismissing the electricity provider’s request for the licence fee to take the place of the annual business licence fee.
Taking students to court over loans is “last resort” says minister
EDUCATION Minister Jerome Fitzgerald said yesterday that he was “pleased” with the level of participation in the student loan repayment arrangements, noting that legal action “is a last resort and not the first”.
Grand Bahamians finally have 'a seat at the table'
MINISTER for Grand Bahama Dr Michael Darville said that the passing of the Grand Bahama Investment Incentives Bill will allow in excess of a half a billion dollars to be injected into the Grand Bahama economy.
Freeport’s economy “went drastically wrong” says PM
PRIME Minister Perry Christie said yesterday that “something went drastically wrong” with Freeport’s economy over the last 10 years as he defended the government’s “minority equity stake” in the principal landholding companies in the city based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA).
