Global stock volatility ‘rather disconcerting’
A former finance minister yesterday described the latest bout of global stock market volatility as “rather disconcerting” for the Bahamas, adding it was occurring when this nation “can least afford it.”
IAN FERGUSON: The tolerant approach to ‘honey and money’
February is traditionally known as the month of love. In keeping with the season of Valentine, we briefly take a look at the issue of office romance. The natural question, as we introduce this topic, is: ‘Do we or don’t we?’ For many of us the workplace is where we spend a large percentage of our waking hours. It is not just where we go to do our jobs; it is also the place where we eat many meals, and develop and maintain friendships that last beyond office hours.
Bahamian renewable participation queried
A local provider yesterday queried whether Bahamian firms would be part of PowerSecure’s vision to integrate solar energy into its Family Islands generation solutions, while calling for clarity on the Government’s residential energy self-generation (RESG) initiative.
NIB suffers 30-40% ‘repeat default’ rate
The National Insurance Board (NIB) yesterday pledged to this year launch an aggressive “zero tolerance” campaign against non-compliance, starting with the 30-40 per cent of businesses who default on agreed plans to pay-off existing arrears.
‘Get Freeport back to work’
A former Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) in-house attorney yesterday urged the Government to renew Freeport’s expiring tax incentives immediately, arguing: “Let’s get the island back to work.”
PM urged: Stop the ‘false hope’ over Baha Mar
The Prime Minister has been urged to stop giving Bahamians “false hope” that a Baha Mar resolution is imminent, with the $3.5 billion development unlikely to be fully open before the next general election.
NIB defaulters ‘hard pressed’ to win Gov’t bids
The National Insurance Board’s (NIB) compliance chief yesterday warned tax and contribution defaulters that they will be “hard pressed” to win Government contracts, due to improved collaboration between its key agencies.
Chicken producer in 25% production fall
An Abaco-based poultry producer said yesterday its production had dropped 20-25 per cent over the past 18 months because some Bahamian wholesalers simply did not want to “play ball” and buy local.
Data Protection chief seeks NHI Bill change
The Data Protection Commissioner yesterday confirmed her office is seeking amendments to the Government’s draft National Health Insurance Bill, effectively backing doctors’ concerns that some clauses threaten the confidentiality of doctors’ patient records.
‘Just crazy’: 50-60% of avocados wasted
A Bahamian poultry producer yesterday said it was “just crazy” that 50-60 per cent of its avocados are simply being “wasted on the ground”, as it blamed Bahamian wholesalers for not buying.
ART OF GRAPHIX: Choose fonts for a ‘true’ outcome
TrueType is a standard for digital type fonts that was developed by Apple Computer. Each company has made independent extensions to TrueType, which is used in both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
Gov’t ‘exhausts’ 95% of deficit projection
The Government used up 95 per cent of its projected 2015-2016 full-year deficit within the first five months, the Chamber’s chairman arguing this shows the Bahamas cannot escape its fiscal predicament via new taxes alone.
‘Drastic improvement’ in Investments Board turnaround speed
The Investments Board was yesterday said to have produced “a drastic improvement in turnaround time” on permit approvals, although a Cabinet Minister conceded that the process has yet to meet private sector standards.
Bran blasts ‘spending like drunken sailors’
The Democratic National Alliance’s (DNA) leader yesterday accused the Government of squandering its Value-Added Tax (VAT) revenue boost, saying: “We seem to be spending money like drunken sailors.”
Crown Land renewable plan is ‘slap in the face’
The Opposition’s deputy leader yesterday described plans by the ‘new BEC’s’ manager to use Family Island Crown Land for solar farms as “a slap in the face to the Bahamian people”, while questioning the absence of a long-term business plan.
