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.
Central Bank: Bad loans below $1bn by year-end 2017
The Central Bank of the Bahamas believes that commercial bank ‘bad loans’ will dip below the $1 billion mark by the end of 2017, with institutions only requiring more capital if they increase by 200 per cent.
Solar AC shines for savings light
Where did winter go? Just the other week we were wearing warm jackets, but now it feels like summer is already here. The forecast for this summer, like every year in the Bahamas, is sunny and hot.Normally, this means just one thing: Ya’ll ga sweat. Today, however, we will see how you can use the sizzling summer sun to remain cool.
Union slams wait on Morton Salt decision
The union representing more than 100 Morton Salt line-staff yesterday blasted the year-long wait for a legal decision in the two sides’ dispute over overtime and a proposed base salary increase for workerst.
Financial union urges lower business costs
The Bahamas Financial Services Union (BFSU) yesterday urged the Government to reduce the cost of doing business in this nation, in a bid to halt the industry’s contraction and outsourcing of jobs to lower-cost Caribbean rivals.
Unions meet with new NHI adviser
A trade union leader said yesterday that ensuring there was no “drop-off’ in health insurance benefits currently enjoyed by his membership was among the major concerns with the proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.
Fiscal numbers alone won’t halt downgrade
The Government must “sell our story” correctly to avoid the Bahamas being downgraded to ‘junk’ status, the Chamber’s chairman warning yesterday that the fiscal numbers were not enough to prevent this by themselves.
