Insurers dismiss Gibson’s ‘old hat political theatre’
THE Bahamas Insurance Association (BIA) yesterday blasted back against comments by Labour Minister Shane Gibson National Health Insurance’s (NHI) introduction, reiterating its call for direct talks with the Government.
URCA refutes Cable’s 13% budget rise fear
The Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA) has refuted Cable Bahamas’ concerns over the 13.2 per cent year-over-year increase in its operating budget, denying that this is to finance a ‘ramp up’ in preparation for energy sector regulation.
Miller denies running own BEC bid process
Leslie Miller has denied running his own bidding process for the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC), even though one energy group says he encouraged them to submit a proposal after they were kicked out of the official tender.
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.
VAT to raise health insurance payments $40-$100 per month
Bahamian workers could see their contributions to employer-sponsored health insurance plans increase by between $40 to $100 per month once premiums are subjected to Value-Added Tax (VAT) from July 1.
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).
Insurance recovery may wait until 2017
The Bahamian insurance industry may have to wait until mid-2017 to return to strong growth, with one leading underwriter saying its main goal is to “hold the fort”.
Insurer sees 38% fall from Summit
Summit Insurance blamed reduced real estate valuations for a 38.2 per cent year-over-year profits slump, as it focuses on “defending our book” in a year that will have “negative growth”.
Insurers unhappy at Gov’t ‘neglect’
The Bahamas Insurance Association’s (BIA) chairman says the industry believes the Government has neglected it, as there are numerous long-standing legal and policy issues it is still battling to resolve.
Chamber hopes for ‘11th hour’ pre-Budget meeting with Gov’t
The private sector is still hoping for an ‘11th hour’ pre-Budget meeting with the Government, so it can help it present “the most viable” economic plan for the Bahamas.
PM promises developers partnership on air access
Two government ministries will support Eleuthera resort developers to ensure there is sufficient air access to the island in accord with international standards, the Prime Minister has said.
Resort developer wins $4m title woe damages
The original developer of a Bahamas-based resort was this week awarded more than $4 million in damages against the insurer that cost it “millions of dollars” and threatened the project’s very “survival” by failing to spot title defects.
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.
Freeport consultation ‘a matter of survival’
The negotiations over Freeport’s expiring tax breaks are “very much a matter of survival” for the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s (GBPA) 3,500 licensees, an outspoken QC arguing that these incentives are among the few “not completely breached” yet.
Oil explorer: New fiscal regime does not apply to us
The Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) chief executive yesterday said the Government’s increased ‘take’ from oil exploration would not apply to its activities, because its fiscal terms were already set.
