Accountants enjoy VAT business boost
Bahamian accountants have seen increased business due to the introduction of Value-Added Tax (VAT), the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) president confirmed yesterday.
Gov’t targets ‘balanced Budget’ until end-June
The Government is targeting a near-balanced Budget for the fiscal year’s second half, a target that one private sector executive yesterday described as “very ambitious”.
Three bidders fight for mobile licence
Just three bidders submitted completed offers for the Bahamas’ second cellular licence by yesterday’s deadline, with two locally-based companies who had previously advertised their interest electing not to participate.
PM touting $600m GDP growth under his Gov’t
The Prime Minister yesterday touted IMF projections showing the Bahamas’ real economic output will expand by $600 million under his administration, while admitting the economy is still not growing fast enough to “absorb” a rapidly-expanding labour force.
Minister: ‘110% support’ for Bahamian group to acquire Peace & Plenty
The Investments Minister yesterday said he would give any Bahamian bid to acquire Exuma’s iconic Club Peace & Plenty Resort “110 per cent support”, and favour their offer over any foreign rival.
Businesses have ‘bated breath’ on NHI details
Bahamian businesses were yesterday said to be “waiting with bated breath” for the Government to unveil details on its proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) plan, after the Prime Minister said May’s Budget would be “a major milestone” in the scheme’s development.
Gov’t is urged: ‘Accelerate’ Fiscal Responsibility pledge
The Government yesterday bowed to public pressure by promising to launch formal consultation on whether the Bahamas should introduce Fiscal Responsibility legislation, with the private sector calling for the process to be “accelerated”.
PM slams VAT ‘doomsday prophets and pundits’
Prime Minister Perry Christie yesterday slammed the “doomsday prophets and pundits” over Value-Added Tax (VAT), lauding its implementation as “remarkably smooth” and suggesting it would serve as a model for reforming other existing taxes.
Jobless increase is ‘storm in a tea cup’
Politicians were yesterday urged to “stop the blame game” over the recent unemployment rate increase, as the Prime Minister described the matter as “a storm in a tea cup”.
BTC faces 20% income cut via monopoly end
The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is bracing for a 20 per cent cut in income over the next four years as a result of losing its lucrative cellular monopoly, it was revealed yesterday.
QC urges: ‘Start the engine’ on Freeport reform
An outspoken QC yesterday urged Freeport stakeholders to “start the engine” that would devolve the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s (GBPA) quasi-governmental powers and allow them to become its owners/shareholders.
Unions: Central Bank pensions in jeopardy
TRADE UNIONS yesterday accused the Central Bank of breaking their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and placing the employee pension plan in jeopardy, alleging that changes to the latter had cost some employees up to $30,000 annually.
‘A piece of us’ for sale at nearly $6m
Exuma’s iconic Club Peace & Plenty must continue as a boutique resort, the island’s Chamber of Commerce president yesterday describing the property - now formally up for sale - as “a piece of us”.
Cable to BTC controller: ‘We’ve proven ourselves’
Cable Bahamas last night shrugged off efforts by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s (BTC) controlling shareholder to dismiss the potential competitive threat it poses in the mobile market, saying: “Our record speaks for itself.”
Former-AG: Make pension laws ‘national priority’
ENACTING legislation to protect Bahamian pensions ought to be a matter of “national priority”, a former Attorney General said yesterday, comparing its importance to that of National Health Insurance (NHI).
