Tourism arrivals rise by a sixth
The Central Bank of The Bahamas said tourist arrivals grew by 17 percent in 2021, but are still a way off 2019 numbers.
Eleuthera businesses: Disney jobs welcome but worry over wages
The Disney Lighthouse project would put Bahamians back in “slavery” if they keep wages low, a South Eleuthera business owner has claimed.
CIBC signs up to global credit bureau
CIBC FirstCaribbean is now a member of the CRIF credit bureau in The Bahamas, a move it says will mean more accurate credit assessment.
Sand Dollar circulation trebles
The Bahamas’s digital currency, the Sand Dollar, nearly trebled in circulation in 2020.
DEREK SMITH: Compliance pitfalls to avoid
REMOTE-first digital communication is expected to continue growing at an astounding rate year. In addition, due to the pandemic, society is increasingly reliant on connected infrastructure and digital services for the day-to-day functioning of its daily operations, which means that using digital services to interact has now become the norm.
70 permanent jobs expected at new $100m eco-resort
A new $100m resort in Exuma is set to create 70 permanent jobs in the world’s first eco-friendly resort.
Don’t let $1bn arrears be tax reform let-off
The Government’s self-proclaimed $1bn in tax arrears must not become an excuse for failing to “bite the bullet” on reform, a private sector tax chief said yesterday, describing such thinking as “a fool’s errand”.
Abuse not an excuse to alter Dorian tax breaks
Abaco’s Chamber of Commerce president yesterday urged the Government not to use abuse of Hurricane Dorian-related tax breaks as an excuse to narrow or prematurely end his island’s “special economic zone” status.
Bahamas urged: Target 80% in next aviation safety audit
The Bahamas must target a “high 70s-80 percent score” on its next aviation safety audit and match the world’s best, an attorney said yesterday, adding: “We’ve made great strides in a short span of time.”
Cement shortage raises fears of 20% price hike
Cement shortages have hit the Bahamian construction industry at least three times in the past month, it was revealed yesterday, with suppliers yesterday suggesting the backlog will cause a 20 percent cost hike for the sector.
Retailers in pick-up for Mother’s Day
Florists and gift shops yesterday said they have been receiving “plenty of orders” with Mother’s Day fast approaching, adding that business volumes were holding up well compared to pre-COVID figures.
Individuals blamed over Dorian tax break abuse
Grand Bahama businesses yesterday said individuals, rather than companies, were the likely culprits abusing the Dorian-related Special Economic Recovery Zone (SERZ) privileges to evade due taxes.
IAN FERGUSON: The advantages to buying Bahamian
The Bahamas presently imports more than $5.5bn in goods and services annually. Over 94 percent of our food is imported from the US and our other trading partners. For many years we have lamented these statistics, but have not made significant strides towards changing this reality.
Managers in three-year wait for $821k owed by PI resort
Hotel managers and their union have now been waiting “almost three years” to recover a collective $821,292 allegedly owed to them by a shuttered Paradise Island resort, it was revealed yesterday.



