Freeport hopeful latest tourism blow 'cushioned'
Grand Bahama was last night hoping that the blow of losing the Grand Celebration for a second consecutive year will be “cushioned” by continued service from its sister cruise ship.Government ministers and senior private sector executives said the Gra
Bahamas 'exceeded goals' at major airlift conference
The Bahamas “exceeded our initial goals and expectations” at the 2018 World Routes Conference in Guangzhou, China, the ministry of tourism’s airlift chief believes.“Geographically, The Bahamas is located thousands of miles away from China, but our pr
Bahamas meets tax exchange deadlines
The ministry of finance last night said The Bahamas had met the September 30 deadline to begin automatic tax information exchange (AEOI) with some 35 partner jurisdictions.Revealing that the first such exchange with another country had already occurr
Cruise lines eye bid on Nassau's 'bottom' port
Royal Caribbean’s top executive yesterday confirmed that the industry has discussed submitting a bid to manage a Nassau cruise port that is “sadly among the Caribbean’s bottom”.Michael Bayley, president and chief executive of Royal Caribbean Internat
Contractor chief: Political pressure forced me out
The Bahamian Contractors Association’s (BCA) president yesterday blamed “sinister and unprecedented” political pressure for forcing him to resign to protect the group’s advocacy efforts.Leonard Sands told Tribune Business that the BCA’s executive boa
Minister 'dumbfounded' by construction chief's claims
A Cabinet minister yesterday said he was “dumbfounded” and “lost for words” over claims the Bahamian Contractors Association’s (BCA) president had been forced out by political pressure.Desmond Bannister, minister of works, told Tribune Business that
Royal Caribbean targets 2/3 rise in Bahamas visitors
Royal Caribbean’s top executive yesterday said the cruise line will “bring closer” to 2m visitors to The Bahamas by 2020-2021, marking a two-thirds increase in just two to three years.Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International’s president and chie
Water Corp revenues ‘near double’ in record September
The Water & Sewerage Corporation’s chairman says it closed September on “a high note” by “almost doubling” monthly revenue to $3.6m - with the prospect of much more to come.
Agriculture minister argues policy must be data-driven
A Cabinet minister has underscored the need for “data” to drive government agricultural policy, with stakeholder consultation “as often as possible” critical to this effort.Michael Pintard, pictured, minister of agriculture and marine resources, told
Fishermen urge: 'Wake up' to long line usage
Fishermen have reiterated their call for the expansion of commercial fishing in The Bahamas, telling this newspaper: “We need to fish our ocean.”Keith Carroll, the Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA) vice-president, told Tribune Business: “We
Our infrastructure needs 'beyond fiscal capacity'
The Government yesterday unveiled its promised public-private partnership (PPP) framework, conceding that this nation’s “infrastructure needs are beyond our fiscal capacity”.The ministry of finance, in a statement, said the policy was designed to bet
Poor Bahamians region's hardest hit by fuel hikes
The poorest 40 percent of Bahamian society are among the hardest hit in the Latin American and Caribbean region by any increase in fuel prices, an IDB study has found.The newly-released Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report, which analyses the
Disney 'second best' to Foundation's retain all
An Eleuthera non-profit yesterday argued that Disney’s Lighthouse Point plans are “second best” to its proposal that retains “100 percent of the land and profits for Bahamians”.Shaun Ingraham, the One Eleuthera Foundation’s (OEF) chief executive, tol
'Absolute game changer' if bill properly enforced
The Fiscal Responsibility Bill is “an absolute game changer” for good governance if properly enforced and complied with by the public sector, a leading reform campaigner said yesterday.Robert Myers, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG)
Activist: 'I've not bought fairytale' on Disney plans
An environmental activist yesterday said she had “not bought the fairytale” on Disney’s plans for Lighthouse Point, and urged it to “compromise” by using an existing cruise port.Sam Duncombe, reEarth’s president, told Tribune Business that using the
