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VOLUME:114 No.172, JULY 31ST, 2017
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Ten-year battle to wipe out debt By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas will take “at least a decade” to escape its fiscal crisis, a governance reformer has warned, adding: “It’s not a one-pill cure.” Robert Myers, an Organisation for Responsible Governance principal, borrowed a medical analogy from the Prime Minister for his extremely grim forecast on how long this nation needs to reverse its debt spiral. While praising Dr Hubert Minnis’s national address for “saying all the right things”, Mr Myers reiterated that the new administration’s promises needed to be underpinned by laws that prevented the return of
reckless fiscal policies. Emphasising that Bahamians can no longer trust politicians to “do the right thing”, Mr Myers urged the Government to prioritise energy reform as “a massive fix” for the Bahamian economy’s woes. “I think he’s saying all the right things,” Mr Myers told Tribune Business of Dr Minnis’s address. “It’s very encouraging, but the fact remains that if we want to put this country on a path and course to greater sustainability over the longterm, we’ve got to start putting this stuff in legislation as opposed to leaving it to the will of the politicians.” He also called on trade unions to become “part of the solution”. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
GEENA TAKES THE CROWN
DEPUTY Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest has warned that achieving the planned savings in the government’s budget will not be an easy task. Mr Turnquest said that the country has been in recession for the past five years, as he spoke about the plans to cut spending by $267.6m, reducing the deficit to $55.4m in the 20172018 fiscal year. “We don’t want to suggest to anybody that the savings we intend are easy,”
Mr Turnquest told Tribune Business. “We are committed, and committed to putting in the work, and making the sacrifices as necessary in order to achieve. He also slammed the Opposition’s leader for raising fears of a “double-dip recession”. K P Turnquest told Tribune Business that Philip Davis should be the last person to talk of recession until “he can explain and justify to the Bahamian people what they did” between 2012-2017. FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS
BPL BOARD BOSS URGES ‘BE PATIENT’ By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
NEWLY appointed Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) chairwoman Darnell Osborne has urged “patience” from consumers while tying the new BPL board of directors to a loose timeline of a “few months” to enforce changes to spark improvements with the electricity provider. She said the board is also seeking to revolutionise and improve the sector in order to keep the cost of electricity at reduced levels. The board’s appointment became effective July 1. “We have met a few times,” she told The Tribune recently. “We had introductory meetings with the minister and then with stakeholders in an effort to be proactive in addressing the challenges that have accumulated over the years.” SEE PAGE TWO
‘SURPRISE PM WON’T SEE ME’
By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
TURNQUEST: NO ONE SAID IT’S GOING TO BE EASY By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
HOME
THE WINNER of the Miss Bahamas beauty pageant, Geena Thompson, takes the crown last night. Miss Thompson was the Miss Long Island entrant. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
GUNMEN MURDER BAILED TEENAGER
By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
NEARLY two weeks after one senior police official urged persons out on bail for serious crimes “to stay home” or risk the chance of being killed, investigators are searching for two male suspects in a shooting inci-
dent that has left a teenage boy, suspected of being out on bail for housebreaking, dead on Saturday. The incident marked the eighth homicide in a 14-day period. Several people on bail for various crimes have been victims of murder this SEE PAGE SIX
LEADER of the Official Opposition Philip “Brave” Davis yesterday seemed to downplay certain portions of his strongly worded letter sent to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis earlier this month, which suggested that the Progressive Liberal Party would possibly seek retribution over the arrests and prosecution of former PLP politicians. Mr Davis’ stinging letter to Dr Minnis regarding the criminal probes warned: “When you set out to dig a grave for your enemy, dig two.” His letter, written on July 18, also called investigations like the one into former Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly Dion Smith an “abuse of power”. SEE PAGE 11
US WARNING OVER ISLANDS’ CRIME RATE
By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
THE United States Department of State has assessed New Providence and classified it as being a “critical” threat location for crime either directed at or affecting official US government interests, citing
Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper
among other things that areas of Nassau referred to as “Over-the-Hill” should be avoided. According to the Bureau of Diplomatic Security’s Bahamas 2017 Crime and Safety Report, despite 2016 experiencing a 26 per cent drop in serious crimes SEE PAGE SIX
PAGE 2, Monday, July 31, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
BPL BOARD BOSS URGES ‘BE PATIENT’ from page one
Asked about the board’s position on the increased cost of electricity in these summer months, Mrs Osborne said there will be work done towards the government’s mandate of lowering the costs of electricity. “The management team is responsible for the dayto-day operations. We as a board have met and we just ask that the public is patient as we revolutionise and improve the sector in order to keep the cost of electricity down for individuals and for businesses.
“Based on each of our backgrounds I think most of us are business owners and also just residential customers and we really understand and are working towards the government’s mandate of lowering the cost of energy in the country and also providing other alternative forms of energy for the country.” She added: “We have had several discussions about the legacy debt, but I am not at liberty to discuss them just yet. “But in a very short period of time you should begin to
see some improvements over the next, I would say give us a few months. I would say a lot has accumulated. (There are) issues that we have to address, but, yes, the legacy debt is one of them and we have turned our attention to it.” Earlier this month, Works Minister Desmond Bannister said while it is unfortunate that consumers have seen a significant increase in their BPL bills because of “faulty machinery,” the government cannot continue to absorb the cash strapped utility pro-
vider’s expenses. Mr Bannister told The Tribune that BPL has a “huge legacy debt” and unfortunately the cost will have to be passed on to the public “directly or indirectly”. He was responding to the Central Bank of The Bahamas’ monthly report that revealed BPL’s fuel charge increased by 8.3 per cent to
DARNELL OSBORNE, chairwoman of the board at BPL. 13.7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) on a monthly basis, and by 49.7 per cent when compared to May 2016. In an earlier statement, BPL explained an increase in bills for the month of May was also caused by its reliance on engines at the Blue Hills Plant, which uses more expensive fuel than the Clifton Power Station.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, July 31, 2017, PAGE 3
Miller says “do it now” over death penalty plans
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net FORMER Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller on Friday praised National Security Minister Marvin Dames for having the “guts” to announce the Minnis administration’s plans to push for the enforcement of the death penalty, as he called on the government to “do it, and do it now.” Mr Miller, a longtime supporter of capital punishment, said he is totally behind Mr Dames’ previous announcement, further congratulating Mr Dames and the Minnis administration for “having the tenacity and the wherewithal to do what is necessary on behalf of the Bahamian people”. The firebrand Progressive Liberal Party politician further encouraged the Minnis administration not to be “concerned” with the backlash its stance on capital punishment could have on the country, particularly that of the international community, as he asserted: “They don’t face the carnage that we face.” “We face it therefore we got to deal with it,” Mr Miller told The Tribune on Friday just hours after a man was found shot to death in Mason’s Addition. “It’s our problem. If it’s a Bahamian problem it got to be a Bahamian solution. The solution is, you take a life yours gone, unless in special circumstances. But this is just gutless murdering and these people got to stop, man. And I’m with him 1,000 per cent. “He could depend on my support. In and out, he could depend on me.”
Last week, Mr Dames said the Minnis administration will use everything on the law books, including capital punishment, to make The Bahamas safe for “law-abiding citizens.” At the time, Mr Dames said the Minnis administration cannot tolerate a “lawless society” and said it is the government’s job to “introduce new policies and to enforce old ones to make sure everyone is safe.” “I am totally and 100 per cent with him,” Mr Miller said when questioned on the matter. “I want to congratulate him on having the guts to appreciate the fact that these fellas would take a life in an instant with no sorrow, no conscience, no nothing, because they know that when they take a life, they gone go to Fox Hill prison, might, and 70 per cent of them walk free. “Therefore, they take the law into their own hands and do as they please. If this guy knows that his life is going to be taken, he ain’t gone do it. You know nobody wants to die. But they don’t mind taking your life and my life. I’m happy and I congratulate the minister for having the tenacity and the wherewithal to do what is necessary on behalf of the Bahamian people. “It is long, long overdue,” Mr Miller added. “And I trust that they will push this and get it done. It’s on the books, you just got to have the guts to enforce it. It has to be done.” Reflecting on the recent spate of homicides in New Providence, Mr Miller asked: “Where we headed? This is a precipice and we headed down there at a thousand miles an hour.”
FORMER Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller. In January, while his party was in power, Mr Miller blamed “gutless politicians” for the increases in murders and serious crimes in the country. At the time, Mr Miller said many of his parliamentary colleagues were “afraid to implement the laws on the books”. He urged Bahamians to vote for persons who will “carry out the death penalty” and “send everyone else packing”. The following month, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, then in opposition, said unless the then-government is willing to enforce the death penalty, “criminals will continue to ravage our country and keep citizens in fear.” Dr Minnis said the country is losing the battle to the criminal element and “more serious measures” need to be taken. And last year, Dr Minnis insisted that the necks
of “murderous scumbags” in the country must be “popped” as he castigated the former Christie administration for failing “miserably” in its obligation to keep Bahamians safe. Reflecting on this statement, Mr Miller said he is “happy to see the minister of national security has the guts to at least say the right thing”. “And the prime minister said he was with it,” Mr Miller added, referring to his and Dr Minnis’ previous calls for the death penalty to be enforced. “When I was in Parliament (Dr Minnis) and I were the two lone wolves in there saying we’re with it. Now he has an opportunity to make it come to fruition and I trust that it happens. They got the numbers to do it, so the ball is in their court now. Let’s just do the right thing. “Do the right thing man.
Do it, and do it now, and we’ll see a total de-escalation of crimes and killings in our country.” A 2006 decision by the London-based Privy Council, the Bahamas’ highest court of appeal, quashed the country’s mandatory death penalty for murder convicts, which it said was unconstitutional. In 2011, the Privy Council also said the death penalty should only be given in cases where the offence falls into the category of the “worst of the worst.” That same year, the Ingraham administration made changes to the Penal Code to set out the criteria for the types of murders that would attract a discretionary death penalty after conviction. The law changes made it so a person convicted of killing a member of the Royal Bahamas Po-
CAUTION URGED OVER AUSTERITY MEASURES
By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net
FORMER Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller on Friday cautioned the Minnis administration to be “very careful” in rolling out its new austerity measures, warning that the Free National Movement government “could cause a recession if you go too far”. Mr Miller, in an interview with The Tribune, said while he agrees with “some of the things” the Minnis administration is doing to curtail government finances, its plans could ultimately backfire, warning: “Be careful how you tread down these roads.” Mr Miller’s statements were in reference to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis’ inaugural address as the nation’s leader last week, in which he announced there would be a ten per cent cut in spending in all government ministries and no new public sector hiring. Deputy Prime Minister K Peter Turnquest subsequently took a step further, telling reporters on Thursday that while it isn’t seeking to inflict discomfort on government workers, the government is undertaking measures to “rationalise
their service” and “ensure their services are needed.” In the event workers have to be disengaged, Mr Turnquest said the Minnis administration will do so with “full analysis of what the consequences are” for both sides and “to the extent that we can help them transition into the private sector.” However, the East Grand Bahama MP stressed the need to “clear the system” so that “we have opportunity at the bottom for new entrants”. When contacted by The Tribune on Friday, Mr Miller cautioned the government of the dangers of implementing its austerity measures, referring to comments made by former Finance Minister James Smith to Tribune Business and published in Friday’s Tribune. Mr Smith, also an exCentral Bank governor, told Tribune Business the Minnis administration had “very little wiggle room” to achieve such cuts because so much of the government’s annual budget was consumed by fixed costs. This included civil servant salaries, debt servicing and repayments, and building rentals and other contracts that were already locked in, which were “way up there” in terms of the
MAN DIES AS HE CUTS DOWN TREE AN American man died while cutting down a tree in North Eleuthera on Sunday, police said. The winter resident from Maryland was cutting a “large tree” at his home shortly after 9am when it “broke free” and struck him, police reported.
He was taken to North Eleuthera’s local clinic where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death, police said. Investigations are continuing.
proportion of the budget they account for. Mr Smith further warned that civil service ‘buy in’ at all levels--from top to bottom--was vital if the government’s fiscal consolidation is to succeed, as he likened the public sector to “a big aircraft carrier that is hard to turn around.” “I listen to experts like James Smith, who is like a brother to me, fellas who taught me a lot of what I know,” Mr Miller told The Tribune. “Listen to what he had to say in your papers (Friday). “They (the government) need to be very, very careful. If you already laid so many Bahamians off that (the PLP) had on the job programme, and now you’re not going to hire anybody for the next 12 months, where are those people who you have displaced going to get an income from? “How are they going to feed their families? How are they going to send their kids back to school come July and August? Where are you going to find the jobs? If you’re going on an austere programme, that could cause a recession if you go too far. “…But the ball is in their court,” Mr Miller added. “I just think they got to be
careful with this austere programme. I agree with some of the things that they’re doing and they’re making some concerted efforts. “But if people out there hurting, and they don’t have a job, the next thing they gone do is turn more towards crime, especially the young men. So be careful how you tread down these roads.” On Thursday, Mr Turnquest said while the Minnis administration will not participate in “any action that is going to further cause the Bahamian people to suffer,” it will aggressively seek to “bring discipline to government finances and rationalisation of the programmes we are engaged in”. Mr Turnquest further explained that the government expects to achieve even more savings that the 10 per cent reduction, primarily by identifying duplicate government programmes, cutting overpriced public contracts and eliminating wastage. Mr Turnquest, also the minister of finance, told reporters each ministry will be mandated to present the details of its spending reductions to the Minnis administration before the next budget communication in June.
lice Force (RBPF), Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), Department of Customs, Department of Immigration, the judiciary or correctional services would be eligible for the death penalty. Someone convicted of killing someone during a robbery, rape, kidnapping or terrorist act would also fall into this category. No one has been hanged since the amendments were passed into law.
PAGE 4, Monday, July 31, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
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Don’t talk down the economy, says Fred Mitchell FRED MITCHELL, former Foreign Affairs/Immigration Minister, now a member of the Senate, is already tired of Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis “talking down” the economy. However, Mr Mitchell failed to suggest what part of the economy after his government’s dismal five years administration could honestly be “talked up”. It is about time that the Bahamian people were told the truth. They are now of age and it is time they were told the state of their economy to prepare them for the belt-tightening that will be required of them — in fact of all of us, Messrs Mitchell and Brave Davis included — to return this country to the fiscal health it once enjoyed. According to Mr Mitchell, “this is a rich country. This is not a poor country. But everything that comes out of their mouths is woe is me…doom and gloom.” Mr Mitchell, this could be a rich country, but to be what the country should be the Bahamian people – those with skills and those without skills — will have to work hard to contribute their best — be it much or little — to repair the damage that they have now inherited and to which they have contributed. Mr Mitchell and his small group should be thankful that they lost the election, because had they won they could not have delivered what their election rhetoric had promised. It would have been interesting to have seen in the face of victory what would have happened when it was discovered that they could not deliver on their promises. They should be thankful that they have been relieved of that burden. And unless they have worthwhile suggestions to make in the rebuilding of a broken nation, they and their chairman, Bradley Roberts, would be well advised to hold their peace. Today, The Bahamas is ranked as the eighth most expensive place in the world to live. According to the World Bank “the major challenges to investment in the country include the high cost and uncertain reliability of electricity, high unemployment combined with a limited pool of skilled labour, high labour costs and low rates of productivity, cumbersome and sometimes opaque administrative requirements, and an escalating crime rate. In addition, the reservation of certain sectors of the economy for Bahamians only acts as a non-tariff trade barrier to certain foreign investments that do not fit clearly within the National Investment Policy. The Bahamas remains the only country in the Western Hemisphere that is not a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)”. The civil service, for example, needs serious examination. This is not to say that they do not have ef-
ficient and skilled staff, but the department is over staffed with persons, many of whom are there as a favour to an MP. The public complain almost daily about the inefficiency, and indifference of many of them. We recall some time back when the Minister in charge of Bahamasair jokingly remarked that his department was almost like a charity. He just could not say “no” if a member of his constituency asked for a job even though the applicant had no qualifications. They were hired, and the Bahamian tax payers paid their wages. Apparently, the PLP saw nothing wrong with that. The civil service became the dumping ground for many of the unskilled. Not only was it unfair to members of the public that had to suffer their indifference, but it was unfair to those qualified members of the civil service, who could not get raises because what would have gone towards their raises was being paid to those who should not have been on the staff. This is going to be a difficult problem, but for the sake of efficiency, government is going to have to correct it. The World Bank went on to say that “companies report that the approval process for foreign direct investment (FDI) and work permits can be cumbersome and time-consuming and that, in some cases, applications have lingered for years. Large FDI projects require approval by the National Economic Council, which includes members of the Cabinet of The Bahamas. This provides opportunities for Bahamian businesses with competing interests to lobby Cabinet members to delay review or approval of FDI applications. The government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas (GCOB or the Government) asserts, however, that the majority of foreign investment applications are processed quickly and without significant issues. “The Government maintains an online list of tender notices for projects; some companies, however, have complained that not all potential government contracts, particularly those not financed through international financing institutions, are put out for tender, and it is difficult to obtain information on the status of bids.” Much has to be done to correct our fiscal problems and so we suggest that Mr Mitchell stop wailing about the “doom and gloom” and try to make a valuable contribution as Bahamians attempt to pull their country back from the brink and return it to the fiscal health that it could eventually enjoy, But to do this Bahamians have to be told the truth. One can only correct problems if they fully understand what those problems are.
Bringing back the death penalty EDITOR, The Tribune Re: Death penalty needed to stop murders. – The Tribune, 25 July, 2017. ALTHOUGH it is counterintuitive, it has been shown in many countries that the Death Penalty seldom produces the desired result of deterrence. Furthermore, it tends
to divert attention from the more mundane underlying crimes that eventually culminate in murder. Virtually the only hope for reducing our murders would be to mercilessly attack the widespread precursor crimes. That would be much more difficult than a functioning death penalty, more
costly, and not nearly as spectacular in a quick fix political sense. Reintroduction of the death penalty certainly would be a marvelous idea - if only it would work as hoped! KEN. W. KNOWLES, M.D. Nassau, July 29, 2017
Minnis becomes a true leader EDITOR, The Tribune. DR Hubert A Minnis (FNM-Killarney), our erstwhile Prime Minister, has transformed himself into a “real” leader right before our eyes. This is remarkable in that less than a year ago, the good doctor had been written off by many Bahamians and political pundits. I must confess that while I had endorsed him to become leader of the badly demoralized FNM back in 2012, when he appeared on my then radio talk show, REAL TALK LIVE, I too had my initial doubts that he could rise to the occasion. The coup attempted by Loretta Butler Turner and her ill-fated band of plotters failed miserably. She flirted with political flakes; hacks and gadflies. She scored many headlines and was the darling of talk radio and the print media. Some of you thought that she possessed “the right stuff” to outflank Minnis and to become the first substantive female Prime Minister of our wonderful nation. We now know that she had a bigger bark than her bite. She has been vanquished, politically, and her career in the public arena may well have come to an end. Sad but it is what it is. Politics is “war” by a different name. When you strike at an enemy, perceived or real, you must take him/her out with speed and deliberation. She failed and is now history. The PLP has the right philosophy but the current leaders, across the board, are out of touch with reality. They were reduced down to the irreducible minimum in the halls of parliament. Already there are rumours of infighting and jockeying for ascendancy by all and sundry. They are all tarnished by allegations of the highest order, yet they say that they are “the best and the brightest”, no pun intended, that the PLP has
LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net to offer. Whatever they do have to offer will be of no threat to the administration of Dr. Minnis. This man has transformed himself into a political giant and master of all that he surveys. There is no witch hunt and the PLP, et al, must come to terms with reality. If anyone connected with the defunct Christie administration and within the higher ranks of the civil service are found to have been fleecing the taxpayers or engaged in acts of public malfeasance, they must be brought to justice, regardless of the fall out for any party or individual. The police must do their job and do it well, within the protocols of the law and within their constitutional authority... no more... no less. Already Dr Minnis has delivered on several planks in the FNM’s electoral platform. Some cry that he has yet to lay out an economic plan. I beg to differ. The mere fact that the Minnis administration is moving to acquire a substantial stake in Our Lucaya in Freeport bodes well for the reactivation of Grand Bahama’s economy. This island is the second largest population centre with thousands of Bahamians out of work due to the decades long downturn in that island’s economy under successive governments. It is past time that we get Grand Bahama, with an emphasis on Freeport proper, up and running as soon as possible. I love the plan to reopen that property before the year’s end. Crime is already being addressed even if the homicides continue unabated. There is some lose talk about the death penalty but do not look for that to be reintroduced anytime soon. We are shackled by the dic-
tates of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Unless and until we amend our constitution to reflect otherwise, there will be no state sanction execution in this life time. Our Criminal Justice System and the penalty concepts must be revisited. There should be mandatory fixed sentences, without parole or early release, for specific crimes. The dreaded Gun Court must be reintroduced with a mandate to deal effectively with convicted gunmen and illegal ammunition dealers. A dedicated Drug court would also go a long way in sending the right message to the purveyors of death and destruction. Many of us have come to regard marijuana and alcoholic beverages as normal but, trust me, except one exercises control those substances, especially when combined, are toxic. The sub culture must be eradicated. As a medical doctor, the PM, should be well aware of the immense human costs and lost in national productivity which occurs when we turn a blind eye to these twin societal issues. There needs to be a great transformation in the way we conduct public affairs in our wonderful nation, with a doctor in the house, as opposed to yet another lawyer, we will be ok for the long haul. Dr Minnis, like him, hate him or whatever else, is the Great Transformer. He is not eloquent but he’s an astute individual who survived against all odds to become Prime Minister. He reminds me of President Donald J Trump over in the USA. I have no doubt that Trump will make America Great Again, as will Dr Minnis will do with The Bahamas. To God then in all things, be the glory. ORTLAND H. BODIE JR Nassau, July 29, 2017.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, July 31, 2017, PAGE 5
THE POLICE investigate the scene where an elderly woman was hit by a truck while crossing the highway.
Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
Woman dies as she is hit by truck By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net AN elderly woman became the country’s latest traffic fatality victim after being struck by a Mack Truck as she attempted to cross the Tonique WilliamsDarling Highway shortly after 11am Sunday. The accident, which impeded traffic flow in the area for much of Sunday afternoon, marked the 23rd traffic fatality of the year. According to the officerin-charge of the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Traffic Division, Assistant Superintendent Craig Stubbs, the elderly woman was allowed to cross the street by a vehicle in the northern lane of west-bound thoroughfare, unbeknownst to the motorist crossing the southern lane. Speaking to reporters
on the scene Sunday, ASP Stubbs said the driver of that vehicle in the southern lane made contact with the pedestrian, fatally hitting her. Investigators on the scene probed various angles of the immediate area, including the truck involved and an aerial view of the area using a drone device. Kyle McIntosh, the truck driver who remained on the scene throughout the initial probe by authorities, told The Tribune that he was on his way to a nearby eatery to have lunch. He said he had already started to slow down when two vehicles behind him took issue with his decreasing speed and overtook him. Shortly afterwards, a shaken Mr McIntosh said, a pedestrian stepped out in front of his truck “out of nowhere.”
He added: “...And I just tipped her with the left side of the bumper.” That impact, according to ASP Stubbs, propelled the deceased over into bushes just off to the southern-side of the dual-carriage highway. Asked if speed played a factor in Sunday’s fatal accident, ASP Stubbs said preliminary findings did not support that theory. He did, however, caution pedestrians to execute due care and attention when attempting to cross busy highways. ASP Stubbs said pedestrians must make sure vehicles in both lanes of a dualcarriageway have come to a complete stop before attempting to cross. “We have seen too many of these accidents where one vehicle would have stopped and a pedestrian just walked across and
THE BODY is removed from the scene of the accident.
walked into oncoming traffic,” ASP Stubbs said. He added: “So we encourage all pedestrians, when utilising these major thoroughfares, utilise the area that is (marked) for pedestrian crossing or wait until you find your way clear or vehicles stop to let you cross. Once you have ascertained that all vehicles have stopped, we say to you, proceed to the other side of that road.” Last Wednesday, Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell expressed concern over the number of accidents and fatalities recorded throughout the country this year. Mr Campbell, during a press conference attended by various members of the Road Safety Committee, said it is “vital” that the government “continue to focus on road safety.” Mr Campbell encouraged people to adhere to the various road traffic laws, such as using pedestrian crossings rather than crossing the road arbitrarily, obeying the maximum speed limits both in the city and highways, and avoiding texting while driving. The latter, Mr Campbell said, is “far too prevalent” in Bahamian society and the possibility exists for the introduction of legislation against texting while driving sometime in the future. At the time, Mr Campbell said the country had recorded 22 traffic fatalities for the year. The investigation into Sunday’s accident continues.
MAN’S BODY FOUND FLOATING NEAR SAND TRAP By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net
POLICE will have to await the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death of a man discovered floating in waters off West Bay Street yesterday. According to an initial police report, officers were
called to an area near the Sand Trap by a concerned citizen around 6.30am, where they discovered the lifeless body of a darkskinned man floating in the water. Officers brought the body to shore, where the man was pronounced dead. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
Police said Sunday they could not divulge any further information on the matter, but indicated investigations are ongoing. The man’s identity is not known. Anyone with information on this or any other incident is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991
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A FAMILY member in tears at the scene of the accident.
Death Notice Sidney Reginald CaRey, 99
Of Shirley Heights & formerly of Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera. Died at his residence, on Wednesday, July 26th, 2017. He is survived by Reginald Carey, Margaret Rose Murray & Deidrea Evans, many relatives & friends.
PAGE 6, Monday, July 31, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
ONLOOKERS react at the scene of a fatal shooting of a young man on Saturday morning.
Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff
Gunmen murder bailed teenager
from page one
month. At least three of them have been killed in the past two weeks according to The Tribune’s records. According to police, the victim was walking near Peardale Manor, just off Claridge Road, around 9.20am Saturday, when two male occupants of a silver coloured Honda Accord armed with handguns, approached and shot him multiple times about the body before speeding off. The victim, who The Tribune understands is Tavares Deveaux, was pronounced dead on the scene. At the time of his death on Saturday, Deveaux was being electronically monitored by police while on bail for a serious offence. Police are expected to officially identify the deceased later today. This latest killing takes the country’s murder count to 80 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records. Earlier this month, after a man on bail for murder was shot and killed near his
THE BODY of the young man is removed from the scene of the murder. home, officer-in-charge of the Central Detective Unit, Chief Superintendent Solomon Cash issued a grim warning. “I would say it is a privilege to be granted bail and I want to advise those per-
sons who have been granted bail to remain in the confines of their home. That is the best advice I can give them, because if they move about freely they may be targeted and killed,” Chief Supt Cash said previously.
“We continue as we normally do to look at our prolific offenders mainly those out on bail and we monitor them from time to time, but we need the public’s help to solve these crimes. In my opinion, I do not sense a
fear factor for normal residents, of course you know that this individual was on bail for murder and from all indications it looks like retaliation. Decent residents who live in these areas need not have the fear, they are safe,” he also said. However, responding to questions on the warning, National Security Minister Marvin Dames insisted the problem is much bigger than telling persons to stay inside, as he indicated the Minnis administration will be “moving a series of bills through Parliament very shortly” in an effort to “improve the efficiency of justice in the country.” Mr Dames at the time also revealed that in the short term, the Royal Bahamas Police Force would “increase visibility in hot spots and continue to target prolific offenders.” A day later, Assistant Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander, flanked by more than a dozen armed officers in the Overthe-Hill area, announced the police force’s new crime fighting strategy, Securing
the Inner City Strategically (STICS), which aims to apprehend would be offenders in the act. Despite the pronouncements however, the scourge of violent crimes and homicides continue. A man who was “well known to police” was shot multiple times and killed early Friday morning in the area of Mason’s Addition. The murder took place shortly after 1am. According to reports, police received a call that a body of a man was found on a track road off Saxon’s Way in Masons Addition. When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered the lifeless body of a man who appeared to have been shot multiple times. Emergency Personnel Services (EMS) were called to the scene and pronounced the man dead. Anyone with information on any homicide or any other crime is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328TIPS.
US WARNING OVER ISLANDS’ CRIME RATE
from page one
and 24 per cent fewer murders than 2015’s record high, New Providence has witnessed violent crimes in locations more commonly
frequented by US tourists. In some instances, these incidents resulted in fatalities, the report said. There were 111 murders in 2016 and 146 murders in 2015. The report noted criminality and violent crime has
increased in Grand Bahama, notably crimes involving the use of machetes. “Many criminals carry firearms, machetes, or knives, and these weapons are commonly brandished,” the report said. “Gangs are present. There has been targeted gang-related violence, including a drive-by shooting that resulted in one death and two injuries next to Embassy-owned residential properties. “Home invasions, theft, and robbery are not confined to a specific part of the island. The upsurge in criminal activity has led to incidents that could place innocent bystanders at risk. The US Embassy has received reports of assaults, including sexual assaults, at residences, hotel rooms, casinos, outside hotels, and on cruise ships. In some sexual assault incidents, the victim reportedly had been drugged. The embassy issued several security messages for US citizens in 2016,” the report also said. Other areas of concern include The Sand Trap and
MISSING PERSON RBPF MISSING:
19 YEAR OLD
CORDERO ASH OF NASSAU
Nassau, Bahamas - Police are requesting the public’s help in locating 19 year old Cordero Ash of Claridge Road. Cordero was last seen on Tuesday, 30 July, 2013 between the hours of 2:00pm and 5:00pm at Montagu Beach, wearing a navy blue basketball pants. He is known to frequent the areas of Kemp and Carib Roads and Mackey Street. Anyone with information that can assist police in locating CORDERO ASH is asked to contact police at 911, 919, 322-3333/4, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9990/1/2, or Crimstoppers at 328-TIPS.
inner-city communities referred to as “Over-the-Hill”. “In November 2016, the US Embassy placed The Sand Trap venue off-limits to Chief of Mission personnel following a gang-related murder. The Sand Trap is on the north side of West Bay Street at the intersection of West Bay Street and Saint Alban’s Drive. “Areas of Nassau referred to as ‘Over-the-Hill’ by locals should be avoided after sunset unless you are intimately familiar with the areas. This is generally south of the downtown Nassau area, south of Shirley Street. These areas are not clearly defined but encompass many lower income areas on New Providence. Visitors should avoid these areas, especially at night.” Road safety and road conditions are also noted in the report. “Reckless” driving practices and motorists disobeying road rules are mentioned as areas of concern. “Vehicular traffic comes from the opposite to what one would expect in the US, tourists have been struck by cars after failing to check
properly for oncoming traffic. “Traffic circles are a common feature, and traffic in the circles has the rightof-way. Traffic congestion in Nassau is prevalent, and drivers occasionally display antagonistic tendencies and sometimes drive recklessly, passing on the right into oncoming traffic. Many motorists disobey stop signs, speed limits, and traffic signals. “Police enforcement of traffic laws has increased in 2016 but is still considered minimal, and visitors should exercise extreme caution. While it is against the law, drinking and driving is common. The legal ban is infrequently enforced, resulting in numerous traffic accidents and fatalities, including some involving tourists and motor scooters. “Traffic accidents pose a safety hazard in some parts of the Bahamas, primarily due to intolerant drivers speeding and driving recklessly on two-way, two-lane roads not designed for highspeed travel and, in some
cases, in need of maintenance.” Police response Generally, the report said the Royal Bahamas Police Force is receptive to reports of crime and takes threats of crimes against tourists seriously. “However, the police response can be reduced by a lack of resources or by the physical constraints imposed by geography, infrastructure, and traffic. “Police have limited emergency vehicles, and streets and houses are generally unmarked, inhibiting responders from locating affected residences. To ensure quick response to a residence, victims may have to go to the local police station and provide transportation to the site.” The report also listed Nassau as being a “low threat” location for terrorist activity and the same classification was given for political, economic, religious and ethnic violence directed at or affecting official US government interests. The report was released in March.
THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS
insight@tribunemedia.net
MONDAY, JULY 31, 2017
A bitter pill to swallow L By MALCOLM STRACHAN
AST week the entire nation got the opportunity to hear from its leader as Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis, as promised after winning the election, gave his first National Address as Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Bahamians home and abroad listened intently to hear what cures the good doctor has in store to reverse the fate of a country that many feared was on the path to terminal illness under the previous administration. Prime Minister Minnis had some very salient points in his address. Throughout his speech, you can hear his appeal to two distinct audiences – the Bahamians that wanted to rid the country of Perry Christie, as well as the international community in the form of credit rating agencies and potential investors that listened keenly to the new CEO’s vision. No stranger to complexities based on his long medical career, the unassuming underdog that overcame all the doubters and naysayers now sits atop the mountain and is tasked with pulling the country out of the economic rubble it was buried under by the former administration. Accordingly, during his address, he focused on “outlining the critical challenges” we face as a nation, as well as sharing his vision for what his government intends to do about it. As has been done on many occasions since May 10, Prime Minister Minnis reminded us of the quagmire that we are in and how we got here. While this may become a broken record for some, it is also very important to note, as the road that we are about to travel will bring along with it discomfort. Prime Minister Minnis is fully aware of this, and he is appealing to the men and women of this country to also understand that difficult decisions must be made. Unfortunately, we may not always like the medicine, but growth requires a dose of discomfort. The nation’s social and economic health demands it. To this end, the prime minister prescribed various cutbacks in his government’s plans to divert the country’s course from economic ruin. Freezing hires in the public sector, 10% expenditure cuts in all government ministries and announcing that all contracts exceeding $100,000 will not be renewed all present a painstaking reality. However, these actions may be necessary as the government tries to manage the fiscal nightmare left by its predecessor. While we struggled to make ends meet, we had to witness the overindulging extravagance on the part of the previous administration that jet-setted around the world like royals on the people’s dime. The prime minister’s promise to reduce the number of government vehicles and foreign travel are a much appreciated step on their path to fiscal prudence. Without getting too giddy, one must admit that the prime minister is displaying all signs that he is a stickler for fiscal responsibility and law and order. This is refreshing for a populace that has had its prospects ravaged by corruption under a lack of strong leadership in recent times. Now that we’re trying to pick up the pieces, we need someone who is
table - how and when – still remain in the minds of most citizens. We still want to know timelines and concrete plans from the nation’s leader. However, Prime Minister Minnis has done enough to build some trust from those that elected him on May 10, but after everything we’ve been through and what was foreboded in his address last week, we still require complete partnership. We would like to feel in the loop throughout the entire process - not just twice a year when we hear from our prime minister. Although much of what we’ve heard from the Leader of the Opposition since receiving his new title has been enough turn even the hardiest stomach, he did make a few valid points in his response to the National Address. Once you can get beyond the normal self-justifying, apologetic tenor that we’ve seen in most PLP statements since being in opposition, you may find some substantial points. While the prime minister’s address did not lack as much as Davis asserted, we can agree that there is still a great need for the public to hear more focused plans and less ambiguity and broad speech. Nevertheless, what we received was still a good start. We were made to understand where we are, and some of the difficulties that are to come. Hopefully, as the government is nearer to rolling out its plans, more information is shared with us. For now, we must all exhibit patience and follow the doctor’s orders.
PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis during his first National Address. willing to ‘gut’ the system and rid Bahamian politics of those only using it as a platform to promote their own selfish agendas, while those who place their trust in them suffer. Minnis, though it is still early in his tenure as prime minister, is showing that he is committed to cleaning up politics and elevating the people of The Bahamas. Let’s face it – at this juncture where corruption has hobbled our economy, what can possibly be of more importance? With this in mind, amid the recent extortion and bribery developments, Prime Minister Minnis took the opportunity to echo to his government, along with the local and international community, that he will not tolerate any misfeasance under his watch. Corruption and violence have been two of the biggest inhibitors to our economic growth. Both deter and destroy human capital and as the country becomes more unsafe to live, many talented young people are either declining to move home, or emigrating to other countries. Prime Minister Minnis must be mindful of this, as he too, spoke to the need for us to focus on our greatest natural resource – the people. People must be made to feel safe and as though they can thrive. In so doing, he acknowledged that for the government to succeed, it must be in concert with the people – an educated people with a renewed priority on family and community. The prime minister expressed a focus on the same – acknowledging that education and training are “at the heart of economic reform”. Included in his vision for the country’s economic reform, he also recognized that there is a dire need to diversify our industries, and while we would like to hear more of his plans in this regard, we must also understand that in the short-term that we have to water the seeds that will harvest the fastest. In this vein, tourism has been our golden goose for as long as we have been an independent nation. Prime Minister Minnis affirmed his government’s commitment to supporting Baha Mar and Atlantis, as well as our broad tourism product offering throughout the family islands. In totality, Minnis’ address gave us a sense of what direction the government intends to go in. It also signals to Moody’s, S&P and the IMF that his government is serious about improving our fiscal situation. However, two questions that were left on the
OPPOSITION leader Philip ‘Brave’ Davis.
YOUR
CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY @JOYFMBAHAMAS WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019
PAGE 8 MONDAY, JULY 31, 2017
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
A bad investment - don’t you believe it
T
HE Cable Bahamas (CAB) share price quoted on BISX has suffered a stunning fall of almost 40% in the last 18 months, from $6.50 to $4.00. EPS (earnings per share) dropped from $0.28 in 2014 to a loss of ($0.38) in 2017, and last year quarterly dividends on the ordinary shares were indefinitely suspended. Therefore, CAB has sunk to a doubtful investment – right? No, wrong. Proper analysis leads to the opposite conclusion. The downward share movement results strictly from the uneducated, short-sighted way that Bahamian investors evaluate companies that are making heavy investments to create profitable longterm expansion. CAB’s 2016 annual revenues rose to an all-time high of $180 million, and book value (net worth) increased from $86 million to $135 million in the 15 months to March 31, 2017. CAB is now in the typical transitional stage of equity earnings waiting to catch up with balance-sheet growth. During its early years, CAB enjoyed successful innovation in The Bahamas while its earnings grew steadily. Its Directors had the vision to see that the domestic cable/TV/ telephone market would eventually mature, leaving CAB to stagnate. New markets had to be found. The first was in South Florida, where in 2013 four local telecommunications networks were acquired and merged into Summit Broadband, CAB’s wholly owned subsidiary that has enjoyed steady growth but has not yet “turned the corner” to profitability because of continuing capital expenditures and start-up costs. A much larger commitment to new business
RICHARD
CoulsoN began last year after CAB was granted the license to compete with BTC to provide mobile “cell-phone” service in The Bahamas. Incorporated under the brand name ALIV, the new venture made rapid progress from point zero in early 2016, when three international executives arrived to lead with their expertise in mobile-phone technology. A total of $135 million of equity was invested, 48.25% by CAB and 51.75% by a Government holding company that, we are told, will be sold to local investors. Despite its minority position, CAB by the terms of ALIV’s charter holds board-level and management control and consolidates its financial statements. ALIV also secured $60 million from a bond issue in the local capital markets and $32 million vendor financing, for a total $227 million of capital funding. To date, about $150 million has been spent, including $62.5 million for the license fee and the remainder for operating expenses and network systems, simply to start generating revenue. About 250 Bahamians (54% female) have been hired, many in managerial positions, and only 3% of total staffing represents expatriates. This buildup in human resources
CABLE BAHAMAS MAIN OFFICE enabled ALIV to establish corporate headquarters near Soldier Road, and to open nine fully staffed customer service centres in New Providence, two in Grand Bahama, and one each in Abaco and Eleuthera, offering a wide array of subscriber plans and phone units. Intense preparatory efforts and tower construction allowed operations to commence in October 2016, meeting URCA requirements to provide 99% population coverage in New Providence and the other islands. After only nine full months of operation, ALIV presently has more than 70,000 subscribers, representing 22% of BTC’s prior customer count, served by 140 live sites, nearly all newly constructed during the roll-out period. Since the end of April, when URCA mandated number mobility, about 5,000 BTC customer have registered with Aliv. Management plans that the ALIV network will soon be launched in Andros, Bimini and Exuma, and the national
roaming agreement already permits ALIV customers to communicate on the BTC network where ALIV has not yet completed its roll-out. Aliv’s reputation as a good corporate citizen is already well established through its educational programmes and contributions to many community causes. The rapid physical buildup and hiring programme naturally consumed cash resources, and has eliminated any earnings to date. Operating cash-flow from revenues is projected to turn positive during 2018, sufficient to finance further growth from internal sources. Subsequently, we believe the income/expenditure ratio should curve upwards to permit ALIV to pay dividends, subject to capital demands. CAB’s 2015 financial statements showed that about one-third of its revenues came from Summit in Florida. We believe the share from ALIV could become much higher, but any meaningful estimate will only be available when audited figures for June 30 are published in September.
In the meantime, the long-term growth of both CAB and ALIV should be reflected in CAB’s share price rising from its present $4.00, abysmal for one of our most widely held equities. Individual shareholders who suffered from our two hurricanes had to liquidate and exerted downward pricing pressure. But there are plenty of mutual and pensionfunds who could have taken up the slack and supported the price, as well as the 22% shareholder National Insurance Board. All these institutional investors employ or retain sophisticated financial analysts, who should be able to spot a value investment and put in buy orders.. Their inertia is joined by our little community of five licensed broker-dealers. Even the largest, RoyalFidelity and CFAL, and the ambitious newcomer, Leno, do not appear to issue any analytical reports on local investments or attempt to publicize market movements. Nothing is shown to the largely uneducated public who might become
shareholders if professionally advised. In more mature markets, many companies are recommended for their history of shareholder growth despite a no-dividend policy. Prime US examples are Apple and Amazon. Even Tesla, still not recording net income, is a popular investment due to its innovations that are revolutionizing the automobile industry. Why not in The Bahamas? Why do our investment professionals refuse to recognize a similar company here? CAB itself has issued press releases explaining its true financial strength, but to date they appear to have been ignored – or disbelieved – by our financial community. CABLE has the opportunity to give an even more effective presentation with its audited statements for the 18 months ended June 30, and at the subsequent shareholders meeting Government should clarify the CAB-ALIV financial picture by announcing at long last its intentions for selling the holding company that is ALIV’s majority shareholder. A transaction of some $70 million, key for reducing the public debt burden, it overhangs the liquidity of our entire securities market. An offering to the public? Privately to institutions? At what price? By whom managed? With what information to investors? Regulated by the Securities Commission? Until these questions are answered, Government bears a heavy responsibility for keeping our capital markets on the edge of uncertainty. Nevertheless, we believe that CAB, bolstered by ALIV, remains an appealing growth investment at the deeply undervalued price of $4.00 per share.
CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN AT RANFURLY
T
he Ranfurly Homes for Children has been a safe haven for thousands of Bahamian children since 1956. The Home provides a safe, structured environment for children who have been orphaned, abused, neglected or abandoned. YOU can make a difference in the lives of the children at Ranfurly. With your support children can have nutritious food, warm beds and a safe environment where they can discover the joy of being children. For years the children living and learning at Ranfurly have made great social and academic strides. Their further development requires additional support in the form of a Transitional Home, planned for construction on the Ranfurly property. This residence will cater to teenagers and young adults who are beyond school age, but need accommodation while they find work and gain independence from the Home. We look forward to your continued support in this worthwhile endeavour.
MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES Individuals, Families & Corporate Sponsors Children Helping Children - $5 (Individual children from ages 6 - 18) Individuals Helping Children - $50 (Individual adults 18 years and over) Families Helping Children - $100
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• Personal fulfillment in knowing you are impacting lives • Ranfurly children’s appreciation and positive response • Continued support provides stability and constant care
For more information visit: www.ranfurlyhome.org Please “Like” us on Facebook Ranfurly Home for Children, Mackey Street P.O. Box 1413 Nassau, Bahamas 242-393-3115
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net
INSIGHT
MONDAY, JULY 31, 2017 PAGE 9
The relevance and state of US-Caribbean relations – Part 3 World View
By SIR RONALD SANDERS
T
HIS is the final of a three-part commentary discussing the relevance and state of USCaribbean relations against the backdrop of a publication by the Washingtonbased, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), entitled, “The Relevance of US-Caribbean Relations – Three Views”. CSIS deserves the Caribbean’s thanks for addressing the issue which has been ignored for decades by US agencies, except in the context of their preoccupation with drug trafficking and refugees. The withdrawal of correspondent banking relations was identified by the CSIS publication as a serious issue in US-Caribbean relations. It is not the only one in the financial services sector. The imposition by the US of its laws on other countries has long been a problem. The US, under President Barack Obama, continued this practice by requiring jurisdictions around the world to become policemen for the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). This requirement is particularly burdensome for small Caribbean jurisdictions which have to bear all the associated costs of reporting to the IRS on the assets of any US companies or persons. Their failure to do so would result in “substantial financial sanctions” – a description by two senior members of the US Congress, Senator Rand Paul and Representative Mark Meadows. The two Congressmen want FATCA repealed. They also state categorically that the Inter-Governmental Agreements (IGAs), that the Obama administration compelled many jurisdictions to sign so as to give effect to FATCA, are illegal in the US. Truth be told, the IGAs are probably unconstitutional in every Caribbean jurisdiction, but no government resisted it because they are well aware that they would be black-listed as “non-cooperative”. Paul and Meadows have taken-up this issue with the US Treasury and the White House, because, they say, FATCA harms American tax payers and has led to a “spiking rate in US citizenship renunciations”. Whether FATCA will be repealed or implementation of the IGAs suspended is left to be seen. But the action of the two congressmen illustrates that what could cause change in US-Caribbean relations for the better is not Caribbean interests, but concerns from US interest groups on which the region could piggy-back. In his “view” offered in the CSIS publication, Anthony Bryan masterfully and authoritatively describes and analyses the energy sector in the Caribbean. It should be read by all Caribbean decisionmakers on energy. But, it offers little in terms of USCaribbean relations except to observe that “the future of these (energy) initiatives (started under the Obama administration) is still unclear with the new US administration”. Significantly, the US State Department, in a strategy paper presented to a hearing of the Western Hemisphere Sub-Committee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on implementing the US-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act on July 19, mentions energy as one of six areas priorities for US engagement with the region. The other five are: security, diplomacy, prosperity, education and health. If Caribbean representa-
tives are asked, they would offer different matters for priority, such as economic development including infrastructure; climate change (completely absent from the State Department list) that threatens the survival of many of them; an end to the assault on their financial services sector which imperils their participation in the global trade and finance system; access to financial resources of the international financial institutions on concessionary terms so as to create jobs in the productive sector; and security concerns such as effects on rising criminality of the deportation of criminals fashioned in the US. Two experienced observers of US-Caribbean relations, US attorneys, Dr Bruce Zagaris and Farhad Mirzadeh, who attended the Congressional hearing at which the State Department presented its strategy, remarked, “during the hearing it was revealed how little the Administration planned on committing to co-operation with Caribbean countries”. And, we should be clear. This lack of commitment did not start with President Donald Trump. It was very much in evidence under President Obama, and his predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Indeed, since the administration of George H.W. Bush, the region has been largely neglected with only firefighting resources being allocated to Haiti and Cuba in furtherance of what was perceived as US security interests. Zagaris and Mirzadeh have publicly observed that “it became apparent (during the Congressional hearing) that the Budget did not allot the necessary funding to achieve the seemingly modest goals” set out in the State Department’s paper. For instance, it was revealed that funding for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative would be slashed by 37 per cent. That figure assumes greater significance when measured against the fact that the original allocation was small by any objective standard, and is used mostly to fight the trafficking of drugs destined to satisfy demand in the US. In its strategy paper, the State Department lists a set of “highlights” of its strategy for the Caribbean, the first of which is: “Creation of a US-Caribbean Dialogue which will be an annual State Department consultative meeting with Caribbean leaders”. Pointedly, the proposal is not for an annual meeting between the US President and Caribbean Heads of Government, or at the very least, between the US Secretary of State and Caribbean Foreign Ministers. That is a miscalculation. Caribbean leaders want to talk with decisionmakers like themselves; persons who understand the reality of politics and of delivering expectations to people who elected them to office. US leaders understand the importance of leaders talking to each other. That’s why US Presidents invite their counterparts to Washington or travel to foreign capitals. To shunt Caribbean leaders to an “annual State Department consultative meeting” will not reset the US-Caribbean relationship in the meaningful way for which it is crying-out. The relationship needs resetting. Jeff Duncan, the Chairman of the House sub-committee that took evidence on July 19 said that: “The Caribbean region is a vibrant community that is vital to US interests and I believe that we need to expand US en-
AN armed officer guards a suspected haul of marijuana. US funding for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative faces a 37 per cent slash - a significant figure for an area that is mostly used to fight the trafficking of drugs headed for the US. gagement and strengthen our relationships in the region”. Every Caribbean leader would agree with Chairman Duncan. Regional leaders, as much as the region’s people, want a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with the US. But they want that relationship to be based on respect for their sovereignty and independence and on recognition of their capacity to contribute to global good through their intellect, their creativity and their commitment to values that they have traditionally shared with the US. They want dialogue not dictation; they want a hand-up, not a hand-out; they want a symbiotic, mutually beneficial relationship with the US. The first step should be a well-planned conversation of Heads of Government at which they close the doors to all but one or two chief advisers to reset the relationship with an agenda that has concrete plans, guaranteed resources, agreed objectives, effective implementation machinery and a mechanism to monitor and review outcomes annually. A conversation leading to a reinvigorated relationship with the Caribbean will not dislodge the region’s now established links with China and other countries, but it would be in the USCaribbean interest to let that conversation begin. • Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are his own.
PAGE 10 MONDAY, JULY 31, 2017
INSIGHT
EMAIL: insight@tribunemedia.net DOWNTOWN Nassau whose redevelopment should be a priority, says John Issa.
Getting down to the facts SOME facts: 1. Tourism is now more important to the people of The Bahamas than ever before so everything reasonable should be done to guarantee its success. 2. The offshore banking and finance industry will continue to contract as more and more countries fight tax evasion and money laundering. 3. Employment in the
banking sector will continue to decline because of technology.
4. Baha Mar would not exist if it were not for a bank from China which fi-
THE CLEARING BANKS’ ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES
THE EMANCIPATION DAY HOLIDAY BANKING HOURS FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017 Normal Banking Hours
SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2017
Bank of The Bahamas – Normal Banking Hours CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank – CLOSED Citibank, N.A. – CLOSED Commonwealth Bank Limited – Normal Banking Hours Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited – CLOSED RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited – Normal Banking Hours Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited – Normal Banking Hours
MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2017 EMANCIPATION DAY CLOSED
TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017 Normal Banking Hours
Bank of The Bahamas Limited CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank Citibank, N.A. Commonwealth Bank Limited Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited Scotiabank (Bahamas) Limited
nanced it. 5. Baha Mar would not be open and employing thousands of Bahamians if it were not purchased by an international company from China. 6. The implementation of a broad access to information act is urgently needed. 7. Young Bahamian entrepreneurs will not blossom and bring prosperity to the Nation until the
roadblocks to obtaining a business license are eliminated. 8. Bahamians will always be suspicious of public expenditure until all Government purchases of goods and services are put to open public tender. 9. BahamasAir, BPL and Bank of the Bahamas should be privatised to stop them from being a burden on every Bahamian taxpayer and con-
sumer. 10. A creative master plan for Freeport and Grand Bahama needs to be urgently worked on. A review of the decades of problems and failures will confirm that just opening the existing hotels and shops will not bring long term prosperity to this beautiful island. 11. The redevelopment of downtown Nassau should be a priority.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, July 31, 2017, PAGE 11
THE FAMILY of the late Christopher Turnquest is pictured at Nassau Street Court.
Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
RBDF officer says skiff had no lights By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE inquest into the death of 25-year-old Christopher Turnquest continued Friday with a Royal Bahamas Defence Force officer testifying that Turnquest’s skiff should not have been at sea the night of the accident because it had no lights and the weather conditions were deteriorating. Had the RBDF’s vessel been speeding in the harbour as lawyers for the Turnquest family allege, the damage it would have inflicted on the skiff would have been far greater than the damage the skiff ul-
CHRISTOPHER TURNQUEST
timately sustained, the RBDF officer said. He suggested the skiff would have split in two upon impact if it had collided with a speeding RBDF vessel. Petty Officer Fredrick Clarke, an officer of 27 years who was the coxswain aboard the vessel searching for Turnquest’s body on October 3, 2016, said the damage the skiff sustained was consistent with impact from an RBDF vessel travelling at a speed of no more than five knots in the no-wake zone, which is within the allowable limit. If the RBDF vessel collided with the skiff while travelling at five knots, Mr Clarke said, the vessel would have risen up and, assuming the kill switch of the vessel is subsequently pulled, would come to a halt, causing the kind of damage the skiff ultimately sustained. However, Petty Office Clarke could not say if the kill switch aboard the RBDF vessel was, in fact, pulled. He testified that the skiff Turnquest was on lacked lights, based on pictures of the skiff that were shown to him.
‘SURPRISE PM WON’T SEE ME’ from page one
In this regard he said: “When such abuses of power occur, the offending parties, be they police officers or politicians, need to understand that there will come a day of reckoning for them as well.” However, when The Tribune contacted him yesterday, Mr Davis said the statements should only be taken as him referencing immutable law. The letter was leaked to The Tribune and other media and also circulated on social media. “It should be taken as a consequence of immutable law,” Mr Davis told The Tribune on Sunday. “It’s not a retributive statement, it was just a reference to a well known moral law.” Asked if he was surprised by Dr Minnis’ refusal to meet with him, Mr Davis said he was, because he “expected” to be obliged by the prime minister. “I expected that he would meet with me,” the Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP said. “I expressed some concerns to him over which he does have some influence. But if he refuses to meet with me then so be it. I was surprised because I confirmed that the letter was delivered to him. I had a conversation with the Attorney General (Carl Bethel) the day it was delivered and whereas the attorney general said he didn’t think it was inappropriate, I did not anticipate that he (Dr Minnis) would turn the meeting down.” Last Tuesday, Dr Minnis said he would not meet with Mr Davis and dismissed concerns about being the
subject of payback following the PLP leader’s letter. Dr Minnis insisted that his “life is an open book” and criticised Mr Davis for breaching protocol after the harsh letter was leaked to the press. Asked to clarify whether Mr Davis called him in relation to the letter, Dr Minnis said “No. N-P-O. No.” He repeated the same in response to questions of whether he would meet with Mr Davis over this issue in the future. Dr Minnis’ use of the term sparked wide discussion on Facebook with many seeking to understand how the term fits as an appropriate response to the PLP leader’s request for a meeting. Later, Dr Minnis sought to explain his use of the medical term “NPO”. “NPO is medical terminology meaning nothing by mouth, nothing orally,” the prime minister explained to The Tribune last Wednesday. He continued: “In other words, ‘Brave’ Davis has already disseminated the information - the letter - to the media, to social media and throughout the Bahamas. So he wants them to respond, not me. “So nothing will come out of my month. I am finished with that. All it means that since he did it I am under NPO. Nothing by mouth. (He should) allow those who he sent it to, to respond. That’s who he wrote the letter to, not me because he could have picked up the phone and called me. If you send me a letter, you don’t send it to the media and everyone else, so my mouth is on lock down. NPO,” Dr Minnis told The Tribune last week.
Because of this, the skiff may not have been visible to the crew of the much larger RBDF vessel, he said. He testified that although he was on vacation at the
time of the accident on October 2, the conditions of the sea could have been affected by the weather as Hurricane Matthew was approaching, reducing vis-
ibility. The deteriorating conditions had prompted the Meteorological Department to release a small craft advisory. The inquest resumes
today. The Turnquest family is represented by Murrio Ducille while Romona Farquharson-Seymour is representing the RBDF.
PAGE 12, Monday, July 31, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
REFUGEES FREED AFTER TWO YEARS WITHOUT CHARGE
By AVA TURNQUEST Tribune Chief Reporter aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE four refugees held without charge at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre for more than two years have been released by the government. An Eritrean man and three Cuban men, who pe-
titioned the courts over the lawfulness of their detention, were released on July 13. The men were represented by Martin Lundy, of Callenders & Co. Mr Lundy said: “Before we were even able to get the matter heard the government released them, but we were still awarded costs for
having to file papers to begin with. They’re out, and two have been resettled in Brazil and the other two are with the Red Cross.” In separate cases, the men claimed that they were never questioned by immigration officers during processing, and highlighted their refugee status with the United Nations High
Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR). Diarra Lue Tawaldi, a 25-year-old Eritrean, entered the country on January 1, 2013 and had been in detention since his arrival, according to his affidavit. Yosvany Gonzalez Plunkett, a 40-year-old Cuban, came to the Bahamas on a work permit in 2010. He
overstayed his permit and was arrested in Bimini on June 22, 2015. Cubans Yoiselandy Alfonso Martinez, 22, and Angel Luis Llorente Carrion, 23, left Cuba by boat on June 6, 2015, and were arrested on June 23, 2015, by the United States Coast Guard. Both men were sent to Grand Bahama and then
detained at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre on June 24, 2015. The applications for habeas corpus writs were filed in the Supreme Court against the attorney general, minister of immigration, director of immigration and officer-in-charge of the holding facility on June 13.
THE SCENE of a protest in March 2015 after taxi drivers blocked the road in Freeport amid concerns over tour operators taking their business. Drivers now say their livelihood is at stake on the island.
Taxi business in GB ‘the worst it has ever been’
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
FREEPORT taxi drivers claim their livelihoods are at stake, especially now that Grand Bahama’s major hotel property has closed its doors. Many of them have made a decent living over the past 35 years, but in the last few years tour operators have captured a dominant share of the transportation business on the island. Today, taxi drivers move only a small percentage of visitors at the harbour and airport. It is believed that a single tour operator is transporting as much as 80 per cent of the cruise ship passengers. Another issue is the illegal shuttle services operated by some hotels and shipping agents. Taxi driver Wayne Rolle said now more than ever
their livelihoods are in danger. “I have been driving 24 years and it’s the absolute worst I have ever seen it, and it is like that because of all the illegal activities going on in the transportation business,” he claimed. Grand Bahama Taxi Union President David Jones said cab drivers at the airport are barely surviving. “It is really terrible at the airport; they are struggling badly down there on the taxi line,” he said. The situation at the harbour is slightly less dire. The Grand Celebration cruise ship, which sails from the port of Palm Beach, Florida brings more than 1,300 guests to the island with each visit. “We are holding our own (at the harbour), but the tour operators are dominating again. The airport
is struggling, and we have a situation taking place at one of the hotels here,” Mr Jones said. He told The Tribune he met with State Minister for Grand Bahama Kwasi Thompson at the beginning of this month to discuss issues plaguing them in Grand Bahama. Former Prime Minister Perry Christie promised taxi drivers the government would ensure that they had a 50 per cent share in transporting cruise visitors at Freeport Harbour, but failed to deliver on that pledge. While at the airport’s taxi stand, The Tribune spoke with Mr Rolle and another veteran cab driver Michael Albury about the problems they face. Mr Rolle claimed that tour operators are illegally soliciting guests on the ground when the law states that all pre-
arranged transportation must be booked 24 hours in advance of the ship’s arrival in port. “They are selling jobs on the ground,” he claimed. “They have people in booths on the ground selling jobs at the harbour, and nothing is being done to stop it.” He claims that a survey conducted by the Ministry of Tourism found a private tour company had captured more than 80 per cent of the business at the harbour. “How we are supposed to survive with that?” He also claimed the tour operators are driving unfranchised vehicles despite a moratorium imposed since 1992. “They buy buses and paint the name on the side without a franchise and are toting the (visitors),” he claimed. Mr Rolle further alleged
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that shipping companies are purchasing buses to pick up and transport people from the harbour. Mr Albury, a cab driver for 34 years, said tour operators are also moving large groups from the airport. “Whenever the Italian charter (Alpitour) comes in I watch the buses come and leave full while we sit waiting for a job – some days we might get one, some days none,” he said. Mr Rolle claimed that nothing is being done about the situation, despite complaints to Department of Road Traffic authorities about illegal activities at the harbour. He believes it is unfair that tour operators are bringing in unfranchised buses when not one single taxi was brought in since the moratorium was imposed on private charters and taxis in 1992. Mr Jones claims that taxi drivers are also losing out on jobs at a local resort. “The resort does not want taxi drivers on their premises anymore and it is using bonded and private vehicles to move the guests staying at their property,”
he claimed. He claimed that this practice is illegal. “That is a serious issue, and we are trying to stop that before it gets too far,” he said. Mr Jones is hopeful that their issues will be addressed by the new Free National Movement administration. Tribune Business previously reported the near nine-month closure of the Grand Lucayan’s Breaker’s Cay property, and much of the Lighthouse Pointe section, together with Memories subsequent pull-out has deprived Grand Bahama of more than 1,000 hotel rooms around 59 per cent of its inventory. The post-Hurricane Matthew hotel closures, and loss of hundreds of jobs, have had a devastating effect on Freeport’s economy and society, with some predicting that the city will hit “the point of no return” if the Grand Lucayan is not sold and re-opened by Christmas, it was previously reported. The government is currently in talks to have the Grand Lucayan sold.
THE TRIBUNE
Monday, July 31, 2017, PAGE 13
Police advice for parents on child safety and the internet SOCIAL media sites such as, Facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat, and whatsapp increases communication, access to information and helps in developing a sense of self, however, the thoughts of what your child might come across online can be worrying. Here are safety advice to make sure going online is a positive experience for you and your child. 1. Discover the internet together Be the one to introduce your child to the internet. For both parent and child it is an advantage to discover the internet together. Try to find web sites that are exciting and fun so that together you achieve a positive attitude to internet exploration. This could make it easier to share both positive and negative experiences in the future. 2. Set rules for internet use in your home Try to reach an agreement with your child on the guidelines which apply to Internet use in your household. Here are some tips: • Discuss when and for how long it is acceptable for your child to use the internet • Agree how to treat personal information (name, address, telephone, e-mail) • Discuss how to behave towards others when chatting, e-mailing or messaging • Agree what type of sites and activities are OK or not
Police advice
By SERGEANT 3150 NATHALIE RANGER
OK. 3. Encourage your child to be careful when disclosing personal information It is important to be aware that many web pages made for children ask them for personal information in order to access personalised content. Being conscious of when and where it is all right to reveal personal information is vital. A simple rule for younger children could be that the child should not give out name, phone number or photo without your approval. Older children using social networking sites like Facebook should be selective about what personal information and photos they post online. Once material is online you can no longer control who sees it or how it is used. What goes online stays online. 4. Talk about the risks associated with meeting online “friends” in person Understand that the internet could be a positive meeting place for children, where they can get to know other young people and make new friends. However, for safety and
‘The Bahamas’ own street philosopher’
YOUR
comparing to alternative sources on the same topic. Show them trusted sites they can use to compare information.
CHOICE FOR THE FAMILY WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019
to avoid unpleasant experiences, it is important that children do not meet strangers they have met online without being accompanied by an adult, or others they trust. In any case, the child should always have their parents’ approval first. 5. Teach your child about evaluating information and being critically aware of information found online. Most children use the internet to improve and develop knowledge in relation to schoolwork and personal interests. Children should be aware that not all information found online is correct, accurate or relevant. Educate children on how to verify information they find by
6. Don’t be too critical towards your child’s exploration of the internet Children may come across adult material by accident on the web. Also a child may intentionally search for such web sites; remember that it is natural for children to be curious about off-limits material. Try to use this as an opening to discuss the content with them, and perhaps make rules for this kind of activity. Be realistic in your assessment of how your child uses the internet. 7. Report online material you may consider illegal to the appropriate authorities It is vital that we all take responsibility for the Web and report matters, which we believe could be illegal. By doing this we can help to prevent illegal activities online, such as childpornography or attempts to
lure children via chat, mail or messaging.
decisions regarding your child’s internet use.
8. Encourage Respect for others; stamp out cyberbullying There is an informal code of conduct for the internet. As in everyday life, there are informal ethical rules for how to behave when relating to other people on the internet. These include being polite, using correct language and not yell at or harass others. Also, children as well as grown-ups should not read other’s e-mail or copy protected material.
10. Remember that the positive aspects of the internet outweigh the negatives. The internet is an excellent educational and recreational resource for children. There are age appropriate sites for younger children. Encourage your children to use such sites and to avoid registering for sites and services with adult content and behaviours. Help your child read the Terms & Conditions of Service for any site which they wish to join and to comply with the age restrictions of the site. Help your child apply all the privacy and security settings on the site. Encourage your child to be critically aware and explore the internet to its full potential.
9. Let your children show you what they like to do online To be able to guide your child with regard to internet use, it is important to understand how children use the internet and know what they like to do online. Let your child show you which websites they like visiting and what they do there. Acquiring technical knowledge could also make it easier to make the right
• For more information, contact the National Crime Prevention Office on 3028430, 3028431, 3028154 or visit our website @ www. royalbahamaspolice.org.
PAGE 14, Monday, July 31, 2017
THE TRIBUNE
FORMER Assistant Commissioner Paul Thompson at his 90th birthday celebration.
Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff
ANNE-MARIE DAVIS, wife of Leader of the Opposition Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, at the celebration of Paul Thompson’s 90th birthday.
Former senior policeman Thompson turns 90 FORMER Royal Bahamas Police Force Assistant Commissioner Paul Thompson celebrated his 90th birthday at a well-attended party at police headquarters on Saturday, surrounded by family, friends and former colleagues. The event, held at the Paul Farquharson Conference Centre, drew a large crowd and was punctuated by performances from the RBPF Pop Band. Notable speakers included former Police Commissioner Paul Farquharson, who was also former High Commissioner to London, US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Gerard Forrester, and former head of RBPF Fire Services Ivan Blackman, who all recalled memorable experiences they had while working with the celebrated police officer. During his remarks, Mr Farquharson said he regarded Mr Thompson as the father he didn’t have, recalling how the former senior officer helped him with his career and assisted him in getting his first promotion to corporal. He also recalled how Mr Thompson helped many police officers receive training in England, worked hard to boost officer morale and was instrumental in the creation of the RBPF’s Police Staff Association. He recalled Mr Thomp-
GUESTS, above and below, at the birthday party held at the Paul Farquarson Centre at Police HQ. son’s illustrious career as a police officer, and said it was a path he had tried to emulate. For his part, Mr Forrester regaled the crowd with tales of how he used to visit the Bahamas to work on cases and spoke of several instances when Mr Thompson helped the US law enforcement agency capture most wanted criminals who were on the run in Nassau. Throughout that time, the former FBI agent and Mr Thompson became working with Interpol in spent most of his time on Paris on two occasions. the force at CID before regood friends. He later helped set up an tiring in 1981 as an assistant Mr Thompson has several commissioner. accolades from the FBI, in- Interpol office in Nassau. Other speakers inHe then began a second cluding letters of commendation from former FBI di- cluded Jamaican Consul career as head of security rectors J Edgar Hoover and Patrick Hanlan, Sylvester for the Paradise Island ReGeorge, former director of sort & Casino, returning to William Webster. During his speech, Mr the RBPF Band, and Mr the police force as a civilThompson recalled his Thompson’s daughters who ian training officer in 1998, time working at the former spoke of their close family and in 2002 was appointed general manager of Wemco Criminal Investigation De- relationship. A number of prominent Security. partment (CID), a unit he He later set up his own was assigned to in 1952 and guests attended, including Assistant Commissioners security company - Paul remained in for 17 years. He thanked several offic- of Police Samuel Butler and Thompson & Associates. Mr Thompson has writers he had served with over Paul Rolle, and Anne Mathe years, including former rie Davis, wife of Official ten several columns for The Deputy Commissioner Opposition Philip “Brave” Tribune and is frequently Sir Albert Miller, now de- Davis who could not attend interviewed by the media because he was in Grand for his views on crime and ceased. the state of the police force. He also recalled the op- Bahama. Mr Thompson was born He has seven children— portunities he had for training in Yorkshire and Scot- in a small farming village in five girls and two boys, one land, where he spent three Trinidad. He was recruited deceased. He turned 90 on July 19. months, and his experience by the RBPF in 1951. He