business@tribunemedia.net
TUESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2019
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BISHOP SIMEON HALL
CLICO client: I thought we’d get funds ‘in months’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A PROMINENT CLICO (Bahamas) client yesterday admitted he thought he would recover his full investment “in a matter of months” rather than the near-decade it has taken since its collapse. Bishop Simeon Hall, confirming that the fifth payout to the insolvent insurer’s customers has begun, told Tribune Business it had “been an incredibly long” time for so many Bahamians to wait to recover their life savings and major investments. Praising the Government for coming through with the latest payment, Bishop Hall said he never expected the asset recovery process to take so long with the 10th anniversary of CLICO (Bahamas) February 2009 collapse into court-supervised liquidation just weeks away. “I thought it would be a matter of months,” he told this newspaper, “perhaps no more than a year or so, but it’s been incredibly long. Some people have died waiting for this. That’s the tragedy. “If you put your money somewhere that has a government-issued licence, it should be protected. There are some of us who have other reserves, but I’m thinking about Grandma and Grandfather Lou who do not have anything.” Bishop Hall confirmed that the fifth payout to CLICO (Bahamas) former annuity, pension and surrendered life insurance clients, which many had hoped to receive before Christmas, had begun early in the New Year. “They have begun, and I just want to commend the Government for keeping its promise to the policyholders,” he added. “It’s been almost ten years but it’s never late. Money has a way of coming at the right time, so it’s better late than never. Complete the process and let’s make absolutely sure it does not occur again.” Craig Tony Gomez, the Baker Tilly Gomez
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Aviation ‘black eye’ sparks reform plan By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A
CABINET minister yesterday estimated that an investment worth “tens of millions” is necessary to prevent a repeat of the Christmas “black eye” suffered by Nassau’s main gateway. Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business he had challenged all Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) stakeholders “to do their homework to improve the overall experience” following the delays experienced by aircraft and passengers alike. Admitting that the Christmas period “wasn’t pretty”, Mr D’Aguilar said that among the reforms being eyed is a “slotting programme” where private planes are given specific take-off and landing times at LPIA during the airport’s three peak periods annually. Identifying the others as the Easter and Thanksgiving holidays, he added that the “airspace challenges” had largely resulted from the growth in private plane traffic coupled with the tendency of many pilots to show up unannounced at LPIA
• Minister: LPIA Xmas ‘pile up not pretty’ • ‘Slotting’ plan for private aircraft eyed • ‘Tens of millions’ in upgrades across agencies
DIONISIO D’AGUILAR expecting to be given permission to land instantly. Mr D’Aguilar revealed that air traffic control, known as the Bahamas Air Navigation Services department (BANS), has been tasked with improving its relationship with their Miami counterparts in a bid to prevent any future aircraft “pile ups” in this nation’s air space. Whether “optimal use” was made of LPIA’s runways over Christmas is also under review, the minister added, with the airport’s operator needing to make infrastructure upgrades that may include “a new taxiway” to facilitate the movement of private planes between
AN EX-BIMINI Bay tenant has been left “very confused” by a verdict that permits the resort’s original developer to appeal the majority of a near-$10m damages award to the Privy Council. Garrick Edwards, the Miami-based entertainment promoter who lost his bar and restaurant interests when they were abruptly demolished by Gerardo Capo’s RAV Bahamas in defiance of a Supreme Court-ordered stay, told Tribune Business he had believed the legal battle “over and done with” in his favour. He now plans to “get to the bottom” of the Court
principal spoke out after the Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision delivered by acting appeal justice, Sir Michael Barnett, granted Mr Capo’s RAV Bahamas and Bimini Bay Resort Management entities leave to challenge the majority of the damages award before the highest court in the Bahamian legal system. Mr Edwards said he was under the impression that only “two appeals” of an arbitration award can take place, and that these had already been exhausted. The first was RAV
By NATARIO MCKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
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• Tenant: Battle over 70% of damages ‘finished’ • But Capo granted leave for Privy Council bid • UK law firm to review due to ‘confidence’ loss of Appeal ruling that allows Mr Capo and his corporate entities one final legal bid to challenge 70 percent of the total $9.67m damages awarded to his company, Therapy Beach Incorporated, by retired Supreme Court justice, Cheryl Albury, as arbitrator in the two parties’ dispute. Disclosing that he has little “confidence” in the Bahamian legal system, Mr Edwards said he has now hired a UK law firm - who he declined to name - to review the case. The Therapy Beach
National Trust still ‘refining’ Albany PPP
Bahamas’ appeal to the Supreme Court of the arbitrator’s decision to award Therapy Beach $6.8m, and the second Mr Edwards’ successful appeal of the Supreme Court verdict that went against him. “In my view and opinion, from what I understand of arbitration in The Bahamas, even if you go down the road of appealing [the arbitrator’s verdict], there are only two appeals that can take place,” Mr Edwards argued. “The first appeal we had with the
with them until this was in place. Recalling the problems experienced by The Bahamas’ main entry way, Mr D’Aguilar said the increase in aircraft traffic was driven by rise in private plane numbers rather than commercial (paying passenger) flights. He added that traffic volume over Christmas was between 30-40 percent lower than some estimates he had seen. “The facts revealed that, as far as commercial aircraft are concerned, the amount of traffic remained constant and may even have decreased slightly,” he told Tribune Business.
‘Confused’ by $10m Bimini Bay verdict By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
ERIC CAREY
THE BAHAMAS National Trust’s (BNT) executive director yesterday said it has been approached by several other potential private national park partners as it continues to “refine” its deal with Albany. The BNT unveiled its joint venture with Albany in October, the first such arrangement with a private investor/developer, but Eric Carey confirmed that the practical aspects are still being worked out. “We’re still actually refining our arrangement with Albany,” he said. “That is still ongoing. We have been approached by several other potential private partners. It’s difficult to negotiate these things when you’re dealing with national parks and public spaces. “We have to obviously be very clear that there aren’t going to be any restrictions on the movement of people, there are no exclusive deals, public access must be guaranteed, it must be transparent.” Mr Carey added: “We are looking at a couple of other potential ones, none that we are able to speak publicly about yet because we are still trying to finalise the first one to make sure we get that right. That is going to be an important part of what we do.” The Albany agreement, involving a 50/50 joint venture, will see the highend development and its parent company, Nexus Luxury Collection, invest the necessary capital to develop a beach club and restaurant experience at Warderick Wells Cay, where the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park’s headquarters and visitor centre are located. A water catchment system, utility and general support building will also be developed, and infrastructure upgraded to enhance the visitor experience. The BNT’s private sector partner will also construct accommodations to
LYNDEN PINDLING INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LPIA) runway and Odyssey Aviation, the fixed base operator (FBO) that caters to these aircraft. The Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) has also been asked to analyse options for passengers to exit an aircraft without requiring a jet bridge. Even the Airport Authority has not been spared, having been charged with solving “the endless problems” with LPIA’s baggage system. Mr D’Aguilar said he was now able to approach commercial airlines serving LPIA with “a plan to mitigate the issues they experienced” during Christmas 2018, having waited to meet
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Junkanoo Beach bidders revealed By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE three Bahamian groups competing to upgrade and manage Junkanoo Beach all confirmed their interest when contacted by Tribune Business yesterday. Attorneys, architects, entrepreneurs and infrastructure development groups are among those involved in bids to take over a location that, according to Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, requires a sevenfigure investment to upgrade its attractions and facilities to a standard that will allow The Bahamas to fully maximise its economic potential. John Bostwick II, the attorney and partner at the Bostwick & Bostwick law firm, acknowledged his
• Attorney John Bostwick in one offer • Top architect participating in another • Bahamas Striping behind third proposal
JOHN BOSTWICK II
PATRICK RAHMING
involvement with one of the three bids when contacted by this newspaper. “Yes. Very much so. Spot on,” he replied when asked to confirm his participation. He, like his two rivals, declined to comment further other than to confirm
their interest given the sensitivities involved with the Ministry of Tourism yet to determine a preferred bidder. Similarly, Patrick Rahming, architect and principal of Pat Rahming & Associates, confirmed
his involvement with a rival bid to Mr Bostwick’s. He also affirmed that Brendan Foulkes, brother of Labour Minister Dion Foulkes, who held the Harley Davidson franchise for Nassau, was also involved. Mr Rahming, though, said neither of them were leading the proposal. He declined to identify the principals, but promised to reach out to them for this newspaper. “I’m involved with, not leading,” Mr Rahming said. “Brendan is no more involved than I am.” The third and final bid involves the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies
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