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T R I B U N E 2 4 2 . C O M

Biggest And Best!

Volume: 118 No.67, MARCH 2, 2021

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: PRICE–$1

50% PROPERTY TAX AMNESTY

FROM SLAVE MARTYRS TO AN AFRICAN QUEEN

SEE PAGE EIGHT

Huge incentive to persuade families to wipe out arrears

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday announced the government’s intention to offer a real property tax amnesty programme while announcing a scheme to offer “upscale” western New Providence building lots to young Bahamians.

Speaking in the House of Assembly Dr Minnis said officials realised recovering

overdue property tax has been a long-standing challenge.

“There has been some improvement over the years, but there remains a substantial backlog of real property tax arrears spanning many administrations. My government understands the challenges faced by families and business owners, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 economic downturn.

SEE PAGE FOUR

LANISHA: EVERYTHING WAS BY THE RULEBOOK

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

IN her first interview since resigning as Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture last week, Seabreeze MP Lanisha Rolle said yesterday that her integrity is “intact”.

However, she declined to elaborate on the circumstances that led her to resign

from her ministerial post, noting that she “tendered a voluntary resignation”.

“In the letter I indicated as much as I wanted to indicate,” she told reporters at the House of Assembly yesterday afternoon.

Social media has been rife with speculation about what led to her surprise resignation.

SEE PAGE FIVE

WOMAN WHO TURNED KILLER? NADISHA Beckford outside court yesterday. She is accused of stabbing another woman to death during an argument in a parking lot last month. See page seven for the full story.

Photo: Racardo Thomas

A WOMAN FOR PM? PICEWELL FORBES THAT’S MY DREAM OUT OF PLP RACE

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has again stressed that he looks “forward to seeing a female Prime Minister” one day.

His comments came

almost a week after his only woman Cabinet minister, Seabreeze MP Lanisha Rolle, resigned from her post and was replaced by Central Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis.

This prompted criticism SEE PAGE FIVE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL and South Andros MP Picewell Forbes announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election, a decision that reflects his belief that Progressive

NEW BLOW AS BAHA MAR CUTS 100

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHA MAR last night confirmed it has terminated another 100 staff as it prepares to re-open its high-end Rosewood and

SLS resort properties in just two days’ time.

The resort said the permanent redundancies will mainly impact its nightlife and entertainment facilities which have been hit harder than other amenities by COVID-19 health protocols such as social distancing.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

Liberal Party leaders did not support his potential candidacy robustly enough.

PLP supporters said Leon Lundy, a New Providence resident with a background in finance and ties to the island, now has the backing SEE PAGE THREE

BUDDY HIELD SETS NBA RECORD FOR 1000 3-POINTERS SEE SPORTS

PAGE 2, Tuesday, March 2, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

GATHERINGS? WHAT GATHERINGS?

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Prime Minister Desmond Bannister said yesterday he has not seen “any evidence” of large gatherings being hosted by the Free National Movement in contravention of the COVID-19 emergency orders, saying if anyone has those types of gatherings, he’s certain “the law will take its course”.

His comments came after Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, Golden Gates MP Michael Foulkes and other FNM supporters conducted a walk-about over the weekend in Mr Foulkes’ constituency.

Videos posted on social media of the group making their rounds in the area showed over a dozen people.

According to the COVID-19 Emergency Powers Orders, social gatherings are not permitted in New Providence.

When asked to address concerns about the party having large gatherings while other Bahamians are being cited for participating in such events, Mr Bannister replied: “I have not seen any evidence of gatherings

over the requisite numbers and if anyone, nobody is above the law, so if anyone has those type of gathering, I’m sure the law will take its course.

“The second thing is if anybody does have them then the law should take its course. The third thing is remember what the doctors have said. We are not past the danger in this pandemic so we have to be very, very careful about that and I’m sure that the police, the authorities are listening to the medical advice and if anybody breaches the law, I’m sure they’re going to respond appropriately.”

The works minister said the same rule also applies for other political parties.

On Saturday, the Progressive Liberal Party also held an event at its headquarters where free curbside breakfast was offered.

The event was criticised by some observers after photos showed a number of people outside the headquarters.

“Our gathering was not a gathering,” Mr Davis told reporters when asked about the issue. “It was just people coming in and picking up breakfast and they ought to take the bibby out their eyes before they try to

take it out of others.”

In a statement released Sunday, police said they cited 23 people for attending social gatherings over the weekend.

In the first incident, shortly after 4pm Saturday, officers acting upon information went to the parking lot of a local business located on Robinson Road.

After arrival at the scene, officers saw several people boarding a vehicle advertised as “a party bus.”

Police said: “A short time later, the bus exited the lot, the officers intercepted the vehicle and found five people on board. A field search was conducted, each person was cited for breach of COVID-19 emergency order and warned of prosecution.”

Several hours later, police cited 18 people after officers were alerted to a large party being held at Boatswain Hill.

On Sunday, police reminded Bahamians and residents that hosting social gatherings and bars is still prohibited.

Dr Minnis has also repeatedly warned about large social events, noting them to be super spreaders for COVID-19.

THE FNM walkabout in Golden Gates, above, and a PLP event held at the weekend, below.

BODY FOUND NEXT TO LW YOUNG SCHOOL

A BODY is taken from the scene after last night’s shooting.

Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

POLICE are seeking to identify the victim of the lastest homicide after gunshot wounds rang out shortly before 10pm last night.

Police at a checkpoint heard what appeared to be gunshots emanating from Bernard Road East.

Superintendent Audley Peters said at the scene last night: “The officers proceeded in the direction of the sound and they came upon a body of a male lying at the eastern boundary of LW Young School with what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the body.

Emergency medical services were summoned. On completion of their examination they pronounced the body lifeless.”

The victim had no identification, and Supt Peters said: “Nothing of interest that could assist us even in determining his identity.

We are appealing to members of the public who have

a relative that is not home and particularly a male, dark male about 5’7’’ with plaited hair who has not been seen for a while if they can contact police.”

The victim appears to be in his mid to late 20s.

Supt Peters: “We are appealing to members of the public who have any information relating to this incident to contact the police at 502-9991 or 502-9992.”

He added: We want to advise members of the public that we continue to need their support in bringing matters of this nature to a resolution.

“I want to thank members of the public for their assistance with the recent matters that we were able to bring before the court and it is because of their goodwill that we accomplishing such success thus far with matters of this nature that occurred within this year.”

ABACO MAN KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AS CAR FLIPS AN Abaco man is dead after a traffic accident on Sunday.

Police were called to the scene of an accident shortly after 1pm on Sunday at S C Bootle Highway in Marsh Harbour.

There officers saw an extensively damaged white 2010 Suzuki Alto in bushes with no disc or license plate attached.

Initial reports revealed that the driver was travelling along S

C Bootle Highway when he lost control of the vehicle. The car flipped over several times before coming to rest some 69ft from the highway.

Shortly after 8am yesterday,

police along with members of the community searched the area some 100ft in bushes, where they discovered a man’s unresponsive body.

The man, the driver of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the

community clinic. He is a 21-yearold male resident of Treasure Cay. Officers from the Traffic Department in Grand Bahama are continuing the investigation into this matter.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, PAGE 3

Picewell Forbes out of PLP race from page one

of many PLPs in the constituency.

Mr Forbes, who also represents Mangrove Cay, said his decision was a “very difficult” one.

“I was just in Mangrove Cay last week,” he told reporters at the House of Assembly after announcing his decision.

“For every other house you go to the question to be asked, ‘Are you running? How many more persons the PLP gonna put on the ground against you?

When is this issue going to be cleared up?’ And you continue to go back and forth on it and after all of the questions in Mangrove Cay last week...and all these questions still abound for all these years, after some discussion and prayers from my family, I said farewell.”

Asked what he needed from the party’s leadership to continue his pursuit of the nomination, Mr Forbes said: “Simple confidence, just to simply go on the ground in the community and say they support me and to simply give (me) the

PICEWELL Forbes departing Parliament yesterday. nomination, that’s all it is.

“We heard that the four incumbents were guaranteed (a nomination) but there’s still all this discussion about it and there were certain persons who were calling—prominent persons in our society who continue to call stalwart councilors and continue to dig into the matter and this became too much of a drag. As a proud Androsian, I decided it was best to walk away.”

Mr Forbes did not resign his seat. He told reporters he will “take some things under consideration” and make a decision about it.

Despite the expectation that the four PLP incumbents who won their seats

on the party’s ticket in 2017 would be guaranteed a nomination, several people expressed interest in the Central and South Andros nomination.

One of those people, Monique Pindling, the daughter of the late Sir Lynden Pindling, stopped actively seeking the nomination last summer when the party made it clear that she would not receive it.

John Carey, a former PLP member of Parliament for Carmichael, is said to have shown interest in the seat.

Perez Rolle, a young man, has been canvassing the area.

However, it is Mr Lundy’s prospective candidacy

that has attracted the most support.

An executive of the PLP association branch in the constituency said Mr Lundy has told people that Mr Davis sent him to get the nomination.

He accused the PLP’s leadership of leaving residents confused. “Everybody here in South Andros is hurt,” he said.

“One of the reasons Picewell dropped out is he felt disrespected from the party perspective. There is no one canvassing in Cat Island, Exuma, Englerston, so why is there always mix up here?

“We invited the leader numerous occasions to come down (and show support for Mr Forbes) before this got out of hand but he chose to go elsewhere. We wrote him, pushing him numerous times and he never responded back to us, all he said was he coming soon.

“You can’t campaign when other people on the ground are campaigning.

That’s confusing.”

Despite Mr Lundy’s role in complicating Mr Forbes’ quest for the nomination, support for him appears to be solid even among some

of Mr Forbes’ supporters.

“Give us Leon Lundy,” the executive said. “Now that Picewell is out, if they don’t send Leon Lundy, we gon’ send a clear message to the Progressive Liberal Party.”

Joel Rahming, a former chairman of the PLP’s South Andros constituency association branch, also said Mr Lundy has strong support.

“He’s involved in schools, whatever and whenever he’s asked to do something he seems to be supportive,” he said. “You fall in love with persons over the years, you don’t fall in love with something that just showed up. That’s why he has an advantage over the others.”

Sixty-five-year-old PLP stalwart councilor Anthram Rolle said many residents felt Mr Forbes’ time in the community was up and there was a need to move on from him.

“I spoke to the party leadership and told them Mr Lundy is the man for the area,” he said. “I told them that he has at least 85 percent support of the PLP. He has a vision and we’ve put our support behind him

wholeheartedly.”

One person who doesn’t support Mr Lundy is the former member of Parliament for the area, Whitney Bastian, who highlighted Mr Lundy’s past affiliation with the Democratic National Alliance while explaining that the PLP should choose someone with a strong history in the party.

“I don’t want nobody use the party as a steppingstone, to use it for a political purpose and then move on,” he said. “That’s what happened with Renward Wells and Andre Rollins.”

Mr Bastian claimed support for Mr Lundy is loud but not deep.

But when asked who else has strong support in the constituency, he did not identify a name.

“There are a number of other persons who are showing interest in the seat,” he said.

PLP chairman Fred Mitchell said in a statement last night that the party is saddened by Mr Forbes’ decision.

“We had hoped to see him serve in the Cabinet one day,” he said.

WILCHCOMBE CONFIDENT OF WINNING PLP NOMINATION

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AFTER winning the runoff at the branch level, the PLP’s West Grand Bahama Branch believes former West End and Bimini MP Obie Wilchcombe will also come out ahead in the Bimini runoff tonight.

“We are very happy and excited that this part of it is finished in (West Grand Bahama). As you know Bimini is not completed and…so that is our next battle. So, we are happy it is behind us now. I have no doubt, he will be successful in Bimini also,” said Derek Delancey, chairman of the PLP West Grand Bahama Branch.

Mr Delancey said the association is endorsing Mr Wilchcombe, who was able to secure 154 of the 179 votes cast during the runoff for West Grand Bahama on Sunday.

The results for the other prospective candidates are: Ginger Moxey, five votes; Kingsley Smith four votes; Paco Deal, four votes; while Lewis Astwood, Lloyd Rolle, and Ken Nottage got no votes.

Mr Delancey noted that except for Mr Astwood, none of the other five aspiring candidates came to the branch first about their interest in seeking the nomination for West Grand Bahama.

“Only one of the aspiring candidates ever came to the body that I’m responsible for,” he said. “All of the other names, none of them ever approached the branch; they never came to us and that is the way it is designed; to come through the branch. And that is why you saw the difference in the numbers yesterday. The branch votes before it goes to the council,” he said.

When contacted yesterday, Mr Wilchcombe said that he was pleased with the support

he received on Sunday.

“The branches from West End to Eight Mile Rock showed their unequivocal support. I am very pleased about the democratic process when the people speak. They spoke yesterday (Sunday), and they spoke very loudly. And I am trusting and hoping the democratic process prevails, and that we can carry our work forward,” he stated.

Mr Wilchcombe, a native of West End, first entered frontline politics after the general election of 1992.

The former PLP MP for West End and Bimini also served as Minister of Tourism in the Christie administration. In 2017, he was beaten by the FNM’s candidate Pakesia ParkerEdgecombe, who won by some 263 votes.

He did not want to comment on the current MP’s performance. He said that he will leave that for the constituents to decide.

“I am from the school of politics where I like to focus on what I want to do. I believe that Pakesia Parker will have to speak to the people of the constituency and they will vote, and they will grade her.

“But, I can tell you this, without equivocation that I believe that West Grand Bahama and Grand Bahama in general needs real change,” he said. “It really needs to play a major role in the GDP of our country.”

Mr Wilchcombe indicated that he started some transformational programmes in West Grand Bahama.

“I don’t think people really appreciate the economic plan that was to be had predicated on the Administrative Complex in Eight Mile Rock and the new school in Holmes Rock. Those served as economic pillars…,” he said.

He stressed that there must be an economic plan

in place to combat poverty.

“If you don’t, then poverty levels will continue to rise, and unless there is a plan for economic growth, for instance, tourism, we are not going to get anywhere,” he added.

He said in order to revitalise the island, more is needed than just the reopening of the Grand Lucayan hotel.

“You are not going to be able to make tourism grow and be successful with just the reopening of Our Lucaya, you need at least 5,000 to 10,000 hotel rooms in Grand Bahama. And Grand Bahama and its airport have to become more vibrant. It has to be opened up, and it has to become a service for the entire world.

And so, there are so many things I want to do, and I have a plan that I have written. I am hoping to be able to talk to the people about my plan,” he said.

Mr Wilchcombe thinks

that West End has to be anchored on two things - tourism and fishing.

“We have to immediately cause for the harbour to be dredged as we did in Bimini… and we have to consider reclamation of land to ensure we are doing more to protect the area during natural disasters, but be able to create economic opportunity,” he said.

He also said there are interests in hotel investments in West End. “Now over the last several years since I have been out of office, I spoke with a number of individuals about it and investors. And I have a different approach I would like to see for the hotel now, and I believe that the plan I have could be and will be successful,” Mr Wilchcombe said.

As far as Bimini is concerned, Mr Wilchcombe said that the PLP created economic stabilisation for the island.

LARODA QUITS AS PUBLIC DISCLOSURE COMMISSION CHAIRMAN

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

CABINET Office yesterday announced the resignation of Myles Laroda as Public Disclosure Commission chairman.

Mr Laroda tendered his resignation, with immediate effect, on February 18.

George Carey has replaced him with immediate effect.

The Tribune reported nearly two weeks ago that Mr Laroda was confirmed by the Progressive Liberal Party’s Candidates Committee to fight as their election candidate for the Pinewood constituency.

News of Mr Laroda’s confirmation enraged some Free National Movement supporters who told The Tribune at the time that his position as chairman of the PDC placed him in a position that gave the upper hand over Pinewood incumbent Reuben Rahming.

“Now why should Laroda be privileged to not only Rahming’s disclosure documents, but other FNM hopefuls? He should resign the post forthwith,” one FNM supporter said on condition of anonymity.

Another FNM supporter held the view that Mr Laroda should have left the post some time ago to focus on his own political aspirations.

While he served as chairman of the PDC, Mr Laroda has gone on record as saying the group needed to be independent of the government, a change that would give the body the “teeth” it needs.

In a recent interview with The Tribune, he said the law governing the commission had virtually gone unchanged since coming into force and should offer a remedy to modern day challenges.

The Free National Movement in its 2017 Manifesto pledged to amend the Public Disclosure Act to broaden its scope of application to include campaign finance reform and to make provision for direct referral to an independent prosecutor.

However, with a little over a year left in the Minnis administration’s term in office it appears the needed changes to the Act have not been prioritised.

Asked recently about progress in this regard, Attorney General Carl Bethel said the government tabled a bill in Parliament that honours the FNM’s campaign promise.

But he said the real question was when the Integrity Commission Bill would be debated in the lower chamber – a matter “yet to be determined” he said.

Mr Laroda said this is an important step if matters of anti-corruption practices are to be taken seriously.

In fact, he said since 2017 there have been recommendations made to strengthen these kinds of laws.

“I know that they tabled the Integrity (Bill) that is supposed to repeal the Public Disclosure Act,” Mr Laroda said during a recent interview when asked about changes to the legislation.

“I think I may have said in 2015 there was a report that made certain recommendations to strengthen our anti-corruption laws. I think that was in 2017.

“We would have made recommendations that the government follow those recommendations that were put in. At that time the Prime Minister had given his word verbally that he was in agreement with a lot of those things in the recommendation.”

He also said: “So this is very important. The Public Disclosure Act has not

been updated. There have been a lot of changes that were done.

“There are certain positions in the public service that did not exist at the time, so we need to really have a piece of legislation to actually put teeth to this.

“The Public Disclosure Commission is like a

department in the Cabinet Office, but there should be independence. We should not be dependent on the government.

“A lot of its members who are subject to the Public Disclosure Act are the ones to be gazetting this information so there should be an update.”

The updates, Mr Laroda said, would clamp down on officials who are not compliant with the Public Disclosure Act. Mr Laroda told The Tribune that senior civil servants are less compliant with legally mandated disclosures than members of Parliament and senators.

Despite challenges sparked by COVID-19, he said last month both groups were largely in line with the demands of the Act. The Public Disclosure Act requires members of Parliament, senators and senior public officials to declare their assets, income and liabilities by March 1 each year.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, March 2, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Huge incentive to persuade families to wipe out arrears from page one “To ease the burden on persons and to provide them with some measure of relief, Cabinet has approved a real property tax forgiveness programme that will provide substantial discounts on arrears.

“For Bahamian property owners my government will waive 50 percent of the total amount unpaid arrears for more than 180 days on such property, including overdue tax and accumulated surcharges, where full payment of all amounts due and payable is made on or before the 31st May, 2021.”

For those who are unable to pay 50 percent, Dr Minnis said if they enter into a payment agreement with a 25 percent down payment on or before the 31st May, 2021, the government will

waive the total accumulated surcharge payable on taxes assessed on such property that has remained unpaid for more than 180 days.

Dr Minnis urged Bahamians to contact the Department of Inland Revenue and take full advantage of this tax forgiveness programme.

As regards the initiative to offer building plots to younger families Dr Minnis said he was of the view “our young people deserve” a better chance at living the Bahamian dream of homeownership, jobs and proper quality of life.

In view of this, he said two areas in the western portion of the island have been identified for lots earmarked for young Bahamians. The lots are valued at $150,000 but will be sold at a cost of $50,000 or less.

Those in the Carmichael

area valued at $70,000 are being offered at $15,000.

The programme is being carried out through a public private partnership.

Dr Minnis made the announcement during the start of debate on the 2020 Fiscal Strategy Report and Public Financial Management, Debt Management, Statistics and Public Procurement Bills.

The Killarney MP said: “Many of our young people would find great difficulty in purchasing land within our country and before I expand on that I only want to point out that we have started already with the service lots programme, most recently in Carmichael and there in the Carmichael area lots that would be appraised, that’s with all the infrastructure in place, would be sold. I know initially we had said $20,000

but Cabinet feels that our young people deserve even a better chance and these service lots with all the infrastructure in the Carmichael area although appraised at $70,000 will be sold to our young Bahamian populace at $15,000.

“Mr Speaker what that would mean, and we have discussed this with financial entities that would mean a $70,000 lot. The government is selling to its citizens for $15,000 and it means that they already have an equity of $55,000 and therefore they can use that equity as a down payment to build their homes as opposed to the obstacles they face today. Never before has this been done.”

He continued: “The demand for this has been overwhelming.

Today, I am pleased to advise that through a PPP

arrangement, we will soon be launching the commencement of a 150-lot subdivision, upscale within western New Providence area that will be geared strictly to young professionals, young Bahamians, young millennials.

“Mr Speaker, the cost of land especially in the western area is prohibitive. Our young professionals coming back or finishing University of the Bahamas cannot afford to buy land.

“I had purchased three pieces some time ago within the western district in New Providence - one for each of my sons and I purchased those lots at $40,000 each and today each is worth $150,000. What it meant that had I not bought it for them they could not afford it and many young people fall within that category. Today the land is too

expensive and it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure that Bahamians can participate in what we call he Bahamian dream. They want to own a home. They want jobs and they want a proper quality of life and healthcare.

“Land has been identified and we were concentrated on one set of land, 150 lots upscale with clubhouse facility, also upscale, but the demand and the request was so great that we’ve looked for more and I am proud to say that we have identified another area, all in the western district and within the Killarney constituency. So, for those young people watching me as I speak I say to them welcome to Killarney.”

Those who qualify will also be able to build their homes duty free, Dr Minnis noted.

WELLS ‘NOT DISAPPOINTED’ THAT FIRST DOSES OF VACCINE HAVE NOT ARRIVED

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Renward Wells said yesterday he is not disappointed that the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have not yet arrived in the country.

The government was expected to receive its first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine late last week, with Mr Wells telling reporters at the time that administration of the jabs could begin “as early” this week.

However, the vaccines never arrived and it is still not clear when the first doses will be present in the country.

Asked for an update on the matter outside the House of Assembly yesterday, the minister replied: “We will update the public sometime this week, later on this week. There is no disappointment. The fact of the matter is I am so happy that y’all are concerned and elated and making sure that

you keep the Bahamian people informed because when it does come, we do want all of the Bahamians (to take it).”

Last week, Mr Wells could not say how many doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will arrive in The Bahamas in the first tranche. However, The Bahamas is expected to receive 100,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the World Health Organisation.

According to the health minister, the government will likely use the first batch all at once to vaccinate citizens, meaning that if 100,000 doses have been shipped to the country, 100,000 people will be able to be vaccinated.

“We have always talked about the 100,000 dosage which is about 50,000 doses if you give everyone two doses, but the dose is obviously spread over a period of eight to 12 weeks for AstraZeneca. That’s when they say it’s most effective,” he told reporters before going to Cabinet last

TOTAL CASES

Tuesday.

“So more than likely the government will vaccinate everyone first, give them their first shot of those who are wanting to be vaccinated. That could be up to 100,000 persons barring we don’t have any spillage and wastage. So, we’re looking in the first tranche to be able to do (it).”

According to officials, several vaccination sites have already been identified in New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.

Among the first priority groups eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on New Providence and Grand Bahama are healthcare workers; people over the age of 65; uniformed branch members; frontline workers; critical workers in high-risk settings and other essential service workers.

Meanwhile, on the Family Islands, residents there will be vaccinated at the same time and the schedule will not follow the prioritised group rollout as previously announced.

TOTAL DEATHS

8,558 180 HEALTH Minister Renward Wells in Parliament yesterday. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES SUNDAY 7 CASES NEW PROVIDENCE GRAND BAHAMA ABACO

TOTAL TESTS

68,473

4 2 1

HOSPITALISED

13

CASES IN ICU

2

RECOVERED

7,337

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, PAGE 5

A woman for PM? That’s my dream from page one from advocacy groups and politicians about the lack of female representation in politics.

While speaking on areas he wanted to focus on if elected for a second term, Dr Minnis brought up the issue of women in top positions.

“I have made a commitment that the one thing I want to see in this Bahamas - I believe in equality - but the one thing I wanna see…

My life was successful as a result of women,” he told Parliament yesterday.

“Growing up with my mom - single parent. My profession, gynaecologist,

I’ve made my whole businesses as a result of individuals like you, Englerston, women, and my greatest dream is to one day to see a female Prime Minister in The Bahamas.”

Dr Minnis said he doesn’t drink but joked that he would have a “Bahama mama” cocktail on the day a woman is elected as Prime Minister.

When asked about the lack of female presence in his Cabinet last week, Dr Minnis pointed to the women in his office.

“We always feel that we want to ensure that there are equal men and women not only in Cabinet but even if you look at the Office of the Prime

Minister; both my secretaries are females,” he said.

“My Delivery Unit director is female. My communications director is female. The individual in charge of my Bahamas Investment Authority – female. Women are doing very well and I look forward to the day that we have our first Bahamian (female) prime minister.”

Senator Lisa BostwickDean spoke out previously about the lack of female presence after Mrs Rolle’s departure. Mrs BostwickDean is the daughter of the first woman to be elected to the House of Assembly, Dame Janet Bostwick and former Senate President J Henry Bostwick.

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis in Parliament yesterday. Photo: Donovan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

CHIPMAN ‘CONFIDENT’ TO WIN AS INDPENDENT

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

CENTREVILLE MP Reece Chipman yesterday expressed confidence in his chances to win his seat as an independent candidate, insisting that neither of the former major political parties have been able to do what he has done for his constituency “over the past three years”.

“Absolutely, the independent candidate in Centreville will win,” Mr Chipman told reporters when asked about his

thoughts on winning his seat in the next general election.

“Centreville has proven time and time again that they are an independent area and that they have voted for both parties.

They voted for the PLP. They voted for the FNM and none have proven, none have proven to do in the Centreville community what an independent candidate has done over the past three years.”

Mr Chipman resigned from the governing Free National Movement in 2019, citing

the government’s handling of Hurricane Dorian along with institutional and partisan politics as reasons for his decision.

He defeated former Prime Minister Perry Christie by four votes for the seat in the May 2017 general election. Mr Christie had represented the area for eight consecutive terms.

Since his resignation from the FNM, Mr Chipman has said he has no interest in joining the opposition party, noting that he believes independent candidacies are the way forward in Bahamian politics.

Both the PLP and FNM have since ratified candidates for the Centreville constituency. Jomo Campbell will run on the PLP’s ticket for that area while Courtney Coulibaly is the FNM’s hopeful.

Yesterday, Mr Chipman described the ratifications as “a good thing” and said the move dispels rumours that he was waiting to receive a second nomination from the FNM. “It’s a good thing that we have the PLP and FNM running and myself as the independent because now you see the true voice of

the Bahamian people and so when you didn’t have the FNM, it could’ve come across that I was waiting for a nomination or I was looking for some sort of deal.

“I think (NIB Minister) Brensil Rolle said I would cut a deal. There’s no cutting a deal when you’re representing people and that is what the representation in Centreville is all about. It’s good to see the FNM there and it’s good to see the PLP there and it would be excellent to see and to show that the Bahamian people want neither of them and so this very good day.”

Last week, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis suggested that if it were up to him alone, he would call an early election. However, Dr Minnis has said he is being guided by his team and Cabinet colleagues.

This comes as the FNM and PLP have both been running campaign-style ads which have been in steady rotation on social media and television for the past several weeks. However, Dr Minnis has repeatedly brushed off talk of an early vote.

The next election is expected in 2022.

LANISHA: EVERYTHING WAS BY THE RULEBOOK from page one

Asked to address the claims of impropriety, she said: “Absolutely not.

I don’t entertain social media claims, they are what they are. You deal with facts, you deal with issues and you deal with truth. I don’t have time for those things.”

The Tribune understands that Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis received an internal audit report from the Ministry of Finance more than a week ago which sparked Mrs Rolle’s resignation.

He received the report after requesting a lockdown of the Ministry of

Youth, Sports and Culture, ordering that no cheques or contracts be issued.

He requested an audit after officials came to him with their concerns about the management of the ministry and National Sports Authority.

Auditor General Terrence Bastian is currently auditing the Sports Authority.

Asked if she expects the Auditor General’s report to vindicate her, Mrs Rolle said the investigators will find that she operated to the best of her ability given the information she had.

“I expect that the Auditor General will do what he or she does in all matters on a constant or

yearly basis and that is to ensure that proper financial accounting procedures are followed and things are done according to the rules and procedures,” she said.

“I expect no less from that office and I think he would’ve indicated that it is their ordinary process (to audit the National Sports Authority). I met auditing going on at Youth, Sports and Culture, I met auditing going on at the Ministry of Social Services. Auditing continues at every ministry of the government, every year and any time, it is nothing new, not as I am aware.

“The process is the process, and the results are the results and I think

according to my tenure they will always find that what I do to the best of my knowledge and ability is (to use) the information that I have to follow those rules. I believe that is what will be found.”

Mrs Rolle was uncertain about whether she would receive the Free National Movement’s nomination in Seabreeze for the next general election.

“We will see what will happen, but my life is guided by the Lord and whatever he permits is well done with me,” she said.

“It’s up to the party when it comes to nominations and so I would have to respect the party’s process and certainly the outcome at the

end of the day.”

Asked to describe her emotional state over the past week, she said: “It is what it is.”

“It’s politics. Decisions are made, things are done and you make the best of it and that’s what you must do. You must be patriotic, you must be respectful at all times and you have to trust the process and that’s all I’m doing, being patient,” she said.

Some staff of the ministries where she worked described Mrs Rolle as a difficult boss and the departure of several prominent officials in these ministries have been privately linked to her over the years.

Nonetheless, she said her

record speaks for itself.

“I think people themselves would speak to the work that I’ve done from Social Services to Youth Sports and Culture,” she said. “It’s a great sacrifice, it’s hard work on a constant basis. It’s basically a 24-hour job and I know that I would’ve given my very best and as long as I’m serving in the public domain; I will continue to do just that.

“I’ve served from a police cadet, to a police officer, to an officer of the court and I will continue to serve. This is just simply a different arena, there are different rules for this arena so I must continue to learn, continue to adjust and continue to serve.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, March 2, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

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Money now, but a headache later?

THE announcement of a tax amnesty

by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis yesterday might sound good for those who can take advantage of it – but look a little deeper and it’s a bad sign for the state of our country.

It’s been well documented that since the pandemic brought tourism to a halt that revenues have taken a plunge.

So this looks like a bid to refill the coffers with whatever the government can get – while at the same time frustrating those who are up-to-date on their bills and who have routinely paid their real property tax.

It’s almost as if the government is saying they know you can’t give them what you owe, so give them what you’ve got.

It looks like there’s a need to bring in money and to do it now, even if the government loses out on the total sum. It’s like a fire sale – but that would mean it’s our economy that’s burning.

The toughest part has to be for those who have kept up their payments and done their civic duty. No discount for those who have paid every cent, it seems. So why should they pay it in future? After all, if they wait long enough, they too might get a 50 percent discount as well.

That’s the danger with moves such as this – that it will discourage people who have been sticking to the rulebook.

A peculiar aspect of this is that this only applies to Bahamians – well, what about those foreigners or permanent residents with properties? Is everyone behind the gates of Lyford Cay up to date on taxes? If not, then why does the offer not also apply to them? It’s all Bahamian dollars going into the kitty.

That creates a strange split level arrangement when it comes to taxes that looks inequitable from the off. Does a birth certificate ensure a different level of taxation now? That’s the kind of thing that ends up in courts.

Does this mean there’s less money to pursue because non-Bahamians are more likely to have paid their taxes? Or does it mean non-Bahamians might pick up and go elsewhere if asked to settle up? We have no way of knowing because there’s no transparency over who does and who does not owe real property tax – which has long languished as an undercollected tax.

There might even be a good chance the people being targeted can’t settle up anyway – if these are people who have been out of work for months, no one is going to have thousands of dollars up their sleeve at this stage.

We could end up putting people off who are already paying only to get nothing from those who weren’t paying anyway – the worst of all possible worlds.

So by all means put a spin on it and hail it as an incentive – but if our economy was firing on all cylinders, would such a scheme be offered at all? We have our doubts.

Lanisha answers

Lanisha Rolle says she is confident that her integrity is “intact”. Her first interview since her resignation as Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture saw her reiterate that it was a “voluntary resignation”, but she would not answer on claims of impropriety in the ministry.

“Absolutely not,” she said, “I don’t entertain social media claims, they are what they are. You deal with facts, you deal with issue and you deal with truth. I don’t have time for those things.”

Which would be fine enough if the only allegations were coming from social media – but that rather overlooks the fact that even in the Cabinet Office statement announcing her resignation, it was noted that “Certain matters have been brought to the attention of the Prime Minister and are under investigation”.

The Prime Minister, it is understood, received an internal audit report prior to her resignation and Auditor General Terrence Bastian is currently auditing the Sports Authority.

That’s somewhat more than social media commentary.

We hope that the investigations being carried are done so thoroughly – and transparently so the public can see what issues there may have been. We hope that Mrs Rolle would encourage the same – and we would hope that indeed they do find no wrongdoing. No one wants there to be failings – for the ones let down by any such problems are the Bahamian people. If there are problems, however, it should be dealt with through the full process of the law.

Mrs Rolle suggests that the audit is simply an “ordinary process”. If all is well, however, it doesn’t quite explain her sudden resignation. The closest she comes to answering is when she says “It’s politics. Decisions are made, things are done and you make the best of it and that’s what you must do. You must be patriotic, you must be respectful at all times and you have to trust the process and that’s all I’m doing, being patient.”

She goes on to say that “this is just simply a different arena, there are different rules for this arena so I must continue to learn”.

That doesn’t answer why she resigned.

Nor does it answer the concerns over matters in her ministry.

Until there are clearer answers, this story isn’t over.

Readers have their say Readers have been commenting on the stories making the news on tribune242.com.

After an Abaco administrator said impending tighter restrictions for the island will be a “painful blow” for those trying to “resurrect” their business activities after Hurricane Dorian, DWW said: “Take away the tourists, take away the tax breaks, take away your livelihood. Abaco gone independent this time maybe. All the tourists just cancelled their trip to help the economy.”

Governance reformers warned Bahamians not to fall “into the tax reform trap” by failing to first tackle inefficiency, wasteful spending and corruption in a bloated government.

That prompted this from Proguing: “Over one third of the total workforce are public sector employees in the Bahamas, vs 10% for Bermuda, 13% in the Dominican Republic and 22% for Barbados. How did

we get to such a high level?”

Prominent banker Gowon Bowe said the Government “created a maze” for the Bahamian private sector and consumers when it abandoned the low-rate, broad base VAT model.

Rodentos posted this comment in response: “You really do not believe that complex tax rates feed anyone except government officials . . . 60% duty on furnitures but 20% on printers, then $20 levy on washing machines, it is broken man . . . the more § the more confusion and more bureaucrats to oversee and ‘control’ the confusion. There should be just one rate for all. One duty rate, and one VAT rate. No

one needs something more complex.”

Tribanon said: “And can you just begin to imagine the chaos and unfairness that would exist under an income tax system, with our corrupt politicians kowtowing to the pressures of the wealthy special interest groups for all kinds of exemptions and deductions that would lower their effective income tax rates and result in higher and higher tax rates for the rest of us.

“We are a nation in urgent need of government reform, not tax reform. Our entire civil service needs to be revamped in a way that greatly minimises the potential for waste, fraud and corruption at all levels, rewards performance rather than seniority, and eliminates abuses based on political affiliation.”

And in The Tribune’s online poll, 85 percent of those voting said they would like to see a televised debate for the next election.

Praise for Bahamian entrepreneurs EDITOR, The Tribune.

IT IS refreshing to hear and read about Bahamians who are excelling in the business and professional world here in our wonderful nation. We have been so caught up in the woes of Dorian and the body blows inflicted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that often times I would wonder: ‘Where is the good news’?

Well in recent times we have seen the elevation of Timothy Smith to full partner at Mario Carey’s Real Estate and Better Homes.

This is an amazing accomplishment in that Smith is under 30 years of age. He hails from a prominent real estate /business family. His father is Phil Smith of The Bahamas Feeding Network and a grandson of the founders and owners of Palmdale Furniture.

He has been the top broker/producer with his firm for quite sometime now and has brokered real estate deals in the multiple million dollars range. He and his associates are also the owners of a truck rental business which has seen its initial fleet expanded.

No doubt, he will go on to even greater heights considering his tender age and excellent mentors in the form of his parents and his associates at Mario Carey’s Real Estate. Kudos to you brother Timothy and all the best going forward.

A newly established farming entity Eden Farms has been launched at the Airport Industrial park by two young Bahamians, Messrs.

Lincoln Deal and Carlos Palacious. I first met Deal some years ago when I hosted ‘Real Talk Live’ on MORE 94.9 FM. From then to now, he’s been brimming over with entrepreneurial ideas and actual projects. I do not yet know young Palacious, but I have followed his stellar career in coastal management and other ventures. I believe that he is a son of Reverend Dr Angela Palacious and Archdeacon James ‘Jimmy’ Palacious.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net They partnered and came up with the very novel idea of hydrophonic farming in shipping containers! This method allows them to use the same, specially designed and outfitted to grow leaf vegetables in commercial quantities. Not only is this good for them and their business partners but it guarantees selected produce for local restaurants like Manuelo’s, et al, and food stores. I would urge Bahamians to patronise their business Big Time. Food security at affordable prices and utilisation of scarce land is of paramount importance.

It is my hope that this current administration and the ones to come will encourage Bahamian entrepreneurs to become engaged in similar projects.

Decades ago, one Minnis used to operate a fish farm up in Nassau Village for Talapia, a fresh water fish.

Bahamian taste and preference back then did not accommodate the success of such a venture But now is the time to take a fresh look, pardon the pun, at fresh or salt water farming.

I do believe that the current Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries, my good friend and fellow Fox Hillian, the Hon Michael Pintard (FNM-Marco City) is faring/ agricultural friendly and I would urge all Bahamians who are interested in these areas to please contact him.

With general elections just around the corner I have no doubt that both the Minister and the Prime Minister will be supportive of such ventures if only to make themselves look good.

Lastly, kudos go out to Dr Charles Diggis and his team up at Doctor’s Hospital. I have known of Dr Diggis at a distance for decades. He has evolved as one of our premier medical practitioners and executive. Doctor’s is recognised and board certified as the #1 health care

provider here at home and in the region. Dr Diggis, along with Mr Barry Rassin, et all, inclusive of another good friend and benefactor, Mr Felix Stubbs, former Bahamian Managing Director at IBM (Bahamas) Limited and brother Sealey, have done a wonderful job at positioning their establishment as the ‘go to’ medical facility.

Now Doctor’s has announced that it is planning to raise some $12.5m through a Canadian based financial firm for investment and expansion purposes.

That company has made it clear that it is making such an investment by purchasing unissued shares mainly because of the stellar leadership of Chairman Felix Stubbs and Dr Diggis, et al. This injection of funds is not to service any outstanding loans or obligations, but for pure new investments.

I would be remiss if I did not give honorable mention to the Watson family at AID. This automotive supply company, inter alia, is committed to quality parts and great customer service. The company has been around for a number of years and has gone from strength to strength under the Watsons’ leadership.

In the midst of the pandemic AID is rapidly completing a brand new store on Blue Hill Road. The contractors are doing a wonderful job at that store which should be opened by this summer if not before. AID has also expanded into the Harbour Bay Shopping Centre and is about to open a flagship store in Marsh Harbour, Abaco.

These individuals and businesses besides providing good and well paying jobs for Bahamians are true nation builders who are fearless and determined to make a difference in the economy of this nation regardless of COVID, Dorian or come what may. Kudos to these Bahamian entrepreneurs.

To God, however, in all of theses things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H BODIE, Jr Nassau, February 27, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

FORMER BANK SUPERVISOR GUILTY

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A FORMER bank supervisor yesterday admitted stealing over $35,000 from customer accounts to help pay her own bills.

Angel Hudson, 25, of Eleuthera, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt faced with 85 counts of fraud related offences linked to stealing by reason of employment, falsification of accounts, forgery and money laundering.

Hudson previously pleaded guilty to 22 counts of stealing by reason of employment and 18 counts of falsification of accounts when she initially appeared before the magistrate last Friday.

When Magistrate FergusonPratt read the remaining charges brought against Hudson yesterday, she owned up to all the offences.

Hudson stole $36,650 from Commonwealth Bank’s Spanish Wells branch while employed there between June 2020 and February 2021.

Officers said Hudson made numerous false entries into the savings accounts of several customers “by posting a fraudulent debit” to purport a decrease in funds in the customers’ respective accounts.

Hudson also forged several withdrawal receipts in the name of bank clients to remove funds from their accounts and deposit it onto her own bank book and the accounts of people she

ANGEL HUDSON allegedly owed.

The prosecution said on February 5 a complainant contacted the bank branch to report his balance was less than it should have been. The bank gave the man a printout of his recent transactions. He discovered that five withdrawals totalling $6,500 taken from his account without his permission. When the bank provided him with a transaction receipt, he discovered the signature was not his.

He reported he was not on the island when the transactions were made. The bank conducted an internal inquiry which revealed the unauthorised withdrawals were performed by Hudson who deposited the funds onto her own account.

Further investigations revealed three more customers were compromised after she misappropriated a total of $36,650 from accounts without permission. The court heard Hudson would deposit the funds onto her account, as well as the accounts of people she owed.

An investigation was

launched and police reviewed surveillance footage which showed Hudson approaching another teller’s work station while no customers were present to quickly perform the withdrawals and subsequent deposits. When her colleagues were interviewed, they told officers they were not aware the transactions were unauthorised because Hudson would usually come to them and say: “Let me do these transactions quickly on your computer.”

They said they never questioned the defendant because she was the verifying officer who was “essentially their supervisor”.

The court was told the third parties who received funds from Hudson also said they were not aware that the money was obtained illegally. When the accused was arrested, she admitted to conducting the illegal transactions and forging the signatures to credit the money to her account.

When she was asked why she did it, she said her “bills and expenses were too much to handle on her bank salary”.

Magistrate FergusonPratt told Hudson her actions were unacceptable and said there was no justifiable reason to go “pinching” other people’s funds. Still, she said she would need some time to review the mitigating and aggravating factors and deferred the matter to March 8 for sentencing.

Hudson was remanded into custody until that time.

HAITIAN MAN FINED $1,500

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A HAITIAN man who was found in the country with an expired visa was ordered to pay $1,500 to avoid spending three months in prison before his deportation.

Jerry Pierre was charged with overstaying after

he was found residing in Abaco on February 19, beyond the time granted to him by an immigration officer.

The court heard Pierre was arrested at the government complex in Marsh Harbour. Investigations there revealed the defendant had landed in April 2019 and was given permission to stay until

September 2019. The prosecution said Pierre was not granted any further extensions.

Magistrate Samuel McKinney fined Pierre $1,500 or three months in prison. He said once the fine was paid or sentence was completed, the defendant would be handed over to the Director of Immigration for deportation.

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, PAGE 7

Woman who turned killer?

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A JAMAICAN woman was charged with murder yesterday in connection with a stabbing incident which left another woman dead last week.

Nadisha Beckford, 33, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt charged with the stabbing death of Lakeisha Mackey on February 20. She was among several people brought to court on murder charges yesterday.

According to initial police reports, officers were called to the scene, which occurred on West Bay Street, shortly after 11pm that night. Police were told two women got into an argument in a parking lot, during which one woman was stabbed. The victim was taken to hospital where she eventually died.

During the hearing, Beckford, who is represented by attorney Keevon Maynard, was not required to enter a plea and the matter was adjourned to June 16 for service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

She was denied bail and remanded into custody until that time.

Yesterday, two brothers also appeared before Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt after they were charged with murder in a separate incident.

Sidney Brown, 29, and Leonardo Brown, 23, were accused of killing Anton Percentie on February 22.

Police said shortly after 8pm that night, they received information of a shooting incident that occurred on Finlayson Street. When officers responded they met a man

ALSO in court yesterday were, clockwise from top left, brothers Leonardo and Sidney Brown, Fred Lafaite and Shaquille Culmer.

Photos: Racardo Thomas and woman suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.

Both victims were transported to the hospital by Emergency Medical Services. The man died a short time later.

Due to the nature of the charge, the brothers were not required to enter a plea.

They return to court on May 31 for the presentation of their voluntary bill of indictment (VBI). In the meantime, they were taken into custody.

Meanwhile, Shaquille Culmer, 27, was accused of the February 22 murder of Alexander Gibson, in connection to a shooting that occurred on John Road.

In addition, Fred Lifaite, 55, appeared before

Magistrate Ferguson-Pratt after he was accused of unlawfully causing the death of Kendino McDonald on February 25. This is in connection to a shooting incident which took place on Marmalade Close off Wulff Road.

During their hearings, Culmer nor Lifaite were required to enter a plea to the murder charges and their cases were adjourned to June 16 for the service of a voluntary bill of indictment (VBI).

Bail was denied and they were remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until that time. All of the defendants have a right to apply to the Supreme Court for bail.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, PAGE 9

Can judges really remain impartial?

ONE particular decision of Britain’s Supreme Court caught my eye last week. This was its unanimous ruling in the case of a so-called ISIS bride - who as a British citizen had voluntarily travelled to Syria to join this terrorist group - to deny her the right to return home to fight her loss of citizenship that had earlier been revoked. Such a ruling raises questions about a possible change in the attitudes of the courts to human rights issues together with a pointer towards the judiciary’s reluctance to be drawn into political issues, particularly matters of national security.

The 12-member Supreme Court, created in 2009 to replace the Law Lords in Parliament, is the nation’s final court of appeal in cases of major public importance.

Traditionally, judges in Britain have been seen as a bastion of the establishment and of conservatism.

But, more recently, some have come under public attack for being too liberal. Seen as Left-leaning, they have been accused of being more concerned with protecting the human rights of potential as well as hardened criminals - and blocking the deportation of illegal or convicted immigrant offenders - than recognising the values and rights of the general public and the good of society as a whole. It is this which has caused public concern rather than, as has been suggested, the courts wanting to meddle in politics - and some say it may have been brought about by judges’ varied interpretation of the UK’s Human Rights Act of 1998 which incorporated into domestic law the rights and liberties enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights.

Critics of the judiciary should nonetheless surely be reassured by the wise words in 2004 of Britain’s former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Bingham, that the function of independent

MYANMAR’S FUTURE GROWS EVER DARKER The Peter Young column judges charged to interpret and apply the law is universally recognised as a cardinal feature of the modern democratic state and a cornerstone of the rule of law itself - and, in such circumstances, the public should trust their integrity, objectivity and impartiality.

The facts of the current case are clear. In 2015, a 15-year-old schoolgirl named Shamima Begum apparently tricked her parents into thinking she was going on holiday and left the UK for war-torn Syria to join ISIS. It was later considered likely she witnessed - and may even have participated in - the most appalling atrocities carried out by ISIS and had committed a crime by signing up to a barbaric death cult.

In 2019, Ms Begum was stripped of her British citizenship and, on the grounds of national security, was denied the right to return to the UK. After marriage and the loss of her babies to starvation and pneumonia, she is now in a refugee camp. She claims she was brainwashed and indoctrinated as a vulnerable teenager and wants to return home to face British justice.

The UK government has declared she will not be allowed back into the country because she represents a

THE latest alarming developments in Myanmar, including the appearance in court on Monday of Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the nation, encourages me to offer comment on this important international issue again after writing about it only two weeks ago.

Judging from reports, a month on from the military coup there is growing international disquiet about the widespread deteriorating situation after last weekend’s deadliest clashes since the crisis began. The UN reported on Sunday that the country looked like a battlefield, with 18 people dead and many wounded as security forces fired live bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at anti-coup protesters.

Reportedly, there are now fears that this lethal force by the military will intensify as the protesters remain vociferously defiant and show no sign of backing down.

Myanmar has been ruled since 1962 by an oppressive military junta with a reputation for brutal suppression of dissent – as well as atrocities against minorities like the Rohingya Muslims -- so it seems unlikely the generals will now listen to fresh international condemnation. Nor will they listen to their own ambassador to the UN who was dismissed after calling for international action to restore democracy. Nonetheless, other countries – led by the UK, the US and Canada amongst others danger to others on account of her radical beliefs. However, in July last year the Court of Appeal ruled that she should be permitted to return in order to pursue her appeal against her loss of citizenship. Now, the Supreme Court has overruled that decision, stating that the right to a fair hearing over her citizenship does not trump all other considerations, such as the safety of the public, and the lower court had made no assessment of the national security issue since it had not considered any relevant evidence.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court declared the Home Secretary was

ANTI-coup protesters run away from tear gas launched by security forces in Yangon, Myanmar, yesterday.

- have criticised the coup in force- now treated will be hugely important ful terms and, most recently, the UN in determining the eventual outSecretary General has strongly con- come. Already under house arrest demned the actions of the military and facing trumped up charges of saying it must respect the will of the illegally importing walkie-talkies, people. she was apparently due to face furNo one dare predict how this ther charges – including inciting situation may develop. But brutal public unrest and breaking virus dominance of a country in this way rules - when she appeared in court by its own military forces, and denial yesterday. At the time of writing, of the democratic freedoms that the the outcome of this court hearing is people voted for, will continue to unknown, but many worry that the cause outrage in the international junta will want to keep her in some community. The experts say that the sort of custody and out of public way in which Aung San Suu Kyi is view.

responsible for the safety and security of the country’s citizens and borders and should have the power to decide whether anyone posing a security threat could enter the country.

In response, the Home Office has welcomed the Supreme Court’s reaffirmation of the government’s authority to make vital national security decisions and that the courts should not interfere with this since determinations to deprive individuals of their citizenship were not taken lightly.

But human rights activists have condemned the ruling for, in effect, allowing a democratic government to remove the right to a fair

trial and possibly ensuring that in the Begum case a nationality deprivation order could remain unchallenged indefinitely.

Moreover, many other Britons who joined ISIS have returned to face prosecution so, the critics say, why not Shamima Begum as well.

This case has brought into focus once again the fact that in a parliamentary democracy it is Parliament itself which is the supreme body because it is chosen by the people. Judicial review is important in order to test the constitutionality of any policy and to attempt to restrain the excesses of political leaders. But, under

the UK’s doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, the Supreme Court cannot, for example, overturn primary legislation.

In the case of returnees from Syria, it is surely right that the judiciary should not challenge the executive branch on decisions relating to national security since it is the executive which is empowered by Parliament and is accountable to it - to ensure the country’s safety and security. These are important issues in a parliamentary democracy that are worth airing for they might be of interest to other countries with the same systems - including, perhaps, to us here in The Bahamas.

IT’S NOT ALL DRINKS ON THE EMBASSY LAWN DIPLOMACY was traditionally defined as international dialogue and negotiations conducted by accredited envoys with a view to influencing the policies of foreign governments or organisations through nonviolent means. Historically, such envoys in far-off lands had considerable authority, power and influence. But modern communications altered all that when reports and information, together with advice and instructions, could be transmitted instantaneously at the press of a button - and this changed the nature of the work and increased its tempo, thereby placing greater demands on all concerned.

The core function is to conduct the business of government across-theboard with the country to which you are accredited.

It requires hard work and commitment, flexibility and sometimes being kept busy all hours of the day or night.

The career appears glamorous with a privileged lifestyle, the prospect of world travel to exotic places and involvement in significant events in the international arena. But the reality is somewhat more prosaic. It may mean living in difficult environments with harsh living conditions and it can be challenging and even dangerous, depending on where one is sent.

Last week, I found myself reflecting on all this after reading of the murder of the current Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The details were sketchy but it appears he was gunned down by an unknown armed group while on a visit to an aid

project in a remote area.

This brought back memories of British diplomatic service colleagues who have lost their lives violently while serving overseas. Sad to say, over the years there have been many assassinations of ambassadors and high commissioners as well as of more junior officers. To mention just a few, our High Commissioner in Kuala Lumpur was shot dead by communist insurgents at the height of the Malayan Emergency in 1951. During the course of the Irish Republican Army’s murderous campaign against Britain in the 1970s and 1980s - including bombings in London and the unsuccessful attack on the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the Brighton bombing of 1984 our ambassadors in Dublin and The Hague were both targeted and killed. Closer to home, the Governor of Bermuda was murdered in 1973 when strolling in the garden of Government House one night after dinner.

At a personal and obviously much less severe level, I recall several potentially life-threatening incidents while on two separate postings in Nigeria.

When I was serving as deputy high commissioner many years ago in the sprawling populous city of Ibadan (upcountry from the then-capital of Lagos), a gang of students from the local university - upset about Britain’s failure to end white minority rule in Rhodesia - invaded my office and adjoining residence and tried to set fire to the building but were eventually seen off by

the local police. Then, in the 1990s, my wife and I were in a small group from Lagos on an expedition to the Sahara which was attacked when passing through a village in the former French colony of Niger. Since we had a Land Rover, we managed to escape by driving off into the bush despite a few of our assailants clinging to the vehicle and hacking at it with machetes - happily, the whole group survived.

A year later, some British Members of Parliament came to Nigeria to monitor a presidential election on behalf of the Commonwealth. At one point, we were threatened by a hostile group which suddenly surrounded us and demanded to know why we were “interfering“ in the country’s election. Managing to get my charges back into our vehicles without being assaulted, we beat a hasty retreat - and this was to my great relief, since to lose an MP in the African bush could lead to the abrupt ending of a diplomatic career!

These, of course, rank as no more than minor skirmishes compared with the nasty experiences of some colleagues in other parts of the world. The dangers undoubtedly exist; particularly, of course, if one is serving in a war zone. But, in my own experience, lifethreatening incidents are relatively rare. Meanwhile, there can be enormous satisfaction in sometimes successfully fulfilling the task of promoting and protecting British interests overseas - and not least when helping one’s fellow Brits in distress and sorting out their problems.

A Private Semi-Military Service For

INSP. ETHAN MEREDITH STUBBS SR., 67 of Windsor Lane East, will be held on Friday, 5th March 2021 at Bethel Brothers Morticians & Crematorium, Nassau Street. Officiating will be Fr. Stephen E.R. Davies, R.B.P.F. Chaplain and Bishop James Newry, of Calvary Deliverance Church. Cremation to follow.

Due to current Government regulations in respect of Covid-19, attendance is limited to twenty (20) persons.

Left to cherish his memories are his Wife: Barbara Stubbs; Daughters: Cynara Odovia Stubbs, Chynna Anastasia (Stubbs) Phillips, and Ericka Adderley; Sons: Ethan Stubbs II and Elon Mychal Adderley; Grand Children: Landry Phillips II and Ethan Mychal Adderley; Sisters: Tryphena Moss, Zennarene Garcia, Margo McIntosh, Sherryl Forbes; Brother: Linkworth Stubbs; Aunt: Nurse Palma Pratt; and a host of other relatives and friends.

May His Soul Rest in Peace!

Friends may pay their last respects at Bethel Brothers Morticians & Crematorium, #44 Nassau Street, on Thursday, March 4th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, March 2, 2021

CUOMO APOLOGY BLASTED BY ALLEGED VICTIM ONE of the women who said she was sexually harassed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is rejecting his attempt to apologise for his behavior and excuse it as an attempt to be “playful”.

Charlotte Bennett said in a statement yesterday that the Democrat had “refused to acknowledge or take responsibility for his predatory behaviour”.

“As we know, abusers — particularly those with tremendous amounts of power — are often repeat offenders who engage in manipulative tactics to diminish allegations, blame victims, deny wrongdoing and escape consequences,” she wrote.

“It took the Governor 24 hours and significant backlash to allow for a truly independent investigation.

These are not the actions of someone who simply feels misunderstood; they are the actions of an individual who wields his power to avoid justice.”

CALL FOR PROBE INTO NAVALNY POISONING TWO top UN human rights experts urged an international probe into the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and called Monday for his immediate release from prison.

Agnès Callamard, the Special UN Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and Irene Khan, the Special UN Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, said Navalny’s poisoning was intended to “send a clear, sinister warning that this would be the fate of anyone who would criticise and oppose the government”.

“Given the inadequate response of the domestic authorities, the use of prohibited chemical weapons, and the apparent pattern of attempted targeted killings, we believe that an international investigation should be carried out as a matter of urgency in order to establish the facts and clarify all the circumstances concerning Mr. Navalny’s poisoning,” they said in a statement.

EX-PRESIDENT SARKOZY GUILTY OF CORRUPTION A PARIS court found French former President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling on Monday and sentenced him to a year in prison. He can ask to serve that time at home and also plans to appeal.

The 66-year-old, who was president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted of trying to bribe a magistrate in exchange for information about a legal case in which he was implicated.

He will remain free while he appeals, but it was a blow to the retired politician who still plays an influential role in French conservative politics. It’s not the end of his legal troubles either: He faces another trial later this month and is also under investigation in a third case.

CARDONA TO BE EDUCATION SECRETARY THE Senate voted yesterday to confirm Miguel Cardona as education secretary, clearing his way to lead President Joe Biden’s effort to reopen the nation’s schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Cardona, 45, a former public school teacher who went on to become Connecticut’s education chief, was approved on a 64-33 vote.

He takes charge of the Education Department amid mounting tension between Americans who believe students can safely return to the classroom now, and others who say the risks are still too great.

THE TRIBUNE

PRINCE HARRY: ROYAL SPLIT UNBELIEVABLY ROUGH LOS ANGELES Associated Press

PRINCE Harry says the process of separating from royal life has been very difficult for him and his wife, Meghan.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry invoked the memory of his late mother, Princess Diana, who had to find her way alone after she and Prince Charles divorced.

“I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side, because I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for her going through this process by herself all those years ago,” Harry said, adding, “because it’s been unbelievably tough for the two of us.”

“But at least we have each other,” Harry said, in a clip from the interview special, which is scheduled to air March 7 on CBS and the following day in

Britain. Diana was shown in a photo holding toddler Harry as he made the comments. His mother died in 1997 of injuries suffered in a car crash.

Harry and Meghan sat opposite Winfrey and sideby-side, holding hands during the interview that was conducted in a lush garden setting. The couple lives in Montecito, California, where they are neighbors of Winfrey.

Meghan, who recently announced she is pregnant with the couple’s second child, wore an empire-style black dress with embroidery. Harry wore a light gray suit and white dress shirt, minus a tie.

As Meghan Markle, the actor starred in the TV legal drama “Suits.” She married Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson at Windsor Castle in May 2018, and their son, Archie, was born a year later.

The brief promotional

PRINCE PHILIP MOVED TO SPECIALIST HOSPITAL LONDON Associated Press

PRINCE Philip was transferred Monday to a specialised London heart hospital to undergo testing and observation for a pre-existing heart condition as he continues to be treated for an unspecified infection, Buckingham Palace said.

The 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II was moved from King Edward VII’s Hospital, where he has been treated since February 17, to St clip was one of two of that aired Sunday during CBS’ news magazine “60 Minutes.” Winfrey’s questions and comment were predominant in the other clip, including her statement that, “You said some pretty shocking things here,” without an indication of what she was referring to. Meghan was not heard from in the clips.

Harry and Meghan

Bartholomew’s Hospital, which specialises in cardiac care.

The palace says Philip “remains comfortable and is responding to treatment but is expected to remain in hospital until at least the end of the week”.

Philip was admitted to the private King Edward VII’s Hospital in London after feeling ill. Philip’s illness is not believed to be related to COVID-19.

Both he and the queen, 94, received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine in early January.

stepped away from fulltime royal life in March 2020, unhappy at media scrutiny and the strictures of their roles. They cited what they described as the intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media toward the duchess, who is African American.

It was agreed the situation would be reviewed after a year. On Feb. 19, Buckingham Palace

confirmed that the couple will not be returning to royal duties and Harry will give up his honorary military titles — a decision that makes formal, and final, the couple’s split from the royal family.

The pair, also known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, verified “they will not be returning as working members of the Royal Family”.

Minimum wage hike all but dead in big COVID relief bill WASHINGTON Associated Press DEMOCRATS’ efforts to include a minimum wage increase in their $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill seemed all but dead Monday as Senate leaders prepared to begin debate on their own version of the House-passed aid package.

Top Democrats abandoned a potential amendment threatening tax increases on big companies that don’t boost workers’ pay to certain levels, Senate aides said. Four days after the chamber’s parliamentarian said Senate rules forbid inclusion of a straight-out minimum wage increase in the relief measure, Democrats seemed to have exhausted their most realistic options for quickly salvaging the pay hike.

“At this moment, we may not have path, but I hope we can find one” for pushing the federal pay floor to $15 an hour, said No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Richard Durbin of Illinois.

Senate Democrats hope to unveil their version of the broad relief package and begin debate as early as Wednesday. Congressional leaders want to send President Joe Biden the legislation combating the pandemic and bolstering the economy by March 14, the date emergency jobless benefits that lawmakers approved in December expire.

The bill is Biden’s biggest early legislative priority. It looms as an initial test of his ability to unite Democrats in the Senate — where the party has no votes to spare — and risks lasting damage to his influence should he fail. Republicans are strongly against the legislation and could well oppose it unanimously, as House GOP lawmakers did when that chamber approved the bill early Saturday.

Biden discussed the relief bill Monday in a virtual meeting with nine Senate Democrats, including Joe Manchin of West Virginia, an opponent of the $15 hourly target. A White House statement said the group was “united in the goal of quickly passing a significant package that reflects the scope of the challenges our country is facing.”

The Senate is divided

ACTIVISTS appeal for a $15 minimum wage near the Capitol in Washington last week.

50-50 between the parties, round of emergency unem- internal discussions, said with Vice President Kamala ployment benefits, which Monday that party leadHarris able to cast only would be $400 weekly, ers were dropping those tie-breaking votes. Under through September instead proposals.

It was always streamlined rules the Dem- of August, as the House questionable whether presocrats are using, they can approved.

The parliamentarian’s suring companies with tax approve the legislation with interpretation of Senate increases would win enough just 51 votes.

The overall bill would rules could force other Democratic support to surprovide $1,400 payments changes as well. These vive. The White House to individuals plus hun- might include dropping or didn’t endorse the tax prodreds of billions of dollars altering provisions in the posals, which would have for schools and colleges, House bill providing bil- affected only a fraction of COVID-19 vaccines and lions of dollars to help some workers paid the minimum testing, mass transit sys- struggling pension plans wage.

Raising the minimum tems, renters and small and to help people who’ve businesses. It also has lost jobs afford health has broad support among Democrats. But while it’s money for child care, tax insurance.

The House-approved embraced passionately by breaks for families with children and states will- minimum wage language the party’s progressives, at ing to expand Medicaid would gradually raise the least two Senate moderates coverage for low-income federal floor to $15 an hour — Manchin and Kyrsten by 2025, more than double Sinema of Arizona — have residents.

Democrats are consid- the $7.25 in place since voiced opposition to including it in the broader relief ering several changes in 2009.

After the parliamen- measure, wounding its prosthe House measure, but they seem modest com- tarian said that provision pects and fostering tensions pared to dropping the would have to be deleted, within the party.

The tepid Democratic minimum wage increase. Sens Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, One top aide said the bill and Ron Wyden, D-Ore, reaction to the tax plan the Senate initially debates said they were working has left the party lookwon’t have the minimum on plans to increase taxes ing at potentially pushing wage provision in it, saying on large corporations that a minimum wage increase the language would have don’t meet certain levels in future legislation, where pushed the bill over budget- for workers’ pay. Sanders it could well face enough mandated spending limits, is chief Senate sponsor of GOP opposition to kill it. the $15 plan, while Wyden Democrats must now violating Senate rules.

Senate Democrats may is chair of the tax-writing decide “how we do minireshape the $350 billion the Senate Finance Committee. mum wage as part of But three Senate aides, another piece of legislabill provides for state and local governments. They speaking on condition of tion or on its own,” said also might extend its fresh anonymity to describe Sen Richard Blumenthal of

Photo: J Scott Applewhite/AP Connecticut.

As an alternative, progressives want Senate Democrats to simply overrule the parliamentarian and include the pay raise anyway, or to eliminate Senate filibusters — procedural delays that let a minority party kill legislation that lacks at least 60 votes.

But those ideas seem to lack enough Democratic support to succeed. Senate moderates are wary of erasing procedures that the party has used in the past, and could use again, to protect its priorities when it is in the minority.

Among those who’ve long supported retaining the filibuster is Biden, who served nearly four decades in the Senate.

“The president’s view on the filibuster is well known. He has not changed that point of view,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said pointedly yesterday.

Despite seeming White House opposition, nearly two dozen House progressives tried pressuring Biden to have Harris join Democratic senators and vote to override the parliamentarian and include the increase in the bill anyway.

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH MOVES CLOSER TO NEW DENOMINATION CONSERVATIVE leaders within the United Methodist Church unveiled plans yesterday to form a new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, with a doctrine that does not recognise same-sex marriage.

The move could hasten the longexpected breakup of the UMC over differing approaches to LGBTQ inclusion. For now, the UMC is the largest mainline Protestant church in the US and second only to the Southern Baptist Convention, an evangelical denomination, among all US Protestant churches.

Due to the coronavirus

pandemic, the UMC’s General Conference — at which the schism would be debated — has been postponed for two consecutive years, and is now scheduled to take place in Minneapolis starting in late August of 2022.

The Rev Keith Boyette, a Methodist elder from Virginia who chairs the Global Methodist initiative, said he and his allies do not want to wait that long to formally leave the UMC. They have asked that the topic of schism be added to the tightly limited agenda of a special one-day General Conference to be conducted online May 8.

“The church is basically stalemated right now,” Boyette said.

“We don’t believe an additional year is going to be helpful for anybody.”

However, Louisiana-based Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, who heads the UMC’s Council of Bishops, said debate over a schism would involve “delicate deliberations” and attempting to conduct them online in May “does not seem wise or ethical”.

If the issue is not addressed on May 8, Boyette said he and his allies would be willing to delay until the 2022 General Conference, but

only if UMC centrists and progressives remain committed to previous agreements about a breakup.

Any lessening of those commitments might prompt the conservatives to bring the new church into existence, Boyette said.

Differences over same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy have simmered for years in the UMC, and came to a head in 2019 at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 to strengthen bans on LGBTQinclusive practices. Most US-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBTQ-friendly options.

SPORTS PAGE 14

TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2021

SEE PAGE 17

‘Buddy’ makes NBA history

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

n his best shooting night of the season, Chavano “Buddy” Hield remained his harshest critic despite adding another three-point milestone to his résumé.

In Sunday night’s 127126 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Hield became the fastest player to make 1,000 career three-pointers.

“If I shot the ball better earlier this season I probably would have been up there quicker,” the Sacramento Kings sharpshooter said after the game.

“I’m grateful, I’m thankful. For a kid from The Bahamas to be able to get that milestone is a humbling experience and I hope I can keep inspiring kids from the Caribbean and around the world, especially international kids, so somebody can come and beat that record soon.”

Hield set the mark in just 350 games to reach the milestone faster than

O

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors who held the previous record of 369 games. The top four also includes the Warriors’ Klay Thompson (372 games) and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers (385 games).

Hield finished Sunday’s game with a season high 30 points on 10-17 shooting from the field, including 8-15 from three-point range.

He also added seven assists and had a +12 PER in 39 minutes.

Hield’s record setting three came at the 7:56 mark in the third quarter. He curled off a Marvin Bagley screen and made his seventh three of the game over the outstretched hand of the Hornets’ Terry Rozier.

“It’s humbling to be the fastest to 1,000,” Hield said. “Me, being in college watching guys like Steph and Ray Allen - the greats - the way Steph shot the three ball, everyone wanted to shoot like him, be able to pull up threes like him and those are the guys that set

Becomes the fastest player to reach 1,000 career 3-pointers

Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield plays during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) the path for us in this generation. It’s humbling [to be mentioned] with guys like those and Reggie Miller, the greats that came before us.”

The reigning MTN Dew 3-Point Contest champion at NBA All-Star Weekend said he is still unsure whether he will return to defend his title in 2021.

This year’s contest will be hosted March 7, prior to the tip-off of the 2021 All-Star Game.

“I don’t know yet I’ve been having mixed emotions with the COVID restrictions, especially since I haven’t had much time with my family. I’m just trying to see how the COVID rules and

boundaries are set up,” Hield said. “No clear cut ‘yes’ yet so we will see in the next couple of days.”

The fifth year Kings guard is averaging 16 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season on 39 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from threepoint range. Hield’s early season struggles saw his streak of consecutive games with at least one made three pointer come to an end at 87 in the Kings’ 119-114 win over the Denver Nuggets on February 5.

At the time, it was the longest active streak in the NBA. Curry now has the longest active three-point streak at 97 games. Curry also holds the all-time record for most consecutive

games with a three pointer made at 157.

In the 2019-20 season, Hield went on to set another milestone on February 8 when he shot 9-10 from beyond the arc, scoring 31 points in the Kings’ 122-102 win over the San Antonio Spurs and simultaneously became the fastest player in NBA history to make 800 career threepoint field goals.

He accomplished the feat in just 296 games to surpass the mark set by Curry, who did it in 305 games.

He finished the season with 873 threes, more threepoint field goals than any other player in his first four NBA seasons. He surpassed the previous record of 828 set by Lillard.

SG DEYTON ALBURY EARNS MVP HONOURS

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net BELIEVE Prep clinched the Post Grad Platinum Championships at the Big Shots Prep National Tournament over the weekend as Deyton Albury emerged as the most valuable player.

Albury, the starting shooting guard, scored 13 points as Believe Prep pulled off a huge 62-47 victory over TLAP Sports Academy in the tournament that was played in South Florida.

“It feels good. I know we were coming into this event this weekend against some top-notch competition with the same momentum that we had in the last tournament that we won,” said Albury of their triumph at the Insiders Exposure 1 Tournament the week before where he averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and three assists.

“We came with the same mentality that we can win this one too. So, it was good to be able to pull it off.”

As Albury averaged 14.7 points in the tournament, Believe Prep went undefeated in the three games they played.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Deyton Albury and Believe Prep clinched the Post Grad Platinum Championships at the Big Shots Prep National Tournament over the weekend.

Besides the championship, Believe Prep routed Combine Academy Black from North Carolina 63-48 with Albury scoring 11 and they knocked off 1st State 61-45 as Albury contributed 20 points.

With the tournament used as a showcase for the prep teams to display the skills of their players before the collegiate coaches and scouts, Albury said he just knew he had to shine under the bright lights.

“I know I had to come in and bring my A-game,” he said.

“I think I did very well defensively and offensively.

I rebounded the ball well and that helped me to win the MVP.” The former Temple Christian Academy star said he’s just waiting on reports from his coach Kevin Jackson to determine whether or not he received any offers and from who because scouts are not

allowed to contact players right now.

“Right now, I feel I have the ability to play division one basketball, but it’s up to the coaches,” Albury said.

“Coaches are not looking at how you can score the ball, but the little things you do also to help your team win.

“So, in practice, I’ve just been trying to fix the little things that I know the coaches are looking to see and just make that a major part of my game. So, I hope that they can see how I can handle the pressure.”

If there’s one thing that coach Jackson feels Albury

needs to do to elevate his game, it’s his shooting.

Albury agrees but admits that it’s something that will come in time.

“That’s a mental aspect that I have to work on,” he said.

“It takes getting up early in the morning and working on my jump shot. I just have to learn to shoot the ball a lot more than I am doing right now.”

The 18-year-old Albury, who graduated from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, where he starred in basketball and football, will lead Believe

Prep as they return on the road this weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for another tournament.

Hopefully, they can win their third straight title.

“I just hope to do what I did this weekend,” Albury said. “I know everybody will be looking at me, so I have to continue to perform as best as I can every time I step out on the court.”

Since joining Believe Prep last year, Albury has posted an impressive 44-9 win-loss record and is currently riding a 10-game winning streak over the past two tournaments.

Tennis ace Sydney Clarke and Blazers earn 2nd straight victory

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

FRESHMAN Sydney Clarke and her University of Arlington at Birmingham Blazers women’s tennis team picked up their second consecutive victory over the weekend.

On Sunday, the Blazers won 7-0 over Murray State in a match that was originally scheduled to be played at the George Ward Park but had to be relocated to the UAB Campus Courts because of wet court conditions.

“Overall, I felt me and my team-mates did a great job,” Clarke said. “I feel as if each week we are getting better. We are not giving up.

We are fighting and when we are faced with challenges, we are overcoming them. We are just not sitting down and giving up.

“This was a very tough team, but I feel as though as a team, we just stuck to our guns and we didn’t give up.

When we were up, we kept fighting and when we were down, we found ways to come back and not just get frustrated and let the other team get ahead.”

The former CR Walker Secondary High standout, who graduated last year from Windsor High School and the Albany Tennis Academy, won her singles match in convincing fashion, 6-0, 6-2, over Gabrielle Geolier. However, in doubles, the immediate past

CLARKE top female junior national team player and her teammate Alexandra da Silva lost 6-4 to Murray State’s duo of Samantha Muller and Anja Loncarevic.

“I’m very satisfied with my

contributions, especially in singles,” Clarke said. “I feel as though each week I am getting better as I put my best foot forward for the team and I just look forward to playing every match moving forward.”

Reflecting on her win in singles, Clarke said she was very focused, and she got off to a very quick start, which made a big difference in the outcome.

“I was able to finish the first set very quickly and in the second set, I started to make a little more mistakes than I did in the first, but I buckled down, especially in the important moments and I didn’t let it get to me,” she stressed. “I just looked forward to winning the next point.”

As for her doubles, Clarke admitted that it could have been better.

“I made a few mistakes and got rattled a bit by the win in the doubles,” she pointed out. “But overall, it’s getting better, and I and my partner are improving every week. I feel once we get to play more, we will be fine. We just need to stay focused and positive.”

UAB will take a 4-5 winloss record into their next match against North Alabama (2-6) on Wednesday at the UNA Varsity Tennis Complex.

“For the rest of the season, I just look forward to me and my team-mates progressing and each week doing better than the last and not really focusing on

the results, but doing the things we have been practicing,” she said.

“We just hope to continue to stay on a roll and when it comes to our conference playoffs, we will be ready. I feel as though playing a lot of the Power 5 schools like the University of Alabama, Mississippi State gave us a lot of opportunities to prepare for these matches. So, I’m really looking forward to the conference playoffs.”

Based on their schedule, the Blazers will have at least 10 more matches through April 10 before they can participate in the Conference USA Championships, scheduled for April 22-25.

Hopefully, the winning streak will continue.

SPORTS

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, PAGE 15

MCPHEE-MCCUIN LEADS REBELS TO ANOTHER UPSET WIN OVER WILDCATS

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net HEAD coach Yolett McPheeMcCuin led her Ole Miss Rebels to another upset win over a ranked Kentucky Wildcats team.

The Rebels concluded the regular season with a 73-69 win over the No.17 Wildcats on the road Sunday night at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.

With the win, the Rebels recorded the first season sweep over the Wildcats in programme history.

“Man, what a huge win for us,” McPhee-McCuin said. “Just incredible. Really excited for our team, the way we fought. Just to

get a win over a ranked team on the road, words can’t describe how proud I am for this team and to get a bye for next week.”

Valerie Nesbitt finished with seven points and five assists. She weaved through defenders and made a driving layup to give the Rebels a seven-point lead midway through the third quarter. Ole Miss outscored Kentucky 18-11 in the period.

Ole Miss defeated Kentucky on February 4 of this year.

In her first season at Ole Miss, McPhee-McCuin led the Rebels to a win over then No. 16 Kentucky on January 13, 2019.

Ole Miss earned the No.11 seed and first round bye in the SEC Tournament. They will

VALERIE Nesbitt finished with seven points and five assists in the win.

REAL MADRID HELD BY SOCIEDAD AHEAD OF DERBY AGAINST ATLÉTICO

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer

MADRID (AP) — It was a tactical change that didn’t last more than 15 minutes, but it was just long enough to cost Real Madrid a chance to fight for the Spanish league lead in the derby against Atlético Madrid next weekend.

Coach Zinedine Zidane’s attempt to push Madrid forward by switching formations midway through the game against Real Sociedad backfired yesterday, leading to a 1-1 home draw that kept the defending champions from getting within range of the city rival going into the derby at Atlético’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday.

Madrid conceded after Zidane changed a 4-3-3 formation to 3-5-2 at halftime, leaving Madrid more exposed defensively. It needed an 89th-minute equalizer by Vinícius Júnior to salvage the draw.

“We changed to three defenders because I didn’t like how we were pressing forward, but then we changed it back quickly,” Zidane said. “Maybe it hurt us. I was trying to change the dynamic of the game.”

The draw halted Madrid’s four-game winning streak in the league and left the club five points from its city rival, which has a game in hand. Madrid has the same points total as secondplaced Barcelona but trails on goal difference.

A win would have moved Madrid within three points of Atlético entering the derby.

“We had our chances but couldn’t capitalise on them and in the end we lost two points at home,” Zidane said.

face the No.6 seeded Arkansas Razorbacks in the second round on March 4 in Greenville, South Carolina.

Arkansas finished the regular season at 19-7, 9-6 in the SEC and is nationally ranked at No. 16 in both AP and USA Today Coaches Poll.

“We’re going to Greenville to win games and then we’ll let the chips fall where they may.

When we started out as a staff this season our goal was to go to the postseason, we never specified which one,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We don’t have any pressure on us, we feel good about being an NIT team, and now we are going to focus on being an NCAA Tournament team.”

EVERTON BEATS SOUTHAMPTON 1-0 TO BE ON VERGE OF EPL TOP FOUR

MEMBERS of the Texas A&M basketball team pose for pictures after winning the SEC regular-season championship after a win over South Carolina an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday in College Station, Texas.

(AP Photo/Sam Craft)

Aggies reach best-ever ranking of No. 2 in women’s AP Top 25

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer TEXAS A&M moved up to No. 2, its highest ranking ever in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll, a day after winning its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title.

The Aggies (22-1) beat then-No. 5 South Carolina on Sunday to win the conference title and then moved up a spot in the Top 25.

“We needed to win this game to solidify who were were and what we’ve earned,” said Texas A&M coach Gary Blair, whose team received two first-place votes on Monday from a 30-member national media panel.

UConn remained the top choice in the poll, getting 27 first-place votes. The Huskies finish off their regular season on Monday night against Marquette.

North Carolina State fell to No. 3, with Stanford and Louisville rounding out the first five teams in the poll.

Baylor, South Carolina, Maryland, UCLA and Indiana were the next five.

Texas A&M has reeled off 10 consecutive wins since its overtime loss at LSU. The Aggies snapped a seven-game losing streak to South Carolina on Sunday.

“We’re the two best teams in the SEC and we had to prove it night in and night out,” Blair said.

“Now it’s up to both of us to throw this season away and start all over at the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.”

The Aggies were one of the few teams not to have games scrapped this season because of coronavirus issues.

• Here are a few other tidbits from the poll: CLIMBING HOOSIERS: No. 10 Indiana reached the top 10 of the poll for the first time in school history. The Hoosiers needed to rally from a nine-point fourthquarter deficit at Ohio State last week. It was the team’s first win in Columbus since 2002 and first

overall win over the Buckeyes since 2010. The Hoosiers (16-4, 14-2 Big Ten) have the most conference wins under coach Teri Moren.

SEC DOMINANCE: Led by Texas A&M, the SEC has five of the first 16 teams in the poll, with No. 13 Arkansas, No. 14 Tennessee and No. 16 Georgia joining the Aggies and Gamecocks. The conference had a strong presence in the latest NCAA Top 16 reveal, with six of the top 16 seeds, including Texas A&M and South Carolina projected as No. 1s.

Those rankings came out before Sunday’s games.

GAME OF THE WEEK Maryland at Michigan, Thursday. The Terrapins can wrap up a third consecutive Big Ten title with a victory over Michigan or a loss

by Indiana to Iowa on Wednesday.

The Wolverines are trying to get a signature win heading into the conference tournament.

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Everton ended its worst home run since 1958 by beating Southampton 1-0 in the English Premier League yesterday and keeping its Champions League dream on track.

Richarlison scored for the third consecutive match inside the first 10 minutes, and Everton held on to move within two points of fourth-placed West Ham with a match in hand.

But the pain for Saints continued with one draw and eight defeats in their last nine league matches, leaving them seven points above the bottom three and wondering where their next win will come from.

Saints would have thought they had a chance against Everton considering their host’s poor home form — three successive defeats — but their only real opportunity fell to Moussa Djenepo in the final 10 minutes, and he blazed wide when well placed. It was an escape for Everton, which faded after having a second goal ruled out for offside midway through the first half.

Richarlison’s angled finis in the ninth minute was only his fifth in the league but, since the start of last season, Joao Pedro (30) and Paris St Germain’s Neymar (19) are the only Brazilians to score more goals in the top five European leagues than him.

Playing in a two up front with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has 13 league goals, Richarlison took his chance brilliantly.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, in the side for James Rodriguez who was left out as a precaution with a minor injury, capitalised on the space given to him by Mohammed Salisu going down in an aerial challenge with CalvertLewin and teammate James Ward-Prowse.

The Iceland forward slid through a pass for Richarlison, who was making the same centre-to-right diagonal run which saw him score at Anfield last time out, to round Fraser Forster.

It was the first time since since December 2019 he has scored in three successive league matches.

AS TOKYO NEARS, THE PLANS FOR USA BASKETBALL CONTINUE

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer MIAMI (AP) — Atlanta coach and USA Basketball men’s national team assistant coach Lloyd Pierce had a one-day coronavirus scare a few weeks ago and had to stay in his hotel room while the matter was sorted out.

The bad news: He missed practice.

The good news: He didn’t have to miss a USA Basketball staff call that head coach Gregg Popovich had scheduled for that day, because it would have conflicted with that practice.

“This is how smart Pop is,” Pierce said.

If the rest of the plan comes together as well as that day did, USA Basketball will be very happy this summer. The start of the team’s training camp in Las Vegas is now about four months away — July 1 is a target date, though not absolutely finalised — meaning the decisions on who will play for the

Americans at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics are getting closer and closer.

The Americans are expected to have about 60 players in the pool of Olympic prospects for this summer, then will pare that down significantly before bringing a team to Las Vegas. Assuming schedules do not change, that camp would begin during the NBA conference finals and with four teams still playing — meaning it’s a safe bet that some players USA Basketball will want for Tokyo might otherwise be busy at that time.

That’s why this Olympic selection process is going to have to be different than usual for the Americans, and multiple contingency plans must be mapped out.

Some of the questions that the USA Basketball coaches — Popovich’s staff also includes Golden State coach Steve Kerr and Villanova’s Jay Wright — and staff are currently mulling included these, as Pierce

SAN Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich directs players during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans in San Antonio on Saturday.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay) recalled Sunday in Miami before his Hawks faced the Heat: “Who do you wait for?

Who’s worth waiting for?

How long do you wait?

How do you manage your roster because we’re going to play four or five games in July in Vegas, kind of a mini-bubble of teams and

just kind of keep everything there? And how do you manage a roster, knowing there may be some pretty important guys potentially that may still be playing.

And then, what do you do in the event of some random emergency when you have to leave on the 19th for Tokyo?”

Most of the league’s biggest American stars — LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, James Harden, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant among them — were part of the player pool last year and are expected to be part of the pool this summer.

Pierce, Kerr and Wright were all with Popovich as assistants when USA Basketball finished seventh at the Basketball World Cup in 2019.

More than 50 players were part of the US plan at one point or another for that tournament; of those, 12 went to China, two got cut after the first week of training camp and the other three dozen or so dropped out on their own.

“There’s only so much to discuss,” Kerr said.

“We talked about roster possibilities and that sort of thing, and logistics. And the logistics are kind of up in the air, so we’ll just play it by ear -- and when the time

comes, we’ll be ready to go to work.”

Pierce said the US is trying to simultaneously be pre-emptive and proactive when it comes to figuring out how this summer might work in terms of personnel.

“We haven’t talked about style of play and things like that,” Pierce said. “I think there’s a lot of other factors that are really important right now leading into that.”

The US men will open the Olympics against France — the team that beat them in the World Cup quarterfinals and ended their medal hopes in that event — on July 25.

The US men will also face Iran on July 28 and a still-to-be-determined team on July 31.

The US men are seeking a fourth consecutive gold medal. The Tokyo Games are scheduled to open July 23, one day after the NBA says is the last possible date for this season’s NBA Finals.

PAGE 16, Tuesday, March 2, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

ROADRUNNERS - 15TH ANNUAL DIANNA LYNN THOMPSON CLASSIC

FAST TRACK: Athletes compete during the Roadrunners’ 15th Annual Dianna Lynn Thompson Classic at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium on Saturday.

Photos by Racardo Thomas

SPORTS

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, PAGE 17

Sweeps and career milestones highlight busy baseball weekend for Bahamians

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net SERIES sweeps and career milestones highlighted a busy weekend of baseball for Bahamian student-athletes at various levels of college baseball.

In NCAA Division I, BJ Murray and the FAU Owls completed a three-game sweep over the Seton Hall Pirates and the sophomore infielder continues to produce productive numbers at the plate.

In Friday’s series opener, Murray hit a triple and eventually scored the goahead run in FAU’s 6-2 win.

He followed with his second home run of the season in the Owls’ 17-14 win. He finished 2-3 (including a double and homer) with two RBI and three runs.

As a part of an eight-run third inning, Murray hit a two-run shot early in the inning and returned later to draw a walk as the Owls built a 9-0 lead.

He later doubled in the fifth inning. Murray also scored two runs in Sunday’s finale, a 10-4 win.

FAU improved to 6-1 on

BJ MURRAY

DAUNTE STUART

DEVYN MUNROE

DOMINIQUE COLLIE

the season, second only to the Charlotte 49ers (6-0) in Conference USA. The Owls will take a fourgame winning streak into Wednesday’s matchup with the Florida Gators.

Through seven games, Murray is hitting .267 with two doubles, two triples, two home runs, and a .421 OBP. “It’s always good to get a sweep, it’s never easy to win three times against the same opponent.

“I thought the guys played really well,” Owls head coach John McCormack said.

“It’s a good weekend, it’s a good thing to keep us going.”

In the Southland Conference, Daunte Stuart hit his first collegiate home run in his Northwestern State Demons’ 2-1 series win over Tarleton State.

After the Demons suffered a 3-0 loss in the opener Friday night, they took both games in a double header on Saturday.

Stuart hit a solo homerun with two out in the third inning of the Demons’ 5-3 win in game two of the double header. In game one, Stuart went 2-3 and

scored one run with one stolen base.

He led off with a single in the first and eventually stole second base, but was left stranded.

In the third, Stuart singled up the middle and advanced to second on a wild pitch.

He was plated on an RBI double from Kendall Foster for the game’s first run in a 2-1 win.

The Demons improved to 3-4. Through seven games, Stuart, the sophomore infielder, is hitting .308 with two doubles, three RBI, and two stolen bases.

At the NAIA level, Devyn Munroe had a career day at the plate, but his Truett McConnell Bears took just one game of a three-game set against the Milligan Buffaloes.

In the Bears’ Appalachian Athletic Conference opener, Munroe went 5-5 with an RBI, and two runs scored in a 19-13 loss.

In game two, he went 1-4 in the Bears’ 10-2 In the Sun Conference, Dominique Collie hit .385 in a weekend series sweep over the Thomas Night Hawks. It was Webber’s first win at Thomas since

the 2013 season. They improved to 12-7 overall and 7-2 in The Sun Conference.

In game one, Collie went 2-4, scored one run with two RBI in a 10-2 win. He had a two-RBI triple as a part of a six-run third inning and followed with an RBI double in a 10 - 2 win in game two In game three, Collie again went 2-4, scored two runs with two RBI in an 11-9 win. In the top of the fifth, Collie hit a two-run single to give his team a 6-3 lead. They followed with a four-run seventh inning to put the game away.

“We are proud of the way these guys showed up this weekend,” said Webber head coach Collin Martin.

“This can be a tough place to win, and that’s proven by some series losses we have had here in the last few years. We did a little bit of everything well at some point over the weekend, but the most important factor was how well we responded after small failures. These guys did a great job of picking each other up all weekend and keeping their hand on the wheel until the job was finished.”

SIGH AND CY: BIEBER TAGGED, BAUER SHARP IN DODGERS DEBUT SHANE Bieber’s final start last season was rough. His first one in 2021 wasn’t too much better.

The AL Cy Young winner gave up four runs and didn’t make it through his scheduled two innings yesterday as the Cleveland Indians lost to the Kansas City Royals 8-6 in Goodyear, Arizona.

But while he wasn’t thrilled with his outing, Bieber wasn’t disappointed either. He committed to throwing certain pitches and working on areas he’d like to improve.

Bieber led the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts last year, completing a rare triple crown during the pandemic while becoming Cleveland’s fifth Cy Young winner since 2007.

The right-hander was dominant until the playoffs, when the New York Yankees tagged him for seven runs in 4 2/3 innings in Game 1 of the wild-card round.

The Indians were swept out of the wild-card round the next day.

Bieber’s arrival at camp was delayed after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Last week, the 25-year-old said he was feeling fine and eager to build on his strong third season in the majors and erase the “sour taste” left by his postseason flop.

Bieber coasted through the first against Kansas City, retiring the Royals in order with former Indians first baseman Carlos Santana hitting a grounder for the final out with an uncharacteristic first-pitch

swing. In the second, Jorge Soler and Michael Taylor singled before Emmanuel Rivera delivered a two-run double to center.

Bieber bounced back with a pair of strikeouts, but Nick Heath hit a single to put the Royals up 3-0.

Bieber has prided himself on pitching deep into games, but he got away from that some last season while trying to be too perfect.

Ryan McBroom homered, doubled and drove in three runs for Kansas City.

FROM AROUND THE GRAPEFRUIT AND CACTUS LEAGUES: ASTROS 7, NATIONALS 6 Ryan Zimmerman appeared in a game for the first time in almost exactly a year -- he sat out the pandemic-shortened 2020 regular season because of concerns about his family’s health -- and hit one of Washington’s three consecutive homers off Houston righty Steve Cishek in the third inning.

DODGERS 10, ROCKIES 0 (6 INNINGS) Trevor Bauer, pitching for the first time since signing a $102 million, three-year contract, debuted in Dodger blue with two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit, struck out two, walked none and threw a wild pitch.

Bauer won the NL Cy Young Award with Cincinnati last year.

The right-hander threw sharp curveballs for his pair of strikeouts.

ANGELS 4, WHITE SOX 4 (5) Albert Pujols went 2 for 2 and drove in two runs, Shohei Otani got two hits and scored twice and Mike Trout had a hit and walk for Los Angeles. Angels newcomer Alex Cobb pitched a scoreless first. Adam Eaton had a double and sacrifice fly for Chicago.

BRAVES 5, RED SOX 3 (7 INNINGS) Atlanta rookie catcher William Contreras, brother of Cubs two-time All-Star catcher Willson Contreras, drove in three runs and Ozzie Albies scored twice.

Boston newcomer Garrett Richards allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in two innings. He was pulled with one out in the first after loading the bases and walking in a run and throwing 23 pitches -- this spring, teams can end an inning after a pitcher has thrown 20 pitches.

Richards came back for the second inning.

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts has a sore right shoulder and hasn’t played yet. Manager Alex Cora said Bogaerts pushed himself during his offseason program and should resume throwing in the next couple of days.

ORIOLES 4, PHILLIES 4 (7) DJ Stewart homered off Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola.

Baltimore leadoff man Austin Hays got two hits. Well-traveled

Matt Joyce homered in his first spring game for the Phillies.

YANKEES 5, TIGERS 4 (7) New York catcher Gary Sánchez, a two-time All-Star who batted just .147 last year, hit a long home run over the batter’s eye screen in center field.

Yankees starter Gerrit Cole gave up one run on three hits and a walk in one inning. Jameson Taillon followed with a scoreless inning.

Detroit newcomer Wilson Ramos homered and singled. New York minor leaguer Chris Gittens hit a grand slam.

TWINS 6, RAYS 5 (6) Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow gave up two runs on two hits and three walks in 1 2/3 innings.

Brent Rooker homered and drove in two runs for Minnesota.

MARLINS 2, METS 0 (7) Starter Sandy Alcántara and four Miami relievers combined on a five-hitter. Jesús Aguilar hit a two-run homer.

Francisco Lindor was 0 for 2 in New York’s spring opener. Brandon Nimmo had two hits.

PIRATES 2, BLUE JAYS 2 (7) Anthony Alford, claimed

by Pittsburgh off waivers from Toronto last August, homered off Robbie Ray. Rowdy Tellez doubled for the second straight day for the Blue Jays.

ATHLETICS 13, REDS 5 (7) Matt Olson, Pete Kozma and Buddy Reed each hit two-run homers for Oakland. Nik Turley pitched the last inning for the A’s and allowed three runs.

Scott Heineman and Alfredo Rodriguez connected for Cincinnati.

GIANTS 1, RANGERS 1 (6) Kyle Gibson pitched a scoreless first inning for Texas. Charlie Culberson got two hits and scored for the Rangers.

Joey Bart had two hits for San Francisco. Nick Tropeano pitched a scoreless first.

CUBS 1, PADRES 0 (7) Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks struck out two in two scoreless innings. Javier Báez had one of the Cubs’ two hits.

San Diego starter Chris Paddack fanned three in two hitless innings.

BREWERS 7, DIAMONDBACKS 1 (8) Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta each threw a scoreless inning for Milwaukee before Jordan Zimmermann gave up a run.

Manny Pina had two hits, including a homer, and drove in two runs.

Arizona starter Merrill Kelly struck out five in two innings.

DJOKOVIC TIES FEDERER IN WEEKS AT NO. 1, GAUFF UP TO NO. 38 NOVAK Djokovic is gaining on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam standings, and he’s already caught Federer in another significant statistic: As of yesterday, Djokovic has been No. 1 in the ATP rankings for a total of 310 weeks.

That equals Federer’s career record for most time spent atop the rankings. And no matter what happens over the next week, Djokovic is assured of breaking Federer’s mark on March 8.

Pete Sampras is third on the list, with 286 weeks.

Djokovic’s Australian Open championship last month gave the 33-year-old from Serbia 18 Grand Slam singles trophies. Only Federer and Nadal, each with 20, have more.

Getting to that milestone for No. 1 weeks is “going to be a relief for me, because I’m going to focus all my attention on Slams, mostly,” Djokovic said after beating Daniil Medvedev in the final at

Melbourne Park. “When you are going for No. 1 rankings, you kind of have to be playing the entire season, and you have to be playing well; you have to play all the tournaments. My goals will adapt and will shift a little bit.”

There was no movement in the ATP’s Top 10 yesterday.

But if current No. 3 Medvedev reaches the final at the hard-court tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, that concludes Sunday, he would overtake Nadal and move up to a career-high No. 2.

That would make Medvedev the first man other than Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Andy Murray to be first or second since International Tennis Hall of Fame electee Lleyton Hewitt was No. 2 behind Federer in July 2005.

Two big jumps this week came from tournament champions.

Alexei Popyrin, a 21-year-old from Australia, rose 32 places to 82nd by winning the trophy in Singapore, and Juan Manuel Cerundolo,

SERBIA’s Novak Djokovic poses for photos with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at Brighton Beach after defeating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia.

(AP Photo/Hamish Blair) a 19-year-old from Argentina, went up 154 spots to 181st by

collecting the Cordona Open title.

It was Cerundolo’s debut in a tourlevel event.

Reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek added a second career tour-level title at the Adelaide International, which allowed her to move up three spots to a career-high No. 15 in the WTA rankings.

There were no changes above her. Ash Barty is still No. 1, followed by Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, Sofia Kenin and Elina Svitolina.

American teenager Coco Gauff, who turns 17 on March 13, rose from No. 52 to a career-best No. 38 by making it to the semifinals in Adelaide after going through qualifying.

With Shelby Rogers going from No. 53 to No. 49 by reaching the quarterfinals in Adelaide, she and Gauff give the United States 11 women in the Top 50 for the first time since 2003.

TOP SEED ALEXANDROVA LOSES IN LYON OPEN FIRST ROUND LYON, France (AP) — Topseeded Ekaterina Alexandrova was knocked out of the Lyon Open in the opening round by 139thranked Clara Tauson of Denmark yesterday.

Tauson won convincingly 6-3, 6-4, showing a better second serve.

She finished the first set with an ace, and the match on a long serve

return by the Russian. Alexandrova was reaching the third round of the Australian Open while Tauson, the 2019 Junior Australian Open champion, was winning a minor event in Germany off the main tour.

Tauson’s only other win of note was in September against recent Australian Open finalist Jennifer

Brady at the French Open. No. 2-seeded Fiona Ferro barely avoided the same fate as Alexandrova, as she was made to fight for nearly three hours to overcome Magdalena Frech of Poland 5-7, 7-5, 7-5 in the empty hard court stadium.

Frech, ranked 161st, broke in the first game of the first set, but had

to break Ferro again to prevent the tournament’s leading Frenchwoman from serving out at 5-4.

But Ferro broke back and served out a second time.

No. 6-seeded Sorana Cirstea of Romania lost to Nina Stojanovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-0 for the first time.

Stojanovic reached the Australian Open doubles semifinals.

PSL GAME POSTPONED AFTER AHMED TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A Pakistan Super League game was postponed yesterday after Australian legspinner Fawad Ahmed tested positive for COVID-19 and was put in isolation.

Islamabad United was to meet Quetta Gladiators but the Pakistan Cricket Board rescheduled the game for today after first postponing it by two hours.

“One of our players, Fawad Ahmed tested positive ... and was immediately put in isolation two days ago,” Islamabad United said in a statement.

The PCB said all remaining members of Islamabad United and the entire Quetta Gladiators squad tested negative.

The cricket board also said that the decision to reschedule yesterday’s game was made with an aim to allow players “sufficient time to relax, refocus and regroup following the testing and in the best interest of the competition.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, PAGE 19

Property tax amnesty ‘rewards delinquents’ FROM PAGE 24

“You’ve got to be fair and reasonable to all concerned,” he told this newspaper upon hearing the details of the prime minister’s announcement. “While that’s an incentive for those who are delinquent to reduce and make good on what is owed, what about equally rewarding those who pay in full and on time?

“Why do we all live in fear of real property tax, but those in arrears get benefits and concessions?.... I’m always in for fairness. At the end of the day, I know the government is desperate to get money, but what credit do compliant taxpayers get aside from a ten percent credit if they pay their real property tax by March every year.

“Whatever discount you are giving to those who are delinquent, you should give better rewards to those persons who pay on time. My father told me you reward those for good behaviour, and discipline those guilty of bad behaviour,” Mr Morley added.

“I don’t think it’s fair for those who have paid, and continue to pay each year, not to have equal rewards

for what they’ve done. I’m only asking for equal treatment. They’re rewarding delinquent people more than those in good standing, and who continue in good standing. You can’t win for losing.”

The government has staged several real property tax amnesties and waivers over the years, and the frequency with which they happen means delinquent taxpayers can simply let their arrears build up confident in the expectation that they at some stage will have the chance to write at least a portion off.

The auditor general’s audit of the government’s finances for the 2017-2018 fiscal revealed that unpaid real property tax arrears have now breached the $600m mark, while 40 percent of bills never reached the intended taxpayer because of incorrect mailing addresses.

Against this backdrop, Dr Hubert Minnis acknowledged the collection and compliance challenges, together with “a substantial backlog of real property tax arrears spanning many administrations”, but moved to generate some badlyneeded revenues while also relieving the burden on

households and business owners.

“My government understands the challenges faced by families and business owners, which have been exacerbated by the COVID19 economic downturn,” the prime minister said. “To ease the burden on persons and to provide them with some measure of relief, Cabinet has approved a real property tax forgiveness programme that will provide substantial discounts on arrears.”

The initiative, accessible to only Bahamian property owners, will see the government waive up to 50 percent of a taxpayer’s total arrears, including overdue taxes and accumulated surcharges, if the full remaining 50 percent balance is paid by May 31, 2021. Arrears have to be outstanding for more than 180 days.

Alternatively, those who make a 25 percent “downpayment” on their arrears and enter into a payment plan for the balance will see all penalty surcharges waived if they do so by May 31, 2021.

Again, the arrears have to be outstanding for 180 days or more.

Mike Lightbourn, Coldwell Banker Lightbourn Realty’s president, said the $600m in outstanding real property taxes was “a good place to start” for a government increasingly desperate for revenue amid COVID-19’s economic fall-out.

“It’s always good to have

these incentives,” he told this newspaper. “The government needs money to come in. The government is so desperate for cash they have to be creative. Some people are not able to pay. That’s a worry. Most people are on tight budgets.

“If there’s an incentive to save on overdue debt they’ll do so. These are difficult times and we need to be creative. There’s $600m in real property tax arrears and that’s a good place to start with incentives to pay up.”

Mario Carey, the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate MCR Group Bahamas principal, told Tribune Business that while he backed the waiver the government needed to set a deadline for imposing sanctions on those who still refused to come in to pay their real property tax bills.

Elsewhere, Dr Minnis pledged that the government is “fast tracking efforts to create a digital land registry” - an idea that has been talked

about for a long time and will take years to come into full effect. “This will make title searches faster and less costly,” he added.

The prime minister added that efforts to improve the real property tax roll and database will soon be completed, and said: “These upgrades will allow for better synchronisation

between the real property tax unit and Department of Inland Revenue and the Registrar General’s Land Registry.

“For the average Bahamian or investor, no longer will you have to wait weeks and pay high fees to investigate the amount of taxes owed on a piece of property you wish to buy or sell.”

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that SUNEETHA DIYYA of #3 Prospect Ridge, P. O. Box SP-62477, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of February, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

PAGE 20, Tuesday, March 2, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Oil opponents ‘won’t be priced out’ over $200k costs award FROM PAGE 24

their action raises points of law of public importance”.

With the activists’ action under threat of being “stayed” or knocked out if they cannot raise the $200,000 set by the court, Mr Darville said they were now concentrating on raising the funds rather than appealing the

Supreme Court ruling.

“We are not thinking about an appeal right now, although we may have to explore that,” he added. “Right now we have 30 days to raise the money, and we are going to do everything we can to raise it. It’s vitally important we proceed all the way to the end of the case no matter what the obstacles may be.

“We should not be priced

out of justice in the interests of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and its people.....

We want to go all the way to the end. If we leave it hanging BPC will have an inroad under an administration more sympathetic to them. We don’t want to leave it hanging.

“This is something to deal with. We have to take it all the way to the end and continue it so that for good, for ever, we terminate oil exploration in the waters of The Bahamas.” Mr Darville’s reference to a “more sympathetic administration” likely alludes to a potential PLP government headed by Philip Davis, as he and his party have both indicated they are in favour of oil exploration in Bahamian waters.

Senior PLPs, such as

former prime minister Perry Christie, and also Mr Davis’ law firm, have worked as consultants, attorneys and advisers to BPC previously, while Senator Jobeth Coleby-Davis, the party’s candidate for the Elizabeth constituency, is the oil explorer’s in-house legal counsel.

BPC could not be reached for comment before press time last night, but Rashema Ingraham, Waterkeepers Bahamas executive director, told Tribune Business it was vital that the Judicial Review’s merits be heard and ruled upon by the Supreme Court so that the Bahamian people had a full understanding of its licence terms and commercial deals reached with the government.

She added that it was also

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that ELVIS RAYMOND GIBSON of Eight Mile Rock, Pinedale, Grand Bahama is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2nd day of March, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

Legal Notice

Legal Notice

NOTICE

Notice INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows:

(No. 45 of 2000)

(a) NEW SUAL PARTNERS LTD. is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000.

In Voluntary Liquidation

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, (No.45 of 2000), Safeharbor SAC, Ltd. [IBC No. 162589 (B)] is in dissolution. The date of commencement of the dissolution is 25th February, 2021. Marcelo Cerize is the Liquidator and can be contacted Rua Engenheiro SA Rocha, 226, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, CEP 05454-020. All persons having claims against the above-named Company are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator before March 12, 2021.

(b) The Dissolution of said Company commenced on February 26, 2021 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted and registered by the Registrar General. (c) The Liquidator of the said company is Zakrit Services Ltd. of 2nd Terrace West, Centreville, Nassau, Bahamas. (d) All persons having Claims against the above-named Company are required on or before March 26, 2021 to send their names and addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the company or, in default thereof, they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved.

February 26, 2021

ZAKRIT SERVICES LTD.

LIQUIDATOR OF THE ABOVE-NAMED COMPANY

www.bisxbahamas.com

MONDAY, 1 MARCH 2021

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CHANGE

1957.97

0.29

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

0.01 -134.49

-6.43

(242) 323-2330 (242) 323-2320

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 4.70 33.05 2.00 2.58 2.10 6.00 6.90 3.55 6.15 4.29 6.16 12.77 3.64 6.85 10.88 8.44 14.60 4.25 9.00 16.00

52WK LOW 3.13 22.65 0.67 1.62 1.50 5.00 6.00 2.70 4.27 2.98 5.50 10.20 2.10 4.75 9.50 7.70 13.00 3.70 8.15 14.00

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

SECURITY AML Foods Limited APD Limited Benchmark Bahamas First Holdings Limited Bank of Bahamas Bahamas Property Fund Bahamas Waste Cable Bahamas Commonwealth Brewery Commonwealth Bank Colina Holdings CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank Consolidated Water BDRs Doctor's Hospital Emera Incorporated Famguard Fidelity Bank Bahamas Limited Focol Finco J. S. Johnson

SYMBOL AML APD BBL BFH BOB BPF BWL CAB CBB CBL CHL CIB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FCL FIN JSJ

LAST CLOSE 4.60 32.12 1.62 2.58 1.59 6.00 6.40 2.93 4.74 2.98 5.50 10.20 2.59 6.80 9.64 8.40 13.85 3.79 8.35 15.50

CLOSE 4.60 32.12 1.62 2.58 1.59 6.00 6.40 2.93 4.74 2.98 5.50 10.20 2.73 6.80 9.85 8.40 13.85 3.79 8.35 15.50

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGR1200371 BSBGR1321391 BSBGR1322498

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 97.04 100.00 100.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 97.04 100.00 100.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Bahamas First Holdings Preference Cable Bahamas Series 6 Cable Bahamas Series 8 Cable Bahamas Series 9 Cable Bahamas Series 10 Colina Holdings Class A Fidelity Bank Bahamas Class A Focol Class B

BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 97.72 100.00 100.00

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 93.92 100.00 100.00

SECURITY Fidelity Bank (Note 22 Series B+) Bahamas First Holdings Limited

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BSBGR FX BSBGR1200371 BGRS FX BSBGR1321391 BGRS FX BSBGR1322498

likes of foundations.

While BPC’s Perseverance One well failed to discover commercial oil quantities, the oil explorer has yet to signal it has abandoned The Bahamas completely given its statements about “monetising” its licence assets in this jurisdiction.

Reading between the lines of its latest statements, BPC will likely seek to renew its five licences that are due to expire at end-June 2021 but is unlikely to drill another well in this nation unless it can find a farm-in or joint venture partner to share the financial, technical and operational risk. In such a way will it monetise its licence, with the Perseverance One well data already attracting new interest.

“To have this action stayed is going to set us back another five years, which we cannot afford as a matter of public importance,” Ms Ingraham said. “A lot of the questions we were asking in the legal process have not been answered, and that is whether or not there are additional avenues for BPC to apply for exploration wells in other licence areas as well as the one it has just drilled in.”

Voicing concern that BPC can apply for further well Environmental Authorisations (EAs), Ms Ingraham added that the judicial system is also needed to determine whether the Planning and Subdivision Act’s site plan approval and excavation permits under the Conservation and Protection of the Physical Landscape of The Bahamas Act are required.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that DEVENIQUE TATYANA SHENITA FORBES, of Holmes Rock , Grand Bahama , The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of February 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

MARKET REPORT CLOSE

critical that the Bahamian judicial system determine what approvals must be obtained, and processes followed, so that the permitting processes for future exploratory wells can be properly established.

“It’s such an unfortunate thing that it seems as though we’re being priced out of bringing things to court and having justice prevail,” Ms Ingraham told Tribune Business. “Our only focus is on trying to raise the funds. What will speak louder is the final judgment in this matter rather than the sub-applications.

“We don’t want to be distracted by these other applications. It’s important to show that this is a public interest case and important to good governance. It’s important we hit on this. We need case law for other cases that may come up.”

Justice Hanna-Adderley has given BPC’s opponents 30 days to raise the funds, rather than just the 14 days sought by the oil explorer, but Ms Ingraham said the precedent set down in Bimini Blue’s challenge to Resorts World Bimini’s cruise ship terminal - where the activist group was ordered to pay $850,000 in ‘security for costs’ - has had a potentially chilling effect on all similar litigation.

“It has put a hindrance on non-profits bringing these cases because they don’t have the liquid assets and capital of for-profit companies,” she added. Save the Bays and Waterkeepers Bahamas are seeking to raise the $200,000 via donations from the public, international environmental groups and the

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.14 0.00 0.21 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.110 0.070 1.760 0.369 -0.438 0.140 0.184 0.449 0.722 0.102 0.467 0.646 0.728 0.816 0.203 0.939 0.631 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

VOLUME

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.030 0.000 0.000 0.260 0.000 0.000 0.120 0.220 0.720 0.434 0.060 0.328 0.240 0.540 0.120 0.200 0.610 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

P/E 19.2 34.5 N/M N/M N/M N/M 17.3 -6.7 33.9 16.2 12.2 14.1 26.8 14.6 15.2 11.5 17.0 18.7 8.9 24.6

YIELD 3.70% 3.92% 1.23% 1.16% 0.00% 0.00% 4.06% 0.00% 0.00% 4.03% 4.00% 7.06% 15.90% 0.88% 3.33% 2.86% 3.90% 3.17% 2.40% 3.94%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

MATURITY

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 5.22% 5.29% 5.65%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 15-Dec-2037 15-Oct-2039 15-Oct-2049

NOTICE is hereby given that SANDEEP GALI of #3 Prospect Ridge, P. O. Box SP-62477, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of February, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that JEAN REYNOLD ALTAUS of P.O. Box N-831, Robert Road, Yellow Elder, Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twentyeight days from the 23rd day of February, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.40 4.44 2.15 201.90 184.85 1.69 1.85 1.78 1.24 8.49 10.26 7.28 13.91 12.84 10.81 10.00 10.20 13.79

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.66 1.79 1.75 1.05 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Financial Conservative Fund Leno Financial Aggressive Fund Leno Financial Balanced Fund Leno Financial Global Bond Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Equities Sub Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - High Yield Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

NAV 2.40 4.44 2.15 201.90 184.85 1.68 1.79 1.76 1.05 8.49 10.03 7.28 13.91 12.84 10.05 N/A 10.20 13.79

YTD% 12 MTH% 0.38% 4.56% 0.04% 1.37% 0.20% 2.56% 3.47% 3.47% 10.86% 10.86% 0.20% 0.65% -0.37% -2.43% 0.16% 0.20% -0.66% -14.82% 1.76% 1.76% -1.97% -1.97% 4.91% 4.91% 5.28% 15.75% 0.05% 3.96% -0.35% -6.34% N/A N/A 8.60% 8.60% 11.90% 11.90%

NAV Date

31-Jan-2021 31-Jan-2021 29-Jan-2021 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Jan-2021 31-Jan-2021 31-Jan-2021 31-Jan-2021 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020

MARKET TERMS

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months

N/M - Not Meaningful

P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

TO TRADE CALL: CFAL 242-502-7010 | ROYALFIDELITY 242-356-7764 | CAROLISLE 242-502-7525 | LENO 242-396-3225 | BENCHMARK 242-326-7333

Legal Notice INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMPANIES ACT, 2000

VALLE NEVADO INC. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN in accordance with Section 138 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000, as follows: a) VALLE NEVADO INC., is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act, 2000. b) The dissolution of the sai Company commenced on 16th February, 2021. c) The Liquidator of the said Company is Amicorp Bahamas Management Limited whose address is: Bahamas Financial Centre, 3rd Floor, Shirley & Charlotte Street, P.O. Box N-4865, Nassau, Bahamas.

AMICORP BAHAMAS MANAGEMENT LIMITED

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, PAGE 21

‘TWO-DECADE FAST TRACK FIGHT’ AT END

FROM PAGE 24

Placing “legal responsibility” on architects for such applications, he added that the government will restrict its involvement to inspections that ensure construction complies with the Bahamas Building Code and zoning regulations.

The fact that COVID-19’s economic devastation has likely forced the government’s hands on this and other long-promised “ease of business” reforms was not lost on some. Robert Myers, the Organisation for Responsible Governance’s (ORG) principal, who has construction industry interests, yesterday queried why The Bahamas always has to reach “the brink of doom” before finally acting.

“It’s about bloody time,” he told Tribune Business of the promised building permit reforms. “I don’t know why it has to take a global crisis to get us off our backsides, but there you go. We have to wait until the country is taken to the brink of doom before we get off our backsides, but better now than never.”

Mr Myers said what was detailed by Dr Minnis was promised by the current government some four years ago when it took office, but described the proposed reforms as “great, perfect” in terms of what was required to unlock greater construction activity.

Pointing out that the sector’s work linked directly to higher levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) and foreign currency inflows, which are desperately needed given tourism’s slow COVID-19 rebound, Mr Myers added: “We’ve been saying this for God knows how long. Go on the engineers’ and architects’ licences. They have liability insurance. Why is government getting in the way?

“This speeds up the whole process. It means we are able to deploy people and earn revenue, which means the government also earns revenue. It’s a very important step. Getting these permits approved and out of the ground means revenue

and work for everybody.

“Otherwise it may significantly hamper foreign direct investment. If we keep people waiting they will go elsewhere.

They will say The Bahamas is not serious and go elsewhere, means Bahamians lose opportunities. It affects everybody across the board,” the ORG chief continued.

“The cost, size and speed of government needs a serious kick in the pants. We need action, not words. We serious, tangible action quickly. Get all the bureaucrats in a room, fix it and get them to move quicker. Take the politics out of it.”

Dr Minnis yesterday also pledged that “software will soon be at the Ministry of Works to facilitate the electronic submission of building permits”, as he acknowledged that the wait for approvals is “somewhat frustrating” for Bahamians and residents seeking to construct both residential and commercial properties.

“The building permit may take months,” he said. “The minister of works [Desmond Bannister] will introduce amendments to the law so qualified architects registered with the Ministry of Works can submit their plans and receive immediate approvals for the construction of buildings and commercial complexes up to a certain size.

“What this means is you do not have to submit a plan, wait for two months for it to be approved, then take it to the Ministry of Health and wait another two months, take it to the Ministry of the Environment for another approval and wait two months........”

Dr Minnis said the multiple approvals required from various government agencies meant many building permit applications “take six months or even more”. Now, finally, he added that plans produced by licensed architects and certified construction professionals will be fast-tracked, with those executives being held “legally responsible for those plans in terms of litigation”.

With the government’s responsibilities restricted to

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that SATHYA MURTHY GALI of #3 Prospect Ridge, P. O. Box SP-62477, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of February, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

building inspections for Code and zoning compliance, the prime minister added: “Mr Speaker, that means in very short order that, instead of waiting six to eight months, these amendments once enacted will make sure you receive a permit in a matter of days. It’s just a matter of when.”

The IBA’s Mr Ferguson, while hoping the prime minister’s remarks finally represent signs of tangible progress, said he did not want to become “too excited” just yet given that multiple previous promises on the issue never materialised.

“That’s what we were fighting for,” he told Tribune Business of fast-track permitting. “We have been fighting for that for over two decades.

I am reserved in terms of giving any accolades or thanking the government in any regard based on the fact we have heard a lot of promises and we have not had any delivery on those promises as it relates to architects and the industry in general.”

Mr Ferguson said previous IBA research had shown that The Bahamas was lagging behind both Caribbean and regional competitors when it came to the pace of building permit approvals.

He added that the Institute’s study, carried out some years ago, revealed that New York city - with around 500,000 construction applications annually, around ten times’ that of The Bahamas - was able to process residential permits within two days.

In Florida’s Miami-Dade County, the process was shown to take “three to four days maximum” compared to The Bahamas’ six to eight months. “We have had a lot of projects die in the Ministry of Works because of the extended approvals process,” Mr Ferguson said. “We have a lot of projects where on average you’re talking six months easy.

“If we can reduce that to one to two days that will be great for the profession as well as the economy. It will have a definite impact on the economy through the construction industry. We don’t have any lag time in terms of design completion; construction will begin. It will have a far-reaching effect.”

Mr Ferguson said the move would also result in Bahamian architects being treated with the respect deserved by licensed, certified and highlyeducated professionals, and hopefully end the practice of architects having to supply huge volumes of paper-based plans and interact with the Ministry of Works physically.

“It puts us in a better position where we can focus on our clients rather than worrying if the law is upheld,” he added, suggesting that government officials have previously had discretion to the extent they “come up with things at a drop of a hat or implement something they have in a dream”.

PAGE 22, Tuesday, March 2, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

PM: $20M ‘PIPELINE’ OF LOCAL INVESTMENTS

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE government-sponsored venture capital fund is expected to create 130 local jobs via $1.5m in combined equity financing that has been injected into seven Bahamian businesses.

The prime minister, who yesterday touted the government’s backing for micro, small and mediumsized Bahamian businesses (MSMEs) as he kicked-off the mid-year budget debate in the House of Assembly, pledged “even more support” for the sector as it and the wider economy slowly emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Arguing that even the government’s “most vocal critic” had to acknowledge its MSME efforts, Dr Hubert Minnis asserted that his administration has “done more than any other to provide support and capital - hard currency - [and put it into] into the hands

of Bahamian entrepreneurs and small businesses”.

Indicating this is likely to be a central element in the Free National Movement’s (FNM) bid for re-election to office, the prime minister added that the government had spent more than double what it had pledged to make available to MSMEs during its five-year term in office.

“I made a pledge to spend an unprecedented $25m over five years to support Bahamian businesses,” he added. “Some three years since that pledge we have spent well over $50m supporting our wonderful Bahamian entrepreneurs and small businesses.”

A significant portion of that increase was driven by the need to help Abaco and Grand Bahama entrepreneurs recover from Hurricane Dorian, as well as the Business Continuity Loan and associated grant initiatives to safeguard small and medium-sized businesses from COVID-19’s

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that RAJDEEP GALI of #3 Prospect Ridge, P. O. Box SP-62477, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of February, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

economic devastation.

“During the peak of the pandemic we provided over $45m in funding to help our small businesses weather this disaster. Now, as we emerge, even more support is needed to help our businesses to expand,” the prime minister told the House of Assembly.

He added that the Bahamas Development Bank (BDB) will “soon be recapitalised to support the pipeline of more than $20m in Bahamian” investment projects before starting to breakdown the government’s allocations to MSMEs by sector.

Some $2.4m, including $1.5m in grant funding, has been approved for agriculture, forestry and fishing ventures created by 80 Bahamians, the prime minister said.

“In the construction Industry over $5.5m has been approved, with $1.3m being grant funding, to 135 Bahamians,” Dr Minnis

added. “For the new, innovative fashion Industry, a total of $1.1m has been approved, with almost $400,000 in grant funding, to 73 Bahamians.”

The prime minister said manufacturing ventures received a $2.4m investment from the government, with around $200,000 of that sum involving grant funding.

Asserting that the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) has aided an “unprecedented” 1,543 Bahamian entrepreneurs with loans, grants or business support services, Dr Minnis said the agency’s support had been invaluable to clients during COVID-19.

“A local taxi company came to the SBDC in 2019 and obtained a business loan and grant for the owner to expand her fleet of vehicles.

They received total funding of $240,000,” the prime minister added.

“As tourism was hardest hit by COVID, she sought assistance under the

Business Continuity programme and received a $20,000 grant and loan support of $130,000.

“That taxi company owner now reports that she was able to retain all 13 of her staff, and business is slowly but surely picking back up as tourism starts to rebound.”

Dr Minnis also unveiled a partnership between the SBDC, the Department of Inland Revenue and the Ministry of Agriculture’s “roadside vendors programme” to provide training and financing for the “coconut” industry.

Detailing a phased initiative, which will initially focus on “capacity building”, the prime minister added: “This training, to be facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, will involve the production of authentic Bahamian coconut products such as jewellery, coconut water, coconut oil, flakes, creams,

soap and lotion.

“Upon successful completion of the first phase, the second phase will be a guided process/workshop on matters such as how to obtain a business licence, training in basic food handling techniques and processes, and meeting all other regulatory requirements that may be required.”

The second phase will involve the Department of Inland Revenue, Ministry of Agriculture and both the Ministry of Education and Department of Physical Planning. Dr Minnis said: “The third area of concentration will be facilitating necessary funds and support for the acquisition of carts or basic production equipment, uniforms and raw materials for their day-to-day business. This element will be shepherded through the SBDC and local financial institutions as necessary.”

BAHA MAR IN 100 NEW TERMINATIONS

requirements - said to have been the key driver because they make it impossible for such amenities to operate at full capacity.

“Baha Mar is in the process of communicating directly with each associate affected by this decision, and is available to help guide all impacted through the next steps. All affected associates will receive severance pay in accordance with the law and are eligible for rehire,” the mega resort added.

The move, and especially its timing, will take some of the shine and attention away from the Thursday re-opening of Baha Mar’s Rosewood and SLS properties, which has resulted in some 700 workers being recalled. Together with the 1,800 brought back at the Grand Hyatt pre-Christmas, this will take the Cable Beach complex’s recalled workforce to more than 2,500 staff.

“Since the resort’s temporary closure on March 25, 2020, Baha Mar has singularly demonstrated its unwavering support for the

economic relief and stability of its employees and the Bahamian community,” its statement last night added.

“To-date, the resort has paid out in excess of $80m in wages, ex-gratia and severance payments, and is continuing to support the remaining furloughed full-time associates with ex-gratia payments plus covering insurance premiums to maintain associates’ health insurance, life and accidental death and dismemberment (ADD) insurance coverage.”

And, focusing attention on the future, Baha Mar said completion of its Baha Bay water park and addition of new restaurant brands will create an additional 500 job opportunities by summer 2021.

The 100 terminations, though, further exposes the difficulties Bahamian resorts and the wider tourism industry will encounter in trying to re-open and rebound amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that is continuing to devastate key visitor source markets and

deter persons from travelling via a combination of economic uncertainty and border restrictions.

Some major properties, such as Sandals Royal Bahamian, have yet to re-open, while others like the RIU Paradise Island returned only to close again because business volumes simply could not justify the re-opening.

Atlantis, Baha Mar’s mega resort rival, re-opened the Royal Towers pre-Christmas 2020 only to close them again early in the New Year and re-furlough some staff due to lack of visitor demand as COVID-19 peaked in the US. The Royal Towers is now set to re-open again this month.

This all signals that the revival of The Bahamas’ major economic engine, employer and leading source of foreign exchange earnings will not be a simple process, with many twists and turns likely throughout the remainder of 2021 as tourism and the hotel industry constantly adjust to changing market forces outside its control.

FROM PAGE 24

made the difficult but necessary decision to further implement staffing reductions to adequately align with projected business levels and to comply with COVID-19 guidelines specifically regarding nightlife and entertainment.”

No figures were provided on how many workers were affected, but informed Tribune Business sources said around 100 will be impacted.

The job cuts will fall in areas such as Baha Mar’s nightclub, pavilion pool and bars, with COVID-19 health protocols - especially social distancing

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 2, 2021, PAGE 23

PM PLEDGES AFFORDABLE HOUSING DISCOUNTS

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE prime minister yesterday pledged that the provision of affordable, quality housing for Bahamians via private sector partnerships will be a key priority if his party is returned to government.

Dr Hubert Minnis, kicking-off the mid-year budget debate in the House of Assembly, said The Bahamas “must look” towards publicprivate partnerships (PPP) to solve its growing affordable housing shortage given that

and all necessary infrastructure, the prime minister said his Cabinet had agreed to sell these to buyers at $15,000 representing a further $5,000 discount on the $20,000 price that was previously selected.

With the new price representing a $55,000, or 78.6 percent discount, to the $70,000 appraisal value, Dr Minnis said the government now planned to replicate this model in western New Providence as it will enable Bahamian purchasers to pledge the equity as collateral for loan financing.

“Today, I am pleased to advise that through a PPP arrangement we will soon be launching the commencement of a 150-lot subdivision, upscale within the western New Providence area, that will be geared strictly to young professionals - young

COVID-19 has stretched the Public Treasury’s already-thin resources to breaking point.

Describing the provision of affordable housing as critical to “near-term recovery” from Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19, as well as “longterm growth”, Dr Minnis promised to bring the “Bahamian dream” of “owning a piece of the rock” within reach of more young professionals, university/college graduates and others.

Pointing to the government’s Carmichael area initiative, where “service lots” have been equipped with $70,000 worth of utilities

Bahamians, young millennials,” he added.

Two-thirds of the Bahamian population live on New Providence which, as an island that is only seven miles long and 21 miles wide, has an increasingly finite supply of land. This, combined with ever-increasing demand, means real estate and property prices are constantly increasing to levels where young and working Bahamians are being priced out of the market.

Signalling his determination to address this affordability challenge, Dr Minnis recalled how his three sons would have been unable to get a foothold in the property market if he had not purchased three western New Providence lots for $40,000.

Today, he added, those same lots are worth $150,000.

“Many young people fall within that category today.

Land is too expensive and it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure that Bahamians can participate in what we call the Bahamian dream.

They want to own a home.

They want jobs and they want a proper quality of life and healthcare,” he added.

“Land has been identified and we were concentrated on one set of land, 150 lots upscale with a clubhouse facility, but the demand and the request was so great that we’ve looked for more and I am proud to say that we have identified another area all in the western district and within the Killarney constituency.

“These lots, when completed, the first 150 - and of course we will expand - are worth at a minimum

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 67° F/19° C

TAMPA

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Humid with sun and some clouds

Increasing clouds

Clouds and sun; breezy

Breezy with a shower in spots

Partly sunny and nice

Breezy with a thunderstorm possible

High: 81°

Low: 72°

High: 83° Low: 71°

High: 79° Low: 68°

High: 78° Low: 68°

High: 79° Low: 67°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

88° F

72° F

86°-72° F

81°-65° F

80°-66° F

80°-61° F

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 72° F/22° C

4-8 knots

S

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 70° F/21° C

4-8 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 72° F/22° C

N E S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

W

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TONIGHT

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 70° F/21° C

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

MIAMI

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 72° F/22° C

4-8 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 81° F/27° C Low .................................................... 72° F/22° C Normal high ....................................... 78° F/26° C Normal low ........................................ 65° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 75° F/24° C Last year’s low ................................... 63° F/17° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 1.92” Normal year to date ..................................... 2.87”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 72° F/22° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 72° F/22° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

tiDes For nassau High Today

E

W

6-12 knots

S

6-12 knots

Low

Ht.(ft.)

2.9 3.1

3:51 a.m. -0.6 4:11 p.m. -0.7

Wednesday 10:43 a.m.

11:18 p.m.

2.7 3.0

4:44 a.m. -0.4 4:58 p.m. -0.6

Thursday

11:36 a.m.

-----

2.5 -----

5:41 a.m. -0.2 5:51 p.m. -0.4

Friday

12:16 a.m.

12:35 p.m.

2.9 2.3

6:44 a.m. 0.0 6:49 p.m. -0.3

Saturday

1:20 a.m.

1:41 p.m.

2.8 2.1

7:52 a.m. 0.2 7:54 p.m. -0.1

Sunday

2:28 a.m.

2:52 p.m.

2.8 2.1

9:03 a.m.

9:02 p.m.

Monday

3:36 a.m.

4:01 p.m.

2.8 2.1

10:11 a.m. 0.2 10:09 p.m. 0.0

0.2 0.0

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:32 a.m.

6:13 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

9:56 p.m.

8:57 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Mar. 5

Mar. 13

Mar. 21

Mar. 28

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 72° F/22° C

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 74° F/23° C

N

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map H

Ht.(ft.)

9:54 a.m.

10:24 p.m.

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 72° F/22° C

N

S

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

uV inDex toDay

CAT ISLAND

E

W

$150,000. We will sell these lots to our Bahamians at $50,000 so that they can get a start instead of at $150,000.

“Because they have purchased a $150,000 piece of land at $50,000, that means they would have $100,000 equity. Which bank can you not go into with $100,000 in equity and build your home without a down payment?”

Dr Minnis said duty-free concessions will be provided on construction materials employed in the construction of homes on these lots, and he warned that he will “not allow people to buy three to four lots” as a speculative investment that will then be flipped to other buyers.

He promised his administration will ensure Bahamians “have proper housing and a roof over their heads”.

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 73° F/23° C

6-12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 80° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 79° F/26° C Low: 75° F/24° C

L

High: 80° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 82° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

8-16 knots

8-16 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS S at 4-8 Knots SSW at 10-20 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots S at 6-12 Knots ESE at 6-12 Knots SSE at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots S at 7-14 Knots S at 6-12 Knots SSW at 10-20 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots S at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 4-8 Knots S at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots SE at 6-12 Knots S at 7-14 Knots

WAVES 3-6 Feet 4-8 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 4-8 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 77° F 78° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 76° F 76° F 77° F 78° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 79° F 78° F 78° F 76° F 76° F 79° F 79° F 78° F 78° F

business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2021

$4.52 Oil opponents ‘won’t be priced out’ over $200k costs award

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net OIL exploration opponents yesterday pledged they will “not be priced out of justice” after the Supreme Court ordered them to find $200,000 to cover Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) “security for costs”.

Representatives for Save the Bays and Waterkeepers Bahamas, the two environmental groups that initiated the Judicial Review challenge to BPC’s permits and the process by which they were obtained, told Tribune Business they are focusing on raising the funds within the 30-day period granted

by Justice Petra HannaAdderley rather than appealing her ruling.

Conceding that previous Bahamian court rulings had established a precedent for such awards, Joe Darville, Save the Bays’ executive chairman, said the activists will “do everything we

can to raise” the necessary funding in a bid to ensure the merits of their Judicial Review are heard and they “terminate for ever” the potential for further oil drilling in Bahamian waters.

Speaking out after Justice Hanna-Adderley ruled in BPC’s favour yesterday, Mr Darville argued that the requirement to come up with a bond to cover the oil explorer’s legal costs effectively “prices out” public interest litigation brought by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from the justice system. “‘Security for costs’ is an attempt to price regular people out of justice,” he said. “If we are bringing public interest law cases, we should not have to pay to play.” Justice HannaAdderley, though, strongly disagreed as she yesterday ruled that BPC’s opponents “are not immunised from an application for security for costs simply because

SEE PAGE 20

Property tax amnesty ‘rewards delinquents’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net REALTORS yesterday give a mixed reaction to the government’s latest real property tax amnesty, acknowledging that it is rewarding delinquent taxpayers amid the “desperate” hunt for revenues.

David Morley, Morley Realty’s principal, told Tribune Business that it seemed unfair to write-off 50 percent of the taxes and penalty surcharges owed by real

property tax defaulters while at the same time failing to reward companies and individuals who have always been current with their payments.

Pointing out that the extent of the waiver exceeded the ten percent “credit” to next year’s property tax bill that those paying on time receive, Mr Morley questioned the wisdom of a tax amnesty that effectively rewards tax dodgers and deadbeats who face no consequence if they come forward.

SEE PAGE 19

Govt eyes energy, food security funds

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE government is mulling whether to create “sector specific funds” to finance areas such as renewable energy and food security as it bids to close a $2bn-plus infrastructure gap.

Dr Hubert Minnis, leading off the mid-year budget debate in the House of Assembly, said such funds could be part of a “fund of funds” structure created under the umbrella of the proposed sovereign wealth fund or National Infrastructure fund.

With a Growth Fund for the Family Islands, which

would invest in sustainable tourism and the infrastructure to underpin it, also among the government’s goals, the prime minister said the structure is being worked out with help from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Dr Minnis, who also suggested that the US may be about to reduce The Bahamas’ “Level 3” COVID-19 “high risk” advisory to “Level 2” with a more moderate risk, said: “Given the economic climate and related fiscal constraints, the government is designing innovative mechanisms and emphasising public-private partnerships to mobilise substantial private sector capital, resources and expertise.”

$4.42

$4.52

$4.39

‘Two-decade fast track fight’ at end

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A

RCHITECTS yesterday voiced cautious optimism that their “two-decade fight” for fast-track building permit approvals may have a successful end after the prime minister pledged: “It’s a matter of when.”

Gustavus Ferguson, the Institute of Bahamian Architects (IBA) president, told Tribune Business that Dr Hubert Minnis’ House of Assembly announcement could unlock increased real estate and construction investment and end the tradition of “a lot of projects dying in the

• Architects hope approval wait ‘kill off’ over • As PM pledges building permits ‘within days’ • Reformers: ‘Why wait until brink of doom?’

PRIME MINISTER DR HUBERT MINNIS Ministry of Works”.

He spoke out after the prime minister revealed that the government is finally

moving in the direction long urged by Bahamian construction industry professionals, whereby the law

will be changed to facilitate “immediate approvals” for building plans submitted by licensed, qualified and registered architects.

Dr Minnis, who admitted it can presently take between six to eight months to obtain a building permit once the application is submitted, said the legal amendments will be enacted “in short order” to enable approvals to be issued “in a matter of days”.

SEE PAGE 21

Baha Mar in 100 new terminations

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHA Mar last night confirmed it has terminated another 100 staff as it prepares to re-open its high-end Rosewood and SLS resort properties in just two days’ time.

The Cable Beach mega resort, in a statement, said the permanent redundancies will mainly impact its nightlife and entertainment facilities which have been hit harder than other amenities

by COVID-19 health protocols such as social distancing.

Forecast business volumes were another factor with the resort understood to have largely been running

• Redundancies hit nightlife, entertainment areas • COVID-19 health protocols said to be key factor • Move occurs days before Rosewood, SLS return

BAHA MAR at occupancy levels in the low double-digits since its pre-Christmas 2020 opening apart from on the recent Super Bowl weekend.

Impacted employees were

told that their terminations were effective as of yesterday, with letters stating: “We write with regret to inform you that as a result of the impact that COVID-19 has

had on Baha Mar’s business your position with the company has been made redundant and your services will no longer be required, effective March 1, 2021.”

“The new reality shaped

by COVID-19, and the resulting impact on travel and tourism, are continuously evolving,” Baha Mar said. “As Baha Mar readies for the completion of its phased reopening, the resort

SEE PAGE 22