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Volume: 118 No.73, MARCH 10, 2021

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‘BEATING’ COP PUT ON LEAVE

Force moves quickly on voice recording of ‘assault’ on suspect

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net A POLICE officer has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into an alarming, widely circulated voice note purporting police brutality and alleged assault of a man while in custody.

In the four-minute-long

DOCTORS Hospital’s proposed Freeport “flagship” with the Cleveland Clinic is “exactly what the doctor ordered” to revive the Bahamian economy post-COVID, an ex-Cabinet minister asserted yesterday.

Dr Duane Sands, former

minister of health, told Tribune Business that the two sides’ potential partnership in developing a private Grand Bahama hospital could pave the way for The Bahamas to truly break into medical tourism, reduce overseas medical spending by locals and develop an expanded high-quality workforce to underpin the sector.

SEE BUSINESS SECTION

SEE PAGE EIGHT

‘PUT HOTEL STAFF IN INITIAL ROLLOUT’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

recording, an officer, who identifies himself as an assistant police superintendent, can be heard shouting and beating a man.

It is not clear what led to the confrontation. However, the incident took place during a conversation between another male officer and a man in custody, who is questioning the SEE PAGE THREE

THE Bahamian tourism industry has advocated that sector workers be “among the top tier” to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in a bid to help kickstart the country’s economic revival.

SEE BUSINESS SECTION

TWO MORE VICTIMS OF COVID

HOSPITALS LINK UP IS MAJOR BOOST TO GB

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

MORE THAN LIP SERVICE NEEDED IF WE WANT MORE WOMEN IN POLITICS

MAN SHOT DEAD IN HIS CAR THE SCENE of the shooting on Sugar Apple Street on Tuesday night.

PHOTO: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune staff A MAN was shot dead last night in Pinewood Gardens, police said.

The incident took place after 9pm at Sugar Apple Street.

Assistant Superintendent Audley Peters said officers who responded to the scene met a white Honda parked in the middle of the street with extensive damage.

A man was in the driver’s seat with apparent gunshot wounds to his torso.

He was pronounced dead SEE PAGE THREE

THE nation’s COVID-19 death toll has risen to 185 after two more deaths were recorded.

The latest deaths involve two New Providence women: a 62-year-old who died on March 7 and a 57-year-old who died on March 8.

Fifteen other deaths are currently under investigation.

SEE PAGE FOUR

TECHNOLOGY

DOUBLE KILLER LAUNCHES APPEAL

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

DEVAUGHN ‘Short Man’ Hall at a previous court appearance.

A MAN convicted of robbing and killing a married couple in Grand Bahama five years ago has launched an appeal against his 60-year conviction.

Devaughn “Short Man” Hall is seeking to challenge the sentence imposed on him for

murdering Barry and Sheena Johnson at the couple’s Deadman’s Reef residence on September 12, 2015.

The Johnsons were shot to death by four masked men armed with firearms in their triplex apartment that evening.

The couple was also robbed of their GMC truck and a set of keys valued at $8,000.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

TRAVELERS’ EYES BECOME THEIR PASSPORTS

SEE PAGE NINE

PAGE 2, Wednesday, March 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

‘A DAY FOR THE COMMUNITY’ AS POLICE CONDUCT WALKABOUT POLICE Commissioner Paul Rolle and his officers conducted a walkabout in the Mason’s Addition and Kemp Road area yesterday.

The Commissioner and his team spoke to the residents at the historic inner-city community known for its connection to the Junkanoo group Saxons Superstars.

They then stopped by Cooper’s Terrace off Kemp Road.

“What we seek to do is to keep people safe,” Commissioner Rolle said. “Today is

a day for the community and I really want the people to appreciate their police and know for sure because what I’m asking them is, are you seeing the police officers?

“You heard what they said, yes – that is a testament that they are complying with the wishes of the Commissioner and every day going into these communities and interacting. I want that to continue.”

Photos: Donavan McIntosh

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 10, 2021, PAGE 3

‘BEATING’ COP PUT ON LEAVE FROM PAGE ONE

MISSING: Stephen Sawyer

‘RACE AGAINST TIME’ TO FIND TWO MEN MISSING AFTER PLANE CRASH

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

SEARCH and rescue teams are in a “race against time” to find two men missing since Friday when a plane crashed in waters near Salina Point, Acklins, according to a relative yesterday.

However, Charles Sawyer told The Tribune the family’s hope is at “110 percent” as his brother Stephen Sawyer is a “survivor” who always spoke about what he planned to do should a plane he was travelling in crashed or experienced difficulty.

Stephen Sawyer was on the flight piloted by Cliff Dean headed to the Dominican Republic, where he owns a business, when the plane went down near Acklins on Friday morning.

Since then, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, US Coast Guard and BASRA have been searching for the men.

“There are two lives, that’s the most important thing,” Mr Sawyer said yesterday. “Their lives are important, so whatever we can do to make sure we get them we are going to do it.

“We’re trying to get them in time before elements take control and then dehydration and all that stuff sets in, so the quicker we could get to them the better it will be.

“It’s a race against time, you can’t beat time. We have to do things within the time frame in order to coincide with time. We are praying for good weather also.”

Relatives have taken comfort in knowing Mr Sawyer had the ability to get out of any situation, his brother said.

“He was a person who always talked about if this plane crashes this is how he would manoeuvre to get out. He is always one to try and think about how he will get around a situation and he spoke that many times.

“So, when the plane crashed, we thought ‘OK we know he is not in that plane, he got out’ that’s the main thing. So, if the current took him down how far did it take him?

“We feel good that he got out of the plane.”

He said those involved in the effort were willing to search for as long as needed until the men are found.

“We are trying to get to them by Friday or Saturday or so. If it has to go longer, we are willing to go longer because we are talking about two lives. If there is a chance that they are alive we’ll get to them.

“But my hope is at 110 percent because he is a survivor and always figures out a way to get through something. So, I feel good that he is out there there has to have been something drastic for him not to have survived.”

A GoFundMe page with a goal of $20,000 has been set up to assist in the search effort.

Organisers have appealed for the monetary support to provide fuel, water and food for the fishermen and boaters who have already agreed to help.

Fuel, water and food also will be provided to those volunteers from Acklins and Crooked Island who are on the ground aiding in the search.

There is also a need for food, lodging and supplies such as machetes, chainsaws and drones for the rescue team going down to assist in bringing them home.

The cost of these efforts depends on how long it takes us to find them, the page said. Up to press time $3,185 had been donated.

charges being brought against him.

About one minute into the recording, the officer at the centre of the audio’s controversy starts cursing and hitting the man in custody.

“My name is…assistant superintendent of police.

You hear me? Put your hands down. Put your hands down. Look at me,” the officer in question said as a loud slap is heard.

“There you go. That’s what he needs,” another officer added, while laughing.

“Don’t mix me up, okay?

Don’t mix me up with nobody else. You see these boys here. Don’t mix me up,” the ASP says amid what sounds like slaps.

“You hear me? I talking to you. Did you hear me?”

To which the man in custody replied: “Yes, sir.”

“Sit your a** down. Don’t ever shout at me,” the ASP continued.

Later in the audio, one officer can be heard bragging about beating drug dealers.

Police Commissioner Paul Rolle confirmed to reporters that the officer directly involved in the incident had been suspended.

However, it is not clear what action has been taken against the officers who encouraged the move.

“Someone sent (the audio) to me yesterday,” the police chief said. “But

I have taken a course of action. The officer involved, the complaint unit is conducting their investigations into that matter and the officer has been placed on administrative leave and that will go through the due process and I want to say that I don’t support that type of behaviour by no police officer on the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

“I think it is fair to say that I have been doing a whole lot to improve the image of this organisation and I will continue to do that. Each officer will be judged according to their own conduct and that matter is, as I said, under investigation.”

Tactics Similar incidents showing questionable police conduct have made the rounds on social media in the past, with residents long lamenting the harsh intimidating tactics sometimes used by officers.

In February, Commissioner Rolle admitted that he had to deal with “a few” officers who acted inappropriately when citing businesses found in breach of the COVID-19 Emergency Orders.

Yesterday, the police chief said he continues to remind police on how they ought to behave when carrying out their duties and interacting with the general public.

Yesterday, the victim’s

attorney Craig Butler told a local talk show host that his client, who also happens to be his nephew, was just one of three men allegedly brutalised by police while in custody.

He said the trio were arrested together following a recent altercation that happened on Arawak Cay recently. Mr Butler is representing the three men.

“These are three young men - 26, 23 and 19 - (who) were leaving the Arawak Cay area and they were minding their own business and one of the other men was attacked by two young men out of a car, so in trying to get away from that fracas and this is when the police emerged,” he said while appearing as a guest on The Hit Back with Nahaja Black.

“They came in not fully understanding what was going on and interjected themselves and in that way, the other two boys and my nephew were arrested, taken into the police station and (allegedly) brutalised.”

Speaking on his nephew’s injuries, Mr Butler said: “I saw him Monday afternoon (March 1) before he went to a private doctor.

“I observed the injuries for myself. The footprint was still on my nephew’s shirt.

“The next thing I advised my clients to do was to take all of the clothes, the same that are not being washed and we put it in bags and sealed it as evidence.”

Speaking to reporters on the issue yesterday, National Security Minister Marvin Dames said it is under investigation.

He also strongly condemned the action and insisted the police force will not tolerate such acts.

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames.

“Yes, the police is aware,” he said before going into a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. “During my conversations with the commissioner today, that matter is in hand and it will be addressed as soon as possible to determine exactly what it all means and what’s going on there. “…I get it frequently from members of the public, not only involving police officers but anything relating to social issues and crime and so I’m very aware of it. I listened to it and we want to get to the bottom of this … and I’m very confident

in my discussions and conversations with him this morning that he would do the right thing to ensure he gets the answers he needs.”

Asked yesterday if he was concerned that such incidents undermine the reputation of police, Mr Dames replied: “This is the era that we’re living in. I mean as things happen, they are being disseminated.

“This is the world that we’re living in today and so we talk about body cams and dash cams when we have cellphones which is just as good and just about everyone walking has a cellphone in his or her hands.

“You can record video or voice recording and so those of us in authority should act accordingly and I think it’s a good thing and not saying that this is the first time we would’ve had an incident such as this – no, this is the world that we’re living in.”

He added: “Everything is under the microscope and so it’s incumbent upon public officers to conduct themselves accordingly as they are hired by the people… for the most part, a vast majority of officers and those in law enforcement are good, decent people who would’ve taken an oath and are standing by the oath which they took and they take their jobs very seriously.

“There are times when officers go astray and when they go astray, then they ought to be dealt with.”

ROLLE: DON’T PUT OFFICERS IN POSITION TO USE DEADLY FORCE

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

COMMISSIONER of Police Paul Rolle has responded to renewed concerns about unjustified force in the wake of police killings, urging people not to put police in a position to use deadly force.

This year has seen two fatal police-involved shootings and the incidents have sparked concerns over police officers’ versions of events that lead to the killings.

Englerston MP Glenys Hanna Martin recently called on National Security Minister Marvin Dames to publicly disclose the policies, protocols and rules governing the use of the body cameras and procedures for “the independent scrutiny of footage emanating from the cameras”.

In response to calls for the release of body cam footage, the police chief said yesterday he has already spoken on that issue and referred to his previous remarks at the rollout of the devices.

“Like I said, matters are going to be going before the courts and at that point we have full disclosure,” he said.

He spoke as he and officers did a walkabout in areas such as Mason’s Addition.

The neighbourhood was rocked back in 2018 by the police shooting death of Deangelo Evans; many of the residents insisted at the time the 20-year-old did nothing wrong.

Commissioner Rolle said that police-involved shootings are

COMMISSIONER of Police Paul Rolle pictured during yesterday’s walkabout.

heard in the Coroner’s Court.

“I don’t want to respond to say that police deal with unjustifiable force because all of the matters that involve police shootings go before the Coroner’s Court and persons who are involved have an

opportunity to come and testify,” he told reporters.

“So let us you know bear in mind that police officers are here to keep everybody safe - that’s our number one priority.

“But what I want to say is to

persons who want to challenge police officers not to do so you don’t put police officers in that position where they have to use force and deadly force.

“The officers have their right to get their (day) in court and if they are found wanting then the law carries its course.”

However, Coroner Jeanine Weech-Gomez has denied her body is responsible for investigating such events.

Before jurors decided in 2019 that police unlawfully killed 22-year-old Osworth Rolle, she told them: “We have no special task force to investigate an officer in a police-involved shooting. In this jurisdiction, if there is a fatal police shooting, it is the police who will investigate the police.”

When this statement was brought to his attention, Commissioner Rolle said: “No I’m not gonna explain anything that the coroner said, you’ll have to ask the coroner to explain that. Anything to do with police involved shootings we conduct an investigation, take statements and the file is sent to the coroner who will be able to ask questions, family can ask questions, and that is the way that it is done.”

During the mid-year budget debate in the House of Assembly, Mr Dames revealed to date that 120 body-worn cameras have been deployed in the force’s operational command and 20 are at the Cable Beach Police Station.

“To date, almost 4,000 recordings have occurred with the dash camera technology, so it proves that it is working,” he said.

MAN SHOT DEAD IN HIS CAR

FROM PAGE ONE at the scene.

According to initial police reports, the victim’s vehicle was travelling east on Sugar Apple Street when a small Japanese car crossed in front of it and stopped.

A passenger got out of

that car and fired shots in the direction of the victim, injuring him. The victim appeared to be in his 20s, ASP Peters said. His identity was not known up to press time.

Anyone with information on this killing is asked to call police at 502-9991.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, March 10, 2021

GB PORT AUTHORITY MAKING SUSAN J WALLACE COMMUNITY CENTER AVAILABLE FOR VACCINATIONS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Grand Bahama Port Authority is making a portion of the Susan J Wallace Community Center available to the Public Hospitals Authority and the Grand Bahama Health Services as a vaccination centre for administering the COVID-19 vaccine.

The company has indicated that it will also cover the cost of the utility and provide 24-hour security at the centre.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited, announced it has joined forces with the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and the Grand Bahama Health Services (GBHS) to provide a safe and hygienic environment to administer the muchanticipated AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Grand Bahamians and residents.

“As the Government of The Bahamas makes preparations to distribute the vaccine, GBPA has stepped in to make a portion of the Susan J. Wallace Community Centre available for an initial period of two months as a full-service immunization facility.

“The GBPA will cover all utility costs, provide 24-hour security, and building and grounds maintenance associated with the upkeep and preservation of the facility for the duration of its use as a vaccination center,” the company said.

Hospital Administrator Sharon Williams said GBHS is appreciative to GBPA for its support and

partnership, particularly concerning the use of the center for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“This partnership between PHA and the GBPA is timely and will ensure that Grand Bahama Health Services can continue to work diligently to help prevent the rise in COVID-19 cases in our community,” she said.

It was noted that distribution of the vaccine at

GBPA President Ian Rolle. the Centre would help to alleviate some of the pressure on Grand Bahama’s strained medical system.

Said Mrs Williams: “The use of the facility for vaccination purposes helps us tremendously.

“Our other healthcare facilities, including our clinics, are unable to facilitate mass vaccinations while caring for ailing patients and conducting normal operations.”

GBPA President Ian Rolle said that rolling out the vaccine quickly and efficiently is vital to saving and protecting lives in the community and that they are pleased to be able to assist the PHA.

“Our Island has suffered so much loss and devastation since Hurricane Dorian and the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Separately, this will also help the island’s economic recovery, which has been uppermost on GBPA’s mind since Hurricane Dorian.

“While we acknowledge that medical facilities are the sole responsibility of the Government of The Bahamas, the GBPA was delighted to step up to assist the PHA at the onset of COVID-19,” he said.

Mr Rolle also noted that in April 2020, GBPA made the Grand Bahama Cancer Association building available to be used as a COVID-19 medical facility free of charge for a nine-month period.

“We also sourced and funded a supply of COVID-19 rapid-result test kits, donated two x-ray machines to PHA, and provided a back-up generator, he added.

“We know that the fight against COVID-19 requires a collaborative, coordinated effort from all sectors.

“We want to continue to support GBHS by providing a safe and central location that can be made sterile and accessible so that all designated persons can receive the vaccine expeditiously.

Mr Rolle said GBPA will continue to support GBHS’s effort to fight Covid-19.

“The sooner we get past this daunting hurdle, the sooner our Island can move forward with vigour, and the sooner critical projects in the Grand Bahama pipeline can be underway,” he stated.

THE TRIBUNE

TWO MORE VICTIMS OF COVID FROM PAGE ONE Meanwhile, only one new case was recorded on Monday bringing the overall case count to 8,642.

The new case is an Abaco resident.

This comes as the country awaits the arrival of the first doses of the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine.

Twenty thousand doses of the drug are set to arrive in the country today, a gift from India.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the government is expected to receive 33,600 doses out of 100,800 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine purchased through the World Health Organisation’s/Pan American Health Organisation’s COVAX facility “before the end of March”.

The remaining 64,200 doses should be in the country by the end of May, he said.

Dr Minnis said because the government is receiving vaccine doses in “smaller batches”, his administration has to slightly deviate from the previously announced plan.

Those eligible to receive these first doses will now be: healthcare workers in the public and private sectors; residents and staff of elder care homes; and non-ambulatory residents registered in the public health system.

“This first and critical priority group includes those who are our first line of defence against the

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis speaks on Sunday.

COVID-19 virus and those among the most vulnerable in our population,” Dr Minnis said.

“It is expected that healthcare workers may begin booking their vaccination appointments online within days of the

arrival of the vaccine.

Details on how the appointment process will work will be published within the next few days.”

It had been previously announced that uniformed branch members; frontline workers; critical workers in high-risk settings and other essential services would also be in the priority group to receive the first vaccines, however this appears to have changed due to the smaller batches being shipped in.

The roll out of the first 20,000 doses is expected to begin days after the arrival of the vaccine.

“A phased approach must be applied to all islands in this first batch,” Dr Minnis said.

“At this stage, vaccines will be administered in phases on New Providence, Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.”

US DONATES INFECTIOUS DISEASE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE

US Chargé d’Affaires Usha E Pitts.

US CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRES Usha E Pitts participated in the official handing-over ceremony

yesterday of the BioFire FilmArray Torch infectious disease diagnostic machine.

Princess Margaret Hospital

has installed the BioFire machine in its laboratory to aid in combating the spread of COVID-19.

The BioFire (valued at around $80,000 USD) can provide a PCR test result— the most accurate test for COVID-19—in about one hour, and can also diagnose other lower respiratory tract infections, making it a valuable asset in disease prevention and pandemic response in The Bahamas for years to come.

Touching on the close partnership between the United States and The Bahamas, Chargé Pitts noted that today’s donation was “exemplary of our friendship and of our relationship,” and that US President Joseph Biden “understands that we have to support our partners in every way possible.”

Chargé Pitts closed by thanking the Ministry of Health for their commendable work to control the COVID-19 pandemic in The Bahamas.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan officially received the donation on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

Chargé Pitts also highlighted that the donation of the BioFire equipment is just one part of a larger US government grant of $750,000 to The Bahamas through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Bahamas Red Cross Society (BRCS) and the International Federation of the Red Cross have administered the grant since late 2020, providing critical supplies and support to the country’s healthcare workforce and schools in New

CHIEF Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan.

Providence.

BRCS President Tezza Curry thanked the United States for their support, saying “we are optimistic that with contributions like this one from the US government, that we will be able to eventually overcome” the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $750,000 USAID grant is itself just one of several ways the United States has assisted the Bahamian government in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, US Northern Command provided $3.6 million to support disaster relief and resilience; the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement committed $5 million to address COVID-19 related citizen security initiatives; and the US Embassy has put The Bahamas in contact with US pharmaceutical companies and is sharing important lessons on vaccine distribution with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force.

THE TRIBUNE

MORE THAN 2,000 STUDENTS REGISTERED FOR HOMESCHOOLING IN FOUR YEARS

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 2,000 students have registered for homeschooling over the last four years, according to Education Minister Jeff Lloyd.

Speaking to reporters before yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Mr Lloyd said since being elected to office, his ministry has seen a sharp increase in the number of students registering for homeschooling and noted the uptick could be attributed to various reasons.

He said: “More and more parents are registering for any number of reasons. I’m sure you can calculate what they may be for homeschooling … (but) when I came to office in 2017, there were approximately some 500 students or so registered for homeschooling. To date, that number is approaching 3,000 so it only shows you that more and more parents feel that the traditional schooling does not meet the aspirations of them, their child, and their families and they are taking more direct control.”

Popular Mr Lloyd said officials have also seen a rise in home-based schooling, a practice that has become increasingly popular since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What we’ve also found is a new creature in education,” he said.

“It is called home-based schooling, meaning that a group of parents are now essentially collaborating and finding suitably qualified places whether it’s a church hall or a person’s home that is available and they are putting several students together and they’re hiring teachers to provide independent and private tutor and instructions for those particular students.

“They too are registering with the Ministry of Education and more and more parents—and this is what I mean when I say I commend those parents for their dedication—more and more parents are taking control, intimate and direct control of their children’s education.”

He also said education officials continue to inspect the various facilities to ensure that the students are being taught the proper curriculum and are following proper health protocols in this current COVID climate.

He said: “In order for you to be registered, you have to produce the curriculum.

“You have to produce the teachers and you have to be subjected to an announced and unannounced inspection and that is even more important today because of the health protocols where you have to maintain social distancing, students must be wearing their masks and that the place is suitable for students with respect to ventilation. “ Schools closed last March as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in institutions switching to a virtual platform.

Public and private schools reopened after the summer break last fall, however government schools in New Providence, Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma were teaching virtually until given the go ahead to begin phased face-to-face learning in February.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021, PAGE 5

DAVIS DEFENDS PLP PLAN TO REDUCE VAT TO 10 PERCENT

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis said yesterday State Minister for Finance Kwasi Thompson “does not appear to understand the economics” surrounding consumption taxes as he defended the PLP’s plan to reduce value added tax to ten percent for one year if the party wins the next general election.

Mr Thompson accused the PLP of being irresponsible with its promise, saying the move would cost the government more than $100m at a time when the company’s fiscal state is already precarious.

Mr Davis, in response, said yesterday: “It is extraordinary that the government does not recognise the urgency of providing immediate relief to Bahamians. People are hurting. Our middle class is disappearing. That the FNM defends the status quo is evidence of how disconnected they are from the realities on the ground.

“The public finances are in a dire state. In order to offer immediate relief to hurting families and struggling businesses, but at the same time restore fiscal sanity, we also need to increase revenues to the public treasury and adopt new strategies to kick-start the economy.”

Mr Davis said it is revealing that Mr Thompson has focused on VAT but ignored the other proposals in the party’s economic plan, which were unveiled on Sunday.

He said: “Consumption taxes

PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Leader Philip “Brave” Davis speaking in the House of Assembly earlier this week.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/ Tribune staff

rely on consumer spending in order to generate tax revenue. When the government imposed the shock increase in VAT by 60 percent in 2018, consumers cut back on their spending. Since then, the government has failed to meet a single one of its revenue projections. This is what happens when you don’t understand basic economics. If you set consumption taxes too high, the economy slows down. These are the facts. This is the economic reality.

“Our proposal to cut VAT to ten percent represents a modest decrease which will bring some relief to thousands of Bahamian families and help inject cash into an

economy that desperately needs it.

“Once again, this reduction in VAT was not offered as a standalone proposal. Bahamians will see that we also propose a significant number of revenue-enhancing measures. VAT is not the only tax-raising mechanism available to the government – but it is one that disproportionately affects ordinary Bahamians.

“The junior minister argues that this modest decrease in VAT will lead to a reduction in revenue for the government. He is wrong.

In fact, there will be an overall increase in revenue. Again, back to basic economic principles: the

lower the price, the higher the demand. Lowering prices drive an increase in economic activity. Further, against the advice of the IMF as well as government consultants, they have bastardised the VAT model left in place by the former administration.”

Noting that the stated $100m reduction amounts to a loss of $8m per month, Mr Davis questioned whether the Minnis administration “really (lacks) the ability to find an additional $8 million per month to alleviate the tax burden on ordinary Bahamians, at a time when so many are out of work through no fault of their own?”

“Bear in mind,” he said, “that this is a government that chose to spend almost $200 million on a rundown hotel in Grand Bahama.

“This is also the same government that at the height of the pandemic chose to spend $20 million on sidewalks.

“And the same government that refuses to report, as required by law, how they have spent hundreds of millions under the Emergency Orders.

“We have some sympathy with the minister for his failure to be able to recognise a good plan.

“This government specialises in political attacks, not credible plans.

They move from crisis to crisis, with no vision and no confidence in the Bahamian people. Their inability to plan deliberately has increased the damage caused by Hurricane Dorian and the pandemic.

“We believe continuing on the present path would be catastrophic.”

DNA HAS ‘REVOLUTIONARY’ PLANS FOR GRAND BAHAMA

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Democratic National Alliance laid out its plans to revitalise Grand Bahama during a recent visit to the island, promising to further develop the industrial sector and transform it into a cultural hub if elected to office.

DNA leader Arinthia Komolafe and her team of candidates knocked on doors and spoke with residents during the two-day fact-finding visit to see how people are faring post-Hurricane Dorian and during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the Freeport area, the team went into East and West Grand Bahama. She said the party found many people are frustrated and need more help.

“Well, we found the struggle is real for a lot of people and there are a lot of challenges,” she said.

“You can see a lot of struggles the people are going through, and, of course, it is probably worsened by the pandemic.

“A lot of the response we are getting is that aid is either insufficient or lacking.

“And in most cases, it has been lacking and most people speak of frustration and a lot of discouragement because they have not been able to get the help and assistance they need during these very tough times.”

She said the party has already identified some “provisional” candidates in Grand Bahama who they are looking to finalise and officially introduce in the next couple of weeks. She revealed that Mario Mott Jr is the DNA candidate running for West Grand Bahama and Bimini.

Mrs Komolafe believes the performance of the FNM’s administration is reflective of the views they have received from the Bahamian people.

“If you have people saying they feel discouraged, they feel hopeless; that there is a trust deficit between them (the government) and the people, and their lives are not better today than it was four years ago, then it speaks volumes as to the progress, if any, which we know that there have been very little that the FNM has had in advancing the lives of the Bahamian people.”

She added: “They are not seeing how their lives are

DNA leader Arinthia Komolafe and party members on the ground in Grand Bahama on Saturday. Photos: Denise Maycock

being improved as a result of this administration. As a matter of fact, many of them feel that their lives have regressed.

“And in these very challenging times, the government has not been very efficient or productive in being able to bring relief to those who are hurting, and that is something we are obviously discovering here on the island of Grand Bahama.”

She said the creation of more sustainable jobs and industries is needed.

She said that the DNA has “very transformative and revolutionary” plans for Grand Bahama adding there has been little development on the island for years because successive administrations’ dependence on the Port Authority to fulfill its obligations under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement.

“And that has not been adequate, and a major part of our agenda is to look at that agreement and in the long-term the eventual purchase of the Port Authority, so we can develop that area (the Port area), but at the same time to develop EGB and WGB.” A DNA administration she indicated would implement a strategic phased approach for the development of the various islands, giving each its own unique identity.

Mrs Komolafe stated that because of the infrastructure that already exists in Grand Bahama, it would continue to be identified and further developed as the industrial capital, and also as a cultural hub for The Bahamas.

“In the western end, we want to establish and

expand upon the creative industry in our country. We know a lot of artists who came from this island who paint, draw, sing and act, and we want to develop that talent here.

“So, in West End, we will look at the development of a ‘Bahamawood’, which is on the level like a Hollywood, or Bollywood, where we have state-of-the-art production studios there, and there will be film studios for persons to record music, video, etc.”

She also shared plans for an “Arawak Cay type situation” at the western end of the island.

The eastern end will be developed into a cultural hub, said Mrs Komolafe.

“There is also a plan for a structure in the eastern end similar to the Eiffel Tower or Empire State Building, in New York, where we can envision a lighthouse where persons can go to the top and see the island of GB, and patronise restaurants and souvenir stores on the inside,” she said.

She said that a museum that documents the history of Grand Bahama would also be developed.

When asked about tourism in Grand Bahama, Mrs Komolafe said: “Tourism will be a spinoff industry for Grand Bahama.

“In times past they tried to make tourism the industry and Grand Bahama is not built like that. When

I talk about giving each island its identity when we talk about resort-style tourism, New Providence is really the hub for that, but we can still have resorts tied to tourism here and promote Airbnb and other types of accommodations for people who come to Grand Bahama.”

The DNA leader said the party wants to promote day trips for cruise visitors from New Providence to Grand Bahama.

“So tourism will still be a major part of the process with (resort) properties still in the Freeport area, and developing east and west with boutique style hotels there, and Airbnb in those areas, where we want Bahamians to be the owners and leaders of those kinds of opportunity.”

PAGE 6, Wednesday, March 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

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Time for an Independent Police Complaints Authority SO where would we be if a suspect taken into police custody hadn’t managed to press record on his mobile phone?

We’d know nothing of the beating he reportedly suffered at the hands of a senior officer now on administrative leave after the recording went public.

It says something of the intelligence of some of our police officers that they don’t even search a suspect when they are taken into custody, removing any personal items. What if the suspect had been carrying a weapon instead of his phone?

We’ve written here many times about the rotten apples in the Royal Bahamas Police Force and have applauded Commissioner Paul Rolle for his statements promising to weed out those rogue officers who continue to think they are above the law.

What we heard on the recording over the last few days is just one example of what has happened to many people taken into custody.

We all know it has been going on but rarely do any voices call out for change.

Why? Probably because we have little sympathy for those being arrested thinking they are exactly the sort of people the police should be taking off the streets. What happens behind closed doors, what business is that of ours?

Our courts have also shown little interest in helping improve police behaviour. How many times have you read in The Tribune how a suspect when first appearing in court alleges he has been beaten during questioning. More often than not the court merely acknowledges the allegation and delivers an instruction that the suspect be seen by a doctor on arrival at Fox Hill prison. That’s the

end of the matter. Even when it comes up in trial allegations of police brutality seldom seem to cast more than the briefest shadow over a prosecution case.

When the police see the allegations raised in an open forum and nothing is done what incentive is there for them to change?

Thankfully the Commissioner says he is trying to improve matters but the idea that incidents such as the one which has just occurred will be investigated by the force’s own complaints unit doesn’t give us a great deal of confidence.

If the officer involved in the recent allegation turns out to have acted unlawfully will we see him charged, paraded in handcuffs to court in front of the media? Now, that really would make officers quick to take their anger out on suspects think twice.

We believe it would be far better – and give the public much greater confidence – that an Independent Police Complaints Authority was established.

Let the police get on with the job of policing – that’s what we pay them for, not holding investigations into themselves.

An independent body whose findings are sent directly to the Commissioner, Security Minister and Director of Public Prosecutions – and made public – would remove the suspicion that complaints are quietly swept under the carpet, rules of procedure quoted to explain why matters won’t be looked into.

As an independent nation we are nearly 50 years old – we should be mature enough to accept scrutiny and, where there has been wrongdoing, for those responsible to face the consequences.

CONVINCED GREENSLADE WILL WIN IN GARDEN HILLS EDITOR, The Tribune.

I am very selective when it comes down to my politics. Yes, I am perceived as being a die-hard supporter of a well-known party but my personal preferences have little to do with how I look at and react to various politicians or those who are seeking front line participation.

There will be many casualties and there will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth or dentures on the night of the general elections. Adult sized pampers will be sold out or in short supply. Some of these people want to get into politics to “serve” the people, or so they say. Others are simply entering or trying to enter for personal enrichment and the perks of office. The majority of them must be fully scrutinized and questioned about their motives and plans for the particular constituency.

There is little doubt in my mind of the outcome of the general elections. The battle will be between the FNM and the New Deal PLP. The so-called independents will be politically slaughtered and I would be surprised if even one of them got their deposits back. There is something “noble’’ about being a so-called independent and going up against the political giants but, in the real world those candidates are living in La La Land.

In Garden Hills, currently represented by the Hon Brensil Rolle (FNM-Garden Hills) we have a young

and dynamic New Deal PLP candidate. No doubt the fringe parties, like the DNA, will offer their own candidates. The FNM has ratified Brother Stephen Greenslade.

I first met Greenslade some years ago when he was seeking to become the MP for Golden Isle on the DNA slate. He did not perform badly seeing that he was a first time candidate and that the red wave was inevitable in 2017. Christie and the old PLP had to go by any legitimate means necessary.

He was unsuccessful then, but I am persuaded that his second time around will be a charm.

I am not always right (vis a vis the USA Presidential elections), but I am convinced that Greenslade will emerge victorious in Garden Hills, barring any unforeseen events or an act of God Himself. He may as well go ahead and order his parliamentary suit.

Why do I say and hold to this position, even though I am not an FNM and my other habits are basically good?

This man is self-made as a very successful businessman and entrepreneur.

A former police officer he served the nation well but at some point on the force he decided to become selfemployed or to broaden his wings in the private sector.

He dabbled in various businesses and worked in the hospitality industry for a short period.

ICS Security Concepts was later launched. This company has grown by leaps and bounds and is now the undisputed leader in the security and armored transportation Industry. That company employs hundreds of Bahamians at good wages/salaries. Greenslade’s personal reputation and integrity are beyond reproach. His word is his bond and he does not mix business with pleasure. Just as important, he is a dedicated family man with one wife and several children at home. A Christian, Stephen knows where All of his help cometh……from The Lord Jesus Christ.

I am convinced that Stephen is seeking front line politics because of his expressed love for the Bahamian people and because The Lord has blessed him materially he wants to give back in a positive and meaningful way. He is not entering politics to get rich or die trying. He is the sort of stellar and positive candidate that all parties and fringe grouping should seek out and ratify.

I again maintain that I am Not an FNM but if I lived in Garden Hills, regardless of how I will vote in Mount Moriah (Marvin can kiss that constituency goodbye), I would have voted for Stephen Greenslade. To God then, in all things, be the glory ORTLAND H BODIE Jr Nassau, March 4, 2021.

Ignore Chamber of Commerce and raise the minimum wage EDITOR, The Tribune.

Let’s be clear on what a Chamber of Commerce is – and what it is not. It is an organisation that promotes the interests of the predominant players in the current economic and business environment. As such, it naturally supports the status quo, however good or bad that may be for the population as a whole.

It is not a group that has any more knowledge of or interest in the condition of the country’s economy as a whole than anyone else.

In 1833, the predominant Bahamian businesses (cotton plantations in the southern islands, merchant concerns in New Providence and Harbour Island) would have been dependent, respectively, upon chattel slavery and the “truck” system of consumer credit. It is therefore no surprise that, at the time, virtually the entire business class fought tooth and nail to preserve these things.

Likewise, today’s chamber of commerce reflexively defends those aspects of a broken economic model that nonetheless serve its membership well. Among these are a minimum wage that bears no rational

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net relationship to either the country’s wealth or its cost of living. Rather, it reflects little more than historical attitudes towards wealth distribution and the role of labour in Bahamian society (see above).

In reality, every period of robust economic growth in post-war Bahamian history has followed fast on the heels of a hard-fought advance in labour conditions or wages, at the expense of the wealthy, business owning elites. Yet on each of these occasions, the “business community” has predictably sought to spin their own loss of relative wealth and influence into fears of economic collapse. Each time it was a lie.

There is a point at which wages, relative to costs and profits, will begin to retard growth.

But The Bahamas is nowhere near that point.

In fact, our domestic economy is sluggish not because workers get paid too much, but rather because they get taxed too much and paid too little. By placing more

disposal income in their hands, a rise in our pitiful minimum wage (and the ripple effect it will have across the labour market) will boost consumption, which will lead to more jobs, not less.

But however harmful low wages are to the general economy, they clearly serve the interests of those business owners who have become accustomed to the presently skewed and inverse relationship between worker compensation and their own expectations of profits and lifestyle.

Hence the predictable repetition of the patently false assertion that rising minimum wages will lower growth and employment in the modern Bahamas.

Politicians owe it to their voters to at least educate themselves on the facts of Bahamian economics and Bahamian history before they spend too much time listening to self-appointed experts who serve the narrowest of interests. The time to raise the minimum wage is now.

ANDREW ALLEN Nassau, March 10, 2021.

MINIMUM WAGE RAISE WILL BOOST ECONOMY

EDITOR, The Tribune.

EMPLOYERS always reject the idea of raising the minimum wage – the time is always wrong. There is never a right time. The PLP have claimed they want to raise it to $10 per hour and employers have instantly replied it will destroy struggling businesses and damage the economy, etc., etc.

Kudos to Rupert Roberts of Super Value endorsing the idea. Well done, sir.

Take a look at the Bahamas we have a population of circa 400,000 of which a substantial majority live on the breadline. That means they don’t have significant money to pump into our economy what would happen if you gave them more money? Would they invest it in shares, increase their deposit accounts at the bank? No they would spend in this local economy on goods and services. The money just goes round in a circle the more of it available the healthier and more robust a local economy. Look at the USA’s many states, including Florida & California, have a $15 minimum hourly wage and it’s really boosting their economies. So be wary of doom mongers prophesying imminent collapse of the economy every time this issue is raised.

In regards to the interview with Meghan and Harry expect the all powerful conservative British establishment to circle the wagons and get the young couple firmly in their rifle sights and pick them off.

That there are racists within the royal household and within the royal family is a given as racism exists everywhere. Racists tend to be of lower intellectual level and the royal family and households will have their fair share of such people.

The British tabloid press will crucify the young couple.

Your own columnist Peter Young a stalwart of extreme conservatism clearly ignored everything the young couple said and believes them to be 100% in the wrong!

Extraordinary.

So his conclusion how could it all have gone so wrong – and so quickly. Maybe by the insensitive cretins within the royal family and the royal households worrying about the colour of their child?

THE REALIST Nassau, March 9 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

WOMAN WHO GAVE POLICE WRONG NAME DISCHARGED WITH WARNING

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 38-YEAR-OLD woman who claimed she gave officers the wrong name because people commonly confused her surname with another name of a similar pronunciation was discharged with a warning.

Shavanda Basden appeared before Senior Magistrate Carolyn VogtEvans after she was accused of deceiving a police officer on February 12.

The court was told that officers were in the

Meadow Street area conducting a road check when they stopped and questioned Basden. When they asked her for her name and date of birth, the accused told them her surname was Bastian but some people called her Basden. The prosecution said the woman also told officers every time she gave the name Basden she got into problems. The court was told that when the accused showed the officers her passport, it was revealed her last name was actually Basden. She was subsequently arrested and taken to a nearby station.

When the accused was questioned by officers there, she

denied the offence.

During the hearing, Basden was represented by attorney Nathan Smith. He told the magistrate his client pleaded guilty because she took full responsibility for her actions. He also noted the names “Basden” and “Bastian” were similar, so when the officer thought his client had told him her last name was Bastian, she did not bother to correct him.

He also said that Basden “appreciated her attitude on the day in question was improper”.

After lightning the plea in mitigation, Magistrate Vogt-Evans discharged Basden with a warning.

PICTURED are members of Abaco Strong, the Rotary Club of New Providence and the Rotary Club of Abaco as they distributed bedding supplies to the residents of Abaco.

Helping Abaco sleep soundly THE Rotary Bahamas Disaster Relief Committee and the Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas, in partnership with Abaco Strong, Tegwen Hunt-Hastedt and the Lyford Cay Charitable Trust recently donated a significant number of beds and bedding supplies to residents of Abaco through a programme known as Sleep Soundly.

Abaco Strong is an informal homeowner group that was formed in the Treasure Cay community to provide disaster relief for residents affected by Hurricane Dorian.

In October 2020, the group initiated the Sleep Soundly Treasure Cay programme to provide bed frames, mattresses, pillows, sheet sets and blankets to residents, who after a year were not sleeping comfortably.

After the success of that programme, there were many more requests from other families in other districts who were also still sleeping on the floor.

The group was able to secure a donation of 200 queen size mattresses from the American company, City Furniture.

This donation was coordinated with the assistance of Linda Mackey, Bahamas Consul-General in Miami, Florida.

Additional mattresses and bedding supplies have been purchased at cost from other companies.

In total, the Sleep Soundly programme

has supplied 350 bed sets costing just under $500.

With the assistance of Rotary and other non-government organisations, beds have been distributed all over Abaco, including Green Turtle Cay, Crown Haven, Dundas and Murphy Towns, Marsh Harbour, Sandy Point and Moore’s Island. Additional beds will be distributed this week in the Grand Cay community.

Proud Director of operations for Rotary’s Disaster Relief Committee, assistant governor Kendal Strachan, said that Rotary is proud to partner with Abaco Strong and other organisations to bring relief to the residents of Abaco.

“In addition to this bedding project,” he said, “Rotary has undertaken a major home restoration programme as well as the implementation of a reverse osmosis plant to provide potable water to residents.

“We have an ongoing food distribution programme in Abaco and have donated over 200 tablets and MyFi devices to school children on the island. Rotary is committed to the rebuilding of homes and lives on the island of Abaco,” Mr Strachan said.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021, PAGE 7

DOUBLE KILLER LAUNCHES APPEAL FROM PAGE ONE At the trial, the appellant and two others were charged with two counts of murder and armed robbery. The trial commenced in September 2017 and concluded in May 2018 with a unanimous verdict of guilty against Hall on all charges.

Four months later, he was sentenced to 60 years on each count of murder and 25 years on remand for the offence of armed robbery.

All of the sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

During a virtual hearing before Justices Milton Evans, Jon Isaacs and Maureen Crane-Scott, Hall’s attorney, public defender Stanley Rolle, told the panel the judge’s decision not to discharge two of the jurors in view of the circumstances of the case was “unreasonable”.

Mr Rolle said during the trial, the defence counsel for one of Hall’s co-accused complained that a jury member was seen speaking to a witness for the prosecution during the course of trial.

He said after the judge made an inquiry of the matter and counsel for all of the accused were given an opportunity to question the juror, the court ruled it was not persuaded the independence of that juror had been compromised.

Mr Rolle said his client was of the view the judge did not “make all the necessary inquiries” she needed to before “exercising that judicial discretion”.

“In the record prosecuting counsel and defence counsel had indicated to the court that the witness had said he did not have a conversation with the juror. The juror admitted that there was a conversation and the witness said in effect it never happened,” he said.

“And so, there was a

DEVAUGHN ‘Short Man’ Hall at a previous court appearance. contradiction between the two that we say was not resolved in such a way that the court could be satisfied or persuaded that the independence of the juror had not been compromised.”

Mr Rolle said the trial judge should have “made a full inquiry by asking the witness, ‘Did you have a conversation with this person?’

He said because this was not done, the judge “did not go far enough” to resolve the alleged conflict.

Mr Rolle also argued the judge erred in law when she allowed the trial to stop for more than two consecutive weeks.

He said the court proceedings were adjourned on December 13, 2017 and resumed on January 23, 2018, because of “several reasons”, including the Christmas holiday and the fact the jurors and respective lawyers had prior engagements.

He noted that up to the adjournment date, a total of 25 prosecution witnesses had completed giving evidence and the final witness had stood in the witness box. He also stated the cross-examinations had been “extremely broad and lengthy” since the evidence was “voluminous”.

Mr Rolle said when the

trial resumed on January 15, the accused were not present, so the matter was further adjourned to January 23, which meant the jurors “remained separated for approximately six weeks”.

Mr Rolle said in view of this fact, his client was relying on the case of Smith vs Regina which noted that “in order to succeed in overturning a conviction on the basis of a break in the trial, it would be necessary to show that the break was inordinate, that there was prejudice to the appellant as a result and that this irregularity substantively affected the merits of the case”.

“We say that in this case, having regard to the management of the way (one of the) defence counsels dealt with the case, there was lots and lots of irrelevant evidence,” he continued.

“We also say that in this case, the credibility of (a few) witnesses were an issue.

Such were matters not to be compounded by the obvious tax on memory and recollection which such an interval of time inevitably imposed.”

Attorney Neil Brathwaite represents the Crown in the matter, whose position is that the 60-year sentence imposed on Hall was appropriate and proportionate given the circumstances.

The prosecution’s case also asserts that Hall was the “principal offender” who conspired with his coaccused to rob the Johnsons with firearms.

They further argue that the appellant was the one who shot and killed the couple during the course of the robbery, before he and the rest of his co-accused fled the scene.

The Crown contends that there was no justification for the shooting and that the parties of the crime intended to cause the death of the deceased pair.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, March 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

IF WE WANT MORE WOMEN IN POLITICS IT NEEDS MORE THAN LIP SERVICE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN I

NTERNATIONAL Women’s Day was on Monday and, of course, it came with radio talk show slots, panel discussions, presentations and purple attire. It is an annual day to celebrate the progress women have made and to take action toward the changes that still need to happen.

The global campaign’s theme was ““Choose To Challenge” and the UN Women theme was focused on women’s leadership (in alignment with the upcoming 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women).

Both themes were taken up and used to frame events and initiatives. It was great to see Corporate Bahamas make space for discussions about women in leadership and the issues we all need to choose to challenge.

It is even more important that they contribute to the efforts through resources, including funding, and structural changes that ensure women are in the leadership pipeline, compensated fairly and working in enabling environments.

The Prime Minister recently stated that “the representation of women in Cabinet is at an historic low”. He said he challenges himself, political parties and the nation to ensure more women are in the House and the Cabinet.

These words, of course, are nothing without action. It is not enough to wish for better representation of women. The Prime Minister claimed “a number of women” declined the offer to run on the Free National Movement’s ticket and that he is pleased that more women are running this time around. It will be interesting to see how many women the Free National Movement puts forward. The current proportion is abysmal with only five of the 30 ratified candidates being women.

Unless eight of the nine candidates to be announced are women, there is very little to show for the Prime Minister’s statement about including more women as the party would not even have 30 percent representation.

How can we expect more women in Cabinet if they are not going to be on the ballots?

The Prime Minister said he was frustrated by women declining opportunities to run. He did not give the reasons.

Maybe they did not see

the Free National Movement—or any other party, for that matter—taking firm positions on issues of importance to them.

Maybe they do not want to be collapsed into a system that was not built for them. Maybe they do not see the political environment as one they can survive in, much less thrive.

Aside from all of the issues with party politics and the failure of every political party in the country to make clear their positions on important issues, there are specific

“Aside from all of the issues with party politics and the failure of every political party in the country to make clear their positions on important issues, there are specific actions that need to be taken in order to create an environment within which women can safely and successfully participate.” actions that need to be taken in order to create an environment within which women can safely and successfully participate.

If party leaders care about women’s engagement in political leadership, they need to take decisive, targeted action.

Here are five actions the Prime Minister and all political parties need to take in order to successfully recruit, retain and run women as candidates in general elections: 1. Institute a quota. Go beyond 30 percent which is a low bar and does not result in gender parity in a world, and a country, in which more than half the population are women and girls. Low bars do nothing for us. Let’s start with acknowledging that we have a long way to go, then figure out how to get there. Make the quota 50 percent, and do it now.

The current administration can still do this on a national level. All political parties can do it for themselves. Let’s call on all political parties to make their positions on women’s leadership clear by instituting party quotas of 50 percent now. This commits them to do the work of recruiting and training women, creating enabling environments within the parties, and improving the conditions of all women so that they are able to pursue opportunities in frontline politics and other forms of political leadership.

2. Provide training and mentorship for women.

Boys and men are raised and trained to believe that they are destined for leadership while girls and women are often taught that they are to play supportive roles. What we see in the leadership of men and boys and in women and girls is not a result of natural abilities or inclinations on the basis of gender, but gender ideologies that have been used to put people on particular paths. Men and boys have long been considered more suitable for leadership and certain kinds of work, so women and girls have been dealing with implicit and explicit discouragements from leadership and the areas of work that have been reserved for men. This needs to be intentionally interrupted and corrected. We need specific programmes and initiatives targeting women and girls, preparing them for leadership.

3. Reject gender stereotypes.

Publicly challenge and rebuke all suggestions that gender is a determinant of ability or suitability. Create opportunities for women and girls to pursue education and careers in areas that continue to be dominated by men. Run campaigns that highlight women already working in these areas, their contributions to the industries and to the country, and the support that has made it possible. Encourage the private sector to do the same. One example is providing scholarships and other opportunities such

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis (below) speaks at the swearing in ceremony for the new Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction Pakesia Parker Edgecombe (left).

Dr Minnis said: “Unfortunately, today, the representation of women in the Cabinet is at an historic low given the previous number of women serving at that level.

(BIS Photos/Letisha Henderson)

as fellowships to girls and women pursuing education in STEM and trades.

4. Reduce the burden of care work. One of the factors that impacts people’s performance in the workplace and both ability and willingness to pursue ambitions is the work they have to do outside of their formal employment. Women are often tasks with the upkeep of the home. Even if a household can afford to employ domestic workers, the supervision and management of household tasks still tends to be the responsibility of the women. Childcare and eldercare are often the responsibility of women as well.

There is so much to be done at home that it is known as “the second shift” and can prevent women—and the girls often enlisted to help and learn from them—from studying and participating in other activities that could help to advance their careers. Recognize that women’s time is not elastic, acknowledge that women have taken on much of the work that the state is obligated to do, and make structural changes to allow and encourage men to share the domestic labour and support women in reclaiming their time.

For example, change the expectation that women are solely responsibly for childcare by amending legislation to give parental leave so that fathers have more than five days to help with newborn care, leaving postpartum

women to heal and care for babies alone.

5. Protect women from gender-based violence.

Gender-based violence is a pervasive issue that is affecting families, communities, islands, and the country. It can be physical or non-physical, and it takes place both in person and online. Social media has been weaponized by men, used to discourage women from engaging in public life and punishing them for it if they dare to enter public life anyway.

This administration and all political parties need to rebuke all forms of violence against all women, regardless of political affiliation or position. Disparaging comments and ads that target women on the basis on their gender need to be banned.

There are many other ways to create an

environment that is conducive to participation of women and other marginalized people.

This needs to be regarded as a matter of priority and a marker of the commitment of the Prime Minister and all political parties to ensuring, not only greater participation of women in politics, but gender parity.

It’s not just about recruiting women and hoping they accept under the current conditions.

There is a responsibility to create a better environment through systems and initiatives that not only demonstrate personal and political commitment, but contribute to a cultural shift that creates space for women to not only lead, but do so with support and the reasonable expectation that they and their families will be safe.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, March 10, 2021, PAGE 9

AT DUBAI AIRPORT, TRAVELERS’ EYES BECOME THEIR PASSPORTS

FACE and iris-recognition gates are shown during a media tour at Dubai airport, United Arab Emirates. Dubai airport offers the latest artificial intelligence program amid the surging coronavirus pandemic, with contact-less technology the government promotes as helping to stem the spread of the virus. But the efforts also have renewed questions about mass surveillance in the federation of seven sheikhdoms, which experts believe has among the highest per capita concentrations of surveillance cameras in the world. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai’s airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, can already feel surreal, with its cavernous duty-free stores, artificial palm trees, gleaming terminals, water cascades and near-Arctic levels of air conditioning.

Now, the key east-west transit hub is rolling out another addition from the realm of science fiction — an iris-scanner that verifies one’s identity and eliminates the need for any human interaction when entering or leaving the country.

It’s the latest artificial intelligence program the United Arab Emirates has launched amid the surging coronavirus pandemic, contact-less technology the government promotes as helping to stem the spread of the virus.

But the efforts also have renewed questions about mass surveillance in the federation of seven sheikhdoms, which experts believe has among the highest per capita concentrations of surveillance cameras in the world.

Dubai’s airport started offering the program to all passengers last month. On Sunday, travelers stepped up to an iris scanner after checking in, gave it a good look and breezed through passport control within seconds. Gone were the days of paper tickets or unwieldy phone apps.

In recent years, airports across the world have accelerated their use of timesaving facial recognition

A WOMAN enters the face and irisrecognition gate to board a plane, during a media tour at Dubai Airport, in the United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) technology to move passengers to their flights. But Dubai’s iris scan improves on the more commonplace automated gates seen elsewhere, authorities said, connecting the iris data to the country’s facial recognition databases so the passenger needs no identifying documents or boarding pass.

The unusual partnership between long-haul carrier Emirates, owned by a Dubai sovereign wealth fund, and the Dubai immigration office integrates the data and carries travelers from check-in to boarding in one fell swoop, they added.

“The future is coming,” said Major Gen. Obaid Mehayer Bin Suroor, deputy director of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs. “Now, all the procedures have become ‘smart,’ around five to six seconds.”

But like all facial recognition technology, the program adds to fears of vanishing privacy in the country, which has faced international criticism for targeting journalists and human rights activists.

According to Emirates’ biometric privacy statement, the airline links passengers’ faces with other personally identifying data, including passport and flight information, retaining it for “as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.” The agreement offered few details about how the data will be used and stored, beyond saying that while the company didn’t make copies of passengers’ faces, other personal data “can be processed in other Emirates’ systems.”

Bin Suroor stressed that Dubai’s immigration office “completely protects” passengers’ personal data so that “no third party can see it.”

But without more information about how data will be used or stored, biometric technology raises the possibility of misuse, experts say.

“Any kind of surveillance technology raises red flags, regardless of what kind of country it’s in,” said Jonathan Frankle, a doctoral student in artificial intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“But in a democratic country, if the surveillance technology is used transparently, at least there’s an opportunity to have a public conversation about it.”

Iris scans, requiring people to stare into a camera as though they’re offering a fingerprint, have become more widespread worldwide in recent years as questions have arisen over the accuracy of facial recognition technology.

Iris biometrics are considered more reliable than surveillance cameras that scan people’s faces from a distance without their knowledge or consent.

Despite concerns about overzealous surveillance in the UAE, the country’s vast facial recognition network only shows signs of expanding.

Last month, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as Dubai’s ruler, announced the country would begin trials of new facial recognition technology to cut down on paperwork in “some private sector services,” without elaborating.

During the pandemic, the skyscrapper-studded city of Dubai has advanced an array of technological tools to fight the virus in malls and on streets, including disinfectant foggers, thermal cameras and face scans that check for masks and take temperatures.

The programs similarly use cameras that can record and upload people’s data, potentially feeding the information into the city-state’s wider biometric databases.

TECHTALK NASA’S NEW MARS ROVER HITS DUSTY RED ROAD, 1ST TRIP 21 FEET

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s newest Mars rover hit the dusty red road last week, putting 21 feet on the odometer in its first test drive.

The Perseverance rover ventured from its landing position Thursday, two weeks after setting down on the red planet to seek signs of past life.

The roundabout, back and forth drive lasted just 33 minutes and went so well that more driving was on tap Friday and Saturday for the the six-wheeled rover.

“This is really the start of our journey here,” said Rich Rieber, the NASA engineer who plotted the route. “This is going to be like the Odyssey, adventures along the way, hopefully no Cyclops, and I’m sure there will be stories aplenty written about it.”

In its first drive, Perseverance went forward 13 feet (4 metres), took a 150-degree left turn, then backed up 8 feet (2.5 metres).

During a news conference Friday, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, shared photos of its tracks over and around small rocks.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to see wheel tracks and I’ve seen a lot of them,” said engineer Anais Zarifian.

Flight controllers are still checking all of Perseverance’s systems. So far, everything is looking good. The rover’s 7-foot (2-metre) robot arm, for instance, flexed its muscles for the first time last Tuesday.

Before the car-size rover can head for an ancient river delta to collect rocks for eventual return to Earth, it must drop its so-called protective “belly pan” and release an experimental helicopter named Ingenuity.

As it turns out, Perseverance landed right on the edge of a potential helicopter landing strip — a nice, flat spot, according to Rieber.

So the plan is to drive out of this landing strip, ditch the pan, then return for Ingenuity’s highly anticipated test flight. All this should be accomplished by late spring.

DRONES VS HUNGRY MOTHS: DUTCH USE HI-TECH TO PROTECT CROPS

By MIKE CORDER Associated Press

A MOTH-killing drone hovers over crops in a green house in Monster, Netherlands. (AP Photo/Mike Corder)

MONSTER, Netherlands (AP) — Dutch cress grower Rob Baan has enlisted high-tech helpers to tackle a pest in his greenhouses: palm-sized drones seek and destroy moths that produce caterpillars that can chew up his crops.

“I have unique products where you don’t get certification to spray chemicals and I don’t want it,” Baan said in an interview in a greenhouse bathed in the pink glow of LED lights that help his seedlings grow. His company, Koppert Cress, exports aromatic seedlings, plants and flowers to topend restaurants around the world.

A keen adopter of innovative technology in his greenhouses, Baan turned to PATS Indoor Drone

Solutions, a startup that is developing autonomous drone systems as greenhouse sentinels, to add another layer of protection for his plants.

The drones themselves are basic, but they are steered by smart technology aided by special cameras that scan the airspace in greenhouses.

The drones instantly kill the moths by flying into them, destroying them in midair.

“So it sees the moth flying by, it knows where the drone is ... and then it just directs the drone towards the moth,” said PATS chief technical officer Kevin van Hecke.

There weren’t any moths around on a recent greenhouse visit by The Associated Press, but the company has released video shot in a controlled

environment that shows how one bug is instantly pulverized by a drone rotor.

The drones form part of an array of pest control systems in Baan’s greenhouses that also includes other bugs, pheromone traps and bumblebees.

The drone system is the brainchild of former students from the Technical University in Delft who thought up the idea after wondering if they might be able to use drones to kill mosquitos buzzing around their rooms at night.

Baan says the drone control system is smart enough to distinguish between good and bad critters.

“You don’t want to kill a ladybug, because a ladybug is very helpful against aphids,” he said. “So they should kill the bad ones, not the good ones. And the good ones are sometimes

very expensive — I pay at least 50 cents for one bumblebee, so I don’t want them to kill my bumblebees.”

The young company is still working to perfect the technology.

“It’s still a development product, but we ... have very good results.

“We are targeting moths and we are taking out moths every night in an autonomous way without human intervention,” said PATS CEO Bram Tijmons. “I think that’s a good step forward.”

Baan also acknowledges that the system still needs refining.

“I think they still need too many drones ... but it will be manageable, it will be less,” he said. “I think they can do this greenhouse in the future maybe with 50 small drones, and then it’s very beneficial.”

PAGE 10, Wednesday, March 10, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

VENEZUELANS OVERJOYED BY US TEMPORARY RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITY

By REGINA GARCIA CANO AND GISELA SALOMON ASSOCIATED PRESS MIAMI (AP) — Maria Ortiz left Venezuela almost four years ago when she realised her job opportunities were nonexistent.

Freshly graduated from college with a degree in petroleum engineering, she boarded a plane and traded her dream of a professional career for a better quality of life in the U.S. Ortiz has since worked in restaurant kitchens in Maryland, earning enough to raise her 2-year-old daughter and make ends meet even during the pandemic.

But their life may change drastically this year after the decision of President Joe Biden’s administration to offer temporary legal residency to several hundred thousand Venezuelans who fled their country’s humanitarian crisis.

“I am very happy to know that I will have legal stability, that I will have the opportunity to choose a good job,” said Ortiz, 25, who hopes she can find a job that matches her engineering skills. “Feeling the relief of knowing that I will be here, that they will not take me out of the country, that relief of knowing that I will be truly safe causes me great emotion.”

The U.S. government on Monday announced it would grant temporary protected status to Venezuelans already in the United States, allowing an estimated 320,000 people to apply to legally live and work in the country for 18 months. The move, which former President Donald Trump had resisted, was welcomed by immigrants, advocates and lawmakers, some of whom had introduced a measure with the same goal.

People must show continued residency and pass a criminal background check to qualify for the status. Venezuelans must have arrived by Monday to be considered for the programme. Those eligible to apply include people who have a pending asylum case and those whose asylum claim was rejected but remain in the U.S. Venezuela is mired in a deep political, social and economic crisis attributed to plummeting oil prices and two decades of mismanagement by socialist governments.

Millions live in poverty amid high food prices, medication shortages, low wages and four-digit inflation. That has pushed about 5 million Venezuelans to flee in the past few years, mostly to neighboring South American countries, but many have settled in South Florida.

Many of those who immigrated to the U.S. have applied for asylum, but escaping a humanitarian crisis does not automatically result in the approval of an asylum case in the U.S. More than 50% of asylum applications from Venezuelans have been rejected over the past few years, said Michael Kagan, law professor and director of the immigration clinic at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

“As long as someone does not have a significant criminal record, it’s a pretty straightforward application, and I would expect nearly all to be approved,” Kagan said referring to the temporary protected status programme.

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday urged Biden’s government to expand eligibility to Venezuelan asylum seekers who were sent to Mexico to await the processing of their case under the Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as Remain in Mexico.

The international monitoring group said about 2,700 Venezuelans are in that position.

“The Biden administration should end summary expulsions at the US border and establish a waiver to the TPS physical presence requirement so that Venezuelan asylum seekers who were prevented from entering the United States will also be eligible,” Bill Frelick, the group’s director of refugee and migrant rights, said in a statement.

A VIEW of Buckingham Palace, in London, Tuesday. Britain’s royal family is absorbing the tremors from a sensational television interview by Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, in which the couple said they encountered racist attitudes and a lack of support that drove Meghan to thoughts of suicide. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

ROYAL FAMILY SAYS HARRY, MEGHAN RACISM CHARGES ‘CONCERNING’

By DANICA KIRKA ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON (AP) — Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that allegations of racism made earlier this week by Prince Harry and Meghan were “concerning” and would be addressed privately by the royal family.

The comments, made in a statement issued on behalf Queen Elizabeth II, are the first from the palace since the two-hour television interview with Meghan and Harry rocked the royal family. Meghan, who is biracial, said the palace had failed to help her when she had suicidal thoughts and that an unidentified member of the royal family had raised “concerns” about the colour of her baby’s skin when she was pregnant with her son, Archie.

“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” the palace said. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning.

While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.’’

The interview, conducted

by Oprah Winfrey and which aired Sunday night in the U.S. and a day later in Britain, has divided people around the world. While many say the allegations demonstrate the need for change inside a palace that hasn’t kept pace with the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements, others have criticised Harry and Meghan for dropping their bombshell while Harry’s 99-year-old grandfather, Prince Philip, remains hospitalised in London after a heart procedure.

Anna Whitelock, a professor of history and director of the Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London, said the palace’s brief message was an effort to quiet the controversy.

“It’s not very long, but it’s very precise and it has a clear intent — and that is to close this down as a family matter; to make clear that this is clearly a family in crisis, that there’s family issues to sort out, but to separate this very clearly from any criticism or discussion about the institution of monarchy itself,” she told The Associated Press.

“And I think time will tell whether that’s a distinction that the public will accept.”

While the palace often tries to stay above controversy by remaining silent and riding out the storm, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charges proved so damaging that the family was forced to respond.

The response was likely

NEWSPAPERS headlining Prince Harry and Meghan’s explosive TV interview are displayed for sale outside a shop in London, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) delayed by the queen’s married in May 2018 in mental health assistance to step away from royal struggle to balance her a ceremony at Windsor from the palace’s human duties and move to Califorsometimes-conflicting roles Castle that ended with a resources staff, she was told nia last year. as monarch and grand- ride around the town in a they couldn’t help because But the most explosive mother, said Angela Levin, horse-drawn carriage. In she wasn’t a paid employee. issue was race. author of “Harry, a Biog- the early days of their mar- She also said Harry told her The royal family has raphy of a Prince,” before riage, the couple were seen there were “concerns and tried to address that head the statement was released. as the fresh young face conversations” about how on, although the rest of the During past crises, the of the monarchy for an dark Archie’s skin would discussion is likely to take 94-year-old monarch has increasingly multicultural be. place in private, Whitelock usually come down on the nation.

Winfrey later said Harry said. side of the 1,000-year-old But the story quickly told her off camera that “I’m sure there will be a institution she has led since turned sour. The couple the family member wasn’t lot of soul searching within 1952. stepped away from royal Queen Elizabeth II or the royal family, but this “The queen has a motto: duties last year and moved Prince Philip, sparking a is going to be very much Never complain, never to California, saying they flurry of speculation about behind closed doors and explain,” Levin told the AP. wanted to escape racist who it could be. we’re not going to see dra“And she’s stuck with this coverage and unwanted Harry also revealed that matic statements, dramatic for decades. But I think in intrusions on their privacy the stresses the couple changes,” she said. this climate and 2021, eve- by the British media. endured had ruptured rela“This is going to be about rything goes everywhere.

During the interview, tions with his father, Prince a family who are going to There’s so much social Meghan described feeling Charles, heir to the Brit- have to look at themselves media that in this instance, so isolated and miserable ish throne, and his brother, and reflect on what’s hapshe really can’t not say inside the royal family that Prince William, illuminat- pened and what needs to anything.” she had suicidal thoughts, ing the depth of the family happen and what needs to Harry and Meghan yet when she asked for divisions that led the couple change.”

THIS image provided by Harpo Productions shows Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, in conversation with Oprah Winfrey. (Joe Pugliese/Harpo Productions via AP)