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Volume: 119 No.76, March 11, 2022

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‘TALKING STUPIDNESS’

Minnis fury over Davis’ allegations in assembly which cast slur on NGO

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net DR Hubert Minnis has accused Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis of irresponsibly impugning a non-profit organisation affiliated with the former administration’s food programme, warning his comments could make it difficult to attract private sector assistance in the future.

“It’s a stupid and immature statement, an irresponsible statement to be made by any Prime Minister and I can’t wait to get in Parliament to buss his a** and their a** for talking stupidness,” Dr Minnis said yesterday.

On Wednesday, Mr Davis

said an NGO attached to the Minnis administration’s national food programme had close to $2m sitting in its bank account that was not used to help Bahamians. He said the money has since been returned to the government as demanded by his administration.

However, Dr Minnis said the matter was a result of a quoting error that the NGO was working to resolve.

“An unfortunate event had happened and some of the monies were misquoted

by NGOs in their financial systems,” Dr Minnis said.

“They were misquoted and as a result of that requests would have been made for money to keep the food running to feed Bahamians SEE PAGE THREE

BANK CHIEF: DON’T RULE OUT FUTURE INCOME TAX

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL Bank governor John Rolle yesterday voiced optimism The Bahamas is far from a sovereign debt default as it retains multiple revenue-raising options including an income tax.

Mr Rolle told a webinar organised by the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of The Bahamas that its members “should not be deriving any comfort” from the possibility that the government will default on its $10.6bn direct debt when they assess the country’s prospects for returning to

fiscal sustainability postDorian and COVID-19.

Emphasising he was not advocating for The Bahamas to impose any type of income tax, he nevertheless warned Bahamians to remain alive to the possibility that such a levy may be implemented over the medium to long-term should the government’s financial needs become pressing.

“In theory you have already priced in some level or other of what the path to fiscal sustainability for The Bahamas looks like,” Mr Rolle told the society members.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

‘PARTY TIME’

PRESTON Wallace alongside a Carnival Cruise Line captain as the company celebrated 50 years of cruising to The Bahamas in Pompey Square yesterday - along with the announcement that company projects are expected to bring 1,000 full-time jobs to the country. See PAGE TWO for the full story.

Photo: Donavan Mcintosh/Tribune Staff

‘CREDIBLE OFFERS’ ON CDC ALERT EASED IN TABLE TO BUY LUCAYAN WAKE OF CASES FALL

By KHRISNA RUSSELL and DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Staff Reporters

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said there are “two significant” offers for the purchase of the Grand Lucayan resort in Grand Bahama that the government is mulling over.

LOCKOUT IS OVER AT LAST FOR MLB - FULL STORY, SEE SPORTS

The request for proposals process to acquire the property closed on March 2.

“The update I have, (the) Minister of Investments and Deputy Prime Minister has indicated to me that the bids are in,” Mr Davis told The Tribune on the sidelines of an event in SEE PAGE THREE

NAUGHTY WEED AND THE WAR

PAGE EIGHT

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed The Bahamas’ travel risk rating from level four to level three, reflecting the decline in local COVID-19 cases.

DIANE PHILLIPS THE LOST ART OF LETTER WRITING

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

“The Ministry of Health and Wellness today advised that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has de-escalated the COVID-19 Travel Risk Advisory Rating for The Bahamas from a level four (very high) to a level three (high),” the Ministry of SEE PAGE FOUR

PAGE NINE

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PAGE 2, Friday, March 11, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

JUNKANOO performers at yesterday’s Carnival Cruise 50th Birthday Celebration.

Photos: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

Here to stay - and bringing 1,000 jobs

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net CARNIVAL Cruise Line President Christine Duffy has affirmed the company’s commitment to major investments in the country specifically the planned $200m development of a new port in Grand Bahama and $100m of enhancements planned for the island of San Salvador.

The company official said Carnival is currently working in partnership with the government to finalise needed permits and approvals to develop the two major projects in cooperation with the Grand Bahama Port Authority and the government.

“The first, a new cruise port destination primarily for Carnival Cruise Line on Grand Bahama, will represent an investment of over $200m,” the company said in a press release.

“The second project, on

the Bahamian island of little San Salvador, home to Holland America Line’s award-winning Half Moon Cay port, will constitute an estimated $100m investment over time.”

Ms Duffy revealed these projects are expected to bring 1,000 full-time jobs while speaking yesterday at Carnival’s 50th anniversary of cruising to The Bahamas celebration at Pompey Square.

“With the committed support of government leaders and agencies, we are currently working on advancing two major projects. I would like to say thank you to all who are here who have supported us on this important journey so far,” she told the audience.

“Representing a $200m investment, the Grand Bahama Cruise Port will offer guests a spectacular beach front and exciting Bahamian experiences. The port will offer many job

opportunities, including the chance for local entrepreneurs to feature Bahamian food and retail items. It will open the door to Grand Bahama and we expect, we know it will bring a positive economic impact for the local community.

“Also $100m of enhancements are planned for the island of little San Salvador home to the beautiful beaches of Half Moon Cay. This project will include a new tender marina and a pier that will accommodate larger ships including our spectacular new flag ship Mardi Gras which was inaugurated last year and Carnival Celebration which we will unveil later this year in Miami.

“As we continue to grow our presence in The Bahamas, we will continue to be focused on ensuring positive local impact for The Bahamian communities that surround our ports. We are proud to be the number one employer of Eleuthera

THE RBDF Band performing at the Carnival Cruise 50th Birthday Celebration yesterday. and with the planned expansion that number will only grow.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was a part of the chorus congratulating the cruise company for reaching half a century of service. He highlighted the benefit of the Carnival Cruise Port in Grand Bahama for the economy.

“I’m personally looking

FROM left, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy, Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, and Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper.

forward to the Carnival Cruise Line Port in Grand Bahama, as well as the new multi-cruise line partnership for a shipyard that will provide opportunities for local residents. As my administration seeks to expand the blue economy, and increase local opportunities within the sector, investments like these operate at the intersection of tourism and the blue economy, allowing us to leverage our coasts and waters for the mutual benefit of our people and investors alike.

These kinds of investments are what will allow us to take our first steps confidently into a robust and sustainable development of our blue resources,” he said.

Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper noted that over the years this cruise line has deepened its stakes in our economy, remaining a loyal committed partner.

“One of the guiding mandates of this ‘New Day’ administration is the commitment to create more opportunities for entrepreneurship in the tourism sector for Bahamians,”

Mr Cooper said. “Our partnership with Carnival will facilitate this goal as increased opportunities are made available for local businesses. Persons with a wide array of services, tours, and excursions and we are calling today for an even deeper partnership with the Tourism Development Corporation as we seek to bring even more Bahamians into the tourism space as entrepreneurs,” he said.

Local investment was discussed on the sidelines of the event by Ms Duffy and Mr Cooper.

As for the timeline of new developments, Mr Cooper said “we’re at advanced stages in terms of final approvals”.

“I anticipate that the Minister for Grand Bahama will make an announcement when she speaks at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook on the 17th,” he said.

Meanwhile, the anniversary was marked by Carnival presenting a contribution of $50,000 to the LJM Maritime Academy for specialised equipment to support cadet education.

Transport Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis recently spoke to the media about the government’s investigation into Carnival’s dumping in Bahamian waters.

“I was advised that the office had handed that investigation over to the DEPP (Department of Environmental Planning and Protection), who has to carry out and complete the environmental portion of that report, so that they can determine what sanctions

would be placed on Carnival,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said.

“And, so, I think the discussion now lies with the DEPP and the Office of the Attorney General to determine what the penalties will be as it relates to Carnival. So my office just did the investigation along with them because it falls under us when it’s those sorts of incidents, but as it relates to the environmental portion and the penalties, that would go to the DEPP.”

ENVIRONMENT IS ‘NUMBER ONE PRIORITY’ FOR CARNIVAL

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

CARNIVAL Cruise Line President Christine Duffy says the corporation’s “number one priority” is compliance and care for the environment.

Her comment yesterday was a response to The Tribune regarding reports from a local daily about the probability of penalties or sanctions against Carnival Cruise Line.

A US court mandated report released in 2019 revealed the company dumped hundreds of thousands of gallons of treated sewage and more than 8,000 gallons of food waste in Bahamian waters in 2017.

The Ministry of Transport and Local Government had previously said it found the allegations disturbing and that the Port Department and the Bahamas Maritime Authority would investigate the allegations.

Yet, the outcome of the

investigation has not been made public.

When this newspaper asked the Carnival official yesterday if the company accepts possible sanctions and what the company would do in the future to improve, Ms Duffy said the company is taking measures to take care of the environment.

“Carnival Corporation is committed,” Ms Duffy said “Our number one priority is compliance and care for the environment. The

work that we are doing, the investment we are making to ensure that we can operate sustainably as we have made investment on our newest ships with LNG technology and any lessons that we have learned we have incorporated into our commitments as we move forward to ensure that we keep everyone healthy, safe and, including the destinations that we bring our ships to. That’s a number one priority for our entire corporation.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, March 11, 2022, PAGE 3

TODDLER IN ROOM WITH MUM FOUND DEAD IN SUSPECTED SUICIDE

A BODY being taken from the Land Shark Coco Plum Resort last night.

Photo: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

A YOUNG mother was found hanging in a room at a hotel on West Bay Street last night, police said.

Police suspect the woman hung herself with a cord suspended from the ceiling at a room in the Land Shark Coco Plum Resort. Her toddler son was in the room with her when the incident occurred.

However, Superintendent Audley Peters told reporters at the scene that due to the early stages of the investigation, police will await the result of an autopsy to officially determine the cause of death.

He said a friend discovered the woman unresponsive in the hotel room and police were alerted about the incident shortly after 8pm.

“At this time, we believe that the person would have taken a cord and perhaps used the leverage from the ceiling and hung themselves,” Supt Peters said.

While he did not release the woman’s identity, citing the need for her to be identified by a next of kin, he

said the deceased is a Bahamian in her late 20s.

The woman’s young son was taken to the hospital for an assessment, Supt Peters said.

A man, who claimed he is the child’s father, was at the scene, Supt Peters said.

However, he added that police have to confirm his claim before the child will be turned over to him. In the meantime, the child will remain in the custody of the state.

Supt Peters said the man was not at the site at the time of the incident, according to the investigation. He arrived after the police and expressed his thoughts that the incident didn’t have to happen, Supt Peters said.

Asked if police suspected any foul play, Supt Peters told reporters: “We’re early in the investigations, the evidence is going to direct us. . .Once we have gotten the autopsy it will tell us some things. . .to determine the exact cause of death or who caused the death to the individual.”

Asked if the deceased left behind a note, Supt Peters said he did not think so, but said police will be looking at her phone to see the victim’s last thoughts.

The Land Shark hotel is used by the Department of Social Services to house people in need of immediate housing assistance.

Asked by a reporter if police had complaints from residents that the property is unsafe, Supt Peters said he was not aware of any.

“I’m not aware of any complaints coming out of the property. There are persons who complain about weekend events where persons come to enjoy themselves with libations.

Wherever you have libations you are going to have perhaps a rowdy crowd, to say that it is not safe, we don’t have complaints of persons being assaulted or any crime that I’m aware of at this locale.”

Anyone with information that could help this investigation is asked to contact police at 502-9991/2.

‘Talking stupidness’ from page one who were in need, which was an emergency. They subsequently with time realised that some monies were misquoted. Government was contacted as to how to return the monies since they were misquoted, but not at one time was any of the money used by NGOs for any personal use or misappropriation.

“The monies were subsequently returned to government, but you know and I know that the hardest thing in the world to do is to return monies to

government. Davis and his government need to be very careful when they are trying to impugn the reputation of the NGOs who have done so much for this country.

He should not be playing political mischief when the integrity of the disbursement of the monies was preserved. Not one red cent was mismanaged by the NGOs,” Dr Minnis said.

Mr Davis said a review of the food programme under his predecessor is ongoing. He said record keeping with the programme was poor and claimed public officers in the Ministry of

Social Services who created the food programme were isolated from the operations of the initiative.

Dr Minnis said: “The Davis administration will force NGOs in the future not to become involved in doing the good work that they are doing with government and not to become involved in assisting government because of political mischief and the impugning of their reputation. They must be very, very careful because should another disaster happen in The Bahamas, because of what the PLP government

is attempting to do and lest the NGOs come forth and private sector come forth to assist, the Bahamas would be in serious problems.”

Susan Larson, who headed the feeding programme, voiced similar fears to Tribune Business on Wednesday.

She said participants in the programme may be “unnecessarily damaged” by Mr Davis’ continuing attacks on its work.

“I think that you will find each of the NGOs that participated in the task force stands by their record and their service to

the Bahamian people,” Mrs Larson said.

“The funds that the Prime Minister is referring to were miscoded, and not misappropriated, so they were not holding on to these funds as if they knew they had them and refused to spend them. This was an accounting error which, when discovered, the funds were put into escrow and the NGO awaited instructions on returning them to the Public Treasury.

“If you know how account numbers are applied to monies going in and going out, it was

miscoded and not tallied in accounts attached to the task force. It was not spent, it was not tallied. As soon as the error was realised it was held in escrow and immediate steps were taken to return it to the Public Treasury,” she said.

The Minnis administration created the National Food Distribution Task Force, a public/private partnership, in 2020 to provide emergency food assistance for vulnerable Bahamians and residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The programme has since come to an end.

EMERGENCY DRILL EXERCISE HELD ACROSS THE BAHAMAS THE Ministry of Transport and Housing International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Compliance Unit held an emergency drill exercise yesterday.

The national exercise took place in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Inagua,

Eleuthera, Bimini and Abaco to test the response time of first responders in the event of an emergency.

At Bahama Rock in Grand Bahama, one of many test drills to have taken place on different islands, the objective of the event was to test response

to a mock explosion.

Supt Terecita Pinder noted the mock explosion at Bahama Rock was conducted to see how all parties involved would respond and would access the relevant agencies during their procedures.

“So, this was a test just

to see how well we are prepared and how we would respond to such a disaster as this,” she said.

The drill started shortly after 10am.

The Bomb Expert Unit was called in, and once giving the all-clear, the police further secured the

area and the emergency responders from Grand Bahama Health Services arrived. Several emergency departments responded.

“Our response times were good,” Supt Pinder said, “At the end of the day, we are going to be assessed to find out now how well

we responded, how well we assessed the situation and what we did as a result of that. And all parties, Bahama Rock and all parties, will now assess and see what changes need to be made, and what procedures need to be put in place.”

Photo: Andrew Miller/BIS

‘CREDIBLE OFFERS’ ON TABLE TO BUY LUCAYAN from page one

Grand Bahama yesterday.

“There (are) two significant offers that he is processing to make a recommendation to me. I expect to have that by early next week when we consider where we go with those offers.”

In a separate interview yesterday, Tourism, Investments and Aviation Minister Chester Cooper said officials will now look to begin the process of short-listing buyers over the next several days.

He said several “firm offers” were received during the RFP process.

He told reporters that when he speaks at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook on March 17, he

expects to make a further statement regarding the future of the resort.

“With respect to the Grand Lucayan resort as you know the period for offers closed on March 2 at 5pm,” Mr Cooper told reporters when asked about the matter on the sidelines of Carnival Cruises’ 50th anniversary celebration.

“We do have several firm offers and we will begin the process of short listing over the next several days and I anticipate that by the 17th of March when I speak at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook, we will have an opportunity to make a further statement.

“As it stands, we do have several very credible offers and that’s all I can say today

subject to the confidentiality of the matter and therefore I hope to be able to share more with you in due course.”

He also declined to speak on what monetary offers were put on the table for the resort’s purchase.

“I can tell you that the government of The Bahamas has invested $150m into the property and we are going to seek the best possible outcome for the Bahamian people.”

On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean International’s CEO and President Michael Bayley said RCI did not submit a bid during the recent RFP process.

Mr Bayley said that his company is in discussions with other partners for a different project in

Grand Bahama.

“We obviously had a great ambition for Grand Lucayan and then the pandemic hit and, of course, things changed quite dramatically,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“We’re still hopeful and committed to being part of a project in the long run for Freeport obviously and we’re in discussions with the government.”

Last year, when the Davis administration announced the cancellation of RCI’s agreement with the ITM Group to acquire the resort, RCI said it looked forward to participating in the new bid process.

Regarding the proposed $200m Carnival Cruise Port in Grand Bahama, Mr Davis told The Tribune he

hoped “something will be happening within the next 90 days” with that project.

“I hope to see something happening positively,” he said.

PAGE 4, Friday, March 11, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Cooper ‘hopes’ we’ve seen the end of COVID

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net THE day after some COVID-19 restrictions were relaxed, a Cabinet minister revealed the government hopes the country is in the end days of the pandemic.

Tourism, Investments and Aviation Minister Chester Cooper told reporters yesterday the government was confident its protocols had

worked thus far, adding the recent relaxations were positive moves in that they reduced friction for travellers.

He was asked what impact was expected from the government rescinding a requirement for cruise ships to provide passenger and crew manifests outlining vaccination status of all on board.

“Any relaxation of protocols is positive in terms of reducing the friction for

travel,” said Mr Cooper.

“We’ve not only looked at this particular sector but we’ve looked at regattas (and) events. We’ve relaxed the protocols across the country.

“We hope that we’ve seen the end of COVID but we are not prepared yet to declare that the mission has been achieved but we are hopeful.

“We’re going to continue to be responsible. We’re going to continue to strike a

balance between our quality of life and growing the tourism industry and protecting the health and safety of our people. It’s our job as a country to do just that.”

Mr Cooper also said officials continued to be very happy with the protocols cruise lines now have in place.

“They have managed through very difficult circumstances during the pandemic. We supported them in terms of guiding

those protocols (and) working with them to ensure that cruising was as safe as could possibly be. We led the way in the region.

“Many of our counterparts consulted us as to how they might adjust their own protocols.”

Conferences, seminars, workshops, and drivethrough cookouts have also been relaxed.

He said the Ministry of Health was expected to provide more comprehensive

details regarding the loosening of restrictions.

The Ministry of Health reported just three new cases in its March 9 COVID-19 report, bringing the number of confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic to 33,188. The country only has 118 active cases however.

According to the latest data, ten people are in hospital with COVID-19 while there have been 771 COVID-19 deaths.

CDC ALERT EASED IN WAKE OF CASES FALL from page one

Health said in a statement yesterday.

“The level three rating advises international travellers to be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines before travelling to The Bahamas. It also recommends that even if COVID-19 vaccines are up-to-date there may still be a risk for contracting and spreading the virus. The CDC recommends proper mask-wearing while indoors and in public spaces.”

Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said the upgrade is encouraging but stressed the importance of continuing to comply with COVID-19 protocols.

“It’s so important that Bahamians and residents fully appreciate that the country’s return to normality is closely tied to all of us continuing to be compliant with COVID safety recommendations,” he said.

“We all hold the key to our success.

Free testing is available for everyone who wishes to know their COVID-19 status. And getting vaccinated remains the scientifically-proven best way of protecting ourselves and our loved ones. Let’s all do what we need to do to help keep our country moving forward.”

The country recorded three COVID-19 cases on March 9 while hospitalisations have dropped to just 10.

THE GROUNDBREAKING ceremony at the community centre in Bain and Grants Town.

Photo: Racardo Thomas/Tribune Staff

LENDING A HAND IN COMMUNITY LEND-A-Hand Bahamas and FTX broke ground on a new community centre this week, which will be built on Lewis Street in Bain and Grants Town.

FTX has donated $500,000 to the non-profit organisation to build the community centre and help operate it.

FTX has also committed to matching Lend A Hand Bahamas’ 2022 donations up to a further $500,000.

FTX Digital Markets, a digital asset exchange, opened its office in western New Providence late last year.

DR Nicholas Burrowes and Dr Rhea Thurston-Carroll.

TWO DOCTORS JOIN PMH RANKS PRINCESS Margaret Hospital announced that two doctors, Dr Rhea Thurston-Carroll and Dr Nicholas Burrowes, have joined its ranks as consultant physicians in the nephrology and neurosurgery services respectively.

Dr Thurston-Carroll is a Bahamian who received her medical degree at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Trinidad & Tobago, and completed her internship at UWI’s Nassau campus. Her internal medicine residency was completed at St Peter’s University Hospital/ Robert Wood Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey and nephrology fellowship at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.

She achieved an advanced fellowship in kidney transplantation at the University of Miami/ Jackson Memorial Hospital.

She is a board-certified internist and nephrologist.

She is also certified by the American Transplant Society as a United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)kidney transplant physician. She joins PMH with an interest in kidney transplantation.

She is motivated to revitalise a kidney transplant programme, including the living donor programme.

Other interests include management of acute and chronic kidney disease, dialysis, onconephrology (kidney disease in cancer patients) and glomerular disorders. She is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Society of Nephrology, and the American Society of Transplantation.

Dr Burrowes was born in Jamaica and received his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of the West Indies (UWI), School of Medicine, Mona. He specialised in neurosurgery at UWI’s

campus at Mona, Jamaica, and Cornwall Regional Hospital Mount Salem in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

He subsequently completed the Macquarie Orthopaedic Spine Surgery Fellowship at Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney, Australia, in January 2021.

He has made it a priority to give back to the community throughout his career, including volunteering as a medical doctor to various teams in the CARIFTA Athletics Championships.

He is a proud member of the International Congress of Neurological Surgeons and The Association of Surgeons in Jamaica.

PMH said the addition of Dr Thurston-Carroll and Dr Burrowes to the ranks of senior physicians at the hospital “not only enhances our mission to provide care to our patients, but also bolsters our hospital’s teaching mission”.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, March 11, 2022, PAGE 5

Davis: Changed needed in Grand Bahama

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis admits that a change is needed for Grand Bahama to live up to its potential.

He said that unfortunately Grand Bahama is not seeing the kind of investments that is happening in many of the other islands in the Bahamas.

Last Friday, concerned business persons and

residents, led by businessman Darren Cooper and former MP Frederick McAlpine, held a ‘Let’s Take a Stand’ march to the Grand Bahama Port Authority.

The group expressed their concerns about the economic state of Freeport and lack of investment to the island in the past 18 years.

Rev McAlpine has blamed GBPA executives. He claims that Grand Bahama is perishing

because of the lack of vision by executives at the Port Authority.

When asked his thoughts about those concerns, Prime Minister Davis said: “My thought is that GB has not really lived up to its potential. The reasons for that are varied and I would not like to point fingers in respect to that.

“All I know is that there has to be a change and a fundamental change to see how we can get investments here to GB,” he said.

“We have been having over the years investments in many of our islands. And, unfortunately, have not seen the same kind of interest here in GB. When I say interests, it is interest that consummates itself at some point in time.”

Grand Bahama Port Authority president Ian Rolle urged marchers to read the Hawksbill Creek Agreement and its amendments to better understand the agreement.

In response to Mr Rolle, Rev McAlpine, the former Pineridge MP, complained that the Port is not living up to its obligations in the Hawksbill Creek Agreement.

He said that GBPA is responsible for providing an airport, hospital, and additional schools.

One marcher said Grand Bahama’s economy has been in downturn since 2004, and another marcher who lost her 47-year-old husband to COVID said

a new proper hospital is needed urgently.

Rev Frederick McAlpine, who was prominent in Friday’s demonstration outside the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), told Tribune Business that businesses and inhabitants of The Bahamas’ second city were like the “children” caught up in a “bad marriage” involving Freeport’s quasi-governmental regulator, the Government and Hutchison Whampoa.

then deported.”

Mr Hepburn said Elnet Maritime Agency has formed an excellent relationship with top players in the maritime and shipping industry.

“I am a capitalist, however, I do not believe in moratoriums and do not believe in monopolies. I personally believe we put everyone in the playing field and may the best team win.

“This journey here that my family and I embarked

on some 14 years ago has been an inspiration to us, to family, friends and strangers. What we have done here today to this point, and what we are going to do in the future. I (encourage you) ‘if you dream it and you believe it, you can definitely do it,” he said.

Michael Pintard, leader of the opposition, was also present and commended Mr Hepburn. Iram Lewis, MP for Central Grand Bahama, also attended.

ELNET MARITIME CENTRE TO BRING UP TO 100 NEW JOBS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis officially opened the new $2m Elnet Maritime Centre yesterday, which will create 50 to 100 new jobs on Grand Bahama.

The 12,000 sq ft multipurpose building and logistics warehouse on Queen’s Highway houses the leading full service maritime agency in The Bahamas.

Owner Elbert Hepburn, his wife, Gina, and their children, along with Prime Minister Davis and Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey officially cut the ribbon.

Ground was broken in August 2018, however, Hurricane Dorian delayed construction of the centre.

Spartan Builders and Consultants was the contractor.

Mr Davis congratulated Mr Hepburn on his remarkable achievement and for overcoming the challenges he initially encountered when starting the business.

“To have grown to this extent over the past 14 or so years is highly commendable, and you are well on your way to fulfilling your global ambitions,” Mr Davis said.

He also said his administration is focused on the development of the blue economy. He said it was a significant part of their campaign promises.

“We placed a strong focus on how we would manage, promote and develop resources on the sea, in which we include shipping; resources in the sea itself such as fisheries, and resources on the seabed itself, such as our coral reefs, mangroves, and sea grasses,” he explained.

“These promises were articulated in the context of diversifying our economy to spur economic

THE RIBBON is cut on the new $2m Elnet Maritime Centre yesterday. growth, with implications Bahama has endured many is living comfortably in for increasing employment, challenges over the last few Grand Bahama that you generating wealth, and years. However, the open- guys are incompetent, incaexpanding opportunities.” ing of this centre is a step pable, and do not have the The Prime Minister in the right direction for the skillset required to provide services in the shipyard. noted that Mr Hepburn is island,” she said.

“I immediately, furiously providing opportunities for Mrs Coleby-Davis said Bahamians to work around The Bahamas is a maritime came to Grand Bahama the world as leaders in the nation, adding that the mar- and declared war - not a global maritime sector. itime industry contributes war of chaos though. This “I encourage you to keep an estimated 14 to 18 per- war was to create fairness. telling your story and to cent of the gross domestic After years and years of fighting and praying, we keep spreading the mes- product. sage. Let more Bahamians The Bahamas’ ship regis- were able to win this war. know how the maritime try has over 1,500 registered And by extension… the industry is an open door, ships, totaling over 60 mil- expat was terminated and leading to vast opportuni- lion gross tonnage, making ties,” Mr Davis said. it among the top 10 largest Transport and Housing in the world.

Minister Jobeth ColebyMr Hepburn said in 2014 Davis said the centre will he and his wife expanded allow employment oppor- the business following a trip tunities for many Grand to Greece, where they met Bahamians. with 25 clients.

During the construction He shared how they were phase, she noted that some determined to prove that 125 construction jobs were they had the ability to procreated. Mrs Coleby-Davis vide world class services. said the 50-100 new jobs “Every client we met that will be created because with said, we know you of the centre will provide guys are good when it a significant boost for the comes to the oil busiisland’s economy. ness, however, we have “It is no secret that Grand been told by an expat who

ABACO TEACHERS STAGE SICK-OUT

By PAVEL BAILEY

TEACHERS in Abaco staged a sick-out yesterday to protest the continuing teacher shortage on the island a month after the Ministry of Education promised to address the problem.

About 18 teachers from Patrick J Bethel High School participated in the action, this newspaper was told.

Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson, in a statement on the issue, said it is ridiculous that teachers are still waiting on unfulfilled promises made by the Ministry of Education a month ago.

“It’s incredulous, it’s unbelievable that the Minister is still highlighting the fact that Patrick J Bethel High School in Abaco still has a teacher shortage when a PTA meeting was held on February 2, 2022 in Abaco, and the Minister promised that teachers would be sent,” Mrs Wilson said. “We are still awaiting those teachers. Patrick J Bethel needs four English teachers, four mathematics teachers, two social studies teachers, two physical education teachers and a biology teacher.”

She said it is “absurd” that students who still don’t have enough teachers will be expected to write the BJC and BGCSE national examinations next month.

She said that the sick-out was the teachers’ way of making their demands heard as they are “sick and tired” of just promises and

need more teachers on the island.

“Today, Patrick J Bethel teachers took a stand. 95 percent of the teachers at Patrick J Bethel High called in today because they are burnt out, they are sick and tired of promises, they are overworked, and they are overwhelmed,” Mrs Wilson said. “So, the Bahamas Union of Teachers expects for the teachers that were promised over a month ago for Patrick J Bethel High School in Abaco to be sent there. And by the way, don’t forget J A Pinder Primary School in Sandy Point, Abaco, they are also in need of teachers.”

When contacted for comment, Director of Education Marcellus Taylor said he received reports from the district superintendent in Abaco that 18 of the 23 teachers at Patrick J Bethel did not report to work yesterday. However, Mr Taylor said that his ministry was unaware of this sick-out beforehand despite what he calls established protocol on industrial action.

“We’ve never received any grievance based on the industrial agreement,” Mr Taylor said. “The formula for before any kind of industrial action is taken is that you’re supposed to put out a letter outlining what your grievances are, giving the principal a chance to address the matter and in that same period of time if the principal is unable to address those issues, then it’s escalated.”

He said the ministry is trying to address the

teacher shortage.

“We know that we do have some teacher shortages at that institution.

There are a number of teachers that we are seeking to place there,” he said.

He said the teacher shortage is due in part to the housing crisis in Abaco as a result of Hurricane Dorian.

The Ministry of Education is currently undergoing a vetting process for teachers who were graduated from UB in 2021 to be deployed to Abaco as Mrs Wilson suggested. He said the ministry is also lining up geographical posting allowances for the teachers potentially being sent to Abaco and disagreed with Mrs Wilson’s sentiment that these teachers be immediately deployed virtually. He said the Ministry of Education prefers to get teachers physically on the island as soon as possible to fully resume face-to-face learning.

However, Mr Taylor was unable to give a firm date as to when those teachers would arrive on Abaco.

“As soon as all of their clearances are made (for teachers). So, we’ve identified teachers, but now we are in the process of having some or all of these things concluded (vetting, geographical posting allowance) so we can send them down. So, it’s taking a while because we have been trying to work on this for some time, but this system is also multi-agency, so it has taken a while. Our hopes are any day now, but I can’t give you a specific date.”

Photo: Andrew Miller/BIS

PAGE 6, Friday, March 11, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

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Published daily Monday to Friday

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Showdown ahead for Minnis and Davis SECONDS out, it’s time for the battle between former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and his successor, Philip “Brave” Davis.

Dr Minnis was not holding back in his criticism of comments by Mr Davis during his mid-year Budget speech. He was particularly frustrated by what Mr Davis had to say about a non-governmental organisation (NGO) involved in the food programme.

Mr Davis had said: “These NGOs were holding onto substantial amounts of cash. In one case, one had close to $2m sitting in their bank accounts.

Why? These amounts have since been returned as we have demanded, but this fact, coupled with the extremely poor record-keeping which characterised all elements of this programme, leaves one to question what exactly was the true purpose of this programme.

“It clearly was not just to address food insecurity. Some NGOs have, in fact, failed to provide any real information.”

Dr Minnis was forthright in his response. He said: “It’s a stupid and irresponsible statement, an irresponsible statement to be made by any Prime Minister and I can’t wait to get in Parliament to buss his a** and their a** for talking stupidness.”

There was indeed a problem – it seems a quoting error was the cause of the problem – but as Dr Minnis said: “The monies were subsequently returned to government, but you know and I know that the hardest thing in the world to do is to return monies to government.

Davis and his government need to be very careful when they are trying to impugn the reputation of the NGOs who have done so much for this country. He should not be playing political mischief when the integrity of the disbursement of the monies was preserved. Not one red cent was mismanaged by the NGOs. “The Davis administration will force NGOs in the future not to become involved in doing the good work that they are doing with government and not

to become involved in assisting government because of political mischief and the impugning of their reputation.”

In other words, don’t slander people’s name for no good reason if you want them to keep on offering to help. Why would an NGO continue to offer its support if the government is suggesting something inappropriate was going on?

So get ready to take your seats for the showdown in Parliament when Dr Minnis is threatening to have his say in return – very strongly.

We suspect this will be one worth watching.

Grand Lucayan When the government pulled the plug on the Grand Lucayan deal in December, it talked of being “committed to doing a deal expeditiously” and selling “the property in the shortest possible time frame”.

The deal with Royal Caribbean had dragged on and on, and had looked increasingly likely for some time not to go ahead – but now the prospects of a deal are in the hands of the Davis administration, and it’s time to deliver on that promise.

Two “significant” offers are on the table for the government to consider after the request for proposals ended on March 2.

Mr Davis said yesterday he expects the Deputy Prime Minister to have processed those to present to him by early next week for consideration.

He says he anticipates a further statement at the Grand Bahama Business Outlook next week.

Understandably at this stage, he cannot say much until the offers are given closer scrutiny, but he’s suggested a quick process – and the proof will be in the pudding.

His government has suggested it will soon be off our hands – so not it’s up to him. We await with interest.

Readers have their say on news READERS having been speaking up on the issues in the news on The Tribune’s website, www.tribune242. com.

When concerns were raised about what the government’s policy was with regard to Russia and Ukraine, Bahamianson asked: “Oh, so we have a policy on The Ukraine?

Yeah, only export 10 pounds of crab and fish.

We really think we are important.”

Godspeed added: “‘Policy’ should be to stay out of it and mind your own business. Neutrality.”

Proguing said: “After some of the largest countries in the world (China, India and Brazil) refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I doubt that whatever the Bahamas will do will have much impact on ‘humanity’.”

Proguing added: “We have to be pragmatic. If we can get Russian oil at a discount, why not take it? The USA is a big producer of oil, so it’s easy for them to say no to Russian oil. However, they have a shortage of Uranium and surprise, there is no sanction on the Russian import of Uranium. As for Europe they are still importing Russian oil and gas.”

Tribanon replied: “Whenever you choose to deal with the Devil, there’s always a most serious price to be paid. Germany is a shining example of that today.”

DDK said: “Must we really have a policy? These politicians should be careful what they wish for!

Neutrality would be wise.

Why should we be urged to do this or that? It is these very urgings and interferences that constantly lead to unrest and war. Some countries never learn or perhaps simply don’t care to learn.”

Sheeprunner said: “Russia & Cuba are aligned .......... So what if we are affected by that alignment?

What if rich Russians are 242 permanent residents ............. etc, etc???????”

Ted4bz said: “The US got Iran and Venezuela dead wrong and y’all got in that the wrong way. The US got this Ukraine thing with Russia dead wrong too, they already backed themselves hard into a corner.

The future is a mutual partnership with the east. The west as leaders of the global surveillance dictatorship is done. So best y’all save face and stay out of that.”

After the FNM called for the government to amend the law on marital rape, tetelestai said: “The FNM was in power for 4+ years and did nothing to change the law. If this issue was so important to them, then why didn’t they amend the law? So, something they haven’t done in 4 years, they expect the PLP to do in less than 6 months?

Smt...”

Birdiestrachan said: “It is amazing how Mr: Pintard instruct Mr: Davis as to what he should do. When he could not tell Mr: Minnis what to do.

“The FNM Government could have passed any laws they wanted.

“Pintard is all over the

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net

place like a chicken with no head.

“If you cared so much about women why did you not pass the law?

“Mr Pintard is looking more and more like a very foolish man.”

SP added: “Why didn’t Pintard get it done when the FNM was in power???”

After Police Commissioner Rolle talked of ending strong arm tactics by police officers, KapunkieUp said: “Bla, bla, bla.

We hear something like this every couple of years.

External independent oversight with the power to fire and prosecute bad actors is the only thing that’s going to make any difference.

Just the other day a friend of mine was threatened with arrest because the traffic cop felt like he wasn’t getting the ‘respect’ he deserved.”

Tribanon said: “All Rolle is doing here is confessing that for decades now police cadets have not undergone a sound programme of basic law enforcement training at the academy.

And just as our corrupt and elitist political ruling class are responsible for the D - education students get in the public schools, they bear responsibility for the D - training cadets get at the police academy.”

• Join the debate at www. tribune242.com

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, March 11, 2022, PAGE 7

Women convicted of killing Breanna launch appeals

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net TWO women convicted of murdering a teenage mother more than four years ago have launched appeals against their convictions.

Zaria Burrows and Dervinque Edwards were sentenced to 28 years in prison last June after they were found guilty of the 19-year-old’s death in January 2018.

The two women were the last of six women who were convicted and subsequently sentenced in connection with Breanna Mackey’s murder after rejecting plea deals.

During a virtual hearing before Justices Sir Michael Barnett, Jon Isaacs, and Carolita Bethell, attorneys Marianne Cadet and Jairam Mangra — who represent Edwards and Burrows — informed the panel of their clients’ intention to appeal their convictions.

The basis of their arguments is that the women

never intended to cause harm or kill Mackey on the day in question and that there was insufficient evidence to prove the women were guilty of the offence.

“M’lords, we submit that there is no evidence that the crime was committed by the appellant although the appellants admit to being in the vehicle. Her case was that there was no plan to hurt or kill the deceased and that she never exited the vehicle. She did not participate in harming or attacking the deceased,” Ms Cadet said.

“We submit, m’lords, that a plan should be supported by facts and there was evidence which the prosecution presented to say ‘well there was a plan to hurt’. It was the prosecution’s case to say that these ladies were in the vehicle and their intention was to go and attack the deceased, but there was no evidence of that,” the attorney said.

The attorney said the Crown prosecutor alleged that her client had

DEANDREA LEWIS, vice president of life operations at Colina.

Photos: Donavan McIntosh/Tribune Staff

A HELPING HAND FROM COLINA COLINA Insurance Limited made donations to the Bahamas Crisis Centre and Providing Access to Continued Education this week in recognition of International Women’s Day.

Cleopatra Christie, administrator at the Crisis Centre, and Patrice Miller, acting principal at PACE, received $5,000 each on behalf of their organisations on Tuesday.

PATRICE MILLER, principal of PACE, accepts a donation from Colina.

CLEOPATRA CHRISTIE, administrator at the Bahamas Crisis Centre accepts a donation from Colina.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS HOLD DEMONSTRATION

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Tribune Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net AIR traffic controllers who are aggrieved about “administrative” issues demonstrated yesterday, but the matter is now “in hand”, according to Tourism, Investments and Aviation Minister Chester Cooper yesterday.

He said their issues would be resolved in due course.

“The information that I am receiving is it’s not a demonstration for understaffing,” he told reporters.

“We are confident that the air traffic control room is well staffed with competent Bahamians who love our country the way we do.

“They did have some administrative concerns regarding some

internal matters. They demonstrated. We believe that the matter is in hand and will be resolved in due course. I want to add that there has not been any interruption to services and I want to emphasise that notwithstanding some labour concerns, the air traffic controllers are great Bahamians. They love our Bahamas and they recognise the importance of the tourism industry and the aviation sector to our country.”

Last September, airport staff represented by the Bahamas Public Service Union were among demonstrators outside Princess Margaret Hospital complaining about unfair promotions practices, outstanding industrial agreements and other unresolved grievances.

knowledge of the weapon used to bring about Mackey’s death beforehand.

However, Ms Cadet insisted this was not the case, pointing to a police interview where Edwards had denied seeing the knife on Thea Williams, one of Mackey’s attackers, prior to her getting out of the vehicle.

“The learned judge failed to indicate to the jury the importance of when the appellant became aware of the knife and we also say that the judge failed to indicate to the jury that the prosecution’s witness, Vonzell Mckenzie, stated that it was when Thea arrived near the deceased where she had fallen that she took out her knife and stabbed her,” she said.

“The reason this was so essential is because the prosecution relied on two witnesses m’lord whose evidence was materially contradicting each other and although (one of the witnesses’) evidence was that they came out of the

car armed, Vonzell McKenzie’s evidence was that it was when Thea arrived at the deceased that she took it out which is also consistent with what the appellant said,” the attorney argued.

Similar arguments were also articulated by Burrows’ attorney, Mr Mangra, who told the court his client was contesting on the grounds the evidence in the case did not support the conviction.

“Firstly, the evidence clearly does not support a conviction considering, firstly, the issue of joint enterprise which is the plank on which the prosecution has presented its case. Besides (my client) not leaving the car, there is no evidence of any plan prior to them arriving at the scene because they did not go in search looking for Breanna. They did not go looking for it. It just happened that by chance she was seen,” he said.

“Once they had left the car, there is no evidence that Burrows had any knowledge of what the

other girls intended to do, first of all. There was no discussion, there was no planning and there was no contemplation at all.”

A witness testified that Mackey was walking along Key West Street when Burrows sped after Mackey with her car, almost knocking her down in an attempt to prevent her from fleeing the impending attack.

However, yesterday, Mr Mangra said: “The car drove behind Breanna who was being pursued by the other girls. Breanna slipped and fell when the car came up close to her.

It was almost simultaneous when it happened… so there is nexus, I would submit, between the driver and her mental state of

mind that link her to what the other girls were doing… and there was no evidence of joint enterprise involving the appellant.”

Notwithstanding the appellants’ argument, attorney Cassie Bethel, who represents the Crown in the case, maintained the prosecution’s position.

Having listened to all arguments, Sir Michael Barnett told the appellants that they would be informed of the court’s judgment when a decision is made.

He also asked the attorneys to provide the court with written submissions on what sentence they would deem appropriate for manslaughter if the panel considered reducing the verdict from murder.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

PAGE 8, Friday, March 11, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Weed versus war and hopping mad about gas prices

WITH gas prices as high as the ones in Miami, below, maybe a pogo stick is the way to go to work for a while...

A Comic’s View

By INIGO ‘NAUGHTY’ ZENICAZELAYA

THIS week saw the US cannabis industry join the war effort in the Ukraine.

All while gas prices soared locally, tickling $6.00 a gallon.

Let’s have a closer look before the price of gas jumps again!

WEED AT WAR WITH THE WAR

As war rages in Ukraine, United States-based cannabis industry businesses, are doing their part to help those caught in the ravages of the conflict.

In California, San Francisco’s Medi-Thrive dispensary is raising funds to donate to the Sunflower of Peace, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit organization working to support the Ukrainian people in the midst of the Russian invasion.

Medi-Thrive CEO Misha Breyburg is a Ukrainian Jewish refugee who immigrated from Odessa, Ukraine, to the United States as a child in the 1970s.

“This hits especially close to home, especially for Jewish Ukrainians, I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do something.”

Breyburgh expressed in the Jewish News of Northern California.

To show his support for

the people of Ukraine, Breyburg had the dispensary storefront in the Mission District painted blue and yellow, the colours of the Ukrainian national flag. The business has also donated the proceeds of all cannabis sales made on March 6 to Sunflower of Peace, whose fundraising efforts are providing medical and humanitarian aid to those affected by the war in Ukraine.

“While many charitable efforts focus on providing Ukraine with food and military aid, the medical professionals responding to the crisis in Ukraine struggle to treat the wounded and sick, they require more medical and survival supplies.”

MediThrive will also donate 10 percent of cannabis sales through March 13th to the Sunflower of Peace.

On Monday, Breyburg said the drive had already raised “in the high five figures”.

Imagine if we cultivated (pun intended) a thriving cannabis industry, both medicinally and recreationally, that was so profitable and well run, that we as a nation could benefit off the industry taxes on multiple levels.

Including directly injecting into the National Disaster Relief Fund. Elim-

inating the grey area surrounding donors and NGO’s.

Finally, as a nation we would know exactly where the funding came from, and it’s intended use in case of emergency or natural disaster.

ALL GASSED UP

Straight out of the gate, we as citizens need to deal with the gas prices.

There is NOTHING that can be done!

According to Sir Franklyn Wilson, FOCOL Holdings chairman, who told Tribune Business in a recent interview, that there was little to nothing that

The Bahamas can do to offset forces outside of its control as global oil prices as measured by the Brent crude index at one point struck $139 per barrel.

Sir Franklyn, doesn’t have any reason to lie about the current global situation and the ramifications. It’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about the oil industry.

So ironically, any statements by the current administration, regarding controlling gas prices as not to

affect consumers, etc, is pure political “gas lighting”.

Thanks for the clarification, Sir Franklyn.

Moving forward, I strongly suggest, with gas prices locally flirting with $6.00 a gallon and gas prices soaring globally, including $5.89 a gallon in nearby Biscayne Bay in Miami, that Bahamians invest in, roller skates, skate boards, push scooters, bicycles, unicycles and logo sticks.

Yes “pogo sticks”, I’ve

always considered myself a trail blazer and entrepreneur so feel free to email me at - naughty@ tribunemedia.net for more information on pogo sticks and gas efficiency. I have three top of the line models in stock.

Until next week with gas prices soaring, might I suggest those of us who have two vehicles, please use one. For those with one vehicle, take the Jitney of your choice and for those who take the Jitney please start walking.

FROM left, Jeri Kelly-Russell, FAO National Correspondent Bahamas; Dr Crispim Moreira, Bahamas FAO Representative; Aneesah Abdullah, UN Country Representative, Bahamas; and Delareese Moss-Grant, Marketing Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources.

Photo: AF Darville

FOOD ORGANISATION REPRESENTATIVE VISITS THE Bahamas Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative Dr Crispim Moreira is in town until tomorrow and is busy meeting with his colleagues in the United Nations system, government officials, partners, and agriculture and fisheries stakeholders as FAO Bahamas’ work for 2022-2023 is mapped out.

On Wednesday, Dr. Moreira met with the United Nations (UN) Country Representative Aneesah Abdullah to discuss meeting the priorities of the Multi-country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework

(MSDCF) which was signed by the Bahamas government and the UN on February 11.

At that time, some of the key areas of interest highlighted by Prime Minister Philip E Davis included: healthy lifestyles and well being of the Bahamian people, involving more youth in agriculture, and the absence of insurance in the fishing industry.

FAO has been instrumental in assisting with data collection in agriculture and fisheries for the Bahamas, as well as technical assistance and funding collaboratives.

Dr Moreira is working with his FAO Bahamas team to carve out new ways to sustain and augment that assistance, as the Bahamas Government places its focus on providing greater support to agriculture and fisheries in the Bahamas.

The meeting with Ms Abdullah, held at the Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs, helped to bring clarity to the overlapping areas of the work of other UN entities such as UN Women and UNDP that could align with FAO’s objectives, helping to bring assistance to the Bahamian people effectively.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, March 11, 2022, PAGE 9

Why the lost art of letter writing matters now more than ever before

By Diane Phillips

IN a time when we stare appalled, shocked and helpless at the horrors Ukrainians face as they try to defend their sovereign nation against an unprovoked and unthinkable attack, why when we watch with hearts breaking as families are being ripped apart, when we see strangers stepping around dead do away with or supplant bodies in the street, why emails, texts (do people still now should we care about do that other than for sending a code to complete a letter-writing?

It seems so banal, but is it password change?) or other social media engagement. really?

Letters, the old-fashioned There are really two reasons kind that people wrote by for retrieving the almost lost art of hand, always letter writing. connected ‘The act of In some ways, us. They conthey overlap. nected lovers writing a letter In others, they keeping the takes us out of are imporflame alive ourselves. It lifts tant for the when they were distinctiveness. not together. us above our First, the They con- self-absorbed nected mothers state of mind and act of writing a letter takes and fathers with their off- forces us to focus us out of ourselves. It lifts spring away at our attention on us above our school, friends the person we self-absorbed who were sepstate of mind arated.

And are writing to.’ and forces us they connected soldiers away from home to focus our attention on the person we are writing with those they left behind.

Millions of us saved mil- to. Instead of thinking about lions and millions of those what we should be doing letters. None of us – or I now or need to do next, we am guessing almost none are carving out a message of us – save e-mails to re- that says to the person who read, to savour, to rekindle will receive it that we care a memory of a moment to enough about them to share share. Emails are practical, thoughts and ideas, to wish but they are not treasures them a happy birthday, anniversary, to say thank you like letters were.

I am not knocking emails or just say thinking of you. or suggesting that we trade In short, the simple act of digital discourse for hand- writing a letter brings out a written notes. Good gawd, better, more thoughtful, us. no. Like most businesspeople, I probably get close to a hundred emails a day and respond to at least half and that may just the beginning Great leaders, great literof an ongoing electronic communication. Last year, ary characters, great men I cleared out more than and women are known today 50,000 just in my inbox and not just by their acts, but by I thought I was managing the letters they left behind. them daily. I confess, a few More than 2,000 years ago of them I could easily elimi- philosophers Plato and Arisnate by unsubscribing but totle shared their teachings there is something to be said by communicating through for pretending that I could the written word and teachinvest in certain stocks or ing that word to students. create a cart of a luxury Even in the modern era, good that I could give to letters have left their mark someone in the family. The on history. Among the most fact that I never do either thoughtfully penned was the does not negate the hope April 16, 1963 letter Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote from that someday I may.

So the reason for caring the Birmingham jail after about letters has noth- the riots of Selma. MLK ing to do with the desire to dissected all the answers to

IT ALSO LEAVES ITS MARK

KYLE CHEA - WHEN ONE YOUNG MAN WITH A VISION MAKES A DIFFERENCE

the questions white officials posed including why are you outsiders in Alabama?

He explained international linkages and said he was in Birmingham “because injustice is here.” The famous line of that letter “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” has become a mantra of causes that came after the racial rants of Birmingham were assigned to sorrowful and shameful history.

LETTERS LAST

It is easy to delete an email. It takes a lot more fortitude to tear up a letter someone has taken the time to write. Don’t I know? I have drawers full of letters from my daughters, one from my father who died more than 50 years ago, cards from college friends, all mixed up with children’s school projects that, like letters, I could not part with.

When I think of someday moving, I wonder what I would do with those drawers of paper that I have saved through the years, and how much easier it is to give away clothes or furniture or laptops that are just slightly outdated than it is to throw away a single letter.

There is another reason for writing. It may not be as compelling but it is every bit as interesting. The movement of the hand in making connecting letters and words, says Martha Stewart, the mere act of handwriting, grounds us.

That may be true.

But in my far less revered opinion, the reason why the nearly lost art of letter writing matters more now than ever is because our need to connect, really connect, has never been greater. The pandemic separated us from the reality we knew before. The war in Ukraine is tearing our hearts out and the surest way to heal is to do so together, to show others we care, even if it is just a few simple lines on a piece of paper.

KYLE Chea in his rowing blazer.

IF YOU drive along the single most promising Lake Cunningham in the student in The Bahamas. late afternoon and look A Queen’s College gradunot at the houses that line ate he went to Vassar, worked in the inland lake nor at the graduated, prominent Fusion cineplex the financial industry in at the top of the hill, but at Hong Kong, later in New the shoreline and the water York, for two years at itself you will see what the Ministry of Foreign looks almost like a moving Affairs where he was the apparition -- a swift, time- only Bahamian in the less, floating activity, employ of the governdozens of individuals in ment at that time who sleek rowing machines, spoke fluent Mandarin. members of a rowing club. He was recruited by Baha They meet every day but Mar where he was encourSunday between 4:30 and aged to go for an MBA and again won a scholar6 pm.

You are looking at the ship from the Lyford Cay work of a single man who Foundation.

Along the way he disbuilt a team, created an officially recognized sport covered a love of rowing. in The Bahamas and gave By the time he gradurise to the largest organi- ated, he was captain of his zation of its kind in the team. When he came back to Nassau, he knew the Caribbean.

His name is Kyle Chea. perfect place, a lake with In 2006, he was the recipi- ample shoreline, limited ent of the country’s highest activity, protected from scholarship, All-Bahamas strong ocean breezes.

Merit Scholarship awarded All Chea had to do was by the Lyford Cay Foun- get permission to use dation in conjunction with the lake, form a club, The Central Bank and get equipment, have the Ministry of Education to club recognized by the

Photo: Wellington Chea international federation and, yes, he would have to get a few folks interested in a sport that did not exist in any formal manner in The Bahamas before.

Chea loved rowing too much to let a few details like that stand in the way.

In 2012, he launched the Nassau Rowing Club.

Today, it has a full-time coach. Interested students from underserved schools and communities are able to participate for free.

Chea is not alone in paddling rowing to a new finish line. Others help to raise funds. They arrange transportation for students coming from inner city schools. Everyone has equipment to use and a rowing blazer and Chea did not just introduce the teamwork and coordination of a rowing culture to The Bahamas, he helped put rowing on the map of the Caribbean.

With some 54 members, the Nassau Rowing Club is the largest in the region.

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PAGE 10, Friday, March 11, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

A DESTROYED tank is seen after battles between Ukrainian and Russian forces on a main road near Brovary, north of Kyiv, Ukraine, yesterday.

Photo: Felipe Dana/AP

Photos appear to show the break-up of Russian convoy MARIUPOL, Ukraine Associated Press NEW SATELLITE photos appeared to show that a massive convoy outside the Ukrainian capital has split up and fanned out into towns and forests near Kyiv, with artillery pieces raised into firing position in a potentially ominous movement of the Russian military.

The photos emerged amid more international efforts to isolate and sanction Russia, particularly after a deadly airstrike on a maternity hospital in the port city of Mariupol that Western and Ukrainian officials decried as a war crime. The US and other nations were poised today to announce the revocation of Russia’s “most favoured nation” trade status, which would allow tariffs to be imposed on Russian imports.

Unbowed by the sanctions, Russia kept up its bombardment of Mariupol while Kyiv braced for an onslaught, its mayor boasting that the capital had become practically a fortress protected by armed civilians.

Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies showed that 40-mile convoy

of vehicles, tanks and artillery has broken up and been redeployed, the company said. Armoured units were seen in towns near the Antonov Airport north of the city. Some of the vehicles have moved into forests, Maxar reported, with towed howitzers nearby in position to open fire.

The convoy had massed outside the city early last week, but its advance appeared to stall as reports of food and fuel shortages circulated. US officials said Ukrainian troops also targeted the convoy with anti-tank missiles.

Still, the immediacy of the threat to Kyiv was unclear. A US defence official speaking on condition of anonymity said Russian forces moving toward Kyiv had advanced about three miles in the past 24 hours, with some elements as close as about nine miles from the city.

The official gave no indication that the convoy had dispersed or otherwise repositioned in a significant way, saying some vehicles were seen moving off the road into the tree line in recent days.

In Mariupol, a southern seaport of 430,000, the situation was increasingly dire

NORTH KOREA ORDERS ROCKET FACILITY MOVE SEOUL, South Korea Associated Press

NORTH Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his officials to expand a satellite launch facility to fire a variety of rockets, state media reported, as the US and South Korean militaries concluded the North is testing a new intercontinental ballistic missile system.

Experts earlier said North Korea could perform a satellite-carrying rocket launch soon in violation of UN resolutions after conducting a string of tests recently aimed at modernising its missile arsenals and applying more pressure on the Biden administration amid stalled diplomacy.

Such a rocket launch by North Korea would be its most significant provocation since late 2017 and a violation of its self-imposed moratorium on long-range and nuclear tests.

North Korea’s neighbors detected two ballistic launches last week in the country’s first weapons firings in about a month.

North Korea later said it was testing cameras and other systems to be installed on a spy satellite but didn’t disclose what missiles or rockets it used.

After analysing those launches, the US and South Korean militaries said they’ve concluded the North’s two recent missile launches involved an ICBM system under development that the North first unveiled during a military parade in October 2020.

“The purpose of these tests, which did not demonstrate ICBM range, was likely to evaluate this new system before conducting a test at full range in the future, potentially disguised as a space launch,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said yesterday.

as civilians trapped inside the city scrounged for food and fuel. More than 1,300 people have died in the tenday siege of the frigid city, said Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.

Residents have no heat or phone service, and many have no electricity. Nighttime temperatures are regularly below freezing, and daytime ones normally hover just above it. Bodies are being buried in mass graves. The streets are littered with burned-out cars, broken glass and splintered trees.

“They have a clear order to hold Mariupol hostage, to mock it, to constantly bomb and shell it,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address to the nation.

He said the Russians began a tank attack right where there was supposed to be a humanitarian corridor.

Yesterday, firefighters tried to free a boy trapped in the rubble. One grasped the boy’s hand. His eyes blinked, but he was otherwise still. It was not clear if he survived. Nearby, at a mangled truck, a woman wrapped in a blue blanket shuddered at the sound of an explosion.

Grocery stores and pharmacies were emptied days

ago by people breaking in to get supplies, according to a local official with the Red Cross, Sacha Volkov.

A black market is operating for vegetables, meat is unavailable, and people are stealing gasoline from cars, Volkov said.

Places protected from bombings are hard to find, with basements reserved for women and children, he said. Residents, Volkov said, are turning on one another: “People started to attack each other for food.”

An exhausted-looking Aleksander Ivanov pulled a cart loaded with bags down an empty street flanked by damaged buildings.

“I don’t have a home anymore.

That’s why I’m moving,” he said. “It doesn’t exist anymore. It was hit, by a mortar.”

Repeated attempts to send in food and medicine and evacuate civilians have been thwarted by Russian shelling, Ukrainian authorities said.

“They want to destroy the people of Mariupol.

They want to make them starve,” Vereshchuk said.

“It’s a war crime.”

The number of refugees fleeing the country topped 2.3 million, and some 100,000 people have been evacuated during the past

two days from seven cities under Russian blockade in the north and center of the country, including the Kyiv suburbs, Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy told Russian leaders that the invasion will backfire on them as their economy is strangled.

Western sanctions have already dealt a severe blow, causing the ruble to plunge, foreign businesses to flee and prices to rise sharply.

“You will definitely be prosecuted for complicity in war crimes,” Zelenskyy said in a video address, warning that “you will be hated by Russian citizens.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed such talk, saying the country has endured sanctions before.

“We will overcome them,” he said at a televised meeting of government officials. He did, however, acknowledge the sanctions create “certain challenges.”

In addition to those who have fled the country, millions have been driven from their homes inside Ukraine. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said about two million people, half the population of the metropolitan area, have left the capital.

“Every street, every house… is being fortified,”

he said. “Even people who in their lives never intended to change their clothes, now they are in uniform with machine guns in their hands.”

Yesterday, a 14-year-old girl named Katya was recovering at the Brovary Central District Hospital on the outskirts of Kyiv after her family was ambushed as they tried to flee the area. She was shot in the hand when their car was raked with gunfire from a roadside forest, said her mother, who identified herself only as Nina.

The girl’s father, who drove frantically from the ambush on blown-out tires, underwent surgery. His wife said he had been shot in the head and had two fingers blown off.

Western officials said Russian forces have made little progress on the ground in recent days and are seeing heavier losses and stiffer Ukrainian resistance than Moscow apparently anticipated. But Putin’s forces have used air power and artillery to pummel Ukraine’s cities.

Early in the day, the Mariupol city council posted a video showing a convoy it said was bringing in food and medicine. But as night fell, it was unclear if those buses had reached the city.

Smollett jailed for fake hate claims CHICAGO Associated Press A JUDGE sentenced Jussie Smollett to 150 days in jail, branding the Black and gay actor a narcissistic charlatan for staging a hate crime against himself to grab the limelight while the nation struggled with wrenching issues of racial injustice.

Smollett responded by defiantly maintaining his innocence and suggesting he could be killed in jail.

The sentence and Smollett’s posthearing outburst capped an hourslong hearing yesterday and more than three years of legal drama following Smollett’s claim that he had been the target of a racist and homophobic attack.

Smollett didn’t make a statement when offered the opportunity before the judge announced the sentence, saying he was listening to his attorneys’ advice. But after Cook County Judge James Linn issued his decision, Smollett removed the face mask he wore throughout the hearing to proclaim himself innocent.

“If I did this, then it means that I stuck my fist in the fears of Black Americans in this country for over 400 years and the fears of the LGBT

JUSSIE Smollett in court yesterday. community,” Smollett said, standing up at the defence table as his lawyers and sheriff’s deputies surrounded him.

“Your Honour, I respect you and I respect the jury but I did not do this.

And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”

As deputies led him from the courtroom, Smollett shouted out again.

“I am innocent,” he yelled, raising his fist. “I could have said I am guilty a long time ago.”

The judge sentenced Smollett to 30 months of felony probation, with 150 days served in Cook County Jail, and

ordered that he pay $120,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago and a $25,000 fine.

Special prosecutor Dan Webb asked Linn to include “an appropriate amount of prison time” when sentencing the actor for his conviction on five counts of disorderly conduct.

“His conduct denigrated hate crimes,” Webb said after the hearing.

“His conduct will discourage others who are victims of hate crimes from coming forward and reporting those crimes to law enforcement.”

Smollett’s attorneys wanted the judge to limit the sentence to community service, arguing that he had already been punished by the criminal justice system and damage to his career.

Family members echoed those comments.

“I ask you, judge, not to send him to prison,” his grandmother, 92-yearold Molly Smollett, told the court. She later added, “If you do, send me along with him, OK?” Smollett’s attorneys also read aloud letters from other supporters, including the president of the NAACP, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and actors LaTanya and Samuel L Jackson that

SPORTS PAGE 11

NBA, Page 13

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022

MLB players vote to end lockout

PLAY BALL: San Diego Padres left fielder Allen Cordoba passes a logo for Play Ball, an initiative from Major League Baseball and USA Baseball, during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies on June 3, 2017, in San Diego.

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s players and owners ended their most bitter money fight in a quarter-century yesterday when the players’ association accepted management’s offer to salvage a 162-game season that will start April 7.

The work stoppage ended at 7pm sharp, closing an acrimonious 99-day lockout that delayed spring training and threatened to cancel regular-season games for the first time since 1995.

Training camps in Florida and Arizona will open today, with

Salvage 162-game season players mandated to report by Sunday. Opening day was pushed back just over a week from its March 31 date, but all that might be forgetten when the Yankees’ Aaron Judge digs in against the rival Red Sox, or Shohei Ohtani eschews the new universal desginated hitter and plays both ways for the Angels.

“I do want to start by apologising to our fans,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said, his voice quavering at times, later adding: “I

hope that the players will see the effort we made to address their concerns in this agreement as an olive branch in terms of building a better relationship.”

A frenzy of free-agency action was expected. A freeze on roster transactions was dissolved last night, spurring a wave of speculation about new homes for Carlos Correa, Freddie Freeman and more than 100 other free agents who had been kept in lockout limbo.

The deal brings major changes that include expansion of the DH to the National League, increasing the postseason from 10 teams to 12, advertisements on uniforms, a balanced schedule that reduces intradivision play starting in 2023 and measures aimed to incentivize competition and decrease rebuilding, such as an amateur draft lottery.

Most of the labour fight, of course, centered on the game’s core economics.

The players’ executive board approved the five-year contract at about 3pm in a 26-12 vote.

Owners ratified the deal 30-0 just three hours later, and just like that, baseball’s ninth work stoppage ended.

Not that all is resolved.

Union head Tony Clark did not appear alongside Manfred and scheduled a separate news conference for today, a visible sign of the sport’s factions.

“Our union endured the second-longest work stoppage in its history to achieve significant progress in key areas that will

SEE PAGE 12

COLUMN: WOODS CLOSES OUT ONE CHAPTER, WILL HE WRITE ANOTHER?

By JIM LITKE AP Sports Columnist TIGER Woods spoke for 15 minutes or so, nearly all of it devoted to his parents and everyone else who nourished his love of the game. Missing was even one mention of any of the mind-bending accomplishments that landed him at the World Golf Hall of Fame podium in the first place.

Just as telling, perhaps, Woods dropped no hints about what might come next.

“I know that golf is an individual sport. We do things on our own a lot for hours on end, but in my case,” Woods said, “I didn’t get here alone.”

It was an intensely personal speech, a portrait of the golf artist as a very

young man. Woods recalled how, as an 8-year-old, he was dropped off at the local muni each morning, with plenty of time to take quarters off the older kids in putting contests and skins games, then spent hours looking for lost balls while waiting for his father, Earl, to get off work at 4 p.m. and pick him up in a golf cart.

“By then, especially in the wintertime, it was already dark,” Woods recalled. “So we had a rule, if you ever lost the golf ball, we’d be done, and we’d have to drive in.

“So part of understanding how to shape shots and knowing where I hit it on the face, where I would hit it, all started then. ... The furthest I ever made was 17 holes in the dark,” he added, laughing. “Never quite got to 18.”

TIGER Woods speaks during his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Woods did nearly every way. Woods didn’t mention time it mattered after that, those, either. But 14-yearwinning 15 major champi- old Sam Woods, who onships and a record-tying introduced her father, did.

82 on the PGA Tour, and Referring to Woods’ who knows how many February 2021 car crash in more he’d have added if Los Angeles, she said, “We not for the eight surger- didn’t know if you’d come ies he endured along the home with two legs or not.

Now not only are you about to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but you’re standing here on your own two feet.

“This is why you deserve this,” she added, “because you’re a fighter.”

Ten months later, Woods played with his 12-year-old son, Charlie in the PNC Championship, finishing second in the team event.

Despite needing a cart to get around, Woods showed plenty of flashes of the mastery that made him nearly unbeatable for more than two decades.

Inevitably, the questions began: Could he come back again?

Woods answered the latest round the same way he had in the past – nothing was certain, but he wasn’t closing the door on at least a limited return. Then his

caddie, Joe LaCava, threw some more kindling on the embers.

“I think it’s gonna be even more work than it was coming back from the fusion surgery with the back and stuff like that, but I think he’s willing, at this age, to do it,” LaCava said in an interview Wednesday with Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio.

“Maybe that father-son tournament gave him a little more motivation because, as most people saw -- if they watched it -- he hasn’t lost much. He may not be quite as long as he once was, but he can still hit the ball and still can putt and chip. So, I mean, if he can get around a golf course, he could still be dangerous, if that happens.”

SEE PAGE 15

Bradley Lightbourne and Garvin Clarke and Zips Joshua Dames named to advance to the MAC All-Second, All-Third teams Tournament semifinals

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A PAIR of Bahamian basketball players received conference wide recognition for standout freshman seasons with the Kansas City Community College Blue Devils.

Bradley Lightbourne and Joshua Dames were named to the All-Second Team and All-Third Team respectively when the Kansas Jayhawks Community College Conference released the Men’s Basketball DII All-Conference awards.

Lightbourne was named to the Second Team after he led the Blue Devils in scoring at 12 points and five rebounds per game on the season. He shot

GARVIN Clarke and his Akron Zips pulled off an upset in thrilling fashion to advance to the MAC Tournament semifinals.

With the score tied at 68 and 3.2 seconds remaining, sophomore guard Greg Tribble made the go ahead pair of free throws to lift the Zips past Buffalo, 70-68 yesterday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at Cleveland, Ohio.

Clarke finished with three points and two rebounds off the bench.

The Zips improved to 22-9 on the season, 14-6

BRADLEY Lightbourne and Joshua Dames 46 percent from the field.

Dames earned Third Team honours after he averaged 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while

shooting 41.3 percent from the field. The Blue Devils went 21-10 overall on the

SEE PAGE 12

GARVIN Clarke in the MAC. They will face off against the top seeded Toledo Rockets in the semifinal at 5:30pm today.

Clarke is averaging 3.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in 22 appearances off the bench. He scored a career high 12 points in a November 18 win over Wheeling.

He also had nine point

outings in back-to-back games on February 22 and 25.

Clarke made his senior men’s national basketball team debut last November at the FIBA World Cup 2023 Americas PreQualifiers for Group A. At the prep level, Clarke completed his high school career with Cleveland Heights Tigers after spending his previous seasons with the Euclid Panthers, both in Cleveland, Ohio.

The 6’0” point guard was listed as a three-star recruit by several recruiting services and chose Akron over Buffalo, Cleveland State, Florida A&M and Youngstown State.

PAGE 12, Friday, March 11, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

RESULTS: BAHAMAS SCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Lorenzo Carter II needs your help to save his kidneys THE public is being asked to assist versatile athlete Harold Carter II, affectionately known as Lorenzo, in his bid to save his kidneys.

As Carter is currently in Miami, Florida for consultation at Baptist Health South Florida, a GoFundMe under the theme “Help Lorenzo Save His Kidney” has been established to assist in his medical expenses.

Carter, one of the country’s top cyclists and basketball, softball and baseball players, was first diagnosed in 2017 with renal calculus (kidney stones) in his left kidney.

He underwent a procedure to have the stones removed. The procedure gave him immediate relief

and allowed him to resume his active lifestyle.

Just four years later, on August 27, 2021 in the height of the pandemic, Lorenzo again experienced severe pain, this time on his right side. He was diagnosed as having kidney stones in both kidneys.

Carter underwent another procedure, which his doctor led him to believe would remove the stones. Instead, the stones were left untouched and stents were placed in both of his kidneys.

Like before, Carter experienced immediate relief – that is until the pain came back weeks later. At a follow-up doctor’s visit, the doctor disclosed that he had not removed the kidney stones.

What was even more shocking was that kidney stone removal surgery could not be performed at the treatment centre at which Carter’s procedure was done.

Since the procedure in August, Carter continues to suffer from excruciating pain in his kidneys (the left kidney has also started to hurt). He has experienced intermittent infections of his ureter - which causes a build-up of urine in his bladder and painful urination.

Carter also suffers from constant dehydration, anxiety and sleeplessness.

Lorenzo’s quality of life has vastly deteriorated. As a self-employed mechanic, he is increasingly unable to earn a living. He has

lost a lot of weight and is not able to enjoy the sports that have brought him joy.

Lorenzo has always been an avid sportsman – representing The Bahamas internationally and regionally in basketball, baseball, and cycling. He also breeds dogs, and the basic tasks associated with this activity has become more challenging due to his medical condition.

While Carter will be travelling to Miami for his consultation, it’s expected that he will be provided with information on the precise treatment that he will need and the cost of that treatment.

Because of the urgency of Lorenzo’s situation and the need to have funds readily available for the

LORENZO Carter II surgical procedure, his medical and logistical costs have been estimated at US$15,000. This amount may change after his consultation.

Carter does not have medical insurance and needs your assistance raising funds to meet his medical expenses.

He would gladly welcome and greatly appreciate any donation you make - big or small.

He advised the public that their gift would truly make a difference in his life and he promises to keep everyone posted about his fund-raising efforts and his journey to restored health.

New Zealand beats India by 62 runs at Women’s World Cup

By STEVE MCMORRAN AP Sports Writer

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Host New Zealand finally produced a performance to catch the attention of its main rivals at the Women’s Cricket World Cup when it beat India by 62 runs yesterday in its third group match.

New Zealand lost its opening match against the West Indies, then beat Pakistan in a performance which was dominant but not eye-catching.

India had played only one match before yesterday, beginning its campaign with an equally emphatic win over Pakistan.

That meant India went into the match at Hamilton in third place and New Zealand in fifth place in

the eight-team round-robin from which four teams advance to the semifinals.

In that context, the match became a mustwin for New Zealand and its performance was both timely and impressive.

Amy Satterthwaite scored 75 and Amelia Kerr added 50 as New Zealand made 260-9, batting first after India won the toss.

Harmanpreet Kaur made an outstanding 71 from 63 balls to lead her team’s response but India was all out for 198 in the 47th over.

Kerr’s 50, her sixth in one-day internationals, came from 63 deliveries and she was out next ball.

Satterthwaite made 50 from 60 balls and strung together a series of partnerships which built New Zealand’s total.

She added 67 with Kerr for the third wicket, 54 with Maddy Green for the fourth wicket and 49 with Katey Martin for the fifth wicket.

“There were certainly patches when I really struggled but I tried to build an innings with whoever I was batting with and take it as deep as we could,” said Satterthwaite who eventually was out in the 43rd over.

“I thought the bowlers were outstanding in that first 20-odd overs which were exceptional.

“We’ve talked about our starts and couldn’t have asked for much better,” she said.

New Zealand scored steadily at a rate of more than five runs per over through the first half of its

innings and was only constrained later by excellent India bowling.

Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Pooja Vastrakar played an important role, slowing New Zealand’s scoring between the 40th and 47th overs when New Zealand added 30 runs for the loss of four wickets.

Vastrakar, especially, troubled the New Zealanders with her full and accurate bowling, taking 3-19 in her second, six-over spell.

New Zealand lost Lea Tahuhu and Jess Kerr to consecutive balls in the 47th over and tallied only 49 runs in its last 10 overs but still built a total which required India to achieve a record Women’s World Cup run chase in order to win. The New Zealanders

then put the squeeze on India at the start of its innings.

Smitri Mandhana fell early and New Zealand shut down the scoring opportunities for the India batters so that 7.4 overs had been bowled before the first boundary was hit.

After 10 overs, India was 26-2, after 20 overs it was 50-3 and its task had become almost insurmountable.

When Mithali Raj and Richa Ghost fell to consecutive deliveries from Kerr in the 30th over, India’s hopes had all but faded.

Harmanpreet Kaur hit six boundaries and two sixes and continued her outstanding individual innings until the 44th over when she was out with India 178-8.

BONNER CENTURY ANCHORS WEST INDIES TO 62-RUN LEAD ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (AP) — Late-bloomer Nkrumah Bonner’s careerbest century anchored West Indies to a 62-run lead against England on an attritional third day of the first test at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium yesterday.

The home side batted all day to overturn a 109-run deficit, and Bonner almost endured, too. He was out just two overs from stumps for 123 after almost 10 hours at the crease.

The West Indies, in reply to England’s 311, resumed on 202-4 and reached stumps at 373-9. On a sluggish pitch on which it was hard to bowl and bat, the West Indies eked out only 171 runs from the day’s 90.1 overs.

Bonner made his test debut just over a year ago,

but at 33 has been making up for lost time.

He absorbed England’s pressure with ease and rode considerable luck. During the day, he was dropped on 73, survived umpire’s calls on 102 and 112, and got an out overturned on review on 121.

His overnight stand with Jason Holder finished early on 79, but Bonner found regular partnerships with the tail to frustrate England. Bonner shared 73 with Joshua Da Silva, 44 with Kemar Roach, and 46 with Veerasammy Permaul.

Holder added only two to his overnight score before trying to leave Ben Stokes but edging behind on 45.

Stokes, who barely bowled in the Ashes because of injury, finished the day committing 28 overs, his

WEST Indies’ Nkrumah Bonner celebrates scoring a century against England yesterday. (AP)

MLB

the league’s website were restored.

Teams tweeted videos and statements celebrating the lockout’s end and sharing info about tickets for the new opening day.

The 184 games cancelled

by Manfred were instead postponed, and the regular season was extended by three days to October 5.

Approximately three games per team will be made up as part of doubleheaders.

With pitchers Max Scherzer and Andrew Miller taking prominent roles as union spokesmen, players let three management deadlines pass — Manfred called them “the art of collective bargaining” — before accepting an agreement before the fourth.

“Time and economic leverage. No agreement comes together before

those two things play out,” Manfred said. “I think we made an agreement when it was possible to make an agreement.”

After narrowing the economic gap this week, MLB made another offer yesterday afternoon, saying this was the absolute, final, last moment to preserve full salary and service time.

“The deal pushes the game forward,” Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, a member of the union’s executive subcommittee, said in an telephone interview with the AP. “It addresses a lot of the things that the players in the game should be focused on: the competitive integrity aspect of it.”

The union especially wanted to boost pay of young players and enourage teams not to delay their debuts in order to push back free agency.

FROM PAGE 11 improve not just current players’ rights and benefits, but those of generations to come,” Clark said in a statement.

Manfred pledged “maybe to more regularly get to the bottom of player concerns so that they don’t build up.”

“I spoke to Tony after their ratification vote. I told him that I thought we had a great opportunity for the game in front of us.” Manfred said.

“One of the things that I’m supposed to do is promote a good relationship with our players. I’ve tried to do that. I think that I have not been successful in that. I think that it begins with small steps.”

Players’ pictures that had been scrubbed from

most in an innings in six years.

Holder’s wicket was the only one West Indies conceded in the morning, despite England taking the new ball instantly.

Worrying for England, seamer Mark Wood bowled one over and left without bowling again because of an elbow injury.

Da Silva was out after lunch, lbw to spinner Jack Leach after two hours, 88 balls and one boundary.

Alzarri Joseph was dismissed for 2 by Craig Overton and England’s hopes were up.

But just as in the first session, early wickets were followed by incredibly sustained defence from the West Indies.

Bonner and Roach scored at practically one Under the new postseason format, two division winners from each league receive first-round byes and the remaining four teams play in a best-of-three wild card round.

The deal allows teams to have advertising on uniforms and helmets for the first time and established a fast-track MLB-dominated rules committee that could recommend a pitch clock and limits on defensive shifts starting in 2023.

The luxury tax threshold rises from $210 million last year to $230 million this season, the largest yearly increase since that restraint began in 2003.

The threshold rises to $242 million by 2026, a loosening for the biggest spenders such as the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers and Red Sox. The 3% annual growth is well over the

run per over until Roach hit a couple of fours off England captain Joe Root.

They passed England’s total in the meantime and Bonner went to tea on 98.

He earned his second test century in his 10th test straight after tea with a sweep to the boundary off Leach. He jumped into Roach’s arms.

Roach was run out for 15, but Bonner snuffed out England’s renewed hopes of a breakthrough.

Bonner was almost at stumps when England, in desperation, gave the ball to part-time offspinner Dan Lawrence, who induced from Bonner the slightest edge behind.

He’d lasted 355 balls, hit a dozen fours and one six, and received a standing ovation.

2.1% during the expired contract and the 12% in the 2011 deal.

Tax rates remain unchanged at the initial threshold, second and third thresholds. A new fourth threshold, aimed at billionaire New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, starts $80 million above the first and has rates of 80% for the first offender, 90%, for the second and 110% for the third.

The minimum salary rises from $570,500 to $700,000 this year, a 22.7% rise that is the highest since 2003, with $20,000 annual increases each season.

A new $50 million bonus pool was established for players not yet eligible for arbitration, a way to boost salaries for young stars.

While the sides preserved a full regular season, the cost was rancor that cast

THE Bahamas Scholastic Athletic Association continued its 2022 basketball league at The Michael “Scooter” Reid Sporting Complex at the Hope Center on Wednesday.

Results from games played are as follows: Mini Division Kingsway Academy 14, Freedom Baptist Academy 5: Yorick Carroll led Kingsway with 10 points, five rebounds and three steals.

Vernissha Sainthilaire led Freedom with five points and two steals.

Primary Girls Teleos Christian School 18, Kingsway Academy 1: Lydia Parks scored eight points with nine rebounds and two steals for Teleos’ dominating performance.

Junior Boys Jordan Prince William 31, Akhepran Int. Academy 25: Akari Major paced the Falcons with nine points and three rebounds. Evan Hanna had a game high with 10 points, three rebounds and one steal for Akhepran.

Believers Faith Christian Acad. 27, Freedom Baptist Academy 24: De’Angelo Smith had a game high 16 points, three rebounds and seven steals for the Believers.

Bradley Williams had Freedom with 12 points, two rebounds, one assist and a steal.

Games are slated to continue today.

DAMES

FROM PAGE 11 season, and advanced to the Region VI Tournament Semifinals. Both freshmen guards transferred to KCKCC after a COVIDshortened season with Midland College Chaparrals in Midland, Texas.

They completed their high school at British Columbia Christian Prep Panthers and signed their letters of intent to join the Midland College Chaparrals in Midland, Texas.

In his first start of the season, Lightbourne scored a team high 14 points on 6-13 shooting from the field while Dames finished with 11 points off the bench.

Lightbourne scored more than 20 points four times this season, including a season high 28 against North Central Missouri College. He also posted three double doubles - 14 points and 11 rebounds against Iowa Western, 10 points and 10 rebounds against Neosho County and 16 points with 10 rebounds against Johnson City.

Dames shot a team leading 39 percent from three-point range and had five games where he made at least four three-point field goals, highlighted by a 5-8 night from beyond the arc and a season high 22 points against Highland.

both owners and players as money obsessed. Spring training was disrupted for the third straight year following two exhibition seasons altered by the coronavirus pandemic.

“People can go to the ballpark. That will help,” Cole said. “Maybe some people will go to the ballpark to tell us know how they feel negatively. That’s their right to do as well. I will say that nobody wants it to go this way. And some of the hurdles we’ve had to jump through over the last few weeks have not necessarily been ill will but just due process.

“It’s just a very democratic process and some of these sorts of things take some time. But I think everybody is tremendously excited to get back and tremendous excited to get back in front of the fans.”

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, March 11, 2022, PAGE 13

Umpire Martin ‘Pork’ Burrows: ‘I need these guys to get certified’

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net AFTER attending the event as a solo representative from the Bahamas in 2020, Martin ‘Pork’ Burrows decided to return to the Baseball College Recruitment Certification Clinic with four more umpires.

The clinic, hosted by the CBUAO, is being held from March 8-14 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

“I need these guys to get their certification because when we host the international tournament in July, they will be certified,” said Burrows, who currently serves as the highest ranked baseball umpire in the country.

Burrows was referring to the Babe Ruth 2022 Caribbean Championships, hosted by Greg Burrows, in Nassau from July 7-11.

While the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture is preparing the fields at the Baillou Hills Sports Complex for the joint 12-and-under and 16-and-under tournament, Burrows said he wants to make sure that there are Bahamian umpires certified to officiate the games.

Joining Burrows at this year’s clinic are Andrew Burrows and Ainsworth Beckford from New Providence and Wayne Basden and Oscar Greene from Grand Bahama. Having gotten his certification from the clinic two years ago, Burrows is hoping that the other four will attain their own.

The four candidates are all eagerly looking forward to their participation in the clinic. “The clinic is

By AARON BRACY Associated Press

UMPIRES MARTIN BURROWS, Wayne Basden, Andrew Burrows, Oscar Greene and Ainsworth Beckford are pictured above from left to right in Florida. certainly a change of bad habits, or just gives us corrective measures for things we have been doing incorrectly and it is beneficial for us as we move forward in the sport of baseball as umpires,” said Beckford, a member of the Bahamas Independent Secondary Schools Sports Association and a coach/umpire in the Junior Baseball League of Nassau.

Ainsworth said the clinic has been very intense.

“The instructors are hard on you and any mistake that they see and they are not interested in it, they will correct you and let you know that you need to position yourself properly and you need to keep your head steady,” Ainsworth said. “It’s a clinic that changes our perspective on how to call the game.”

Greene, a former track and field star who has now ventured into coaching and umpiring baseball in Grand Bahama, said he’s excited to be able to hone his skills at another level so that he can provide his service to the participants in the sport.

“I look forward to using all of the techniques that we are learning over here because we’re learning some things at a much higher level,” he said.

“We’re learning some advanced stuff, so we’re very excited to learn these things.

“So I’m very excited to bring these things back to Freeport and back to the Bahamas when we return.”

Basden, also an umpire out of Grand Bahama, said he’s truly appreciative of the invitation from

Burrows to join him and the others in attending the clinic this year.

“What I’ve learned so far is that the things we have been doing, they are taking it to another level,” Basden said. “The game has moved faster now and positioning is the key so you can make the correct call and I’m learning more about that out here.

“But it’s not just about positioning, but communicating as well. Sometimes you can’t say a word, but because you know what you have to do and how you have to do it, all of this stuff is communicated by signs. So you are watching your other umpires as this is being taught. So I’m very impressed by what I’ve learnt so far and I’m happy to have gained this knowledge to take back home

to Freeport. We definitely need this back home.”

And Burrows, a veteran umpire who has been working closely with Martin in a training session for new recruits, said the clinic is something that the umpires will be able to add to their portfolio.

“It shows you that you have to be a team at all times when you are on the field,” Burrows pointed out. “That’s the basic scenario of it. You now have some bench marks to work towards to put your level up to where it should be.”

When the clinic is completed, Burrows said it’s his hope that these umpires will become certified so they can prepare for the series of tournaments coming to the Bahamas starting with the Babe Ruth Caribbean.

Column: Griner case again exposes male-female gap in sports

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Columnist THE strange case of Brittney Griner raises all sorts of perplexing questions.

Is one of the best women basketball players in the world a political pawn in the standoff between two antagonistic superpowers?

Is she being treated like anyone else who allegedly violated drug laws in a foreign land? Is she safe in the hands of Vladimir Putin’s Russia?

But one thing is clear: Griner’s weeks-long detention by Russian authorities has again directed a troubling spotlight toward the glaring inequities that exist between the top male and female athletes in the United States.

Just imagine if one of the best male basketball players on the planet — say, LeBron James — was being held in Russia under similar circumstances, especially with that country now scorned by much of the world for its unprovoked invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

The media coverage would be 24/7.

The public outrage would be off the charts.

Griner’s case has drawn concern, to be sure, but it largely remains buried behind Major Leagues Baseball’s silly labour dispute, the homestretch of the NBA season, the launch of March Madness in college hoops, and an NFL offseason featuring headline-grabbing moves like Calvin Ripley’s suspension and Russell Wilson’s trade.

Richard Sheehan, a finance professor at Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business who specializes in sports economics, said he’s not surprised that male sports continue to get more coverage than Griner’s case.

“Obviously, if this was LeBron James, more people would notice,” Sheehan said. “There’s not

DURANT, NETS ROUT 76ERS IN SIMMONS’ RETURN TO PHILADELPHIA

too many people in the United States who would say, ‘LeBron James, who is he?’ But there’s still a fairly high number who would say, ‘Brittney Griner, who is she?’”

Sheehan is more troubled by another reality of this case.

Griner was taken into custody while heading back to Russia to play in a league that greatly augments her WNBA salary, a puny outlay in comparison to what the best male athletes are making.

While this is certainly apples to oranges, Griner’s annual pay for a four-month stint with the Phoenix Mercury is $228,000 (and probably closer to $500,000 with endorsement deals) — a comfortable living, to be sure, but not even a third of what big league players were asking for as a MINIMUM salary in their negotiations with baseball’s owners.

“LeBron James makes a very good living in the United States without ever having to set foot outside the United States,” Sheehan said. “But women basketball players can make a hell of a lot more money playing in places like Russia than they can in the United States.”

While salaries have certainly improved in the WNBA — roughly half of the league’s players no longer feel compelled to play overseas — it’s still a choice that no modern-day NBA player has to make.

In a perfect world, no WNBA player would ever have to make it, either.

But we’re a long way from that world.

Just last season, the New York Liberty were fined a WNBA-record $500,000 for chartering flights to away games.

The league typically doesn’t allow teams to charter flights because it could create a competitive advantage for franchises that can afford to pay for them.

UNITED States’ Brittney Griner (15) shoots during a preliminary round women’s basketball game against Nigeria at the 2020 Summer Olympics, on July 27, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. Griner’s detention in Russia raises all sorts of questions. Is she a political prisoner in the standoff between two superpowers? Is she being treated like anyone else who violated the law in a foreign country?

(AP Photo/Eric Gay) Given the WNBA’s still- carries a maximum penalty matters, at least raising the shoestring budget, it’s of 10 years in prison. possibility that Russia is easy to see why Griner Griner’s wife, Cherelle, dragging its feet on Grinwas headed back a coun- thanked everyone for their er’s case to give Putin a try where she reportedly support of the star player, potential bargaining chip in makes more than $1 mil- but said little else in an Ins- a negotiated settlement or lion a year even as the U.S. tagram post. to lessen the sting of crushState Department advised This wouldn’t be the first ing economic sanctions. against it with the threat of time a high-profile person The State Department war looming. has essentially been taken can designate someone as The most immediate con- hostage by a country in the as a “wrongful detainee,” cern is Griner’s well-being. pursuit of larger foreign- entitling an American citiThe specifics of her case relations goals. zen to far more resources have been hard to come Just this week, Ven- than a standard criminal by, from both sides. Griner ezuela released two case in another country. was taken into custody in Americans who had been It doesn’t appear Griner mid-February at a Moscow imprisoned in the South has been placed in that airport, but the news was American country over category, at least not yet. kept under wraps until dubious charges, not so Strict Russian guidelines a Russian news agency coincidentally as President on COVID-19 have likely revealed it more than Nicolás Maduro signaled a extended Griner’s period two weeks later, after the desire for improved rela- of isolation, making it invasion of Ukraine was tions with the US. tougher for the US consuunderway.

One of those released, late to get a full picture of The Griner camp clearly oil executive Gustavo the case. wanted to keep the case Cardenas, was imprisHopefully, in the very out of the public eye until oned for more than four near future, Griner will the two-time Olympic gold years in Venezuela. He be back home with her medallist and seven-time described the experience as loved ones, this nightmare WNBA all-star was safely a “nightmare.” behind her. ferried out of Russia.

At the moment, there is Until then, let’s keep Even now, those closest no indication that Griner her at the forefront of our to the player have been ret- is being held on trumped- concerns. icent to make any comment up charges. Maybe this was Griner’s fate is far more beyond her agent confirm- just a lapse in judgment, important than the new ing Griner was detained which has put her at risk of baseball labour deal, or after Russian customs offi- being subjected to stricter who makes the NCAA cials said they found vape punishments for cannabis Tournament, or pretty cartridges containing oil oil under Russian law. much anything else hapderived from cannabis in But the war in Ukraine pening in the fantasy world her luggage. The charge certainly complicates of sports. This is real life.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The 76ers fans came to boo Ben Simmons. They left booing their own team.

Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 34 points in Brooklyn’s dominating first half in the Nets’ 129-100 blowout victory over the 76ers last night in Simmons’ much-hyped return to Philadelphia.

Seth Curry added 24 points, and Kyrie Irving had 22 for the Nets. They entered in eighth place in the East, but looked like a legitimate conference contender while badly outplaying the third-place 76ers.

Joel Embiid had 27 points and 12 rebounds for the 76ers, and James Harden finished with just 11 points.

It was the first loss for Philadelphia in six games with Harden in the lineup.

The game was dubbed as “Boo Ben” night, but the raucous fans instead turned their displeasure on the home team when the 76ers went to the locker room trailing 72-51 and again when Brooklyn built a stunning 32-point lead in the third quarter.

“I think all of us look at Ben as our brother,” Durant said. “We knew this was a hostile environment. It’s hard to chant at Ben Simmons when you’re losing by that much.”

Simmons, wearing a designer hockey jersey and flashy jewellery, watched from the bench, likely taking delight in the vitriol deflected away from him.

The three-time All-Star is continuing to recover from a back injury that has sidelined him since being swapped for Harden in a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline.

“We definitely felt like Ben was on our heart,” Irving said. “If you come at Ben, you come at us.”

While Simmons hasn’t taken the floor yet, Harden had been a boon for the 76ers unlike his time in Brooklyn, where the socalled Big 3 of Harden, Durant and Irving managed to play just 16 games together following Harden’s trade to Brooklyn last January that was billed as a potentially championship move. Harden exchanged fist bumps with Nets staff members just before tip before a shockingly poor performance from the 10-time All-Star and former MVP. Harden missed 14 of 17 field-goal attempts. “We just didn’t have the pop that we needed,” Harden said.

The only shot Simmons took was a dunk during pregame warmups that drew derisive cheers from the Philly fans.

The boos started early, as Simmons was met with catcalls while boarding the team bus to shootaround from the Nets’ downtown hotel.

Simmons did oblige one fan for an autograph, with another being heard on a video widely circulated on social media yelling, “Why the grievance? Why spit in the face of Sixers fans? We did nothing but support you for five years, Ben. You know that.”

The heckling continued when Simmons was at the arena. He entered the court 55 minutes prior to tip, wearing a sleeveless Nets warmup shirt and sweats and spent 20 minutes passing for Patty Mills’ warmup shots. He didn’t embrace any of his former teammates, though he did walk the length of the court to hug a 76ers official and then exchanged fist pumps with coach Doc Rivers at halftime.

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PAGE 14, Friday, March 11, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

Mixed results for The Bahamas as teams keep playoff hopes alive WHILE the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s boys Junior Davis Cup and the girls Jr Billie Jean King Cup teams had mixed results yesterday, they both kept their hopes alive in the playoffs in the weeklong tournament in Santo Domingo.

The Bahamas boys prevailed with a 3-0 sweep over Jamaica in their Jr Davis Cup playoffs as William McCartney won 6-3, 6-2. Michael Major Jr also was successful in a 6-3, 6-2 decision. And in doubles play, McCartney and Jackson Mactaggart teamed up for a 6-3, 6-1 victory.

The boys are now set to play Puerto Rico for fifth or sixth place in their final playoff match today.

In the Billie Jean King action for girls, the Bahamas played a make up from earlier in the week due to the rain.

In that match, the Bahamas team of Jalisa Clarke and Breann Ferguson lost 6-1, 6-4 in the doubles to complete their 3-0 loss.

Despite their loss, the girls will play for eighth, ninth or tenth place in the tournament today.

The team lost 3-0 to Trinidad & Tobago in their previous match played on Wednesday. In that match, Breann Ferguson lost 4-0, 4-0, while Sierra Rodgers fell 4-0, 4-1. Ferguson and Clarke teamed up in doubles, only to lose 5-4, 4-1.

BAHAMAS girls’ doubles team of Jalisa Clarke and BreAnn Ferguson, far right, pose with their opponents from Costa Rica. Bahamas boys Jackson Mactaggart, above, and William McCartney, top left, in action.

The boys’ team is being coached by Gregory Greene, while Sharon Greene is the coach of the girls’ team.

The trip came on the heels of the Bahamas’ performance in the 2022

North Central Americas & Caribbean Pre-Qualifying Tournament for the World Junior Championships in El Salvador the week before. The boys’ team, coached by Bradley Bain, consisted of Jerald Carroll,

William McCartney and Jackson Mactaggart. They finished as runners-up, but fell short of advancing to the World Group as only the winners moved on.

The girls’ team, coached by Paula Whitfield, consisted

of Rachel Thompson, Sarai Clarke and BreAnn Ferguson. The team, however, got eliminated when they lost to El Salvador in the playoffs after being the only Caribbean country to get a spot in the playoffs.

Matsuyama out of the Players Championship with back injury HIDEKI Matsuyama tips his hat to the gallery after sinking a putt on the eighth green during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament on March 4 in Orlando, Florida.

(AP Photo/John Raoux)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from The Players Championship yesterday because of a back injury that has been troubling him since last weekend.

Bob Turner, who travels with and interprets for the Masters champion, says Matsuyama tweaked his neck and shoulder area at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and played through it

on the weekend. Turner says Matsuyama only chipped and putted during practice rounds at the TPC Sawgrass without ever taking a full swing.

He also received treatment, but didn’t feel as though he was fit enough to play. Matsuyama was not planning to play next week.

His next event would be the Dell Match Play in Austin, Texas.

Matsuyama is a month away from his title defence at Augusta National. He became the first Japanese man to win a major last year at the Masters.

He is one of two players who already have multiple wins this season, having won the Zozo Championship in Japan last fall and the Sony Open in Hawaii in January.

Matsuyama was replaced in the field by Patrick Rodgers.

OSAKA OUTLASTS STEPHENS IN 3 SETS INDIAN WELLS, Calif.

(AP) — Naomi Osaka made a winning return to the BNP Paribas Open yesterday, rallying to beat Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in a first-round meeting of former major champions.

Trailing 2-0 in the third set, Osaka fought off three break points to hold and begin a run of six straight games to close out the match in just under two hours. She broke Stephens three times in the set, including at love in the sixth game.

Osaka, the 2018 winner at Indian Wells, is back in the desert for the first time since 2019.

The Japanese star hasn’t played a tournament since January when she lost in the round of 32 at the Australian Open. Only having played a handful of events last year, her ranking has dropped to 78th in the world.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m at peace with myself, which I think is a great feeling to have as a person,” Osaka said in her pre-tournament availability.

The four-time major champion watched qualifying matches earlier in the week and encountered fans while walking around the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

“Usually when I walk around, people are like ‘win the tournament, I have tickets to the final’ kind of thing,” Osaka said. “And, actually people were just saying, ‘I hope you have fun.’ I know that’s not the biggest difference, but it really meant a lot to me.”

Osaka has said she has faced bouts of depression since winning the US Open in 2018. She withdrew from the French Open last year to preserve her mental health.

Stephens, the 2017 US Open winner, lost for the first time in three career meetings with Osaka. The American’s ranking has dropped to 38th, although she was coming off a win in the tournament at Guadalajara, Mexico, last month.

Other first-round winners were Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, Daria Saville and Tereza Martincova.

Fleetwood, Hoge share early lead at storm-delayed Players

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf WriterQ PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (AP) — Tommy Fleetwood needed a round like this. He has gone more than two years without winning, falling so far down the world ranking that he narrowly stayed in the top 50 at the cutoff to qualify for The Players Championship.

Amid two delays, one timely par save and plenty of good shots along the way, Fleetwood opened with a 6-under 66 to share the lead — for now — with Pebble Beach winner Tom Hoge.

And now he waits. Maybe until Saturday.

The PGA Tour’s premier event with a $20 million purse got off to a stop-andgo start because of storms yesterday and a dire forecast for today.

Only 66 players finished the opening round. Twelve didn’t even hit their first tee shots.

“I’ve got a full round in today. I don’t know when I’ll play next, but I’m happy.

I’m done,” Fleetwood said.

“I’ve had a really good day.

I can sit on that. I can feel happy with my work and go from there.”

The PGA Tour enjoyed ideal weather with no delays for nine weeks in four states across five time zones to start the year.

And for the richest event in golf, with the strongest and deepest field of the year, it barely got started.

More than an inch of overnight rain delayed the start by an hour. Storms in the area resulted in another delay of more than four hours.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD, of England, hits to the green on the 9th hole during the first round of play in The Players Championship golf tournament yesterday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Jon Rahm finally got his short game and putting to behave, and it carried him to a 69.

Particularly pleasing was his birdie-par-birdie finish.

Someone asked if he could take that momentum into tomorrow.

“First of all, I don’t even know if I’m going to play tomorrow,” he said.

Fleetwood, a Ryder Cup star in Paris in 2018 whose last victory was in South Africa toward the end of 2019, returned from the long delay to make a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-5 second hole for his third birdie in a row.

Hoge had an eagle on the par-5 second hole, his 11th of the round, and shot 31 on the front nine to join him in the clubhouse at 66.

Keith Mitchell was poised to join the until his approach to the 18th was right of the flag and landed on the slope of gnarly rough in the mounds, and he failed to save par. He was at 67, along with Riviera winner Joaquin Niemann, Anirban Lahiri and Joaquin Niemann.

The stop-and-start nature might not be over.

The forecast called for a slightly lower chance of rain Friday — 99% instead

of 100% — and there was a chance those who finished the round might not see the course again until Saturday.

Six players from the early side of the draw did not finish, meaning they return at 7:15a today to play one or two holes before getting the rest of the day off.

Ian Poulter can rest easy, even if it takes time for his heart rate to steady. The 46-year-old could sense the horn about to sound to suspend play for darkness.

By rule, players can finish the hole that anyone in the group has started.

Poulter was on the tee at the par-3 17th, the island

green with a back pin and soft greens, when he fired his shot and barely saw it land 4 feet from the cup.

He jogged all the way to the green, holed the birdie putt, ran through the tunnel beneath the bleachers and onto the 18th tee. He hit his tee shot as the group in front cleared out of the way from the fairway.

He did the same thing 11 years ago and doesn’t appear to have lost a step.

Even with only 66 players completing the round, that was enough time for the Stadium Course to provide its share of thrills and spills, mostly the latter.

Harold Varner III, needing good results to stay in the top 50 and make his win in Saudi Arabia pay off with a trip to the Masters, had a two-shot lead when he stepped to the 17th tee.

His shot spun sharply down the slope, across the light cut of rough and into the water.

His next shot from the drop zone nearly did the same. He made triple bogey, dropped another shot on the 18th and shot 69.

“Just was in between clubs and didn’t execute the shot, and that’s what you get a lot out here,” Varner said.

Amazingly, that was the only ball in the water out of 69 tee shots.

No need telling that to Adam Scott. The former Players champion pumped two tee shots into the water off the 18th tee and took a quadruple bogey on his way to a 78.

Fleetwood was 6 under through 14 holes when he hit a wild drive into the pine straw to the right of the sixth fairway, leading to bogey. He was even further to the right on the seventh, but a superb save from behind the green kept him from dropping another shot, and then he holed a 25-foot birdie on the par-3 eighth.

“I’m chuffed to be in on that score,” Fleetwood said.

“I felt like I drove the ball well aside from a couple, and I felt like I chipped and putted great. For sure, that was the most I could have got out of the round. So days like that are very, very pleasing.”

Long. Wet. But pleasing.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, March 11, 2022, PAGE 15

GET SET FOR RETURN OF THE GRAND BAHAMA GAMES

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net WITH the pending return of the Bahamas Games in the summer of 2023, the Grand Bahama Sports Council is making sure that their team will be ready to challenge New Providence for the overall title.

On Wednesday at the Pro Cathedral of Christ the King Church’s vestry office, plans were revealed for the Grand Bahama Games scheduled for July 5-9.

Making the announcement were Norris Bain, the deputy director of sports in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and Churchill Tener-Knowles, the chairman of the GB Games.

Bain, one of the country’s most revered high school basketball coaches, also noted that Bimini is also organising their own games in their bid to form

their team for the Bahamas Games.

“In Grand Bahama, we have put together some veteran persons as it relates to athletics and the administration of sports on the island,” Bain said.

He noted that the Games Secretariat will be led by international and national Hall of Fame sports executive Churchill Tener-Knowles and Cecil Thompson, a former veteran educator.

Tener-Knowles, known for his long and dedicated service to softball in the country, said he’s very pleased that the Grand Bahama Games, which started in 1992, is back.

The last one was held in 2005 and was named in honour of the late Sir Edward St George. “We have been asked to put together teams for all of our core sports, softball, baseball, track and field, soccer, volleyball and all of their

MEMBERS of the Grand Bahama Sports Council.

CHURCHILL Tener-Knowles

NORRIS Bain

other sports that are a part of the Bahamas Games,” Tener-Knowles said.

With the Grand Bahama Games placed on the shelf for the past few years, Tener-Knowles said that their committee will be canvassing the public to ensure

that the athletes come out and participate like they did in the past.

“We will speak with all of the MPs (Members of Parliament) to select their committees so they can organise their teams,” Tener-Knowles said.

“Harold McPhee was a part of Lucaya and they had a very good team as well as High Rock. We are endeavouring to continue that.”

Tener-Knowles said they are appealing to all persons to come on board to make the return of the Grand Bahama so that the island is properly prepared for next year’s return of the Bahamas Games.

If it comes off, this would be the sixth edition of the Bahamas Games - a mini version of the Olympic Games.

The games, the brainchild of the late Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Peter Bethell, was started in 1989 and continued in 1991, 1995 and 2001.

Before leaving office last year, the Free National Movement government had allocated a total of

AP SOURCE: CHARGERS ACQUIRING MACK FROM BEARS FOR TWO PICKS

Barca held 0-0

by Galatasaray, Sevilla beats West Ham

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press BARCELONA’s newfound attacking verve vanished yesterday as the club was held to a 0-0 draw by Galatasaray at Camp Nou in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Europa League.

Barcelona is having a miserable season but had shown signs of recovery lately by winning four straight games in all competitions and scoring a combined 14 goals in that stretch.

But playing in Europe’s second-tier competition after failing to advance to the Champions League knockout stages for the first time since 2004, the Spanish giant couldn’t come closer to a goal than when Frenkie de Jong hit the post. Barca now faces a tricky return leg in Turkey in the only competition it still has a realistic chance of winning.

Barcelona is out of the Copa del Rey and trails Spanish league leader Real Madrid by 15 points.

Earlier, Moroccan forward Munir scored in the second half to give six-time Europa League champion Sevilla a 1-0 win over West Ham. Sevilla’s experience proved the difference against a team playing its first European knockout game in 40 years as the English side couldn’t take its chances in an evenly balanced game at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, which will host the final in May. In other games, Rangers beat Red Star Belgrade 3-0, Atalanta

TIGER FROM PAGE 11

Woods, as noted above, talked about the distant past and said nothing about his future. But golf is that rare game where Hall of Famers can collect their plaque, stick it in the trophy case and step back onto the field. Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els were both already alumni when they won in recent years.

Woods referred to those wins not long ago, calling his induction “an acknowledgement that you’ve had a successful career.

“I feel like I have,” he added, “but it feels like it’s still not over yet.”

The best ones have the hardest time letting go. Woods wouldn’t be the first G.O.A.T. (Greatest of AllTime) to push the envelope.

“One day you might look up and see me playing the game at 50,” is how Michael Jordan ended his

recovered from a goal down to top Leverkusen 3-2, and Braga blanked Monaco 2-0.

Leipzig’s meeting with Spartak Moscow was cancelled after all Russian clubs were expelled from international competitions following that country’s military invasion of Ukraine.

Leipzig directly qualified for the quarterfinals.

In the Europa Conference League, Jose Mourinho’s Roma registered a 1-0 victory away at Dutch team Vitesse. Leicester secured a 2-0 home win over Rennes and Feyenoord rallied for a 5-2 victory at Partizan Belgrade.

Marseille, Bodø/Glimt, Slavia Prague and PAOK also earned first-leg victories.

The second leg games are set for March 17.

EUROPA LEAGUE Barcelona dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances and not even newly signed striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could spark the attack when he came on as a substitute.

Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui had to make a last-minute change to his lineup after Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic picked up an injury during the warmup.

He was replaced by Munir, and the change paid off when the Moroccan forward half-volleyed the winner past West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on the stroke of the hour.

Former Manchester United forward Anthony Martial came off

Hall of Fame induction speech.

Knowing laughs erupted on every side of him.

“Oh don’t laugh,” he said.

“Never say never.”

Woods can’t walk a golf course at the moment, so he eschewed empty boasts or self-deprecating jokes, and it’s hard to imagine he would show up at the first tee just for the sake of playing. But Jordan and Jack Nicklaus and even Muhammad Ali said almost the same thing and all of them came back in search of one more transcendent run, one more moment when they felt like the king of the world.

“I was never going to be denied,” Woods said around mid-speech Wednesday night, recalling the moment he’d inherited his father’s passion for the game. “I loved it. I had this burning desire to be able to express myself in this game of golf.”

A plaque isn’t going to change that.

$3.328 million for the staging of the games. They had broken down the expenditure to cover $650,000 for 2021-2022, $1 million for the 2022-2023 fiscal period and another $1,677.975 for 2023-2024.

However, the new government under the Progressive Liberal Party, under Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis with Mario Bowleg as the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, has not yet disclosed if those figures will remain in place and or whether or not they will continue with the plans for the return of the games.

In any event, the Grand Bahama Sports Council indicated that they want to make sure they are ready by bringing back their own Grand Bahama Games in July.

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer

BARCELONA’S PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG, right, vies for the ball with Galatasaray’s Marcao during their Europa League, round of 16, first leg soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday.

(AP Photo/Joan Monfort) the bench for Sevilla in his return Frankfurt edging Real Betis 2-1 from an injury, but the Spanish in Spain. team was without several other EUROPA CONFERENCE key players, including Diego Sérgio Oliveira scored the Carlos and Papu Gómez. winner in first-half injury time for Nikola Vlašic had West Ham’s Roma. best chance 10 minutes into the With Leicester striker Jamie game but his close-range header Vardy out injured again, Marc was saved by Sevilla goalkeeper Albrighton and substitute Kelechi Yassine Bounou.

Iheanacho netted a goal each to After eliminating Borussia secure a 2-0 victory over Rennes.

Dortmund, Rangers jumped out Poland forward Arkadiusz to a 2-0 lead in a four-minute Milik converted from the spot and span early in the first half. Cap- added one more on a rebound for tain James Tavernier scored from Marseille to beat Basel 2-1. the penalty spot in the 11th and After knocking out Scottish Alfredo Morelos doubled the giant Celtic, Norwegian upstart advantage with a low shot.

Bodø/Glimt beat AZ Alkmaar Leon Balogun finished it off 2-1 for its eighth straight home with a header in the second half. victory in Europe.

Ruslan Malinovsky and Luis The highest-scoring game of the Muriel both scored in a two- night was in Eindhoven, where minute span to spark Atalanta’s Copenhagen led 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3 comeback after Leverkusen took against PSV but had to settle for the lead though Charles Arán- a 4-4 draw. guiz. Muriel added his second Partizan led 2-1 after substiafter halftime before Moussa tute Nemanja Jovic volleyed in Diaby pulled one back with a 40 seconds into the second half curling shot. but Feyenoord scored four unanBraga took the lead in the third swered goals to take a massive minute through Abel Ruiz and lead back home for the second substitute Vitor Oliveira added leg. Slavia Prague’s Yira Sor the second a minute from time. scored two first-half goals on fast Two matches were played counters to spark a 4-1 home on Wednesday, with Lyon win- win over Austria’s LASK. Also, ning 1-0 at Porto and Eintracht PAOK defeated Gent 1-0.

TIGER Woods is inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame by his daughter Sam Woods Wednesday, March 9, 2022, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Since the disappointing end to last season, Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco and coach Brandon Staley have discussed upgrading a defense that didn’t live up to expectations.

The Bolts are taking that first step by adding another premier pass rusher to pair with Joey Bosa.

The Chargers agreed to acquire defensive end Khalil Mack from the Chicago Bears in exchange for two draft picks, two people familiar with the negotiations confirmed to The Associated Press yesterday.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade can’t become official until the start of the new league year on Wednesday.

The Chargers are expected to send a secondround pick this year and a 2023 sixth-round selection to the Bears for the threetime All-Pro defender.

Staley said during last week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis that the defensive line and secondary were going to be areas of emphasis during free agency and the draft.

Los Angeles, 9-8 last season, got off to a 4-1 start but missed the playoffs for the third straight season, winning back-toback games only once after Week 5, and losing three of the final four games.

A big reason for the Chargers’ struggles down the stretch was their defence. Staley brought in an attacking 3-4 scheme that made the the Rams the top-ranked unit in 2020, but he didn’t get the same results with the Chargers, who were 23rd in total defense and third worst against the run.

The Chargers allowed 269 points after halftime, tied with the 2015 New Orleans Saints for most since 1991. The 138.9 yards per game allowed on the ground was the worst by a Chargers defense since 2003.

Offences converted 49.5% of their third-down opportunities, the thirdhighest rate since 1991.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, March 11, 2022, PAGE 17

‘HIGHLY PROBABLE’ MOST OF $900M TAX DEBTS SEIZED

FROM PAGE 22

Suggesting that timelines for the Large Taxpayer Unit’s launch will become clearer when Philip Davis QC delivers the 2022-2023 Budget in just over twoand-a-half months’ time, Mr Wilson affirmed that work to establish this and other initiatives announced by the Prime Minister was “pretty well advanced”.

“We’ve been working for the last five-and-a-half to six months. There’s a lot of hard work going on. A joint task force is already in existence, and this is the beginning of the Large Taxpayer Unit,” he said.

The Unit will focus on key

taxes such as VAT, Customs duties, Business Licence fees and real property taxes.

“Eighty percent of our revenue comes from around 15 percent of our taxpayer customers,” the financial secretary said of the Unit’s target market. “Eighty percent of the revenue comes from that group.

“This allows us to improve the quality of service to the taxpayer. Most large taxpayers are compliant, and improving the quality of service to them will enhance compliance and improve cash flow.

“One of the primary reasons those taxpayers are sometimes non-compliant is they don’t get the tax

invoice. If there’s large taxpayers in that group who are not compliant, it is often that they don’t get the tax invoice. If there’s a large taxpayer in that group that’s in arrears once they are presented with an invoice they normally pay.”

The Auditor General’s Office previously confirmed problems with taxpayers receiving their tax bills on time, with between 30-40 percent of real property tax invoices going astray due to incorrect addresses and being returned to the sender.

Mr Wilson thus largely exempted major taxpayers from inclusion in the group said to be owing a collective $900m to the Public Treasury. He revealed that this sum has been divided into arrears where it is “highly

probable” they will be collected and then amounts that are “less probable”.

“A lot of that has been outstanding for a relatively short period of time, so most of it is in the highly probably category for collection,” Mr Wilson told Tribune Business. Such an outcome would be a major boost for a Public Treasury that needs every cent it can get.

Mr Davis on Wednesday unveiled plans to amend the VAT legislation to introduce so-called “withholding agents”. These are VAT registrant companies who will be able to withhold the VAT payable to their suppliers and vendors on the invoices they receive, and instead directly remit due payment to the Government themselves.

“I think it’s going to improve compliance,” Mr Wilson said of the proposal.

“Countries use withholding agents for sectors where there’s a relatively low level of compliance. A withholding agent doesn’t withhold 100 percent of the VAT. It withholds a portion of the VAT, and provides payment partially in cash and partially by a credit note.

That’s how it works.”

He did not identify the industries it will focus on, adding: “We have some ideas, but we have not completed our review. I would wait until the experts have completed their review and say those are these sectors.

“I think it’s going to make an appreciable difference in terms of compliance.

We’ve been working constantly on these processes.

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that DESTIN BENJI of Seabreeze Lane, New Providence, 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 twentyeight days from the 4th day of March, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that HERMINIO GOMEZ SAMBOY of P.O. Box EE-16816, Seabreeze Lane, New Providence, 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 twentyeight days from the 4th day of March, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ULTIDE DOCTEUR-JOHNSON of #42E Hearn Lane, Freeport, 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 twentyeight days from the 11th day of March, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that CRISTIAN SÁNCHEZ of Purpose Way, Ridgeland Park West, Nassau, 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 4th day of March, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

I think persons under-estimate how much work is involved in terms of trying to move things forward. I think by the time we reach the annual Budget, the Prime Minister will be able to talk definitively about timelines.”

Mr Wilson said the proposals for further enhancing tax administration, compliance and enforcement were all geared towards “moving closer to our target” of a 25 percent revenue-to-GDP ratio by 2024-2025 without having to introduce new and/or increased taxes. He indicated that further measures may be unveiled in the annual Budget due to be presented in the last week of May.

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

The Public is hereby advised that I, DENECEA JENEA JOHNSON of Ridgeland Park East P.O. Box CB11467 Nassau, The Bahamas, parent of SANAY WINTER JOHNSON a minor intend to change my child’s name to SANAY WINTER SHERMAN . If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

The Public is hereby advised that I, SARAH HUBBARD of Hillside Estate, Mackey Street, New Providence, Bahamas, intend to change my name to SARHA HUBBARD. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Deputy Chief Passport Officer, P.O. Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that MARGO RICHARDS of Carmichael Road, New Providence, 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 twentyeight days from the 10th day of March, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that ANNDY JOHNSON of Lyford Cay, New Providence, 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 twentyeight days from the 4th day of March, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

THURSDAY, 10 MARCH 2022

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX: BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 6.70 40.15 2.05 2.90 2.60 6.05 10.05 2.56 9.02 3.10 7.20 13.00 2.71 10.10 11.06 10.75 15.00 4.00 10.00 16.50

52WK LOW 4.55 32.12 1.46 2.20 1.30 5.50 6.00 2.82 4.25 2.27 5.50 9.75 1.99 6.50 9.50 8.40 13.10 3.42 8.00 15.50

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

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 1.00

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

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

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

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

CLOSE

CHANGE

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

2249.57

0.15

0.01

21.33

0.96

SYMBOL AML APD BBL BFH BOB BPF BWL CAB CBB CBL CHL CIB CWCB DHS EMAB FAM FBB FCL FIN JSJ BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) 115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.98 100.00

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 96.71 93.97 94.12 91.00 90.95 89.02 89.62 89.00 90.24 90.73

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.50 4.67 2.20 207.86 207.68 1.72 1.83 1.81 1.05 9.37 11.83 7.54 16.64 12.84 10.77 10.00 10.43 14.89

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.68 1.73 1.75 1.01 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

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 BGRS FX BGR106036 BGRS FX BGR117037 BGRS FX BGR118037 BGRS FX BGR125238 BGRS FX BGR127139 BGRS FX BGR127149 BGRS FX BGR129249 BGRS FX BGR131249 BGRS FX BGR132249 BGRS FX BGR136150

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGR1060361 BSBGR1170376 BSBGR1180375 BSBGR1252380 BSBGR1271398 BSBGR1271497 BSBGR1292493 BSBGR1312499 BSBGR1322498 BSBGR1361504

LAST CLOSE 5.30 39.95 2.04 2.31 2.49 6.05 9.50 3.30 7.99 2.82 7.15 13.00 2.22 10.06 11.55 10.75 15.00 3.99 9.85 15.50 1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00 LAST SALE 100.00 100.00 107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 89.62 100.00 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 5.30 39.95 2.04 2.31 2.50 6.05 9.50 3.30 7.99 2.82 7.16 13.00 2.16 10.06 11.58 10.75 15.00 3.99 9.85 15.50 1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00 52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks 52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume Change - Change in closing price from day to day Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

VOLUME 115 1,080

5,000 1,500

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 89.62 100.00 100.00 100.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

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 RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund RF Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Equities Sub Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - High Yield Income Fund RF Bahamas International Investment Fund Limited - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

MARKET TERMS

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 (0.06) 0.00 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

(242) 323‐2330 (242) 323‐2320 EPS$ 0.239 0.932 0.000 0.140 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

70

NAV 2.50 4.67 2.20 204.67 199.97 1.72 1.83 1.81 1.01 9.37 11.79 7.54 15.94 12.47 10.74 N/A 10.43 14.89

DIV$ 0.170 1.260 0.020 0.080 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

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25% 6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 5.40% 5.20% 5.22% 5.00% 5.00% 5.50% 5.55% 5.60% 5.65% 5.69% YTD% 12 MTH% 0.34% 4.30% -0.06% 5.21% 0.21% 2.72% 1.37% 3.18% 8.18% 14.94% 0.26% 2.76% 0.36% 2.37% 0.28% 2.51% -1.31% -3.43% -0.02% 10.36% -0.33% 18.23% 0.22% 3.05% -3.89% 14.76% -1.04% -2.57% 0.81% 4.20% N/A N/A 3.00% 25.60% 7.90% 48.70%

P/E 22.2 42.9 N/M 16.5 N/M N/M 25.7 -7.5 57.1 15.3 15.9 18.0 21.2 21.5 17.9 14.8 18.4 19.7 10.5 24.6 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

YIELD 3.21% 3.15% 0.98% 3.46% 0.00% 0.00% 2.74% 0.00% 0.00% 4.26% 3.07% 5.54% 20.09% 0.60% 2.83% 2.23% 3.60% 3.01% 2.03% 3.94% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025 20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 4-Aug-2036 14-Jul-2037 13-Oct-2037 15-Oct-2038 15-Jan-2039 15-Jan-2049 15-Apr-2049 15-Jul-2049 15-Oct-2049 21-Apr-2050

NAV Date 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 28-Jan-2022 30-Sep-2021 30-Sep-2021 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Jan-2022 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths NAV - Net Asset Value N/M - Not Meaningful

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

CALL 502-2394 TO ADVERTISE

PAGE 18, Friday, March 11, 2022

BISX-LISTED INSURER TAKES ‘CONSPIRACY’ DAMAGES HIT

FROM PAGE 22 Ms Bain’s home via its power of sale after she fell into arrears on her mortgage because she no longer qualified for preferential interest rates having been terminated.

Finding in favour of the former sales agent, Justice Charles awarded Ms Bain $20,000 in damages for the “conspiracy” to injure her via “lawful means” and another $25,000 over the defamatory letter to the Insurance Commission.

The BISX-listed life and health insurer must also

pay $60,000 towards her legal costs, and $10,675 in disbursements, taking these combined costs and damages to more than $110,000.

And Family Guardian was also ordered to pay Ms Bain “damages for breach of contract” equivalent to a year’s notice pay.

Justice Charles provided no figure for the latter, but during the trial Ms Bain said she earned $345,593 in 2014 via a combination of commissions, referral fees, bonuses and ‘Million Dollar Round Table’ commissions.

Had her agreement with

Family Guardian continued, she alleged she would have earned $23,125 per month.

The two sides fell out when Family Guardian in September 2015 terminated Ms Bain as one of its financial sales representatives authorised to sell its insurance products. “She was terminated because the company claimed that by her absence, and future absence, from the office and from The Bahamas, she breached some of her obligations under the Agreement,” Justice Charles said.

“Ms Bain asserted that her productivity was not impacted by her physical absence, which was not a requirement, and therefore the company breached the contract when it terminated her without proper grounds provided in the contract.”

Ms Bain had advised her supervisor, Wendell Smith, Family Guardian’s vice-president of financial services, in June 2015 that she planned to pursue a 16-month Master’s Degree in Orlando, Florida. However, the insurer was unhappy with the terms she proposed for continuing in its employment and handling her client portfolio while on the course.

Family Guardian proposed transferring her new and existing BahamaHealth clients to the Client Services Unit of its health division, which would continue to service the portfolio for as long as she was away. Commissions were to be split 50/50 with the company.

Ms Bain objected to this, and the following day the keys to her office at

Family Guardian - held by her marketing assistant were taken away. And, just 21 days later, Ms Bain’s employment contract was terminated on the basis she had violated its provisions by being absent for 42 days over the past two-and-ahalf months.

Family Guardian then moved swiftly to prevent Ms Bain’s group health insurance clients from moving with her, and potentially becoming insured with a rival underwriter. “At the time of Ms Bain’s termination, John Bull (along with other clients) were enrolled in BahamaHealth group insurances sold through the company with its agent/ broker as Ms Bain,” Justice Charles noted.

“Well before her termination, the company offered John Bull renewal rates for the upcoming year. The commission was 4 percent payable to Ms Bain. Shortly after Ms Bain’s termination, the company informed her clients that she was no longer working with the company and that another sales agent would replace her.”

However, in early October 2015, John Bull, Bahamas Bus & Truck and other clients of Ms Bain wrote to Family Guardian requesting that their agent/ broker be changed to Hope Insurance Agents and Brokers, a brokerage headed by one of the BISX-listed firm’s former employees, Cardinal McCardy.

And, on October 7, 2015, Ms Bain entered a subagency agreement whereby she would earn an 80 percent commission on all new

business she brought to Hope Insurance.

“Notwithstanding the change of broker requests, Mrs Major, senior manager of group sales, contacted John Bull without Hope Insurance’s knowledge to advise them that they had the option to eliminate Hope Insurance and enroll directly through the company,” Justice Charles wrote.

“She also offered a revised renewal rate. The revised rate was lower because the commission offered to the broker (Hope Insurance) was reduced to 2 percent. Mrs Major had a meeting with the John Bull representative in the absence of, and without the knowledge of, Hope Insurance.

“John Bull elected the revised rate but insisted that Hope Insurance remain the broker of record. Hope Insurance accepted the lower commission rate. Additionally, Mrs Major contacted a person affiliated with the Bahamas Bus & Truck group and successfully convinced them to abandon Hope Insurance as its broker and enroll directly through the company.”

Just two days after Ms Bain signed with Hope Insurance, Mrs Major wrote her a letter - copied to Michele Fields and Patrice Rolle - superintendent and manager of the intermediary and market conduct unit, respectively, at the Insurance Commission “complaining that she improperly provided clients’ information to Hope Insurance.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that JOSE VALENTIN FÍGARO CRISOSTOMO of Masson Addition-Sandy Lane , Nassau, 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 4th day of March, 2022 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

FAZITA INVESTMENTS INC. In Voluntary Liquidation Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, FAZITA INVESTMENTS INC. is in dissolution as of March 2, 2022 International Liquidator Services Limited situated at 3rd Floor Withfield Tower, 4792 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator.

LIQUIDATOR ______________________

THE TRIBUNE

“The letter alleged that the recent appointment of Hope Insurance as broker of record for several policies arose as a result of Ms Bain disclosing client information. Mrs Major demanded that Ms Bain ‘cease and desist’. She referenced the Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act which prohibits persons from using information obtained without authority,” Justice Charles said.

She found that there was no contractual requirement for Ms Bain to be physically present in her office to work, which was backed by her status as an independent contractor. Justice Charles said it was also not unusual for sales agents to be on the road for long periods of time, and found there was a lack of evidence to support the company’s termination decision.

While Family Guardian denied any conspiracy to harm Ms Bain financially, Justice Charles found it used “lawful” means to do so. “In my judgment, Mrs Major and the company acted in combination to induce John Bull and Bahamas Bus & Truck not to deal with Hope Insurance by offering a lower premium if they dealt directly with them,” she wrote.

“I find it difficult to accept Mrs Major’s evidence that she was unaware that Ms Bain was working at Hope Insurance. The fact that almost all of her former clients requested that their broker be changed to Hope Insurance was overwhelming evidence to have indicated that she had a financial interest in Hope Insurance.

“Further, as Mrs Major herself stated, it was common when agents left the firm for their clients to go with them. The Company’s intention to injure Ms Bain specifically was further demonstrated by the fact that they contacted John Bull and Bahamas Bus & Truck after the letters requesting Hope Insurance to be broker of record were submitted.

“This is exacerbated

by Mrs Major’s denial of Mr McCardy’s request to allow Ms. Bain to communicate on behalf of certain accounts after he had confirmed that the brokerage was sponsoring Ms Bain.”

While Family Guardian was likely trying to ensure it retained those clients, Justice Charles added that it seemed as if Mrs Major and/or Family Guardian was “trying, at the very least, to make Ms Bain useless at Hope Insurance......

“Taken together, all of the facts show that the predominant intention of Mrs Major and/or the company was to prevent Ms Bain from benefitting financially. They ought to have expected that her clients would go with her.”

As for the letter to the Insurance Commission, which Justice Charles found to be defamatory, she said “I think the intention to injure Ms Bain was the dominant motive” for it being written. She added that Mrs Major had shown “malice” in her actions.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, March 11, 2022, PAGE 19

GOVERNOR: BAHAMAS FAR AWAY FROM DEBT DEFAULT FROM PAGE 22 they will have subjected their models to stress testing and an evaluation of “extraordinary risks” facing this country.

“I can tell you that, in those extraordinary risks, you should not be deriving any comfort from a sovereign default because our sovereign has room to tap into much more resources if it needs to,” he added.

“You need to be mindful of that when you look at the outlook, and what that means for the fiscal policy space.”

The Central Bank governor reiterated this view later in the webinar when asked to respond to analyses by Marla Dukharan, the former Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) chief economist for the Caribbean, who has predicted ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began that The Bahamas is just one to two years away from falling into an International Monetary Fund (IMF) restructuring.

“We need to recognise and acknowledge more readily, in so far as say our fiscal framework, that The Bahamas is a high - or some say middle to high - income country with resources,” Mr Rolle argued. “The Government has important options around its taxation approach that it can use if prompted to do so as a means of steering the sovereign to an improved outcome.

“That’s very important in terms of the kind of commentary we should exercise around, the reasoning around, fiscal sustainability issues. We need to think much more about that.”

Mr Rolle was effectively disagreeing with Ms Dukharan on the basis that her assessment of The Bahamas, and likelihood of an IMF bail-out or restructuring, is based on a static model that assumes the Government has no policy tools with which to change the debt and deficit trajectory.

His argument, by contrast, is that the Davis administration has multiple untapped options in its fiscal armoury which it can call upon if circumstances become pressing - one of which is the possible implementation of more

TO ADVERTISE TODAY IN THE TRIBUNE CALL @ 502-2394

progressive taxation, such as an income tax.

The Central Bank governor made this point when he spoke to the difference between “the active scenario and the passive scenario” when analysing the Bahamian economy, the country’s fiscal affairs and its future prospects.

Describing the latter, he asked: “Why does a blind man walk over the cliff?

Because he cannot see the edge.” However, he referred to the former as the man who avoided walking over the cliff because he can see “and change course. But you don’t want to get too close to the edge either”.

Asked during the webinar whether The Bahamas may approach the IMF for fiscal help, Mr Rolle replied: “From a public policy point of view, that’s something that is not on the table. There’s full appreciation that, if The Bahamas saw that as an attractive route it could follow, it would do so. “[But] there’s no indication that is a path The Bahamas is going to take. It does not, however, diminish the importance of the kind of reforms that The Bahamas needs to undertake to strengthen the outlook for the fiscal balance sheet.”

Mr Rolle identified one such revenue-raising measure as an income tax, although he strongly emphasised he was not advocating for such reform.

He acknowledged, though, that such a levy and the need to make the Bahamian taxation system more progressive, fair and

equitable had been a dominant feature of fiscal debate in recent years.

Urging all Bahamians to remain alive to the possibility of an income tax, the Central Bank governor added: “We have to be conscious as a society that tax reform is going to stay in the picture in terms of how it impacts the sovereign risk profile.

“As Bahamians, let’s confess, let’s acknowledge that the only tax we’ve kept off the table until now, and mentioned from time to time, is income tax. I think from a policy point of view that The Bahamas has signalled it is not ready to go in that direction now, but it’s still an area where there needs to be a lot more work and study.

“There’s recurring discussion in The Bahamas about how to make our tax system more progressive, which is one where the Government is not financed through consumption taxes that fall disproportionately on low income people by consuming a greater share of their income.”

Mr Rolle said persons have to “forget about high tax rates in The Bahamas” because these are inextricably linked to the Government’s size and role in the economy. He pointed out that tax revenues, as a percentage of economic output, are just barely at 20 percent while many other nations are at around 30 percent.

Quick to say he was not suggesting The Bahamas “aspire to target” that 30 percent range, Mr Rolle said he was making the

point that The Bahamas still has significant untapped capacity and resources to finance government and public services.

“I did not say we should have income tax,” the Central Bank governor added for clarity. “I said we should not ignore the fact that this is an option that The Bahamas has.

“To the extent The Bahamas is not yet enacting it for various reasons, we need to understand it is not a permanent space, and we need to appreciate how it feeds into the medium and long-term position around how we improve the infrastructure we all think of and need.”

The Prime Minister indicated income-tax related reforms remain firmly in the Government’s thinking when he unveiled the mid-year Budget on Wednesday. He disclosed that converting Business Licence fees to a corporate income tax, which has long been mulled and advocated, is one such option.

“Over the past few years, Business Licence fees have averaged 0.9 percent of GDP. Save for the impact of COVID-19 in the most recent years, nominal GDP growth has been placed around 3 percent. This tells us that while there may be improvements in economic activity, that is not being reflected in increased fees from businesses operating in the country,” Mr Davis said.

“A possible solution would be to move towards a corporate income tax regime to provide simplicity in the manner in which

businesses are taxed and improve government revenues.” While the Business Licence fee is levied on gross turnover, a corporate income tax is based on profits.

Mr Davis also acknowledged that such reforms may be driven by external pressures. “Similar discussions have been held at the international level with respect to the implementation of a global minimum tax of at least 15 percent, determined on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis, to which the former administration has signed on to,” he added.

“The goal is to ensure that the profits of multinationals with global turnover exceeding 750m euros are subject to the minimum effective tax rate. Such a measure could

be a significant source of revenue for The Bahamas and could avoid corporate profits of multinational enterprises in the country being taxed elsewhere.

“Additionally, not imposing a corporate income tax could pose reputational risks on the country, which could jeopardise the buoyancy of future prospects for the economy,” Mr Davis said. “We fully appreciate that the introduction of a corporate income tax framework would be a complex undertaking, with important economic and fiscal ramifications.”

He added that the Deloitte & Touche accounting firm has been hired to study the proposed global minimum corporate income tax’s impact on The Bahamas.

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PAGE 20, Friday, March 11, 2022

THE TRIBUNE

US HEALTH UPGRADE GIVES TOURISM ‘UNABATED’ BOOST FROM PAGE 22

this newspaper: “This elevation is a very important step for the hotel and tourism industry in The Bahamas.

“This ensures that the continued positive trends in the sector, and the pent-up demand for the destination from potential travellers and high equity in The Bahamas as a tourism destination continues unabated.

“This helps the situation very greatly, and will go a long way along with the other eliminations of COVID impediments. This will augur well for future

interest and demand for The Bahamas by groups.” The ‘Level 3’ rating advises international travellers to be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines before travelling to The Bahamas.

Despite the CDC upgrade coming at the peak of the winter tourism season, with Easter about a month away, Mr Sands said the immediate impact was likely to be minimal because hotels are already heavily booked and travel decisions already made.

“This will be more an impact on forward bookings and future booking

decisions,” he added, “as individuals make decisions as to which destination they will travel to. The additional bookings at Easter will be incremental to significant bookings on the books already, but this clears the way for more positive decisions for forward bookings.

“The important thing is that there’s no longer a crutch for decisions on whether to come to The Bahamas. I’m encouraged by the fact that we’re no longer at ‘Level 4’, and I’m hopeful that in the not too distant future we get to ‘Level 2’ or ‘Level 1’.

“That’s extremely important so that there are not any obstacles to decisionmaking to travel to the islands of The Bahamas. It certainly removes any barriers to the demand, the pent-up demand, and that’s demand the destination has been experiencing.”

Mr Sands also voiced optimism that the Government will ease the COVID mask mandate as the sector as urged.

John Rolle, the Central Bank’s governor, told a Chartered Financial Analyst of The Bahamas webinar yesterday that forward booking indicators

for March 2022 “look just like” those for March 2020, which was the last month before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

He added that air arrivals had reached to around 80 percent of pre-COVID volumes by end-2021, with cruise passenger and overall arrivals standing just below that in the high 70 percent range.

Turning to the CDC advisory, Mr Rolle added: “In the hotel sector it’s the group business that is being more adversely impacted than the family vacation.

It’s the group business that

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 70° F/21° C

TAMPA

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Mostly sunny, breezy and pleasant

Mainly clear

Winds subsiding with clouds and sun

Periods of sun; windy, not as warm

Windy with partial sunshine

Mostly cloudy with a little rain

High: 83°

Low: 74°

High: 85° Low: 66°

High: 75° Low: 65°

High: 77° Low: 70°

High: 80° Low: 70°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

90° F

77° F

91°-62° F

73°-61° F

78°-67° F

83°-67° 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: 80° F/27° C Low: 74° F/23° C

7-14 knots

S

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 74° F/23° C

7-14 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 75° F/24° C

E

W S

E

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WEST PALM BEACH

N

| Go to AccuWeather.com

TONIGHT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 72° F/22° C

MIAMI

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 76° F/24° C

7-14 knots

KEY WEST

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 76° F/24° C

NASSAU

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

N

uV inDex toDay

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

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

2.3 1.7

8:45 a.m.

8:34 p.m.

0.7 0.5

3:10 a.m.

3:29 p.m.

2.3 1.8

9:45 a.m.

9:34 p.m.

0.7 0.4

Sunday

5:07 a.m.

5:25 p.m.

2.4 1.9

11:39 a.m. 0.6 11:30 p.m. 0.3

Monday

5:57 a.m.

6:15 p.m.

2.5 2.1

12:26 p.m. 0.4 ---------

Tuesday

6:42 a.m.

7:00 p.m.

2.7 2.3

12:20 a.m. 0.2 1:07 p.m. 0.2

Wednesday 7:23 a.m.

7:41 p.m.

2.8 2.5

1:07 a.m.

1:45 p.m.

Thursday

2.9 2.7

1:51 a.m. -0.1 2:22 p.m. -0.2

Today

2:10 a.m.

2:27 p.m.

Saturday

8:02 a.m.

8:22 p.m.

0.0 0.0

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:23 a.m. Moonrise 6:17 p.m. Moonset

12:21 p.m.

1:46 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Mar. 18

Mar. 25

Apr. 1

Apr. 9

CAT ISLAND

E

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High: 82° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

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S

7-14 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 82° F/28° C Low .................................................... 71° F/22° C Normal high ....................................... 79° F/26° C Normal low ........................................ 65° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 79° F/26° C Last year’s low ................................... 67° F/19° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 4.37” Normal year to date ..................................... 3.43”

ELEUTHERA

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

yields higher rates of return for the industry.”

Dr Michael Darville, minister of health and wellness, said of the CDC upgrade: “It’s so important that Bahamians and residents fully appreciate that the country’s return to normality is closely tied to all of us continuing to be compliant with COVID safety recommendations.

“We all hold the key to our success. Free testing is available for everyone who wishes to know their COVID-19 status. And getting vaccinated remains the scientifically-proven best way of protecting ourselves and our loved ones. Let’s all do what we need to do to help keep our country moving forward.”

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 74° F/23° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

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High: 81° F/27° C Low: 75° F/24° C

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LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

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MAYAGUANA High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

L

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

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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: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday: Today: Saturday:

WINDS SE at 7-14 Knots SSW at 12-25 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots SSW at 7-14 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots S at 8-16 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots ESE at 7-14 Knots S at 8-16 Knots S at 8-16 Knots SSW at 12-25 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots S at 8-16 Knots E at 8-16 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots ESE at 8-16 Knots SSE at 7-14 Knots E at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots S at 8-16 Knots SE at 8-16 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots SE at 7-14 Knots S at 8-16 Knots

WAVES 3-5 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 4-7 Feet 4-8 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 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. 76° F 77° F 78° F 79° F 78° F 78° F 80° F 80° F 77° F 77° F 79° F 80° F 79° F 80° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 78° F 78° F 78° F 77° F 79° F 79° F 78° F 78° F

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, March 11, 2022, PAGE 21

SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE NEEDS CONSTANT REFRESH A

s a business professional wanting to improve your personal brand and remain relevant in the marketplace, your social media presence becomes a priority.

When was the last time you refreshed and updated your company’s social media pages? Perhaps this article serves as the catalyst you need to do just that.

Social media is constantly changing, and companies and business professionals that are not up to speed are bound to fall behind. You owe it to your brand and your company to get the social media makeover it needs. Here are a few tips to get started on the journey of enhancing your social media presence: 1.

Social Media Monitoring Social media monitoring is the process of studying

IAN FERGUSON and tracking relevant information on social media as it relates to your business and its goals. With an effective social media monitoring strategy, you can keep track of popular accounts in your

industry; relevant hashtags; the performance of competitors; major changes to specific platforms; and general trends related to your niche.

Social media monitoring makes it easier for businesses to stay current on important changes across different platforms by tracking specific metrics.

These insights help determine how your social media profiles stacks up with those performing well in the current climate. Without social media monitoring, your social media presence is more likely to fall behind the trends and other significant changes.

2. Refresh Your Profile Social media platforms are powerful tools for connecting and communicating with potential customers.

But, if you want to maximise the connection with your audience, your social

media profiles need to remain relevant. You have to stay ahead of social media trends and ensure all the information on your account is up-to-date. If you are always playing catch-up with the constant changes in the social media sphere, you will never successfully maintain a connection with followers.

And if the information customers find on your social media profile is not accurate, this connection will not be worthwhile.

Even the most effective social media marketing strategy is meaningless if your accounts have inaccurate contact information.

Every few months you should reassess your company’s social media presence on all platforms to see what needs to be updated.

3. Replace Your Old Photos

Photos are an essential component of your company’s social media presence.

Online visitors use these visuals to get a better understanding of your brand and what it offers.

You need to consistently replace older photos with more up-to-date, higherquality photos to give new followers the most accurate idea of your business or you as a professional. Unless you have recently updated your brand’s logo, keep your profile photo the same. Changing it too often can confuse customers and hurt brand awareness.

However, you should routinely replace cover photos and gallery images to rejuvenate your social media presence. If you have the budget, hire an in-house or outsourced photographer to provide a consistent stream of high-quality, upto-date images.

BAHAMIAN INVESTMENT OVERSEAS TO HIT $100M FROM PAGE 22 With Bahamians having invested $80m overseas via the Investment Currency Market (ICM) in 2019, the year before it was temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Bank governor added: “I believe in 2022 it could hit $100m, and that’s because we reformed the system so that Bahamians could establish trading accounts with local bank and trust companies.”

With these institutions acting as custodians, Mr Rolle said this move had given Bahamians “flexibility to buy and sell their

portfolio. That’s a major change from previously when, buying or selling your shares, you had to get approvals. That flexibility to trade has been critical in giving Bahamians more access to portfolio investment through investment currency channels.

“The same channels exist for those looking to invest in crypto currency, crypto assets,” he added, “and we see a lot of persons come in to us to request permission to engage in this type of activity. We approve them.”

In similar fashion to how foreign exchange approval authority has been delegated to the commercial

banks for trade transactions, Mr Rolle said “at some point it has been suggested that a similar type of structure be put together for portfolio transactions that need investment currency”.

However, he added that the Central Bank’s shortterm goals were focused firmly on managing the one:one US dollar currency peg and, by extension, The Bahamas’ external reserves.

“If there were to be nearterm changes, rather than liberalisation access locally our focus would be more on administrative processes,” Mr Rolle confirmed.

“A lot of the risk and outlook in the environment

US, ALLIES TO REVOKE 'MOST FAVORED NATION' STATUS FOR RUSSIAINVESTMENT OVERSEAS TO HIT $100M

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will announce Friday that, along with the European Union and the Group of Seven countries, the U.S. will move to revoke "most favored nation" trade status for Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

That's according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement.

The person said each country would have to follow its own national processes.

Stripping most favored nation status from Russia would allow the U.S. and

allies to impose tariffs on Russian imports, increasing the isolation of the Russian economy in retaliation for the invasion.

Biden's move comes as bipartisan pressure has been building in Washington to revoke what is formally known as "permanent normal trade relations" with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed the U.S. and allies to take the action against Russia in remarks to Congress over the weekend. It follows days after the Biden moved to ban imports of Russian oil and gas products.

Biden, after initially slow-walking congressional efforts to take the trade action against Russia, was

set to embrace lawmaker efforts to do just that on Friday. The White House said Biden would speak Friday morning to announce "actions to continue to hold Russia accountable for its unprovoked and unjustified war on Ukraine."

On Monday, Democrats on the powerful House Ways & Means Committee posted, then removed, an announcement on a bipartisan bill to ban Russian oil imports and slap further trade sanctions on the country, according to an aide, because of pushback from the White House against acting before Biden had coordinated with allies and reached a decision on both matters.

influences how we proceed with exchange control policies.” Noting that the Central Bank had been implementing “a policy of gradual liberalisation” preCOVID and Hurricane Dorian, he added that currently “the focus is best put on how to strengthen the administrative process while keeping the medium term goals of liberalisation and access to foreign exchange”.

Mr Rolle said it was “prudent to manage the risk” and keep the foreign reserves healthy, so they can sustain the peg “without any interference or intervention from monetary policy”. However, due to a lack of eligible borrowers, he added that there was no expectation of a surge in credit demand that will pressure the external reserves.

“The economy now is at a point where we believe the

banking system is nearing the end of any deterioration in its delinquency rates or non-performing loan rates,” the Central Bank governor said. “We expect that the height of these delinquency rates will be achieved this year and, before the end of this year, we will see a gradual easing in delinquency rates.”

However, Mr Rolle described the Bahamas’ non-performing loan ratio as high compared to international standards. “We do not foresee banks on the net expanding credit to the private sector this year,” he added. “That possibility is greater in 2023.”

As for The Bahamas’ foreign currency reserves, Mr Rolle said these were expected to contract in 2022 “as the economy gets back on its feet” through expanded consumer demand and the

Refreshing your company’s social media profile is critical for staying connected with your audience.

Routinely updating key pieces of information on these platforms ensures visitors know how to reach and interact with your business. Convince yourself today that you and your business are worth the investment.

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.

Government finances more of its deficit needs in Bahamian dollars.

“We should expect some contraction in the foreign reserves balance as we go through 2022. It’s possible that a we go into 2023 we will see the reserves grow again,” the Central Bank chief said. “In so far as the reserves are concerned, the Central Bank has the tools to manage the reserves in the appropriate fashion and have support for the Bahamian dollar exchange rate.”

While foreign currency purchases and sales had declined by between 20-30 percent in 2020 at the height of COVID-19, when the economy was beset by lockdowns and other restrictions, Mr Rolle said the subsequent recovery had “almost reached 2019 levels in terms of receipts coming through the banking system”. Sales and purchases for 2021 were both around the $5bn mark.

business@tribunemedia.net

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2022

$5.37

$5.25

$5.04

‘Highly probable’ most of $900m tax debts seized

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Ministry of Finance’s top official yesterday said the Large Taxpayer Unit is “just the start” of major reforms as he revealed it is “highly probable” much of $900m in past due taxes will be collected.

Simon Wilson, the financial secretary, told Tribune Business that the Davis administration is “pretty well advanced” in efforts to form a unit that will focus on generating greater compliance from, and providing better service to, the 15 percent of taxpayers that account for 80 percent of the Government’s revenue.

Confirming that a “joint task force” of Customs officers and Department of Inland Revenue officials has already been formed as the first step in the Large Taxpayer Unit’s creation, he added that it would enable the

• Large Taxpayer Unit ‘just start’ of major reforms • Focused on ‘15% that generate 80% of revenue’ • Low compliance sectors withholding agent target Government’s tax agencies to better focus resources on its greatest income contributors.

Mr Wilson, revealing that most of this “15 percent” are already tax compliant, said the main cause of them falling into arrears was often because they did not receive their tax bills. The new unit will seek to correct that, he added, especially given that large contributors to the Public Treasury typically pay

quickly, and in full, once notified sums are owing.

The Prime Minister, in unveiling the mid-year Budget on Wednesday, revealed that the Department of Inland Revenue was grappling with some $900m in past due taxes that he asserted were largely owed by a “relatively small group of businesses”.

Mr Wilson yesterday voiced optimism that the Government will collect on much of this $900m, although he

A SALES agent has been awarded damages for “conspiracy” and defamation against her former BISXlisted employer, which tried to pinch her insurance clients after terminating their relationship.

Justice Indra Charles found that Family Guardian worked with Alana Major, its senior manager of group sales, “to injure” Jennifer Bain financially by trying to prevent several major Bahamian corporate clients going with her after the two sides parted ways in late 2015.

Her verdict disclosed how Mrs Major and Family Guardian sought to induce

luxury goods retailer, John Bull, and auto dealer, Bahamas Bus & Truck, to renew their group health policies directly with the insurer - and abandon Ms Bain - by offering reduced premium and commission rates.

Mrs Major then further sought to isolate Ms Bain just days later by writing to industry regulator, the Insurance Commission of The Bahamas,

• Multiple untapped options to avoid sovereign crisis • Says seeking IMF assistance ‘not on the table’ SIMON WILSON declined to provide a figure, as much of it has been outstanding for a relatively short period of time.

And he added that the proposed VAT “withholding agents” scheme will be targeted especially at industries with low levels of tax compliance, although none were identified as the details are still being worked out.

SEE PAGE 17

alleging that the latter had “improperly provided client information” to a broker she had teamed-up with and thus breached the Data Protection (Privacy of Personal Information) Act. And, barely five months later, Family Guardian demanded “vacant possession” and threatened to sell

SEE PAGE 18

Bahamian investment overseas to hit $100m

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE CENTRAL Bank’s governor yesterday forecast investment by Bahamians in overseas capital markets and real estate could this year increase by 25 percent compared to pre-COVID and hit $100m.

However, John Rolle told a webinar staged by the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFGA) Society of The Bahamas that the monetary regulator was likely to ease up on further exchange control liberalisation so it can focus on protecting the one:one US dollar exchange rate peg given the uncertainties gripping the world economy.

“What we’re saying is that in the immediate present environment we have to proceed with caution,” he said of further exchange control easing. “One of the important liberalisations we did in the last two to three years was the way the public gets access to investment currency for investment abroad, including reducing the premium people pay to buy international currency.”

Noting that this premium now stands at 5 percent, having once been as high as 20 percent, Mr Rolle said Bahamians had previously paid a collective $20m per year - going as high as “close to $30m” per year to access foreign currency.”

SEE PAGE 21

US health upgrade gives tourism ‘unabated’ boost

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A TOP hotelier last night said The Bahamas’ long-awaited COVID upgrade by the US health authorities will help ensure “pent-up demand for travel to The Bahamas continues unabated”.

Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) president, told Tribune Business that the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) decision to remove this nation from a ‘Level 4’ “avoid travel” advisory removed a major deterrent to travelling to

this nation from its major visitor source market.

Speaking after the Ministry of Health and Wellness confirmed it had been informed that the CDC has upgraded The Bahamas to a ‘Level 3’ ranking, albeit with cases still deemed “high”, Mr Sands said he was “hopeful that in the not too distant future we will get to ‘Level 2’ or ‘Level 1’”.

Calling on Bahamians to maintain this progress by increasing vaccination rates, so as to move the country closer to so-called ‘herd immunity’ and maintain this progress, he told

SEE PAGE 20

Governor: Bahamas far away from debt default • Tells Bahamians: Be alive to income tax ‘possibilities’

BISX-listed insurer takes ‘conspiracy’ damages hit

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

$4.83

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Central Bank’s governor yesterday voiced optimism that The Bahamas is far from a sovereign debt default as it retains multiple revenue-raising options including an income tax.

John Rolle told a webinar JOHN ROLLE organised by the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFGA) Society of The Bahamas that its members “should not be deriving any comfort” from the possibility that the Government will default on its $10.6bn direct debt when they assess the country’s prospects for returning to fiscal sustainability post-Dorian and COVID-19.

Emphasising that he was not advocating for The Bahamas to impose any type of income tax, personal, corporate or a combination of both, he nevertheless warned Bahamians to remain alive to the possibility that such a levy may be implemented over the medium to long-term should the Government’s financial needs become pressing.

“In theory you have already priced in some level or other of what the path to fiscal sustainability for The Bahamas looks like,” Mr Rolle told the CFA society members, suggesting that

SEE PAGE 19

B