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TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

$4.81 Tourism to intervene over swimming pigs

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A SENIOR tourism executive yesterday pledged to intervene in the deepening stand-off over fees being charged to visit Exuma’s famed swimming pigs, adding: “We’ve got to fix that.”

Janet Johnson, the Tourism Development Corporation’s chief executive, told Tribune Business that the growing objections of some tour/excursion providers to paying the fee levied by the pigs’ owners needed to be addressed ahead of Crystal Cruises making Exuma a “port of call” on its seven-night voyages around The Bahamas.

With trips to the pigs’ island hang-out on Big Major Cay likely to be a leading attraction, especially since the trip from George Town will pass iguanas, sharks and celebrities’ private islands, Ms Johnson said it was critical that any issues which could disrupt the guest experience be resolved.

“We’ve got to fix that.

I’ve been told that the ones from George Town are the culprits,” Ms Johnson said of the tour/excursion providers refusing to pay. “I haven’t had a chance as yet to address it. I was just told last week they were really objecting.

“It isn’t fair at all, so we will be stepping in to address that for sure.” The controversy was sparked earlier this year when the eight pig owners formed a company, The Original Swimming Pigs Ltd, and informed tour/excursion operators they would start charging their customers for visiting Big Major Cay - $10 for adults and $5 for children - from January 1.

Monies raised were to finance the pigs’ welfare, including supplies of food and water, as well as regular vet visits and any associated medical care. The move was backed by Ms Johnson, who earlier told this newspaper: “There’s an association, and they have been talking about starting to charge for the pigs’ welfare. That’s what it basically is all about.

“The money is going to the welfare of the pigs and for wardens to bring some order to the tour.

The Tourism Development Corporation is fully supportive. It’s long overdue, and the tour operators need to show good faith and pay their way.”

SEE PAGE 5

$4.52

Bay Street’s ‘forgotten step child’ fear eased

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A

CABINET minister last week met with Bay Street business and property owners to reassure them they will not “be a forgotten step child” in downtown Nassau’s redevelopment.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, disclosed to Tribune Business he met key stakeholders last Wednesday to address concerns over how their interests will “tie in” to the ongoing $250m transformation of Nassau’s cruise port.

Attendees, he said, were especially keen to understand how cruise passengers will “flow” from the redeveloped port on to Woodes Rogers Walk and into the city of Nassau in a way that distributes visitors evenly among numerous merchants and other vendors that depend on the industry.

Pledging that cruise visitors will no longer be “bunched up” and funnelled exclusively through Rawson Square when the cruise port’s reconstruction is finished, Mr D’Aguilar said his

• Minister reassures on $250m cruise port tie-in • Again urges that buildings face the waterfront • ‘Be best’ if a major developer was to swoop in

DIONISIO D’Aguilar looks out at Nassau Harbour. recent visit to The Pointe had again highlighted how Bay Street needed to be almost entirely reconfigured.

Hailing the “awe inspiring” and “breathtaking” views across Nassau harbour from the near-completed project adjacent to the British Colonial Hilton, he added that buildings on downtown’s main thoroughfare - especially the section between East Street and the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge - needed to face the waterfront rather than inwards to the street as

they presently do.

Mr D’Aguilar, acknowledging that it downtown Nassau’s redevelopment has been hindered by difficulties in obtaining “consensus” among its major property owners and other stakeholders on the way forward, even argued it would “be best” if a major developer came into acquire the idle waterfront real estate and transform it in similar fashion to the Dart Group’s Cayman Island investments.

“I met with the land owners of Bay Street,” the

HARBOUR Island’s tourism industry “has made a compelling case” for why it should not become a cruise destination, a Cabinet minister has admitted.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business he will now “convey that message” to Crystal Cruises and “explore the possibilities” of it switching to an alternative destination on its weekly seven-night Bahamas cruises that are scheduled to begin on July 3.

He acknowledged that Harbour Island has established a destination brand that is the “antithesis” of mass market cruise tourism, focusing on high-end visitors seeking a quiet getaway in boutique resorts and vacation rentals, and conceded there were valid concerns this could be “significantly

minister revealed to this newspaper of his March 17 discussions. “They were concerned as to how they will be tied into this port.

They don’t want to be a forgotten step child in how the port is redeveloped.

“The whole point of the port being redeveloped is to allow passengers to allow passengers to flow into Bay Street through multiple different arteries. They can come down Rawson Square, Frederick Street and Charlotte Street, as well as Pompey Square, instead of everybody bunching up through Rawson Square and being carried down Woodes Rogers Walk.”

Mr D’Aguilar said he provided details on plans to “open up” Rawson Square and beautify/renovate the location, with the existing Churchill Building earmarked for demolition and a new Cabinet Office constructed on that site

SEE PAGE 6

Super Value principal says sales in ‘freefall’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

SUPER Value’s principal yesterday urged Bahamians to “pull out all the stops” to help re-open the economy and become COVID-19 vaccinated with the supermarket chain’s sales “in freefall”.

Rupert Roberts told Tribune Business that the supermarket chain’s top-line is “falling every week” as prolonged unemployment and/or reduced incomes continue to inflict an ever-deeper toll on consumer spending.

Asserting that vaccination is “100 percent key” to beating the pandemic and restoring the economy to some semblance of normality, he added that Super Value and its Quality Supermarkets affiliate were booking appointments for all staff aged 65 and over to become inoculated against COVID-19.

• ‘Pull out all stops’ to re-open economy • Vaccine ‘100% key’ to normality return • Urging all 1,000 staff to get vaccinated

RUPERT ROBERTS Mr Roberts, confirming that all 1,100 staff are being urged to take the vaccine when their turn comes “to get us out of this”, said the sales decline was no surprise and had been forecast as persons moved away from the stocking up and hoarding that occurred during the pandemic’s earlier months.

“Sales are falling every

week as expected,” he told this newspaper. “I text the minister of tourism [Dionisio D’Aguilar] like everyone else, urging him to pull out all the stops to reopen the economy because sales are in freefall.

“The whole economy is in freefall and we have to get back to some sort of normality, get tourism back, business back and the country re-opened again.

That depends on our vaccinations and vaccinations in major visitor source markets. Hopefully if we can get the vaccines out, the pandemic will go away and we can start to build back to normal “Once the pandemic stops, the economy can come back. I think it will go back to normal fairly

Harbour Island’s ‘compelling case’ for no cruise tourism

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

$4.57

• Minister to ‘explore’ alternative call with Crystal • Destination ‘antithesis’ of mass market tourism • Brand could suffer ‘significant negative impact’

CRYSTAL SERENITY CRUISE SHIP negatively impacted” by Crystal Cruises plans.

Pledging to “engineer a good outcome for all sides”, Mr D’Aguilar told this newspaper: “The hotel owners and operators have expressed their view that Harbour Island really is not a preferred destination for cruise ship passengers,

and they have made a very strong and compelling case as to why.

“In many respects it relates to branding. They have branded their destination as the antithesis for cruising, and instead as a destination that caters to high-end, low density

travellers looking for that unique and boutique experience. They feel that by introducing a cruise component on to the island that will significantly negatively impact their branding.

“They make a compelling case. We’re obviously going to go back to the cruise company to at least convey that message and explore the possibilities of using another destination. No decision has been made yet. The Ministry of Tourism will convey that messaging on to Crystal Cruises. They are the ones intending to stop there.”

It has not been explained why it was decided to mix mass market cruise tourism

SEE PAGE 7

quickly.”

Mr Roberts declined to give figures or percentages for the sales decline, other than to say: “I’ll just use the word ‘terrible’. I don’t want to put any numbers to it. I hardly want to say anything that will frighten the government or frighten consumers.”

The Super Value chief attributed this year’s sales fall-off to the devastation inflicted upon jobs and household incomes by the COVID-19 pandemic, while adding that food stores had also benefited last year from the closure of restaurants and hotels amid the lockdowns and other restrictive measures.

“We knew when we started comparing with last

SEE PAGE 8

$4.74 Minister hopes for ‘indefinite’ home porting

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net A CABINET minister has expressed hope that cruise line home porting in The Bahamas “continues indefinitely” and does not represent a short-term industry response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business he was especially hopeful that Crystal Cruises’ weekly seven-night Bahamas voyages might become a longer-term fixture given that it had never previously sailed out of south Florida.

Acknowledging that the initiatives unveiled by Crystal Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines will “tide us over” until the industry resumes sailing from south Florida, Mr D’Aguilar said The Bahamas had previously enjoyed “very little success at home porting” due to its proximity to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral.

Cruise companies also have “thresholds” for the number of passengers within driving distance of their home ports, but he added: “Crystal Cruises’ ship was not ever sailing from the US. They tend to have more upmarket, older clientele and, as a result, they may be considered a little less price sensitive.

“Because they don’t home port in the US presently we probably have a better possibility with them.

Time will tell. Hopefully home porting remains in place, and hopefully it continues indefinitely. That’s our primary goal.”

Mr D’Aguilar echoed Michael Maura, Nassau Cruise Port’s chief executive, who told Tribune Business earlier this week there was “a good opportunity” for Nassau and The Bahamas to hang on to both Crystal Cruises Royal Caribbean as longterm home port clients given the increasing number of new vessels scheduled to be delivered in the next few years post-pandemic.

“I think from Crystal’s perspective, based on the information they have shared, this is a long-term effort on their part and for as long as their customers demand they will continue to home port out of Nassau.

They weren’t sailing from Miami,” Mr Maura told this newspaper.

SEE PAGE 5

PAGE 2, Tuesday, March 23, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

EXPEDIA RECORDS 170% BAHAMAS SEARCH JUMP EXPEDIA says searches for a Bahamas vacation have been “growing weekover-week” among North American travellers, rising by 170 percent in February, as they seek getaways to warmer destinations.

The online travel marketplace, in a statement, said Caribbean destinations such as this nation, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico have all been the subject of increased searches.

This development comes after Caribbean destinations experienced a 67 percent fall in international tourist

arrivals in 2020 compared to the previous year.

Expedia said its Group Media Solutions, its advertising arm, has been working with travel stakeholders in The Bahamas to help drive market demand. It added that interest in The Bahamas continues to grow among US travellers, with more recent data showing that searches from Expedia Group’s North American sites to The Bahamas grew by nearly 170 percent in February.

“The Bahamas is open for business and we are seeing lots of visitors return

to our shores,” said Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation. “As a means to attract new visitors we currently have a robust online advertising campaign that is reminding travellers why ‘It’s Better in The Bahamas’. We greatly appreciate our online travel agency partners like Expedia who are helping us to increase bookings.”

Expedia Group Media Solutions is running the Ready to Welcome You campaign in partnership with The Bahamas Tourism Board that began in late 2020. This features messaging that shows

travel shoppers the islands are open and ready for business.

Targeting US travel shoppers, the campaign features a custom landing page with special hotel deals and recommendations for socially distanced activities such as beaches and walking tours, as well as images and videos showcasing the outdoor activities and landscapes of The Bahamas.

In addition to advertisements on Expedia. com, Hotels.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, Hotwire and Cheaptickets, the campaign is also featured on Vrbo, enabling The

Bahamas to reach group and family travellers who tend to stay longer in destinations and spend more.

The campaign has generated over 10m impressions as of January 2021 and a 22.5-to-one return on ad spend.

Expedia Group Media Solutions has also teamed with Atlantis on a promotional campaign that, as of February 2021, has generated nearly 4m impressions with month-over-month increases in the return on advertising spend.

It added that the Paradise Island mega resort’s share of package

bookings had outpaced The Bahamas overall, and it was experiencing longer booking windows compared to those that existed pre-COVID-19.

And Expedia Group Media Solutions said its advertising efforts have driven strong package bookings for Baha Mar’s Grand Hyatt property, with more than 1.3m impressions as at January 2021. Nearly three-quarters of bookings were for stays within the next 30 days, highlighting the property’s flexible cancellation policies.

Tourism’s team get The Pointe DIONISIO D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, and his executive team last week toured the newly-built 150-room Margaritaville Beach Resort and One Particular Habour at The Pointe. The six-acre development also features a 45-slip marina; the LandShark water park; a spa; miniature golf course; movie theatre; and bowling alley for both tourists and residents to enjoy.

From left: Dr Kenneth Romer, executive director of product quality and support, Ministry of Tourism & Aviation; Joy Jibrilu, director-general, Ministry of Tourism & Aviation; Daniel Liu, president, The Pointe, and executive vice-president of CCA South America; Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation; Larry Mogor, general manager, One Particular Harbour Margaritaville at The Pointe; Travis Robinson, parliamentary secretary, Ministry of Tourism & Aviation; and Reginald Saunders, permanent decretary, Ministry of Tourism & Aviation.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 23, 2021, PAGE 3

‘WALK AND CHEW GUM’ ON COVID-19 VACCINE

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net TOURISM operators yesterday had a mixed reaction to giving industry workers priority for COVID-19 vaccinations, with some agreeing as others urged caution.

Muna Issa, SuperClubs Breezes managing director, told Tribune Business all tourism workers should be classified as front line workers including taxi drivers, transport operators, airport employees and persons that work at visitor attractions.

She added that treating these workers as “priority” for COVID-19 vaccinations will “assist in The Bahamas as a whole being perceived as a safe destination, and the image of The Bahamas will be elevated. As it is, our positive cases are low when compared to other competing islands, and this is due to the bitter pill we all had to swallow to get to this point”.

Ms Issa was reacting to Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister for tourism and aviation, who told Tribune Business on Monday that tourism workers should be a “priority” for vaccinations as this is the best way to open the industry and wider Bahamian economy and return them to something resembling normal operations.

However, not all tourism industry players believe The Bahamas should charge ahead with vaccinations for tourism industry workers. Wesley Ferguson, the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s (BTCU) president, said that while it might be a priority to vaccinate persons in the tourism sector, “we have still not had any collaboration with the government or the minister of health to educate us on the potency of the vaccine and what might the side effects be?”

Mr Ferguson added: “We are not sure what are their exact plans on rolling out

the vaccine programme, and who should be prioritised and who should not.

We have not had any kind of contact with the officials at the Ministry of Health at all.

“As a union leader, I cannot in good conscience encourage my membership or taxi drivers to take a vaccine that I know very little about. I have no means of communicating with the government to follow up to soften the blow or to educate my people, because I myself as a union leader don’t know much about the vaccine.”

Alfredo Bridgewater, owner/operator of Coco Nutz in Freeport, backed Mr Ferguson while arguing that the AstraZeneca vaccine recently procured by the government may be an untested or inferior product; “I can only speak for myself, because I would prefer to have a proven product. To me, the side effects far outweigh the actual death rate from the COVID-19,” he added.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has a 79 percent effectiveness rate and is being rolled out in the US this week. There had been fears that it caused blood-clotting in some three European countries, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it has found no such link and gave this vaccine version the go-ahead for continued use.

However, Mr Bridgewater insisted: “I feel as if when we get stuff, it is always the inferior stuff.

For example, when there was a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) at the onset, it was a long time before we could have gotten PPE’s in the country, and now you have people volunteering the vaccine to us? In my opinion I don’t think anyone should rush into this just yet. I don’t like feeling like a lab rat.”

Vernon Moss, general manager of the Sandy Port Beach Resort, who took the vaccine last

weekend, said he feels fine and wants the government to press ahead with offering it to all front-line workers in the tourism industry. Mr Moss added: “This is a great idea; I support Mr D’Aguilar 100 percent.”

He warned that people should be patient with the vaccine, and they have a right to know as much about the vaccine as can be provided. “The CDC (Centres for Disease Control) said the vaccine is safe and we get a lot of our information from the US. They said it is OK; the vaccine is 79 percent effective.

I think that is a good percentage,” Mr Moss added.

“Hospitality workers should be vaccinated as soon as possible. We can do all of the vulnerable at the same time, the senior citizens and hotel workers. I think we can walk and chew gum at the same time.”

Dwayne Mackey, owner of Bahamas Coastal Charters, said: “I think vaccinating persons in the tourism industry as a priority is only protocol and I think that’s only right. I think that’s the only safety net we have here moving forward, and I think everyone should be vaccinated once the all-clear has been given for the vaccination.

“All of us want to get back to normalcy and the vaccination being here is a plus for us. I think frontline workers should get vaccinated first; the persons who come directly in contact with the tourists or who have to deal with persons on a regular basis like doctors, medical facilities, ambulance drivers and people like that who pick up these patients when they have contracted the virus.

“Then I would say maybe the taxi drivers or the tour providers like myself, who deal with tourists as they come off of the ship, and then I would say the hotel workers should of course be in that bracket.”

PAUL & Kimberley Brown sign franchise agreement for Abaco.

Freeport company eyeing New Providence franchise

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net A GRAND Bahama business yesterday said it is eyeing the possibility of a second franchise expansion to New Providence this year following the move into Abaco.

Paul Brown, co-owner of Island Yogurt, told Tribune Business the company chose Abaco for its first franchise because the franchisee requested it.

They also saw the potential generated by Abaco’s rebuilding and wanted to take advantage of it.

Revealing that he has also received inquiries for a franchise on New Providence, Mr Brown said: “We were approached by someone who wanted to open one in Abaco because the

island is being rebuilt.

“Apparently there is feverish activity over there, so there is money going into there. Obviously the Government wants to get it back up and running because it is so hard hit, so there is a lot of activity going on.”

While “nobody’s got any money,” right now, and “the market is sluggish”, Mr Brown added: “We have interest in Nassau, but we will have to wait and see what happens on that one.

“We have somebody who is interested in Nassau.

Actually we’ve had a couple of people interested, but it never came out and we feel that the one in Abaco is up and running and people see that it’s a viable opportunity.”

While the franchising process for international brands is expensive, with

some charging more than six-figure sums, Mr Brown said for My Island Yogurt he levies as little as $10,000 for a franchise.

He added: “We are open to all of the other islands.

Somebody mentioned Exuma to us, and anybody who is interested can go to our website and find out information.”

There are no immediate plans to franchise Island Yogurt throughout the Caribbean just yet as this will require more strategy.

Mr Brown said this might involve a “master franchise” strategy because, “the logistics of doing business from one country to another, you’re looking at different laws. So a master franchise would grant the right to open that franchise throughout the whole country that we’re in”.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, March 23, 2021

BTC RE-OPENS GB OFFICE AFTER DORIAN

BTC’s Settlers Way ribbon cutting. From left are Pastor Elvis Burrows; Senator Kwasi Thompson; Catherine Williams; Andre Foster; and Michael Pintard.

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has re-opened its Grand Bahama office complex more than 18 months after it was totally destroyed by Hurricane Dorian’s storm surge.

The carrier said its 5,000plus square foot Settlers Way facility, which includes the company’s warehouse and fleet, was fully remodelled in time for the March 19 re-opening. It now features an open floor plan

including two conference rooms, an employee lounge and a café.

In a statement, it added that the wireless facility has social distancing markers in place and employees will use a digital appointment system to schedule a ‘hotdesk’ for days they go into the office. BTC has implemented a flexible solution for employees in Grand Bahama, enabling them to choose when they work in office and when they work

THE TRIBUNE from home.

André Foster, BTC’s chief executive, attended the opening together with Michael Pintard, minister of agriculture and marine resources, and Kwasi Thompson, minister of state for finance.

Calling it a “blue letter day” in BTC’s history, Mr Foster said: “With just 19 days in office as chief executive I am really proud to be here as we open our completely renovated employee offices.

“We value our employees, who are a key reason for our success, and we want to ensure that they have the right type of environment to enable them to serve our customers. This is truly a turning point in our history, not just the reopening of this facility, but also a renewal of our commitment to support the growth and development of the Grand Bahama community.”

Mr Pintard, who is also Marco City MP, said: “What you are doing will help many Grand Bahamians as they recover. We are proud of the work that BTC is doing and the philanthropic contributions that have been made to many of the

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schools throughout Grand Bahama, in particular in my constituency, and we are appreciative.

“A number of our constituents have benefited from the partnership between BTC and Rotary, as homes were gutted and retrofitted so that persons could return home. The work that you have done to return a sense of normalcy to persons by helping them to get back into their homes has gone a long way in lifting the spirit of this island.”

Mr Thompson added: “I congratulate BTC on this important milestone for the company and for the GB community. Each step we take towards our recovery represents a boost of momentum and motivation for others.”

Following Hurricane Dorian, the Cable and Wireless (CWC) Charitable Foundation (CWCF) provided a $25,000 grant to World Central Kitchen to provide hot meals for persons in need, along with a $50,000 grant to the Rotary Club of Grand Bahama for the treatment of the local water plant.

CWC is BTC’s immediate parent.

The foundation also donated $100,000 to One on One Educational Services to assist the Ministry of Education with online learning for displaced students. BTC’s team members have assisted with numerous volunteer initiatives with local schools, including reading sessions, the provision of tablets and most a digital summit to mark Safer Internet Day last month.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN HOME PORTING IS ‘ADDED BOOST’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net TOUR and excursion operators yesterday hailed Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ (RCCL) decision to home port a vessel in The Bahamas as an “added boost” to the economy.

Dwayne Mackey, owner of Bahamas Coastal Charters, told Tribune Business the cruise line’s decision to base the Adventure of the Seas in Nassau as the starting point for seven-night round-trips that call on its Coco Cay private island and Grand Bahama will be “great” for local providers.

He added: “That would be an added boost to our economy, at least until local businesses start to see an income boost.” Mr Mackey said he did not share the concerns voiced by some Harbour Island tourism operators about the increased cruise passenger footfall undermining their tourism brand.

“I have one concern and that’s the COVID-19 situation, and cruise lines being an incubator or petri dish for diseases and stuff,” he added. “But, other than that, what can I say? Our bread and butter has always been in our tourism industry, but if they can get the COVID-19 testing facility set up for leaving and coming on board within an hour, like how they are introducing that saliva test

now, I think that would be an added bonus and we shouldn’t have problems to worry about.”

Alfredo Bridgewater, owner/operator of Freeport-based Coco Nutz,, said: “More business to Grand Bahama is always good for the island. I just hope it isn’t too little, too late. So many people have already been displaced and switched jobs and left the tourism industry that it’ll be a little adjustment trying to get everything back together.

“I have a better chance with cruise ship passengers in my line of business than with the actual Grand Lucayan hotel. I feel like the hotel is tied to the airport being down, so it would be interesting to see whether the hotel will be able to be filled or what level of guests will be at the hotel.”

James Rolle, general manager of Dolly Madison in Freeport, said it would only “makes sense” for Royal Caribbean to start offering cruises to the island given that it is in negotiations with the Government to buy the Grand Lucayan resort.

He added: “That’s one way of being able to supply a feeder to the hotel; bringing the cruise ship. So you have people that would be able to come in on the cruise ship, spend a couple of days and, when they are finished, take the cruise ship and go back. Royal Caribbean would be basically supplementing what the hotel used to rely on with the Celebration, so that’s a good idea.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 23, 2021, PAGE 5

Minister hopes for ‘indefinite’ home porting FROM PAGE ONE As for Royal Caribbean, Mr Maura acknowledged the move was likely driven

by COVID-19 and the desire to restart, suggesting that they were looking at other ports in the Caribbean besides Nassau.

While the cruise giant will

never abandon its Miami and south Florida base, the increase in new cruise vessels being delivered for sailing in 2022 and 2023 means it needs more berth capacity.

As a result, Mr Maura argued: “I think there’s a good opportunity for us to hold on to Royal Caribbean as a home port in Nassau because more ships need more berths. We have a good chance; we just need to do our job to the best of our ability and give passengers a great experience.”

Germany extends virus lockdown till mid-April as cases rise BERLIN Associated Press GERMANY has extended its lockdown measures by another month and imposed several new restrictions, including largely shutting down public life over Easter, in an effort to drive down the rate of coronavirus infections.

Speaking early today after a lengthy video call with the country’s 16 state governors, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that restrictions previously set to run through March 28 will now remain in place until April 18.

Coronavirus infections have increased steadily in Germany as the more contagious variant first detected in Britain has become dominant, and the country’s daily number of cases per capita has passed that of the United States.

“We basically have a new pandemic,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin.

“Essentially we have a new virus, obviously of the same type but with completely different characteristics,” she added.

“Significantly more deadly, significantly more infectious (and) infectious for longer.”

Since their last meeting three weeks ago, which saw the two sides agree a multi-step plan to relax restrictions, several states have tried to avoid going back into tougher lockdowns when the weekly

number of new infections exceeds 100 per 100,000 residents on three consecutive days.

Merkel made clear that she wouldn’t accept that.

“Unfortunately, we will have to make use of this emergency brake,” she said.

The weekly infection rate per 100,000 people stood at 107 nationwide yesterday, up from the mid-60s three weeks ago.

Officials agreed to largely shut down public life from April 1-3, adding a public holiday and shutting down most stores for the period.

Public gatherings will be banned from April 1-5, to encourage people to stay at home.

Amid concern over the rise in Germans traveling abroad on holidays, authorities also agreed on a blanket requirement for air travelers to be tested for COVID-19 before boarding a flight to Germany.

Drawing up legally watertight rules has proved a headache at times. A court in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, said Monday it struck down rules requiring people to get appointments to visit shops. It said they violated a requirement that businesses get equal treatment.

The state government promptly reinstated the rules, tightening them for some businesses — such as bookshops and garden centers — that were previously exempt.

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Tourism to intervene over swimming pigs FROM PAGE ONE

Tribune Business understands that Nassau-based tour and excursion providers, and their clients, have been paying the fees along with some of their counterparts in Exuma. Yet a significant number of operators on the latter island are still baulking at the levy.

They have voiced concerns to this newspaper over whether the pig owners have any legal standing to levy the fees, challenging whether they have any valid ownership or leasehold interest in Big Major Cay.

And these operators have also challenged whether The Original Swimming Pigs Ltd has the necessary Business Licence to permit the charging and collection.

They have also pointed out that beach access to the high water mark is legal throughout The Bahamas, and questioned whether fees can be levied on passengers who stay on the boat or just swim with the pigs without setting foot on land.

Ray Lightbourn, Exuma Water Sports’ principal, told Tribune Business: “None of us are going to pay. It’s a money grabbing thing.

They want to even charge us for going in the water.

Almost three years ago she [Bernadette Chamberlain, president of The Original Swimming Pigs Ltd] saw all those people going to the

pigs and thought she could make money off that.

He challenged whether the Gray estate, from which the pigs’ owners claim their interest in the land, actually owned or leased the land on Big Major Cay, asserting that his inquiries with the Department of Lands and Surveys had revealed it was owned by a James McKinney. And Mr Lightbourn also alleged that the business licence referred to a venture “for phone orders only” that was selling pork.

Ms Chamberlain, who runs Chamberlain’s Cottage Rentals on Exuma’s Staniel Cay, refuted both these allegations. She told this newspaper that The Original Swimming Pigs Ltd’s business licence had been published online for all to see, while also dismissing

Mr Lightbourn’s land ownership claims.

However, the latter insisted: “Our thing is we’re not going to pay her. We started the pigs’ tours, not her. We made them famous.

She says someone has to take care of the pigs and somebody has to pay for it.

The pigs have been fine for 25 years, and we’ve never asked here to take care of them.”

However, Ms Chamberlain retorted that one vet visit costs $2,300 alone. She added: “They want to make money off of other people’s pigs and don’t want to pay to take care of them. It’s a lot that goes into taking care of those pigs and they don’t get it. They don’t know how to take care of the pigs. There’s a lot that goes into feeding them.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Bay Street’s ‘forgotten step child’ fear eased FROM PAGE ONE - possibly with retail and other office space.

He added that the area will become “a more welcoming and warm space for our visitors”, while traffic flow restrictions and the removal of vehicle parking would make Woodes Rogers Walk “a more pleasant pedestrian option

and stroll” for visitors and locals alike.

Charles Klonaris, the Downtown Nassau Partnership’s (DNP) co-chair, yesterday confirmed both the March 17 meeting and the issues discussed with the property owners and businesses as outlined by Mr D’Aguilar, although he himself was not present.

“They wanted to find out the details of the cruise

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that ELSIE PETIT-CHARLES, of Carmicheal 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 twenty-eight days from the 16th day of March 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

port development and how they can tie in, particularly down the side streets and how tourists will flow into the city,” Mr Klonaris added. “They were saying that Woodes Rogers Walk is critical in terms of how it ties in with the port to help pedestrian traffic flow through the city and side streets.

“From what I understand the DNP was also exploring with them [Bay Street stakeholders] the draft of the management agreement for the city.

Hopefully, the DNP will have a management agreement set up to manage parts of the city. The Bay Street property owners would like to help and tie in with the management of the city and play a significant part.”

Such a management deal would see the DNP, effectively a public-private sector partnership (PPP), take over responsibility from the government for

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

THE TRIBUNE running certain aspects of downtown Nassau.

Acknowledging that this would have to be legislated

by Parliament, Mr Klonaris said the draft management deal was “submitted some time ago” and negotiations had been delayed by COVID-19’s fall-out.

“The property owners feel there’s a lot of impetus going forward, especially with the likes of The Pointe and Margaritaville, so they feel it’s the right time to get together and put some energy behind the redevelopment of Nassau,” he added.

“The boardwalk is expanding rapidly, we have the new US embassy, Central Bank and Supreme Court taking place on the top of the hill. These are factors that are going to reignite the redevelopment of the city of Nassau.”

Downtown Nassau’s revival has been talked about for decades. While the removal of the shipping industry from Bay Street; waterfront boardwalk; and Pompey Square can be cited as successes, progress has been painfully slow with the city declining as an attraction that has to compete against both Atlantis and Baha Mar. Many properties located east of East Street remain abandoned and/or in a state of disrepair, with the area increasingly becoming an eyesore and depreciating real estate values. The provision of tax breaks by the government has failed to incentivise redevelopment, although there were long-standing complaints

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that JOHN ALEX JOSEPH, of Cowpen 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 twenty-eight days from the 16th day of March 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

until recently that this was being held back by zoning restrictions and other red tape.

Mr D’Aguilar did not identify exactly who he met with last week, but among Bay Street and downtown Nassau land owners are some of The Bahamas’ wealthiest families such as the Kelly’s, the Bethell’s and the Symonette’s.

He added that his visit to The Pointe had reaffirmed that too many waterfront properties are facing the wrong way, which in many cases he attributed to their former use by the shipping companies.

“The views of the harbour of Nassau were so breathtakingly beautiful, and really emphasised that properties on the waterfront have for many years been oriented inwards to the street when they should be oriented outwards to the waterfront,” Mr D’Aguilar told Tribune Business.

“It took The Pointe project to allow everybody to see with their eyes how beautiful the city of Nassau is, and the views from the city of Nassau are breathtaking. The views from the resort are awe inspiring.”

Mr D’Aguilar said Margaritaville and The Pointe’s owner, China Construction America (CCA), are likely “under-estimating” the business they will attract from cruise ship passengers, with their project and the redeveloped cruise port set to “provide the impression that Nassau has been upgraded and transformed” post-COVID-19.

The minister also made what some might interpret as a plea for a major developer to acquire all the waterfront real estate between East Street and the Paradise Island “on” bridge, and transform

the area into a mixed-use “living city” much like the Dart Group has achieved with Camana Bay in the Cayman Islands.

Noting that little redevelopment is occurring in this area, Mr D’Aguilar said: “If anybody could have the foresight to buy all those properties and develop them in the way that The Pointe did, orientating them towards the harbour, it is absolutely stunningly beautiful and would enhance the value of real estate tremendously. I don’t understand why that has not happened.

“If we are ever to make downtown Nassau a living city, with condos, apartments, timeshares and flats, there should be a master plan for how to make it happen. The problems of Bay Street have always been the problems of Bay Street. There are multiple owners, so it’s very difficult to get consensus on how to move forward.

“It would be best if a developer came into Nassau and created something similar to what Mr Dart did in Cayman, with a mixed-use development from East Street all the way to the beach soccer stadium, and having everything oriented to the waterfront with lots of living and eating options.

It would be absolutely incredible.”

The Dart Group arrived in The Bahamas around a decade ago when it acquired real estate at the corner of Bay Street and Parliament Street from Phillip Hillier’s Parliament Properties. Its ambitions at the time were said to extend beyond this purchase but such designs have yet to materialise.

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

MONDAY, 22 MARCH 2021

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CLOSE

CHANGE

1911.44

-0.02

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

0.00 -181.02

-8.65

(242) 323‐2330 (242) 323‐2320

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 4.80 33.05 2.00 2.90 2.10 6.00 6.90 3.60 6.15 4.26 6.16 12.00 2.75 6.85 10.88 8.44 14.60 4.25 9.00 16.00

52WK LOW 3.13 22.65 0.67 1.62 1.50 5.00 6.00 2.70 4.27 2.80 5.00 9.75 2.10 4.90 9.50 7.70 13.00 3.43 8.15 14.00

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

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

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

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

BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

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

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

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

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) 115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 97.72 104.00 100.00

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 93.92 100.25 100.00

Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BSBGR FX BSBGR1200371 BGRS FL BSBGRS710237 BGRS FX BSBGR1322498

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGR1200371 BSBGRS710237 BSBGR1322498

LAST CLOSE 4.75 32.12 1.62 2.90 1.59 6.00 6.40 3.56 4.50 2.80 5.50 9.75 2.79 6.84 10.73 8.40 14.00 3.43 8.35 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 97.04 102.00 100.00

CLOSE 4.75 32.12 1.62 2.90 1.59 6.00 6.40 3.56 4.50 2.80 5.50 9.75 2.72 6.84 10.78 8.40 14.00 3.43 8.35 15.50

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.07) 0.00 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

VOLUME

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 97.04 102.00 100.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

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

VOLUME

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

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25% 6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 5.22% 4.53% 5.65%

P/E 19.9 34.5 N/M N/M N/M N/M 17.3 -8.1 32.1 15.2 12.2 13.5 26.7 14.6 16.7 11.5 17.2 16.9 8.9 24.6 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

YIELD 3.58% 3.92% 1.23% 1.03% 0.00% 0.00% 4.06% 0.00% 0.00% 4.29% 4.00% 7.38% 15.96% 0.88% 3.04% 2.86% 3.86% 3.50% 2.40% 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 15-Dec-2037 22-Oct-2023 15-Oct-2049

LEGAL NOTICE

N O T I C E EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ANGOLA (ALBIAN AND PRE-SALT) LIMITED N O T I C E IS HEREBY GIVEN as follows: (a) EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ANGOLA (ALBIAN AND PRE-SALT) LIMITED is in dissolution under the provisions of the International Business Companies Act 2000. (b) The dissolution of the said Company commenced on the 9th day of March 2021 when its Articles of Dissolution were submitted to and registered by the Registrar General. (c) The Liquidator of the said Company is Rebecca L. Wittrock, of 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway, Spring, Texas 77389, U.S.A. Dated the 23rd day of March, A.D., 2021 HARRY B. SANDS, LOBOSKY MANAGEMENT CO. LTD. Registered Agent for the above-named Company

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.40 4.44 2.15 201.90 184.85 1.69 1.83 1.78 1.24 8.49 10.26 7.28 13.91 12.84 10.81 10.00 10.20 13.79

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.67 1.73 1.75 1.03 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

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

NAV 2.40 4.44 2.15 201.90 184.85 1.68 1.73 1.75 1.03 8.49 10.03 7.28 13.91 12.84 10.05 N/A 10.20 13.79

YTD% 12 MTH% 0.38% 4.56% 0.04% 1.37% 0.20% 2.56% 3.47% 3.47% 10.86% 10.86% 0.36% 0.77% -3.49% -4.68% -0.85% -0.65% -1.79% -16.80% 1.76% 1.76% -1.97% -1.97% 4.91% 4.91% 5.28% 15.75% 0.05% 3.96% -0.35% -6.34% N/A N/A 8.60% 8.60% 11.90% 11.90%

NAV Date

31-Jan-2021 31-Jan-2021 29-Jan-2021 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 28-Feb-2021 28-Feb-2021 28-Feb-2021 28-Feb-2021 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020

MARKET TERMS

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00 52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

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

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

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

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

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

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

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

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

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

N/M - Not Meaningful

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

LEGAL NOTICE

N O T I C E EXXONMOBIL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION ANGOLA (ALBIAN AND PRE-SALT) LIMITED Creditors having debts or claims against the above-named Company are required to send particulars thereof to the undersigned c/o P.O. Box N-624, Nassau, Bahamas on or before 9th day of April, A.D., 2021. In default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made by the Liquidator.

Dated the 23rd day of March, A.D., 2021 Rebecca L. Wittrock Liquidator 22777 Springwoods Village Parkway Spring, Texas 77389 U.S.A.

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

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, March 23, 2021, PAGE 7

Harbour Island’s ‘compelling case’ for no cruise tourism

FROM PAGE ONE

with Harbour Island’s niche, high-end market position catering to upscale visitors seeking a more secluded vacation. Mr D’Aguilar, hinting that Crystal Cruises chose the destination, added that the Ministry of Tourism “thought it might garner some interest because it is the slower part of the year”.

Crystal Cruise plans to begin 16 weekly seven-night round-trip voyages around The Bahamas from July 3, stopping in Bimini, Harbour Island, San Salvador, Exuma and Long Island. On Friday it announced it had received record bookings within the first 24 hours of opening this itinerary to guests.

It said 4,000 guests “reserved staterooms or suites on at least one of the seven-night voyages that cruise from Nassau or Bimini round-trip, booking more than 25 percent of the 16 voyages’ combined availability”.

“Almost 200 guests reserved back-to-back voyages, with some planning to spend 42 days on board the company’s flagship. The luxury line realised a 2,024 percent increase in online bookings and received reservations from the biggest number of distinct travel

agencies in Crystal’s 30-year history,” the cruise line added, as it highlighted the post-COVID-19 pent-up demand.

Some 80 percent of the Crystal Serenity’s butlerserviced penthouses – the largest suites — were said to have already been reserved for The Bahamas sailings. “We are thrilled by the wonderful response to these new sailings,” said Jack Anderson, Crystal’s interim president and chief executive.

“It’s clear that travellers have been eagerly looking forward to exploring again, and are as excited to see Crystal Serenity return to sailing as we are. We are incredibly grateful to our loyal Crystal guests and our valued travel partners for their support as we begin to emerge from what has been an unprecedented year for everyone.

“I want to thank our employees around the world whose passionate dedication and professionalism in navigating the last year has allowed us to resume cruising this summer. We are looking forward to welcoming our wonderful officers and crew back on board where they are eager to reconnect with our guests.”

“Every destination

has a different view,” Mr D’Aguilar added. “Some are delighted that it’s happening. Crystal Cruises is not only bringing the product of home porting to The Bahamas, but wants to keep the entire cruise in The Bahamas. They wanted to tap into other destinations in the archipelago, and we were very excited about that.

“A number of other destinations have expressed delight they’re coming there and want to craft an itinerary for when they came on the island but the hotel owners and operators on Harbour Island were definitely against it.”

Mr D’Aguilar said a oneoff stop at Harbour Island in 2017 by a cruise ship on a round-the-world voyage had previously exposed opposition to this form of tourism, and he added: “We’re trying to engineer an outcome that is good for everyone. We want everyone to be happy, and for there not to be any concerns.

“The Harbour Island hotel operators have done reasonably well during COVID-19, primarily because they are low density, high-end boutique destination that wealthy travellers sought out as they attempt to vacation in an area of the

world where density and COVID-19 cases are low.

“The push back has been clear that it’s [cruise tourism] definitely something that would negatively impact their brand and may have negative long-term consequences as well.”

Tribune Business reported last week how Harbour Island resort operators yesterday warned the government it will hurt “the

goose that laid the golden egg” if they try to make the island a cruise tourism destination.

Tom Sherman, owner and partner in the Coral Sands resort, said making Harbour Island a weekly port of call for Crystal Cruise on its 16 seven-night voyages between July and October threatened to undermine the very essence of the island’s tourism model.

Besides an infrastructure that was unable to cope with the up to 900 passengers aboard the Crystal Serenity, Mr Sherman said the absence of mass market cruise tourism was one of the very reasons that had enabled Harbour Island to build up its high-end client base of boating visitors, hotel guests vacation renters and property owners in the first place.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Super Value principal says sales in ‘freefall’ FROM PAGE ONE

year there’d be no comparison. We knew sales would be in freefall,” Mr Roberts added. “That means in two years we’ve had zero

growth. There hasn’t been zero growth in expenses, so that has been a hardship - expenses have increased, and sales have not.”

Super Value is not the only supermarket chain eyeing a sales decline.

THE TRIBUNE BISX-listed AML Foods, the Solomon’s and Cost Right owner, in unveiling the results for its third quarter to end-January 2021 predicted a top-line decrease for the fourth quarter of its financial year as shopping patterns returned to normal following the pandemic.

Despite this, the group’s sales closed the third quarter at $44.7m compared to the prior year’s $43m.

Franklyn Butler, AML Foods’ chairman, wrote: “Overall, sales for the quarter were up four percent compared to the prior year.

The company is beginning to see signs of sales softening in line with expectations following double digit increases in the first quarter and second quarter.

“Customers’ shopping habits are returning to prepandemic patterns with more frequent visits per week and lower average spend. Given the delay in the opening of the domestic economy and high unemployment levels, the projection is that sales will continue to decline in the fourth quarter and through the end of the current financial year.”

Mr Roberts, meanwhile, argued that vaccination was the only path to rescuing the economy from COVID-19’s grasp. “I’m hearing there’s some resistance to the vaccine, but that’s the only thing that will get us out of this. It’s 100 percent the key.

“We’re urging all our 65 and over staff to take it,

and are scheduling appointments for them. We’re urging our 1,100 staff to take it to get us out of this.

If everybody took it by tomorrow I think it would be over by tomorrow. That’s the key; getting everybody vaccinated. I cannot understand anybody hesitating to take it. I don’t know why they’re hesitating.”

Mr Roberts also asserted that Super Value’s selling “zero alcohol” Heineken does not represent “a stepping stone” to the supermarket chain offering a full range of alcoholic products similar to industry counterparts in developed countries such as the US and UK. “Personally I would never sell alcohol,” he responded.

“If they offered me a liquor licence I would not sell alcohol because it is misused.

Those non-alcoholic beverages have been out a long time. I look at it as like supplying the cider we sell a lot at Easter.

“From our point of view it’s not a stepping stone to get alcohol into the stores.

I don’t want it in the stores.

Too many people misuse it. A lot of people use it and enjoy it, but when they misuse it, it causes social and family problems.”

As for the “zero alcohol” Heineken, which multiple other food stores are also selling, Mr Roberts added: “If the public accept it, it will become another drink.

I think enough of it will be sold to continue to carry it.

I would imagine all the grocery stores on the island are carrying it.”

Super Value has also extended its opening times by an hour to 8pm with the switch to daylight saving time. Mr Roberts said this is still an hour less than preCOVID because the chain has found few consumers wish to shop after dark.

He also revealed that shipping issues were impacting the supply chain, having recently encountered difficulties in securing rice shipments from New Orleans, with orders that previously took two months to fulfill now taking four.

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