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RBDF given deadline to register personnel for poll

FIRST SIGNAL ELECTION ON?

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force has asked its department heads to prepare “for the possibility of an early General Election” by providing a list of people who will vote in an advanced poll.

The directive was contained in a memo that was signed by Acting Captain Shawn Adderley on April 29, 2021.

RBDF Commodore Raymond King told The Tribune last night that the document was issued in response to a memo the RBDF received from the Parliamentary Registration

Department, the department that oversees elections in the country.

The title of the memo is “Request for Listing of RBDF Marines Voting in the Advanced Poll for the Upcoming General Elections.”

It reads: “Be advised that in preparation for the possibility of an early General Election, you are directed to provide a listing of all personnel in your purview voting in the Advanced Poll and forward the same to the Base Executive Officer’s office by Thursday 6 May, 2021.”

“Accordingly, for ease of reference, included in the

SEE PAGE FIVE

BRAVE BLASTS ‘KNOW IT ALL’ MINNIS OVER COVID

By TANYA SMITHCARTWRIGHT tsmith-cartwright@ tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION leader, Philip “Brave” Davis has said government has continuously dropped the ball in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

This, he said, was evident in Prime Minister Dr Hubert

Minnis’ “know it all” attitude because he is a doctor.

Mr Davis, in speaking to journalists outside of the House of Assembly on Monday, noted that the Progressive Liberal Party warned the government about its practices regarding the pandemic, but their warnings fell on deaf ears.

SEE PAGE FOUR

TWO WOMEN FIGHTING TO SAVE OUR PLANET SEE PAGE EIGHT

‘WE’VE LOST EVERYTHING’ THE DAMAGE after the fire - fallen trees and gutted buildings in the wake of the blaze on Jennie Street. Residents spoke yesterday of having lost everything in the blaze and raised questions about the response of the fire service. See page two for the full story.

Photo: Racardo Thomas

RESORTS WORLD OFFERS D’AGUILAR FRUSTRATED TO RUN BIMINI AIRPORT BY VACCINE HESITATION

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BIMINI’S largest investor has submitted a $40m proposal that would see it transform and take over the management of that island’s airport, a senior government official revealed yesterday.

Algernon Cargill, director of aviation, confirmed to Tribune Business that the Minnis Cabinet has given ‘approval in principle’ to enter into negotiations with the Genting Group

and Gerardo Capo’s RAV Bahamas, joint owners of Resorts World Bimini, over a public-private partnership (PPP) that will see the duo “redevelop, manage and operate” the island’s primary aviation gateway.

“That’s at a very preliminary stage,” he said of talks that began around two months ago. “The Genting Group and RAV Bahamas are putting together their proposal so we can secure the formal Cabinet approval of the project.”

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar, pictured, says daily reports on the growing COVID-19 surge are making him “ever-more frustrated” with the “hesitancy” of many Bahamians to become vaccinated and aid economic revival.

Mr D’Aguilar said he blamed “stupid, silly fake news” about the AstraZeneca vaccine’s effectiveness and alleged side effects for

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

dissuading Bahamians.

Describing this as “quite worrying” amid the socalled COVID-19 third wave, which saw more than 1,200 new cases detected in April alone, he blasted: “Every day when I see these reports [of new infections], this adds greater frustration that the level of hesitancy is as high as it is.

“Given the fact that cases are moving up, this should provide all the more incentive for people to get vaccinated.”

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

PAGE 2, Tuesday, May 4, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

‘We’ve lost everything’

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net STEPHEN Swaby stood gazing at the charred rubble that was once his 96-year-old grandmother’s home at Jennie Street, in disbelief that his family has lost everything.

Mr Swaby, like several other homeowners, were back in the area yesterday trying to salvage whatever remained of their belongings after a violent fire on Sunday destroyed six homes and damaged four others.

Many of them expressed a belief that their homes could have been saved and voiced frustration that issues with water compounded the fire.

What is left now resembles a war zone.

In Mr Swaby’s case, all that is left of his family’s home are the grey walls and front gates. The home once housed his grandmother, uncle and aunt. Mr Swaby kept all of his belongings there as well.

“Everything I have is burnt to the ground along with the rest of my grandmother’s stuff. Everything is gone,” Mr Swaby said yesterday.

On Sunday, the 56-yearold had been frantically searching for his grandmother, but was able to breathe a sigh of relief after learning that she was alive and had been taken to the hospital where she is now being treated for smoke inhalation.

“She was sitting over there when the fire start because the fire wasn’t so big. When they see the fire got so, they took her in the back. She’s in the hospital right now,” he explained.

“Last time we got in contact with her this morning they said they have to admit her to keep her in there to get some more smoke out of her.”

He admitted he was frustrated with how the emergency services tackled the blaze.

He said: “I think (the) person who’s in charge when they bring the fire engine they should’ve bring enough water because my understanding the truck came without no water but then someone said the truck came but only with little bit of water.”

“I know there was a problem with the truck and the water. I don’t know what’s the problem because when I came all these houses were not burning as yet only partially. I watched these house burn.”

Robyn Rolle also believed her home could have been saved.

Ms Rolle said: “When I came here at two o’clock, I met two fire engines leaving and I was told that they came and they wasn’t accessible to water and then we pulled up that’s when the third fire truck came, and they were looking for a fire hydrant, but we have one that’s exactly across the road from our house. With them doing no checks for that, it’s been empty apparently for years. So, when they did get it open, just dust and rust came out of it.

“So, somebody I feel should be held accountable because our house could’ve been saved. I’m not saying it’s political… What sense it makes having an empty fire hydrant? It makes no sense or sending fire trucks that can’t accessible to water.”

Ms Rolle was still able to recover some clothes from her family’s home that housed nine persons before it was “completely finished” by the flames.

She had called that place home for about 26 years.

“Our kids were only left with the clothes that was on their backs. They don’t have any shoes anything, so our next step is to do what we have to do to make sure

DEBRIS left in the aftermath of the fire in Jennie Street on Sunday.

that are kids and everybody have a roof over their head.”

Since young children were home, she admitted they were “very worried” and have given the children two days to catch themselves.

“It probably mess with them mentally because like I said they were very shaken up because they

were here when the fire started but they still going to school. They’re going to bounce back.”

Ms Rolle recalled she was not present when the fire started but her son, nephew, niece, and father were there.

“We wasn’t home, but we got a call that the fire started but when we came here the fire hadn’t hit

Photos: Racardo Thomas our house as yet. It was like a house down,” she explained.

“Our house didn’t get hit yet so you know we was thinking we would’ve been saved because our house didn’t get hit yet when we came here about two o’clock. Our house didn’t really catch fire until almost four o’clock or a little after four. So, at that point and time we was devastated for the houses that got hit, but as it hit ours then it got worst. We didn’t expect our house to get hit because it could’ve saved.”

Joycelyn Daxon said she left home briefly to go to the store to buy sweet pepper and sugar and upon her return she was told there was a fire.

“I say ‘I ain’t leave no fire on’ and then I look it was a big fire,” she recounted.

“Only my husband wasn’t home at the time but me,

my sister, and children were at home.”

She added: “They tell us we had to hurry come out the house.

“You might have could’ve salvage something but they tell you you had to come out’. It was just so rush-a-rush, so you just leave with the clothes on your back.”

Her grandchildren also lived there and with the loss of everything, she worries their education will be interrupted.

She told The Tribune: “Now they don’t have no uniform, no schoolwork.

Only thing my grandson, lucky he came out with his laptop and that was it.

“Right now, my whole structure and home I didn’t pay for anything. I don’t have anything. The fire (has) already damaged the whole house and has dissolved. I don’t have anything right.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 4, 2021, PAGE 3

Assistance planned for Potter’s Cay vendors

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

AGRICULTURE and Marine Resources Minister Michael Pintard says government plans to assist vendors at Potters Cay who lost their businesses due to a fire last month.

The assistance will come in the form of building materials and there are plans to mark out the location for the rebuilding of six stalls.

In April the area was devastated after a structural fire left six stalls completely burned to the ground and two others with damage.

The minister gave an update on the situation yesterday stating he thinks there has been “significant progress in terms of moving the process along”.

He said: “What we’re expecting is several things.

One, we are going to make a contribution in terms of building material that will assist in the rebuild at Potter’s Cay. Secondly, we have reached out to Public Works so that we are able to, along with vendors, to mark out the location for the six stalls.”

The ministry had contracted a private firm to focus on clearing and removing the debris from the water. This clearing will be a benefit, the minister went on to say.

“That area is cleared in preparation for us putting the pilings down because the stalls will be extended over the water to a larger extent than they were previously. The recommended layout is to stagger them. One stall will be five feet or back from the pavement and another would be ten and then the next one five…

I think we’ve made significant progress in terms of moving the process along.”

A day after the fire happened, he insisted “a careful assessment” would be done along with discussions among his colleagues on the way forward.

He gave an update on the progress of those assessments.

“When you are managing public funds, you don’t wake up the very next day and make determinations that you are not authorised to make or the procedures do not permit you to make. You do the assessment, which is what we’re confidant the Ministry of Public Works, BPL, Water and Sewerage, have all been doing and having gotten some of the preliminary information we’re now in a position to move. So again, the

public, but importantly, the vendors will see steady physical progress and we are partners with them,” Mr Pintard said.

Mr Pintard added that the government has invited members of the public, or any organisation that wished to contribute to do so to ensure this group of Bahamians rebuilds their businesses and continues to support their family.

When asked if this devastating event has now pushed the ministry in making vendors have other stalls evaluated to prevent a similar situation, the minister noted the issue of unregulated developments.

He argued: “We ought to have a candid conversation with the public about what are the building requirements and Bahamians ought to conform to those building requirements and then government has to

be diligent in making sure that persons are in fact compliant. So, what we are experiencing whether it is at Potter’s Cay, whether it is in the communities where I grew up my entire life overthe-hill. We have a lot of unregulated developments and as a country we seem to be unwilling to have a candid conversation of where we are now and then decide that we’re going to make adjustments on how we behave.

“That we are going to gradually rebuild and rebuild back better taking climate into consideration. Taking the possibility of fire into consideration.

The absence of proper utilities… So we need to not only have that discussion, we need to make the decisions or what we are going to do is we’re going to reap a painful and bitter harvest.”

‘WHY WON’T COMPANIES ADMIT BLAME FOR DAMAGE?’

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A FREEPORT resident is frustrated after two entities that had attempted to gain access to a remote utility pole refuse to accept responsibility for damage to his property.

Retired pathologist Dr Alfred Brathwaite claims that work crews from the Grand Bahama Power Company and the Bahamas Telecommunications Company were supervising a tree clearing in the area to gain access to the pole when a huge tree fell on the fence at his residence on Hawaii Avenue.

Although he has lodged an official report about the incident with both entities, they deny any responsibility for the damage, and the matter remains unresolved.

Dr Brathwaite said the utility pole has supplied the power, telephone and cable services at his residence since 1988 when he first purchased the property.

“I have been employed by the government assigned to the Rand Memorial Hospital, and I retired in 2005.

I came to Freeport in 1985 and I moved to this property in 1988,” he said.

“It soon became obvious that whenever there was some difficulty arising with the electrical pole that supplies my house, it took a long time for the repairs to be fixed,” Dr Brathwaite said, estimating that between 1988 and now there have been close to 100 visits not only by GB Power, but also cable and telephone companies.

The utility pole is located on an easement between Hawaii and Grenade Avenues which tends to be overgrown. The area was maintained by workmen who would be sent in on foot to clear the area.

Dr Brathwaite explained that whenever there was an issue with the pole itself, the workers could never get to the pole unless they went through a private property located off Grenada Avenue.

He said that they are usually one of the last residents to have power, telephone, and cable services restored whenever there

DR Alfred Brathwaite shows the damage to his property. was a disruption or a hur- jackets of GB Power and ricane because the area was BTC,” he recalled. When deemed a problem area by they were finished and left GB Power officials. and I went outside and I “Between 1988 and realise that they never got now, having spoken to GB to the pole and there was a Power by telephone and huge tree lying on my fence, actual appearance, and to which was dislodged from the Grand Bahama Port its foundation.”

Authority, nothing signifiAbout two days after that cant seems to have been incident, Dr Brathwaite done,” he said. said he got a call from BTC “I have been to them advising him that they are and the latest I am get- having problems getting to ting from a gentleman at the pole and he may not be the Port Authority is that able to get broadband.

I must solve the problem.

“I assumed that BTC was That the problem was mine responsible for the clearing and I should canvass my and this tree falling on my neighbours. This was about fence. So, I have been on this year, but it could be the phone and to the office, December last year when and eventually, they told me a gentleman told me that they don’t have anything to in the presence of Ms St do with poles and that GB George, who said yes there Power was responsible. I is a problem and she said went to GB Power office please get it fixed.” and they gave me a form The homeowner is an to fill out, and I indicated avid gardener, with fruit that the problem is not to trees and vegetables of all do with power supply but varieties. The fence at the something else.” rear of his property was Dr Brathwaite said damaged and dislodge from the foundation after trees were being cut and cleared down last August by a contracted firm.

Dr Brathwaite said the pole in question is located in a messy situation because of the intrusion of the fencing of the easement.

He said that someone at BTC had paid him a visit about their plans to change to broadband using an underground cable to eliminate the issues with the lines above.

Last August, Dr Brathwaite saw persons with a tractor clearing the trees in the neighbour’s yard on Grenada Avenue, which is at the back of his residence.

“I thought this is marvellous because there were individuals associated with the tractor and persons with

GIRL INJURED IN SHOOTING

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama Police are investigating the shooting of a juvenile in the Freeport area on Sunday evening.

Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder reported that a female juvenile was shot shortly after 9pm at a residence in Caravel Beach.

She reported that an unknown assailant who was outside the residence shot the girl in the upper arm.

Police and Emergency Medical Services responded

to the scene. The victim was taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital where she received medical attention and is listed in stable condition.

Supt Pinder said Police are actively investigating the matter and are appealing to anyone with any information that can assist them with their investigation to call the Criminal Investigation Department at telephone 350-3106 through 12, or call the Police Emergency numbers at 911/919 or call your nearest police station.

nothing happened. “I went back a month later and the receptionist copied my documents and within a day I heard from GB Power indicating to me that they do not accept responsibility and hinting that it might have been an act of nature that felled the tree,” he said.

The Tribune contacted GB Power for comment.

Troy McIntosh, deputy director and city manager of building and development, Grand Bahama Port Authority, told The Tribune: “We are sympathetic to the plight of Dr Alfred Brathwaite.

However, the Grand Bahama Port Authority has yet to receive any formal complaint or details regarding this incident. We would need to ascertain the details on how the damage occurred.

Until we have the facts, we cannot speculate on it. We wish to advise Dr Brathwaite to file a formal complaint, in order for us to conduct a full investigation to assist in bringing about resolve to this matter as best we can.

“While the GBPA is not aware of this recent incident, we addressed a previous incident for Dr Brathwaite after the passing of Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Dr Brathwaite contacted City Management concerning the need for BTC to repair his telephone line, located at the rear of his private property on a

utility pole. He mentioned that BTC could not access his property due to overgrown vegetation located at the rear. As a standard operating procedure, he was advised and assured that City Management would investigate his complaint and revert.

“City Management immediately reached out to BTC to further understand the complaint Dr Brathwaite lodged.

A representative from BTC advised that they could not access their services located at the rear of Dr Brathwaite’s property due to several reasons: 1. The utility pole is located on private property; 2. The fence located on the property of Dr Brathwaite’s neighbour is blocking access; 3.

Access to Dr Brathwaite’s property from the sides is impassable because of his garden, vegetation and other obstructions. City Management requested that BTC resolve the issue and have Dr Brathwaite’s services.

“BTC committed to finding a way to restore his services and City Management informed Dr Brathwaite. Shortly thereafter, a BTC representative phoned City Management to confirm that all services to Dr Brathwaite had been restored. We hope this will give Dr Brathwaite confidence that we will look into this matter thoroughly upon hearing from him.”

MOULTRIE: DISPUTE IS RESOLVED

HOUSE Speaker Halson Moultrie says the disagreements between his chamber and the executive have been resolved.

His comment came during yesterday’s House of Assembly sitting.

“I’m pleased to report that in a discussion with the Honourable Member for Killarney, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, along with the Honourable Member for Southern Shores, the honourable leader of government business in the house acting, and the Speaker this morning, all issues relating to any disagreements have been resolved,” he said.

He did not elaborate.

Speaker Moultrie, pictured yesterday, abruptly adjourned House proceedings last week after accusing the executive of ignoring the authority of Parliament.

“The Cabinet Office seems to think that it controls Parliament,” he said in part, adding: “Now, I don’t necessarily pick fights or wars, but if you want a war, you can get a war. They say if you don’t want a war, don’t start one. So don’t come in this Parliament talking about reading books of war because more than one person in this Parliament reads books of war.”

Speaker Moultrie told The Tribune on Friday that about nine months ago Dr Minnis discontinued Thursday morning meetings with him, which had become commonplace since the Free National Movement took office in 2017.

“The first time the Prime Minister spoke to me in months was when he called me to ask for leave to present his housing project plan,” he said. “That was the new housing project that is being proposed for young professionals. That was about three weeks ago I would say – twothree weeks ago.”

Dr Minnis, meanwhile, has avoided a public fight with Speaker Moultrie.

Asked about the Speaker’s actions during a visit to Eleuthera on Friday, he did not answer directly.

“I didn’t even think about it,” he said. “I’m more concerned with getting vaccinations out to the general population. I’m more concerned with saving lives.”

PAGE 4, Tuesday, May 4, 2021

BRAVE BLASTS ‘KNOW IT ALL’ MINNIS OVER COVID from page one

He said the results of not taking heed are disastrous.

“We warned the government and made suggestions as to how they ought to be addressing, first of all the opening (of the borders), we told them how to open wisely, and indicated to them that they should be putting the protocols and an infrastructure in place to avoid spreads,” he said.

“They did not do it then and so hundreds of cases turn into thousands and now we are having thousands turn into more thousands, because they did not heed our warning in June. I identified the three variants that were then present. I identified the UK variant which was then present in 53 countries.

I identified the Brazilian variant that was then in 23 countries. I identified, as well, the South African variant that was contained, but God knows where that would have led.

“I told them we need to act now and to prevent the spreads here. How do you do it? Through testing.

There is no doubt that this government is continuously dropping the ball on our fight against this virus.”

Recently, the Consultant Physicians Association took issue with the government’s new policy which, as of May 1, gave those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the right not to be tested for the virus. The association said it was not consulted by the government on this.

“Typical of this government,” Mr Davis said. “The Prime Minister feels he is a

doctor, so he doesn’t need to talk to doctors. In a fight like this you need to engage all of your stake holders and to craft an effective policy. Stakeholders who are required to participate in what you are about to do should be involved and engaged.

“So again, it tells you what we have as a government – arrogant, ‘I know it all and I don’t need to listen to anyone because I am a doctor.’ It always appears that the government is always reactive instead of being proactive to this dilemma that we are in.

“Our management of this pandemic is sorely lacking, and it doesn’t have to be this bad. All we need to do is to look around us at our Caribbean neighbours and see how well they are doing in their fight compared to how we are doing. We continue to pull far behind all of them.”

Mr Davis also challenged the government’s COVID testing and contact tracing measures.

“It’s clear that they don’t have a comprehensive plan for testing that will prevent the spread,” he continued.

“Because if they did, we would not have exponential spread as we’re having. The other issue we raised is the question of contact tracing.

It was not being done immediately enough. It was not being done robust enough and in fact in many instances it was not being done at all.

“I have been able to demonstrate, that like in my own case and cases of persons who have been calling me, there’s been no effort to make contact with those persons who are testing positive to find out where

they may have been to seek to contain the spread. So, this is the result of all these failed efforts on the part of this government to put in place the proper protocols.

“It’s one thing to go about saying ‘yes we are testing’, but you have to have a plan for testing, and you have to understand what you are testing. Are you contact tracing when many persons are calling to say that you are not even contacting them? And, then how are we isolating persons who have been determined to have the virus? What are the treatment protocols? What are the isolation protocols?”

Asked what he thought about our number of COVID-related deaths, Mr Davis gave his opinion but also highlighted that vaccinations could have arrived in The Bahamas much sooner than March, but the government did not take advantage of the opportunity.

He accused the Prime Minister of being “prematurely celebratory”.

“Again, this is sad,” he said. “We are told and we understand that if persons are vaccinated it curbs them out of deaths. I’m aware and the government has not denied, that vaccines were made available to them as early as January of this year which they did not embrace. And, where are we now? We have reached the stage where the slow roll out of the vaccines are causing ‘vaccine remorse’ where people don’t really want to take it now.

“Again, this is again the self-congratulatory of the prime minister. He continues to pat himself on the back and celebrate

THE TRIBUNE

TOTAL CASES

TOTAL DEATHS

NEWLY CONFIRMED CASES SUNDAY 27 CASES

RECENTLY CONFIRMED DEATHS

10,576 210 NEW PROVIDENCE GRAND BAHAMA BIMINI & CAT CAY ANDROS LONG ISLAND

TOTAL TESTS

88,056

• A 59-YEAR-OLD NEW PROVIDENCE MAN ON APRIL 22.

23 1 1 1 1

HOSPITALISED

50

CASES IN ICU

4

RECOVERED

9,579

59-YEAR-OLD MAN DIES FROM COVID-19 ANOTHER COVID-19 death has been recorded, according to the Ministry of Health yesterday.

Virus-related deaths, officials said, now stand at 210. According to information released yesterday, a 59-year-old man from New Providence died on April 22, 2021 of COVID-19.

This comes after ten new COVID-19 deaths were reported over the weekend. Those COVID19 classified deaths happened between February 22, 2021, and April 1, the Ministry of Health said in its press statement

earlier this week.

They had been previously classified as under investigation and were all Grand Bahama residents.

These include a 64-yearold Grand Bahama woman who died on February 22; a woman, 68, on March 25; an 80-yearold man on March 28; a 61-year-old woman and a man, 56; a woman, 69, who died on April 1.

The ministry said four deaths that were previously reported as nonCOVID-19 deaths were reclassified, taking the death toll to 209. Further, three deaths were removed

from the deaths under investigation category.

Originally these three people were suspected to be COVID-19 positive, but upon investigation they were found to be negative.

Previously, the death toll stood at 199 after an 80-year-old New Providence man died on April 27.

Currently, there are 30 new COVID-19 cases in the country for a total of 10,549.

That is 23 new cases in New Providence, four in Grand Bahama, one in Eleuthera and two in Exuma.

too prematurely on his efforts. He needs to access other vaccines not just the AstraZeneca … there is the Pfizer, there is the Moderna and other vaccines on the market to give

the Bahamian people an option. And, also to have sufficient vaccines to ensure that all Bahamians who would wish to be vaccinated could be vaccinated.”

Mr Davis said he is

deeply concerned about the healthcare workers who are again overwhelmed with COVID cases.

He said, their mental health should be taken into serious consideration.

BEACON SCHOOL RECEIVES DONATION OF LAPTOPS

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Beacon School received a generous donation of laptops and projectors on Monday through an ongoing initiative by a charitable organisation based in Miami, Florida.

Beacon for Change chairman Sonless Martin, Jr, brought laptops and projectors for every teacher at the special needs school in Grand Bahama.

Receiving the generous donation on behalf of the institution was Principal Titi McKenzie-Moss.

Minister of Youth Sports and Culture Iram Lewis, and District Superintendent of Schools in Grand Bahama at the Ministry of Education Ivan Butler also attended.

Mr Martin, a born Bahamian who lives in the US, has been giving back and assisting the school for the past decade through his non-profit organization.

It has donated over the years school supplies, tablets, vouchers for school uniforms for the students at Beacon School, and this year it decided to assist the teachers.

Mrs Moss extended appreciation to Beacon for Change for its generous donation.

“A lot of donations came for our students, particularly tablets and every child in the school now has a tablet to use in the

classroom, but our teachers were the ones who did not have devices.

“So, we thank Sonless Martin who made sure our teachers have laptops and projectors to teach in their classrooms. In this time now, technology is important, and this donation will go a long way in assisting our children whether in the classroom or online learning,” Mrs Moss said.

Mr Martin said he is pleased to return every year to do something for the school.

“We’ve been doing it for the last 10 years. Every year, I reached out to Mrs Moss…and asked what are their needs, and this time she told me computers and projectors, and we made it happen.”

“It was not easy, but well worth it…just to be able to provide the school with resources that are greatly needed,” he said.

Mr Martin said Grand Bahamians have been greatly affected in the past two years. He said assisting those in need is very rewarding.

“You can’t compare the effects on this island compared to the US. It is important to be proactive.

We are not born rich, but we are rich when we give back to others. And the joy and pride I get from doing this, can’t compare and compete with anything else,” Mr Martin said.

Superintendent Butler commended the

organization for providing the Beacon School with much-needed devices for the teachers.

“What is significant about this donation is that it will go towards the teachers and staff at the Beacon School.

Special education is a priority for us and we are very pleased and thankful for this generous donation,” he said.

Minister Iram Lewis, MP for Central Grand Bahama, said Beacon for Change founder Sonless Martin Jr is a Bahamian who is committed to giving back to the Bahamas. He said he has been partnering with Mr Martin in his initiatives.

“This is indeed a good day for GB and the Beacon School,” Mr Lewis said.

“Sonless Martin and his organization have been doing this for some 10 years, and this initiative is very worthwhile. He is one of those Bahamians born here and moved to the States and did not forget home. He always thought about coming back and giving back, and anything to do with the Bahamas he is on board,” he said.

Minister Lewis encourages other Bahamians at home and abroad to also give back to a worthwhile cause.

He stated that the Beacon School is sometimes forgotten, and thanked Mr Martin for always ensuring that the institution is not left out as a result of their initiative.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 4, 2021, PAGE 5

Commissioner ‘a major step forward’ LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net THE Organization for Responsible Governance has described the appointments of the nation’s first freedom of information commissioner and deputy commissioner as a “major step forward” but noted there is still much more work to be done.

Matt Aubry, executive director for ORG spoke after government officials on Sunday named retired Supreme Court Justice Keith Thompson as the first Freedom of Information Commissioner.

Shane Miller, former Assistant Director of Legal Affairs (ADLA), has been appointed his deputy.

Mr Aubry, who has long called for full enactment of FOIA, hailed the move when he spoke to The Tribune yesterday, adding the appointments looked “very solid” in his opinion.

However, the local activist said there is still much work to be done in

helping to advance the legislation and also informing the Bahamian populace on what this means for the country and how they can benefit from it.

As a result, Mr Aubry said there is a need for the country to launch a comprehensive educational campaign, which will allow for a “stronger democracy”.

He added that ORG will be hosting several virtual education sessions in the future to facilitate this process.

“The selection of the information commissioner is a huge step forward and we’re very excited for the movement,” the ORG executive director said in an interview with The Tribune yesterday.

“But there’s still a lot more to come and things that need to happen and it’s not just on the government’s side. So, the education of a community about how to utilize a freedom of information, I think is still very important.”

He added: “(I think) it’s important to understand its potential and also, its limitations. It doesn’t mean that

every bit of information is available and to many folks’ concerns, it doesn’t mean that personal information is available so better understanding of what those parameters are will make this better.”

“So, (while) it really does open the door for a much broader dialogue between citizens and the government, we still feel as though there is going to be need to focus on helping both government and citizenry and private sector to use this legislation effectively and monitoring its use.”

“In the near future, we’re going to be doing some virtual educational sessions on freedom of information and how best to utilise it and how to familiarise yourself on what the process will be.

I think that still requires a little bit of information from the commissioner and the assistant commissioner on what their setting up so, that will probably be timed on when we get more information on their next steps for their office.”

The previous Ingraham administration passed a

FOIA shortly before the 2012 general election, however there was no date for enactment.

The last Christie administration then overhauled the legislation and conducted an extensive public consultation process. The Christie administration passed a FOIA in Parliament in February 2018.

However, aside from the whistleblower’s protection, only part one and sections of part five and eight of the legislation have been enacted, allowing for the appointment of an information commissioner and repealing the 2012 FOIA. Yesterday, Mr Aubry said it was important that the FOIA become fully implemented, noting the many economic and social benefits it would create for the country.

One positive feature, he added, is the FOIA’s ability to help to restore citizens’ trust in government.

“One of the major steps forward what I think is important to point out from freedom of information is

FIRST SIGNAL ELECTION ON? from page one

listing should be the name, rank/rate, pay number, telephone contact and voter’s card number of each individual.”

Commodore King declined to discuss whether this signifies that the country is headed for an early election.

“That was in response to a memo we got from Parliamentary Registration Department,” he said. “It came from Parliamentary Registration Department, through the ministry to my desk. I can’t speak for Parliamentary Registration in all fairness. They should speak to their organisation, why they’re doing what they’re doing.”

“The Defence Force, like other uniform branches, might have people who

ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force Commodore Raymond King. might be about to be memos are usually issued deployed, so we’re seek- this far out from the due ing to ensure information election date. is captured for those per“It’s hard to measure,” sons who we know may be he said. “Only the parliadeployed at some point to mentary commissioner can ensure those persons are explain his organisation and not disenfranchised.” why he’s doing things the “Uniform branches usu- way he is.” ally verify their personnel Asked directly about the ahead of the election,” he memo’s reference to an added. early election, he said: “I Commodore King said can’t remember the conit was hard to say if such tents of the memo that was

sent out but it would’ve spoken in like terms to the memo sent from Parliamentary Registration.”

Although speculation about early elections is not unusual in The Bahamas, there has been heightened focus on the possibility of an early election this cycle.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, nonetheless, has repeatedly dismissed such talk, even as the governing Free National Movement (FNM) campaigns amid the COVID-19 pandemic and nears full ratification of its candidates.

“Election is due on, I think, May 2022,” he told reporters in November.

“That’s what I know, so the election is not due until May 2022. So, they can talk whatever they want to, that’s when it is due.”

that they help to build up public trust in governance.

There may be projects or programmes that may be effective in government but because of the mistrust that has grown, there’s scepticism,” Mr Aubry told The Tribune.

“So, this can open doors for building a greater level of trust and then get support behind programmes that are actually working for the citizens’ benefit. Similarly, it allows us to have a comfort that programmes or monies that are being spent in inappropriate ways have a greater likelihood of being identified.”

“Our auditor general, I think, is doing a great job at looking at government and providing a very fair assessment but this also allows for another resource that isn’t dependent upon government to present information so if there is something that you’re looking for, this is a tool in the hands of the citizens.”

Mr Aubry said the legislation will also allow Bahamians to be better

informed about environmental, health, or other social issues.

The FOI office, which is housed on the top floor of the Yandi Building, University Drive, opened yesterday.

However, the office will not immediately be providing services to the public as the team “will be planning and strategizing for the implementation and rollout of FOIA” for the next three to six months. “ I think it’s important that there is a level of understanding that this logistically has to be set up right in order to be effective,” Mr Aubry added.

“What we don’t want is something that’s on the books that doesn’t really achieve the intent of the legislation which is to have more access to information and for citizens to feel that they have a better place in governance and so I think it’s going to be real important that we all educate ourselves and that we keep a monitoring and paying attention to government.”

INSTRUCTOR TRAINING HELD

By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 80 people participated in a certified craft instructor training course yesterday.

The four-day course, offered by the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI), kicked off yesterday morning at SuperClubs Breeze.

It is based on the criteria of the National Centre for Constructions Education and Research (NCCER), an internationally-recognised accrediting body.

Those enrolled included retired Royal Bahamas Defence Force officers, trainee workers from Baha Mar and Ministry of Education employees.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, BTVI Dean of Construction and Workforce Development, Alexander Darville said the course, once passed

by participants, will allow them to be certified according to international criteria.

He said: “The total numbers that we’re training today is some 86 persons and that’s for over five different islands and so the aim is for us to have all of BTVI trades certified with international recognition.”

“Why that is important to us is because there is a notable skills gap that exists within the country.

We have companies coming in looking for certified programmes, but we don’t have, to date, the certifications that could say we have persons certified in carpentry plumbing, electrical dry wall and the NCCER certification will allow us to build a database.”

Mr Darville also said: “Our mission is to prepare our students to be globally competitive and this is one of the ways of doing it.”

ROLLE: NO PROBLEM OVER HIRING OF MINISTER’S WIFE

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Senior Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Public Services Brensil Rolle said yesterday there was nothing untoward about the process which led to the hiring of the wife of Kwasi Thompson, the State Minister of Finance, to a senior role at the National Insurance Board in Grand Bahama.

Mr Rolle, who is responsible for NIB, confirmed that Tamika Thompson has been appointed assistant manager employee health nurse.

He said Mrs Thompson is a nurse with over 20 years’ experience within the Public Hospitals Authority.

He confirmed the position she now fills was not advertised publicly.

He said official qualifications for the role include a

bachelor’s degree in business administration and professional nursing or a related field; status as a registered nurse with a minimum of two years in health care; excellent written, oral and communication skills; and proficiency in Microsoft Suite.

“She’s more than qualified,” he said.

“We receive applications all the time from individuals. In reviewing what was

before us, we discovered she had an interest in a position. We then asked her to consider an offer. This is not new. This is not rocket science, it is not political.

This is purely a professional need and NIB fulfilling a professional need. There is no motive behind it. Minister Thompson didn’t know about it as far as I know until an offer was made.”

Mr Rolle said NIB in Grand Bahama lacks a

nurse in its occupational health department.

“NIB was looking for someone who could do that job in Grand Bahama and Abaco,” he said. “If you go Carmichael, to our office, you will find at least five nurses there. After the storm and because of issues we have with healthcare, that opportunity became available in Grand Bahama and Abaco. So, this has absolutely nothing to do

with who Kwasi is.”

“It is absolutely not a significant salary increase she is receiving. The salary at NIB is higher than in the public sector. If you go from nursing in the public sector to the private sector, there would be an increase. We were looking for the best quality individual.”

Mr Thompson said “no comment” when contacted yesterday and asked about the matter.

PAGE 6, Tuesday, May 4, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

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Are we properly prepared for fires?

TWO fires in recent times have left questions in their aftermath about how prepared we are to deal with such incidents.

First, there was the blaze at Potter’s Cay, which wiped out a number of stalls there. Then, on Sunday, six homes were destroyed and four more damaged in the Jennie Street area.

In the wake of that blaze, some residents have concerns over how prepared firefighters were to tackle the fire.

One said that there were problems with not enough water – with one fire truck reportedly arriving with only a little water on board.

Another resident said that when firefighters tried to open a fire hydrant, only dust and rust came out. As that resident says, “What sense it makes having an empty fire hydrant? It makes no sense or sending fire trucks that can’t be accessible to water.”

We don’t know how much of a difference could have been made through a fully-laden fire truck and a fully-operating hydrant, but being without them leaves firefighters without precious tools in the fight.

These should be straightforward questions to answer. Why did fire trucks arrive without water? How long has it been since that fire hydrant was checked to see if it was in service? How many other fire hydrants have gone without checks for a long period?

Thankfully, no one lost their life in the fire, although one elderly woman was taken to hospital and we sincerely hope she makes a full recovery. Those who lived in the damaged and destroyed houses, however, have had their lives ruined in an instant, and perhaps there could have been a different outcome.

Our emergency services should be properly equipped to deal with the situations they face. That applies to our police force, it applies to our ambulance personnel, it applies to the defence force – and it applies to the fire service.

After any significant incident, there should be a standard debriefing, which

can assess areas where improvement might be needed. Clearly, here there are a few questions to answer, and possibly a bigger question about how well maintained fire hydrants are across the country.

They are there for a reason – let’s make sure they work the way they’re supposed to.

Bimini airport

Resorts World Bimini is making an interesting offer – they want to run the airport on the island.

We should be cautiously interested in this. Such deals don’t always work out right – as we have seen by the government taking control back of the airport in Grand Bahama recently.

However, if it’s agreeable to all parties, it might well be worth some kind of public-private partnership to operate the airport.

After all, Resorts World is one of the prime beneficiaries of air travel, bringing guests from far and wide to enjoy the delights of Bimini.

Therefore, it is in their interests to ensure the airport is run to the best standards possible, and offers a positive experience from the moment travellers arrive.

It’s not a small deal either – it has a $40m price tag on it. The runway would be lengthened and there would be a new terminal.

As long as there are appropriate safeguards and accommodation for the needs of residents as well as for visitors, this could be a deal that is a win for everyone concerned.

It’s not a done deal yet, but it’s very much one worth talking about.

Let’s be honest, there’s no money in the government’s coffers to make any improvement to Bimini’s airport facilities.

The same sort of deal seems highly likely to be the future for Grand Bahama’s airport.

A young voter EDITOR, The Tribune.

THIS upcoming election will be the third time that I, as a young Bahamian male, will vote in a general election.

My parents were staunch PLP supporters who at the time strongly influenced me to give Glennis Hanna Martin my first vote. I was in no way unhappy with Ms Martin’s representation, but I was terribly disappointed in the weak and scandal riddled PLP under the leadership of Perry Christie.

Like many fed-up Bahamians I gave my vote in the last election to the FNM and Dr Hubert Minnis because in him and my new representative Mr Marvin Dames I saw hope for taking our country in a new progressive direction. Four years later, I am almost as disappointed with Dr Minnis and the FNM as i was with the last PLP administration.

Yes, we understand that the combination of hurricane Dorian and COVID-19 were devastating to our economy.

What we don’t understand is why your promise for a freedom of information act has yet to be delivered; why have term limits for the Prime Minister not been put in place as promised; why are environmental concerns seemingly pushed aside in the name of foreign investment?

I am a young professional who is baffled at how my application Crown Land to farm in Abaco was rejected with a response that there is no available Crown Land in Abaco. No Crown Land available in Abaco? Seriously? I and other young Bahamian’s struggle to understand why your Government boasts about pardoning previous offenders who may have been caught with small amounts of marijuana in the past, but still today your police and courts arrest and prosecute people to this very day for a joint.

We see millions being poured in CCTV cameras, drones, etc., but little goes to the social and support programmes that would reduce the very need for people to commit crime in the first place.

We ask how is it that reformed, deserving inmates were promised clemency since December, yet we are now in May and their families are still disappointed and waiting.

My aunt is one of these disappointed and depressed voters waiting for her loved one to be released.

We ask why can’t the Prime Minister put aside any ego or political posturing and simply engage in an open respectful and progressive dialogue with the Speaker of the House Moultrie? Is this your example to our children on

how to resolve conflict and disagreement?

We ask why were restaurants in Lyford Cay allowed to operate during the COVID lockdowns while eateries over the Hill were shut down one shot?

We ask if you really want us to believe that you did not know that bars and clubs owned by police were allowed to operate during the lockdown?

Do you truly not recognise that the populace of The Bahamas has changed? Young voters like myself are going to be the ones who determine which candidate/party sinks or swims.

We are observing how other countries treat their citizens; how elected officials work with their people and the local business community. No, we are not willing to vote you back in on a new set of promises when you have yet to deliver on the first. I/we want honesty, transparency, integrity, equality, respect and an open intelligent dialogue. And as much as we may not want Brave Davis as PM, we are still quite willing to roll the dice to give the PLP a chance if your remaining months are more of the same.

MR FERGUSON Voter in Mt Moriah, Nassau, May 2, 2021.

Issues and ideas EDITOR, The Tribune.

Issue: The Smuggling of Guns of various types into our country. Gun violence exposing the public to grave danger. Government, Public and Law-enforce response.

The Jerome Avenue Massacre has prompted me to discuss the issue of illegal guns and the presence of vicious, savage and devilish criminals in our country.

These are the terrorists that our law-enforcement officers are likely to encounter daily. At least 90% of the murders, the victims are unarmed. Innocent persons become targets. Children are shot and killed. It is a scary situation, that must be frightening to our police officers, who must take precautions when making a simple traffic violation stop. Our law enforcement must be very alert and ready to “Shoot to Live” is my suggestion, that the Ministry of National Security approach Corporate Bahamas and provide a substantial Reward Fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the tyrants responsible for these killings.

The nation must provide the support needed to solve these murders, etc. The rewards must be published and the persons providing information must be assured of secrecy.

Police performance relative to arrests and recovery of illegal guns and ammunition is commendable. Each day mobile patrols using their authority to arrest, question and search persons reasonably suspected of committing crime or about to commit crime. The results have been encouraging. Police patrol visiting Arawak Cay at night have observed packages being loaded on to a pickup truck from a mail-boat from Cat Cay. The officers stopped the vehicle and a search disclosed several guns and ammunition. Investigation exposed a gun smuggling operation in which guns were shipped to Cat Cay, where, as I understand, the security chief was a former

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net police officer. Two guns, I am told, were then sent to New Providence on the mail boat.

A police patrol stopped a trailer truck with cars that arrived from the U.S.A. A search disclosed packages of assorted ammunition totaling 2,000 rounds. The owner of the imported vehicles, a prominent resident and political crony was arrested. He was acquitted in the Court. The Attorney General’s office has appealed the result. The appeal has been pending for years. Bahamas Customs officers have also been active with discoveries of guns and ammunition hidden in tyres, vehicle engines and in cakes. A Gun Court established by a government on recommendation of the Police was discontinued by another government. The Court heard gun/ammunition cases promptly, The cases took an average of 30 minutes. The public is sometimes critical of the Police and Customs in their ability to eradicate the gun trafficking. Our borders are wide open to smuggling. Boats from Florida, Jamaica and Haiti, the cargo ships and the cruise ships. We know from experience and intelligence, that some unscrupulous crew members are involved in the gun trafficking.

There is information, that many of the highpowered rifles are intransit here through Haiti. There are also American boat owners involved in the traffick. A few years ago a boat left Miami for Marsh Harbour, Abaco. The boat was stopped and searched by Federal ATF of the USA. Several automatic rifles and revolvers were found.

I received the information on Miami News early that morning. I called the Assistant Commissioner for Crime Management early and provided him with information. I suggested, that he consider sending

staff to Miami to interrogate the crew on the boat. I suggested having the records of Bahamas Customs checked to determine dates of previous visits. I suggested, that discreet inquiries be conducted to identify associates of the captain and crew and that search warrants be executed for guns and ammunition. I am unaware if my suggestions were carried out.

There was an arrest in Abaco of an American boat owner, who shot at Police. He had several guns on board. His associates should have been subjected to the execution of search warrants for guns and ammunition. Any person arrested with guns and ammunition consigned for delivery in our country must be interrogated and an aggressive investigation of his associates here must be undertaken. Reasonable grounds of suspicion to have committed crime or about to commit crime. It is the law. It is very important, that persons arrested for possession of guns and ammunition be extensively interrogated in an an effort to ascertain the source, that supplied the guns and ammunition.

It may assist in getting cooperation if the Police would make recommendation to the Court for lighter sentence as a result of cooperation. The need for an Indoor Shooting Range for our law enforcement officers has been recommended since the Pindling administration. With the huge increase in the number of law enforcement personnel armed there must be a place for practice. The initial training is not enough.

I have written several letters to the Ministry of National Security on the subject and had even found donors. Police Officers have to deal with many violent criminals. It is time for Tasers to be considered. I have faith, that our Police Force will arrest the persons involved in the Jerome Avenue Massacre.

PAUL THOMPSON Sr Nassau, April 29, 2021.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 4, 2021, PAGE 7

THREE-YEAR Man accused of defaming PLP leader granted bail SENTENCE UPHELD OVER AMMUNITION

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A MAN who denied last year that he defamed Progressive Liberal Party leader Philip “Brave” Davis on social media was yesterday granted bail ahead of his trial.

Oswald Poitier appeared before

Magistrate Samuel McKinney charged with one count of intentional libel, after he was accused of recording and distributing via Facebook and WhatsApp, a voice recording of himself accusing Mr Davis of instructing persons to “harm, take out and kill other people”.

Prosecutors alleged the

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

“The intended appeal is woefully out of time and the reasons provided are inadequate. The statutory time THE COURT of Appeal limit of seven days imposed yesterday affirmed the by section 235(2) of the three-year sentence of a Criminal Procedure Code man who was convicted of is meant to be followed and being in possession of not simply disregarded,” a quantity of illegal Sir Michael stated. ammunition.

“Regarding the prospects Thaddeus Cambridge of success, the intended was charged with pos- appellant submits that his session of 38 live rounds sentence is unduly severe of 7.62 ammunition with and also that the magistrate intent to supply, after police erred by taking into account found the contraband when something extraneous, they searched an Adelaide namely, that in the course Village home on February of sentencing him for pos23, 2020. session of ammunition with When he appeared intent to supply the magbefore the courts three istrate said, ‘There is an days later, he pleaded guilty (assault weapon) lurking to the offence and was somewhere.’ A sentence is sentenced to three years unduly severe ‘if it falls outimprisonment. He recently side the realm of sentences applied for an extension of which would be reasontime within which to appeal able in like circumstances.’ his sentence after arguing Having regard to sentences that the sentence handed imposed in like circumdown to him was “unduly stances, in addition to the severe”. aggravating factors and mitHowever, yesterday, Jus- igating factors in the case of tices Sir Michael Barnett, the intended appellant, the Milton Evans and Carolita court is not of the view that Bethell refused his appli- the sentence imposed was cation and affirmed his unduly severe”. sentence after ruling that Sir Michael also said they his intended appeal was denied Cambridge’s appli“woefully out of time”. cation because they felt his In their judgement, deliv- intended appeal had “no ered by Sir Michael, the prospects of success”. panel said the length of “Three years is not too and reasons for the delay, high for a person in posin addition to the prospects session of ammunition with of success and the preju- intent to supply. The person dice, if any, to the intended supplying others with a firerespondent, were the key arm or ammunition must factors they took into be punished. Not much consideration when review- leniency can be shown to ing an extension of time persons who possess fireapplication. arms and ammunition with They also noted that in the intent to supply them Cambridge’s case, his appli- to others. In our view, the cation was delayed by six intended appeal has no months due to the “lack of prospects of success, and facilities and the intended we would refuse the appliappellant not being sure cation for an extension of when he could file his time; and affirm the senappeal”. tence of the magistrate.”

‘MY BOSS’S SON BROUGHT A MAN TO SHOOT MY BROTHER’

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A HAITIAN man yesterday testified that his employer’s son brought another man to his residence to shoot his brother because the man was angry that his mother had “put him out”.

Cravon Lewis was accused of grazing Jean Destilhomme after he shot at him in August 2020.

During his initial court appearance last year, he denied the allegation and the case was adjourned for trial.

Yesterday, the complainant’s brother, Reel Destilhomme, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney to recount the chain of events that led to his brother’s shooting.

Speaking under oath through an interpreter, Mr Destilhomme said he had known Lewis for 24 years because he had worked for the accused’s mother since Lewis was a young boy.

He claimed that around 6 o’clock on the morning in question, Lewis came to his door to ask his brother to borrow his lawn mower, but his brother told him no.

“My brother say the lawn

mower is not for him, but Craven had another guy behind him,” he said. “He turn around and look at the guy, then the guy shot my brother”.

Mr Destilhomme said the two men then ran off in the “same direction.” He also said that after he realised his brother had been shot, he called the police.

During the proceedings, Lewis was not represented by an attorney. When he was given an opportunity to cross-examine Mr Destilhomme, he asked the witness if he had ever seen him hurt anybody.

In response, Mr Destilhomme said that although he had not seen Lewis personally harm anyone, he was the one who brought the man to the door to render harm to his brother that day.

“What’s the reason I did that to you?” Lewis then asked.

“You know because you are jealous,” Mr Destilhomme replied. “You said if your mother put you out the yard, you coming back to kill everybody.”

The prosecution is set to introduce four more witnesses to testify against the accused on June 7. The case continues on that date.

FRAUD ACCUSED GRANTED BAIL

By FARRAH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

A 26-YEAR-OLD man, who denied defrauding three people of thousands of dollars, was yesterday granted bail ahead of his trial.

Stephen Major Jr, appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle Davis charged with

three counts of stealing by reason of service after he was accused of stealing from three people $16,000 of which he had custody by reason of his service.

During the hearing, he pleaded not guilty to all of the counts and his case was adjourned to June 1 and 2 for trial.

In the interim he was granted $8,500 bail.

accused committed the act “sometime prior to November 16, 2020”. They also accused Poitier of posting the recordings with the intent to defame the Official Opposition leader’s character.

During his arraignment yesterday, he denied the allegation and the case was adjourned to June 29 for trial.

Poitier was granted $5,000 bail until that time.

He is required to sign into the Carmichael Road police station on the first day of every month leading up to his trial.

Magistrate McKinney also told the accused that he is not allowed to interfere with any of the witnesses or post anything related to the case on social media.

UNIVERSITY OPEN TO BAHAMAS APPLICATIONS

PREVIOUS Bahamian graduates from Edinburgh Napier University.

EDINBURGH Napier University is now accepting applications from Bahamians for its 27th intake in the country.

The university has been offering 100 percent online programmes to Bahamian students for the past ten years.

Popular courses include the global online MBA as well as a range of BA top-up programmes.

Also, the BBUC pathway programme starts on May 31.

For details, visit www.seidegrees.com or email info@ seidegrees.com.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, May 4, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Two young women in the fight to protect our planet A

LL around the world, countries are looking at ways to address climate change and the devastating impact that emissions from fossil fuels and other contaminants are causing to planet Earth. The Bahamas is no different.

With some 180,000 square miles of ocean in our territory, we must consider the impact global warming is having on our waters.

Oceans are carbon sinks, absorbing the carbon dioxide and other toxic emissions.

Ocean acidification is causing the depletion of coral reefs and with them, devastation to marine species.

Since the 1970s, oceans have sopped up more than 90 percent of all the excess heat energy trapped by carbon dioxide.

The top part of the ocean, from its surface to 2,300 feet down, is warming up about 24 percent faster than it did just a few decades ago. This is having a devastating impact on marine animals and is also affecting the intensity of storms.

Surrounded by shallow seas and prone to tropical storms and hurricanes, The Bahamas has every reason to be even more mindful. Forests are also carbon sinks, and this country has vast areas of pine, mangrove and coppice forests to be concerned about as well.

One of the ways to address this global problem is to have young people committed to focusing on the environment

and finding tangible solutions to save it.

Thiah Farquharson and Havana Gibson are two bright, young Bahamians on a mission to make a difference in their country and the world. Both are natives of Grand Bahama who have made the decision to focus their learning on environmental science.

It may not be a typical college or university degree that you hear of, but the need for scientists focusing on the environment continues to grow, making these degrees vital for the future.

Thiah is currently at the National University of Ireland, Galway, where she is studying for a Master’s of Science degree in environmental leadership.

Last year, she graduated from the University of The Bahamas with a Bachelor’s of Science in small island sustainability with a focus on marine science. Her track is a perfect one to tackle the environment through the lens of an archipelago like ours.

“With these degrees, it is my hope to positively contribute to the environmental and sustainability field in The Bahamas,” Thiah said.

“They will equip me with the tools and knowledge to make strides in that direction and be able to assist others in this sector to bridge the current gap between policy and practice.”

When asked how she decided on such a rare field of study, Thiah told me: “To be honest, it’s difficult for me

THIAH Farquharson (above) and (left) standing under cherry blossoms at her school, the National University of Ireland.

to

summarise how I ended up in this field in a brief statement. Though I could say, the more I learned and progressed in my studies the more in love I fell.

“The field itself is still relatively new and we are learning more things about

ourselves and our planet every day.

There is great importance in the way we relate with the world as well as how we take care of what the Earth gives to us.

“My passion is also deeply rooted in my love for and desire to promote the forward development of my country. The Bahamas in particular is in a unique and challenging circumstance.

There is a need for more skilled and educated individuals to help reconstruct infrastructure, behaviour, policy, and leadership. This is a field that encourages transformational change and I am working towards being a part of that change.”

She is not alone. Havana Gibson is at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies. Prior to going to the University of Victoria, she attended The University of Northern British Columbia. She decided to transfer to the University of Victoria because she was attracted to the myriad of research opportunities and the state-of-the-art learning facilities there.

“I am studying environmental studies because I realise how susceptible The Bahamas is to sea-level rise and the changing climate,” Havana shared.

“Following Hurricane Dorian, my desire to pursue this degree increased even more because it made me realize how dependent The Bahamas is on other countries to sustain itself. It is my goal that this degree will allow me to move The Bahamas towards a more sustainable future.”

Hurricane Dorian left death and destruction behind, not only on the island of Abaco, but also on their native island, Grand Bahama. Thiah and Havana have all the more reason to pursue their field, knowing first-hand the impact that climate has on the country.

Thiah was born and raised in Freeport. She is the youngest of three children born to Theo and Hilda Farquharson. Her father is a retired contractor. Her mother has been an educator her entire career and is currently the Vice Principal at Sister Mary Patricia Russell Junior High School.

Havana, too, was born and raised in Grand Bahama, to Barbara and Alexander Gibson, whom she described as “hardworking parents”.

She graduated from Bishop Michael Eldon School in 2019.

“My parents instilled in my siblings and I the importance of education and discipline from a very young age,” Havana told me.

“My education has taught me how to convert quantitative data into qualitative data, understand a broad range of inherent uncertainties and synergies involved in environmental and social issues, conduct scientific experiments with a range of

HAVANA Gibson (top) and (above) scuba diving, exploring a reef off Grand Bahama. scientific apparatus, and to communicate environmental issues effectively and constructively.”

Both Thiah and Havana are the recipients of a $5,000 scholarship from the CA Smith International Educational and Community Development Foundation. They were two of seven students chosen to receive the award last year.

Other awardees included Kristaleah Hall (Acadia University - Environmental Geoscience); Jodie Ritchie (University of Wisconsin - Computer Science); Gregory Cooper (Georgia Southern University – Computer Engineering); Tiffany Martinborough (Seneca College – Early Education); and

JODIE Ritchie at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a computer science degree with an aim to ‘bridge the technological gap’ in the country.

Ahmad Williams (pursuing a Master’s at Nova Southeastern University).

The CA Smith Foundation had set out to award four deserving students with scholarships to assist them as they pursue “specific areas of study would complement the national development goals of The Bahamas”. However, the foundation was able to raise enough funds to help three more students’ dreams come true.

Thiah said the scholarship has allowed her to pursue higher education at the postgraduate level and has given her the opportunity to “holistically experience a new country abroad”.

Havana added that the award took away some of her financial concerns, which allows her to “pursue tertiary education without the worry of not being able to afford it”.

Both students are navigating the new norm, studying in a COVID-19 environment.

Thiah says she has been navigating having to “balance school, lockdown and restriction fluctuations, and trying to maintain a healthy personal life. For Havana, online school has been “tough and disconnecting”.

“Being away from social interactions and one on one time with professors is difficult to navigate; nonetheless,

I enjoy what I am learning despite the challenges that online learning presents,” she said.

The CA Smith Foundation announces its scholarship offerings for a second year.

Aspiring students are invited to apply who are pursuing the following disciplines: Environmental Engineering, Oceanography, Atmospheric Science, and Computer Technology.

Governor General CA Smith, foundation patron said: “Considering climate change and its effects on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), it is vital to have Bahamians playing leading roles in these fields.

Technological advancement is also key to ensuring the country can continue to be viable on the world stage.”

“I note with pride that in spite of the difficulties caused by COVID-19, each of the seven scholarship recipients maintained a grade point average to earn a further award for the upcoming school year.”

The Governor General also joined hands with William Pickard, Bahamas Honorary Consul to Detroit, Michigan to create the Friendship and Alliance Scholarship, which is seeking to award four Bahamian students with scholarships to study fields relating to Agriculture at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). The deadline for this offering has been extended to May 1. To receive an application, email sgleman@gate.net.

This email can also be used to apply for the CA Smith Foundation scholarship. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA among other requirements for the duration of their award. For the full list of criteria and requirements please visit www.casmithfoundation.org.

The Foundation is managed by a Board of Directors whose duties include the responsibility of appointing a Scholarship Committee consisting of five members all of whom are highly respected in the educational community who will select grant recipients.

Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA among other requirements for the duration of their award.

For the full list of criteria and requirements, visit www.casmithfoundation. org. The Foundation is managed by a Board of Directors whose duties include the responsibility of appointing a Scholarship Committee consisting of five members, Board members include: Attorney David Thompson, Senior Partner, David Thompson & Co.; Dr. William Pickard, Chairman, Global Automotive Alliance; Clayton Smith, Corporate Pilot; and Andy Ingraham, Founder/President/CEO, National Association of Black Hotel Owners & Developers (NABHOOD).

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 4, 2021, PAGE 9

Boris has painted himself into a corner he’s finding hard to escape from IT IS almost a truism that corruption and sleaze exist in politics worldwide. History abounds with examples.

But in today’s conditions of instant and often intrusive communications, when politicians are under greater scrutiny than ever before so that reprehensible behaviour is harder to hide, it seems to be worse than ever.

Corruption is an allembracing term describing moral depravity and an absence of integrity and honesty while sleaze seems to mean anything that is sordid or disreputable.

Since both of these can affect us here in The Bahamas as in any other country, it might be interesting to look at a case that is top of the news agenda in Britain at the moment and is fast becoming a cause celebre.

The term sleaze is currently being bandied about in the UK as the opposition Labour party and sections of the press seek to turn Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s controversial refurbishment of his grace-and-favour flat in Downing Street into a politically-motivated scandal. It seems they have been emboldened by the recent decision of the Electoral Commission watchdog to launch an investigation into the funding of the refurbishment, after saying that it had carried out an initial assessment and was ‘satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred’.

Somewhat portentously, the commission has stated it will demand documents and interview witnesses under caution.

Unsurprisingly, all this has brought a characteristically robust response from Mr Johnson who has called the whole thing a “farrago of nonsense”. So, what are the facts?

The Peter Young column Downing Street provides the office as well as the official residence of British Prime Ministers and is therefore, of course, government property. Apparently, new incumbents can spend up to the equivalent of some $40,000 of public funds on refurbishing the flat which becomes their home. Mr Johnson’s fiancée, Carrie Symonds, who occupies a flat in Number 11 Downing Street with him, apparently did not like the décor left by Theresa May. She overspent on the refurbishment project by about $80,000 and the PM sought contributions from Tory party donors to pay the difference.

His then chief adviser Dominic Cummings, who left office under a cloud last November as a discredited individual and is now a critic and adversary, claims he warned Mr Johnson at the time that his plan to have donors “secretly pay” for the renovations was unethical and foolish and almost certainly broke the rules on proper disclosure of political donations. Nonetheless, the extra costs were duly paid by donors without Mr Johnson declaring this to

the appropriate authorities, though later he paid those costs in full out of his own pocket.

Looking at this from afar and without necessarily knowing all the details, seeking help from Tory donors looks to have been an unwise move by the PM and a lapse of judgement, or incompetence on his part, in not meeting his obligation to declare any donations under the ministerial code. But there has been no suggestion of any misuse of public funds since he ended up paying for the project himself – the balance above the authorised limit of official expenditure – and, in the process, the condition of government property was improved.

Thus, many people are asking what all the fuss is about and whether this can be reasonably regarded as sleaze which in political life can be very damaging and can become the defining story of a government. Look no further than the premiership of John Major after the fall of Margaret Thatcher in 1990 and which lasted until the Labour victory in 1997.

The period became known as the Tory sleaze of the 1990s - described as “sexual shenanigans and financial jiggery-pokery” - when a succession of Conservative MPs and ministers were caught with their hands in the till or, in the words of one commentator, in a bed that was not a marital one!

What has contributed to the current febrile atmosphere is that Mr Johnson is also under pressure on other fronts – from claims of talking inappropriately about coronavirus to speaking directly last year to a billionaire businessman about supplying ventilators while the government was being criticised for handing out

contracts to friends during the pandemic. There is also the case of former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron who is facing serious allegations of lobbying ministers on behalf of a controversial financier from whom he stood to ‘make millions’; though Mr Johnson has ordered an independent investigation into this so suggestions of Tory sleaze should not affect him personally in this instance.

Meanwhile, his overall approval rating has held up and the Tories’ lead over Labour has been maintained in the polls during the run-up to local elections this month. Outside the socalled metropolitan elite in London – also known as the Westminster bubble – the latest public reaction reported in the press suggests that ordinary people now believe they have better and more important things to worry about than “Boris’ wallpaper and furnishings”. So there is already a growing feeling that those concerned may have misjudged the public mood in pursuing the PM on the issue. Moreover, even though Mr Johnson will more than likely face some official criticism and censure, he will probably escape any serious sanction since this was a case of misjudgement – together with possible incompetence -- rather than any intent to defraud the public purse.

To many, however, it is important that he should be seen to have been held to account in order to show that no one is above the law.

As before in other incidents of various kinds in the past, I cannot help wondering whether there are lessons to be learnt from all this that may be applicable to life in other democracies like our own.

HISTORY TELLS THE STORY - IF ONLY WE LEARNED ITS LESSONS IT COMES as no surprise that President Biden’s recent announcement of the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan has received a mixed reaction.

It has been welcomed by some but, for others, how this is put into operation is already causing concern.

Supported by close allies like Britain, the US invaded Afghanistan in late 2001 following the 9/11 attacks.

Its aim was to dismantle the terrorist organisation al-Qaeda. By removing the Taliban, which supported the group, from power, the US would be able to deny al-Qaeda the continued use of the country as a safe haven to plot terrorist attacks against targets in the West. British forces joined those of the US on the same timescale and NATO also established a presence. The US’s longest war in history has cost nearly 2,500 American lives with over 38,000 Afghan civilians killed while more than 450 British service personnel have died in the conflict.

As the years have gone by – and with a widening of the terrorist threat from the Middle East following the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq – the UK objective developed into preventing Afghanistan once more becoming a place from which al-Qaeda and other extremists could attack the UK and its interests; and it sought to establish stability and help secure an Afghanled political settlement that represented all Afghan people.

The US objective of stopping al-Qaeda was partly achieved through killing its leader Osama bin Laden and President Biden has now said America can no longer justify its soldiers dying in Afghanistan. He has announced that its remaining forces - numbering about 2,500 - will be withdrawn by September, the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. UK combat troops left in 2014 though some 750 remained as part of a NATO mission to train Afghan forces. There appears to have been no mention by the President of

his predecessor’s 2020 peace deal which provided for a full withdrawal of US forces

by May 1 provided the Taliban ceased its attacks on US forces, severed its ties with al-Qaeda and entered into negotiations with the Afghan government. But, although it has not targeted US forces over the past year, the Taliban failed to honour its other commitments under the agreement.

To weary observers in the West, the ideal of an inclusive power-sharing agreement brokered by the US may sound logical and attainable within the norms of diplomacy. But to the growing numbers of cynics the situation has become something of a charade. Do policy-makers not realise, they ask, that history shows that Afghanistan -- as a large country with a diverse population of currently about 40 million cannot be subdued through foreign intervention or influence? To help to understand that, one only has to study the Anglo-Afghan wars of the 19th century when from its base in India Britain

sought endlessly to control neighbouring Afghanistan in order to oppose Russian influence there.

Furthermore, at a practical level, many now doubt the wisdom of announcing US intentions about withdrawal publicly months in advance, thereby providing others with plenty of time to plan fresh trouble and putting the diminishing numbers of troops at greater risk of attack. A gradual withdrawal without any fanfare would surely be less hazardous. The Taliban is said to control vast swathes of the country and, reportedly, new clashes between it and the Afghan government have caused more than 100 deaths during the last few days. So, with little or no prospect of the Americans being able to broker any power-sharing deal between them, there is a threat of civil war – and many are now saying there are real fears that this deteriorating situation could fast become an uncontrollable mess that will not end well.

AT LAST WE CAN CLOSE BOOK ON BREXIT NEXT month marks the fifth anniversary of Britain’s referendum about the nation’s future relationship with the European Union. It feels longer than that since the newly-minted word of Brexit, following the ‘yes’ vote to leave the EU, seems to have been around for ever – and it would be no exaggeration to say that, after the intervening years of endless debate, controversy and wrangling over the terms of Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc, many people never want to hear the word uttered again.

So they will be more than glad to know that last week another significant – and this time final - milestone was reached when the European Parliament ratified the post-Brexit EU/UK trade deal known as the TCA (Trade and Co-operation Agreement) which had applied provisionally from January, 2020. It did this by an overwhelming majority – 660 votes in favour, 5 against and 32 abstentions. This ratification was hailed by Boris Johnson as the “final step in a long journey” and he said that, although the UK was still locked into negotiations over Northern Ireland, the trade deal would provide “stability to our new relationship with the EU as vital trading partners, close allies and sovereign equals”. It was also described by both sides as a new chapter of friendly relations after four years of division.

For Britain, the TCA means the formal ending of its membership of the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union and of free movement of people between the two parties.

It provides for free trade in goods -- though UK access to EU markets will be more limited than when it was a member state because goods now have to be checked at borders and there will be bureaucratic delays – limited mutual access to services and co-operation in a range of policy areas

and UK participation in some EU programmes.

Amid much evident goodwill, it seems that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen could not resist a parting shot by warning that so-called ‘faithful implementation’ of the agreement was essential and that the TCA came with real teeth in the shape of a binding dispute settlement mechanism which the EU would not hesitate to use as appropriate.

It seemed to me significant, too, that, alongside the ratification of the agreement, a resolution

by MEPs was passed saying Britain’s exit from the EU was a ‘historic mistake’. But perhaps that was inevitable given the EU must continue to be seen to condemn Britain’s withdrawal and make it as hard as possible in order to deter other member states from trying to leave as ‘euroscepticism’ grows across the rest of Europe.

Meanwhile, the UK’s chief negotiator, Lord Frost, has said that, while ratification brings certainty and allows both sides to focus on the future, there will be much to work on together in the new partnership council and a need to find solutions that work for mutual benefit. His words come amidst optimism about the UK economy generally.

A range of financial institutions and forecasters, including Barclays Bank and Goldman Sachs, now predict that Britain is on the brink of an economic boom as pent-up demand and new investment is released with the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

Thus ends the tortuous Brexit process that cost two of Mr Johnson’s predecessors their jobs.

But even as - to the relief of everybody - the term itself now falls away with the development of a new EU/UK relationship, no one is under any illusion about the obstacles lying ahead. Just don’t mention the word Brexit again!

Death Notice for

Patricia J. Pinder

born June 29, 1931 in Waukegan, Illinois, passed peacefully at her home in Nassau, The Bahamas on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

She is survived by her daughter, Julie Kimble; son, William Pinder; sister, Judith Milner; brother, Allen A. Jones; sister-inlaw, Marybeth, of San Diego, California; granddaughters, Laura Kimble and Morgan Pinder of Nassau and grandson, Dylan Pinder of Boulder, Colorado other family and friends from Detroit, Philadelphia, Waukegan, Illinois, Florida, Texas, San Diego including Renee Roth, Gerry Pinder, Dianne Knowles, Richard Kimble, David Morley, Victoria Selby-Cane and the staff Johnson Outboard Marine and Lloyds Bank International and her caregivers.

PAGE 10, Tuesday, May 4, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

US begins reuniting some families separated at border SAN DIEGO Associated Press THE Biden administration said yesterday that four families that were separated at the Mexico border during Donald Trump’s presidency will be reunited in the United States this week in what Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calls “just the beginning” of a broader effort.

Two of the four families include mothers who were separated from their children in late 2017, one Honduran and another Mexican, Mayorkas said, declining to detail their identities. He described them as children who were three years old at the time and “teenagers who have had to live without their parent during their most formative years”.

Parents will return to the United States on humanitarian parole while authorities consider other longer-term forms of legal status, said Michelle Brane, executive director of the administration’s Family Reunification Task Force.

The children are already in the US. Exactly how many families will reunite in the United States and in what order is linked to negotiations with the American Civil Liberties Union to settle a federal lawsuit in San Diego, but Mayorkas said there were more to come.

“We continue to work tirelessly to reunite many more children with their parents in the weeks and months ahead,” Mayorkas told reporters. “We have a lot of work still to do, but I am proud of the progress

we have made and the reunifications that we have helped to achieve.”

More than 5,500 children were separated from their parents during the Trump administration going back to July 1, 2017, many of them under a “zero-tolerance” policy to criminally prosecute any adult who entered the country illegally, according to court filings. The Biden administration is doing its own count going back to Trump’s inauguration in January 2017 and, according to Brane, believes more than 1,000 families remain separated.

While family separation under “zero-tolerance” ended in June 2018 under court order and shortly after Trump reversed course, Biden has repeatedly assailed the practice as an act of cruelty. An executive order on his first day in office pledged to reunite families that were still separated “to the greatest extent possible.”

The ACLU is happy for the four families but their reunifications are “just the tip of the iceberg,” said attorney Lee Gelernt.

Among the more than 5,500 children known to have been separated, more than 1,000 may still be apart from their parents and more than 400 parents have yet to be located, he said.

“We need the Biden administration to provide relief to all of them, including providing them a permanent pathway to citizenship and care,” Gelernt said.

The reunifications begin as the Biden administration confronts the third major increase in unaccompanied children arriving at the border in seven years. It has

IN this March 24, 2021 photo, migrant families, mostly from Central American countries, wade through shallow waters after being delivered by smugglers on small inflatable rafts on US soil in Roma, Texas.

Photo: Dario Lopez-Mills/AP made major strides moving children from grossly overcrowded Border Patrol facilities to US Department of Health and Human Services shelters, which are more suited to longerterm stays until children are placed with sponsors in the United States, typically

parents or close relatives.

The average stay for an unaccompanied child in Border Patrol custody has plummeted to about 20 hours, below the legal limit of 72 hours and down from 133 hours in late March, Mayorkas said.

There are 677 unaccompanied

children in Border Patrol custody, down from more than 5,700 in late March.

Health and Human Services opened 14 emergency intake centers, raising capacity to nearly 20,000 beds from 952 when the Federal Emergency Management Agency was dispatched

March 13, Mayorkas said.

About 400 asylum officers from US Citizenship and Immigration Services have been assigned as case managers to speed the release of children to sponsors. As of Thursday, Health and Human Services had 22,557 children in its care.

BILL AND MELINDA GATES TO DIVORCE SEATTLE Associated Press

IN this February 1, 2019, photo, Bill and Melinda Gates smile at each other during an interview.

BILL and Melinda Gates announced yesterday that they are divorcing.

The Microsoft cofounder and his wife, who launched the world’s largest charitable foundation, said they would continue to work together at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In identical tweets, they

said they had made the decision to end their marriage of 27 years.

“We have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” they said in a statement.

“We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life.”

Last year, Bill Gates,

formerly the world’s richest person, said he was stepping down from Microsoft’s board to focus on philanthropy.

Gates was Microsoft’s CEO until 2000 and since then has gradually scaled back his involvement in the company he started with Paul Allen in 1975. He transitioned out of a day-to-day role in Microsoft in 2008 and served as chairman of the board until 2014.

GERMANY CANCELS OKTOBERFEST FOR SECOND YEAR OVER VIRUS BERLIN Associated Press BAVARIAN officials yesterday cancelled Oktoberfest festivities for a second year in a row due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19, saying there are too many risks in hosting the celebrations — which bring in visitors from around the world — during a global pandemic.

Bavarian Governor Markus Soeder said it was with “heavy hearts” that they decided to call off the festival for which the state is known globally, but that with coronavirus numbers still stubbornly high and German hospitals already struggling, it had to be done.

“Oktoberfest will be held again, and will be big again,” he pledged.

Germany is in the middle of a coronavirus lockdown that includes a ban on large gatherings, with an infection rate of 146.9 new weekly infections per 100,000 residents.

Bavaria is slightly below the national average with 145.4 new weekly infections per 100,000, according to the country’s disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute.

Oktoberfest typically attracts about 6 million visitors from around the world and had been scheduled from September 18 to October 3.

The combination of huge tents full of people and the consumption of large

quantities of alcohol, as well as the possibility for mutated varieties of the virus to be brought in from abroad, made it particularly hazardous to go ahead with the festival, Soeder said.

After Oktoberfest was canceled last year, about 50 of the southern German city’s beer halls and other establishments hosted smaller parties under strict coronavirus guidelines.

Mayor Dieter Reiter said the hope was that it again would be possible to have open-air beer gardens and patios open under certain restrictions.

However difficult the decision to cancel Oktoberfest, it would have been worse if the city waited too long and had to call it off after preparations were already underway, he said.

“For me, personally, it was no easy decision because it is a huge date in the calendar for the mayor,” he said. “Much more importantly, it’s a huge shame for the millions of fans worldwide.”

Under Germany’s national “emergency brake” legislation passed last month, measures limiting personal contacts, closing leisure and sports facilities and shutting or restricting access to many stores kick in for areas which have more than 100 weekly new cases per 100,000 residents for three consecutive days.

Restrictions also include a 10pm-5am curfew.

PAGE 11

Author bares her soul in new book about traumatic life experiences

TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

Doris Emmanuel Johnson’s life story reads like the script of a Lifetime Movie of the Week. She survived a near death experience, escaped from a physical assault, and put up a bloody fight against a would-be rapist.

This all may sound fantastical, but it’s all true, and now Ms Emmanuel-Johnson is sharing her history with the public in her two new books, “Amazing God” and “Her Dreams of Flowers – The Mysterious Events of Lori Peterson’s Childhood”.

In the memoir “Amazing God”, Ms Emmanuel-Johnson writes about the “100 miraculous interventions of Christ” in her life during difficult times.

Meanwhile, “Her Dreams of Flowers” features 44 short stories about how a young girl copes with sexual, physical and mental abuse, and the accompanying feelings of rejection, hopelessness, and the struggle to continue living in her dark, silent, lonely world of grief and terror.

The book examines the lifelong effects of abuse and also questions the roles parents and teachers play, how they may be contributing to the death of a childhood, and how society can save a child’s life.

Although these are ostensibly the stories of the protagonist Lori, they are in fact based on the author’s personal experiences.

“The half of my life story still has yet to be told. I have been through so much in my life” she said.

“I have been through things that I did not even dream I would experience. But in every encounter God has certainly delivered me.”

Ms Emmanuel-Johnson told Tribune Woman she wanted to write “Her Dreams of Flowers” as a memorial to the young girl she once was, growing up in Acklins, and the trauma she experienced.

“I also wanted to increase the awareness and responsibility of parents towards their children, that they would really see them, and not only acknowledge them.

I wanted to discourage the old adage that ‘children should be seen and not heard’, because it could become detrimental to a child,” she said.

The book deals with some of the cultural realities, difficulties and adventures of rural island life, including the negative impact superstitious folk tales can have on Out Island communities.

“These stories are interesting because we all have experienced some aspect of them in our lives that had made us feel inconsequential. The events in these books are emotional and sometimes humorous. Persons can use these stories as lessons in

prevention, or to help them to fight on in times of struggles, against what may seem like insurmountable odds,” she said.

One of the encounters Ms Emmanuel-Johnson shares was when she was held by a man who attempted to sexually assault after a church crusade event.

A man she had only seen one time before the crusade offered her a ride home. She was in her 20s at the time and “had let her guard down at the church event.”

“Instead of taking me to the place I told him to take me, I realised he took a different turn and took me to an open lot that was far away from any homes. It was also dark, and I did not know where I was. At that point I was afraid and realised what was going on. He put his hands around me, start putting his hands between my legs.

AUTHOR Doris Emmanuel-Johnson “But it instead of fighting him off and causing alarm, I played his game and told him that he didn’t have to force himself on me and

that I was interested in him. When I said that, he became more comfortable and revealed he had been in jail for a couple months and was looking for a piece of leg I guess,” she said.

Keeping up the pretence, she suggested to the man they go to a place where she would feel more comfortable.

“I was a virgin and there was no way I was giving up my virginity to this man. So, I started to pray internally. At the same time, he was speeding to get to the location I suggested. And out of nowhere a pack of dogs were running on both sides of his car, making him slow down significantly. While I was afraid of dogs, I knew that this was my chance to get out. So, I opened the door and jumped out of car,” she said.

Ms Emmanuel-Johnson said she picked up the biggest rock she could find to protect herself.

“He was shouting and cursing at me and telling me to get back in the car. I told him if he touched me, I would bust his car glass open.”

Ms Emmanuel-Johnson eventually made it a house in the area, knocked on the door and asked to use the telephone. The residents of the home saw she was in distress and kindly gave her a ride to a family member.

A few years later, however, Ms Emmanuel-Johnson had to live through a similar ordeal when she had to fight off a man while staying as a guest at a local resort on Paradise Island. The story is described in greater detail in her two memoirs, which were published in March and November 2020, respectively.

The author said her books were inspired by her love for the Lord and His unfailing desire to see her through each difficulty, “even when I didn’t know Him personally.”

“I want people to see the same God as I did...I wanted to share some of the very real, relatable and inspirational ways that the Lord is working in all of our lives, and to assure persons that the Saviour who never left me in the time of my troubles will not leave them,” she told Tribune Woman.

Ms Emmanuel-Johnson’s books are available at Logos Bookstore in the Harbour Bay Shopping Plaza and the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas on West Hill Street. For more information, contact 242-8241991 or email johnsondoris77@gmail.com.

Bahamian women demand ‘A Seat at the Table’

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

The TV show “A Seat at the Table” is a production made for women by women. Now in its second season, it is a platform that aims to provide a space for women to discuss topics that are often considered controversial and taboo, said creator Latoya Moxey. It also covers powerful and empowering ideas that are sometimes neglected and rejected by men and society as a whole.

“Society has placed many stereotypes on women, as well as unrealistic standards and goals that aren’t placed on men. This shows allows women to dig deeper into the narrative that has been set for us and find ways to change that narrative as well as share how we’ve overcame in certain situations,” she told Tribune Woman.

Latoya has a varied career background. She has worked in hospitality in various areas of management, but mainly in being marketing and public relations.

She’s an ISSA certified fitness trainer and holds a certification in entrepreneurial leadership from the Harvard Business School Online. She’s also a self-taught swimwear and fitness designer.

And it was her love of being creative and communications that led her to various speaking roles and platforms, resulting in the birth of the talk show “A Seat at The Table”.

I hosted a red carpet for the Bahamian Icon Awards and have been in front of the camera for most of my adult life. I have been told by many persons that ‘I was made for this’. After giving it a lot of thought and research, I just went for it. It was important for me to prove to myself that I could do this. I wanted to show my daughter that strong women come in many different forms.

I wanted to show her and others

LATOYA Moxey that whatever you put your mind to, you can do. Most importantly, I wanted to create a safe space to break down the stereotypes, clear up misconceptions and really provide a seat at the table for women and men to view from a different vantage point of what it is to be female,” said Latoya.

The second season of “A Seat at the Table” aired last Sunday at 5pm and will continue to air on Sundays on its YouTube channel.

Latoya said the advantage of having the show on a virtual platform is that viewers can watch the episodes at their leisure on the device of their choosing.

Episodes come in two formats: one-on-one interviews with experts on particular topics and round table talks featuring different viewpoints for clarity and balance.

“In season one we tackled topics such as body positivity,

body shaming, confidence, a man’s right to tell a woman how to look, successful women in business and how they’ve grown their companies from the ground up, infidelity from the perspective of ‘the other woman’, life after divorce and death of a spouse, and more,” said Latoya.

“The stories have been so powerful, and we’ve gotten great feedback on each episode. We are so thankful for the women who are courageous enough to share their stories with me. We end each season finale with a panel of men and women.”

For Latoya, the project is a labour of love.

“When we first started as a team of four women, we had many challenges, especially with partnerships, funding and production, then Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas during midplanning. And moving into 2020,

COVID-19 struck everyone hard, and we had to pause. I invested with my own funds to get the ball rolling, and with the commitment of a few team members, we jump-started our engines. Even through all of the setbacks, loss of a few team members, we pushed through and found a way to get 10 episodes taped, edited and packaged,” she said.

For season two, Latoya said viewers can expect seven thoughtprovoking episodes.

“I always look forward to hearing from other women. There’s no validation needed in expressing how and who we are, but supporting each other, providing constructive feedback and discussing with transparency and honesty what we go through as women, I find is necessary,” she said.

“We learn from each other, whether it’s by open and honest conversation, or unfortunately, the kitchen table talk that happens with women who wish to judge each other without understanding or reason. Ironically, that’s why I love this show so much. We’ve all been that woman at one point or another who may have judged another woman based on what we see or hear, and if not at least one time or more you don’t catch yourself thinking about your life choices or habits or goals, then the show isn’t doing its job. It reminds us of who we are as mothers, partners, professionals, friends, human beings, especially when we sit quiet and listen to someone’s story that we may have misunderstood. It’s humbling, it’s uplifting, it’s heartwarming, and in some instances, gut-wrenching, but it’s all real and it’s being heard.”

She said the team is looking forward to scouting for new content for season three in late July.

Those interested in participating can e-mail aseastatthetabletalkshow@gmail.com.

“The show is truly beneficial for all women. The only way we can make a change is if we become the change and set the example of learning from our failures and celebrating our victories as women.

The importance of storytelling, sharing and acknowledging the subjects that matter in our lives shouldn’t be something we suppress or never address aloud, but rather embrace and learn to heal and be heard. We help one another grow when we show our strengths, not hide them. Don’t get me wrong, not everything or everyone requires an audience, however, when we consider how impactful we are by using our voices for good, for clarity, for not just a seat at the table but also to build our own tables, we then become unstoppable,” said Latoya.

PAGE 12, Tuesday, May 4, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

A mother and her daughters take the Bahamas to the world stage The year 2020 might have been a tumultuous one for everyone due to the global pandemic, lockdowns and financial losses, but a mother and her two daughters from Freeport, Grand Bahama made good use of the time to put the

Bahamas on the world stage once again.

Award-winning gospel singer Vanessa Clarke will be soon appearing on a show watched by millions of people around the world, and her two daughters, V’ajha, 13, and V’lori,

8, are also representing the Bahamas on two international platforms – at the Expo 2020 in Dubai and on a YouTube show that is broadcast to churches throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

Vanessa will be appearing on the Dr Bobby Jones Show on Impact TV in the coming weeks, making her way into over 180 million homes. Her music video, “Faith Walk”, will be making its debut on the show featuring Dr

VANESSA Clarke and her daughters V’ajha and V’lori

Jones, who has for decades captured the hearts of Bahamian audiences by featuring the some of the best gospel singers in the world.

“I have loved his show from I was a little girl.

I never had dreams of being a singer because I never thought I was that good. But God had other plans for me and made me a singer. Ever since I accepted the call, it was always my dream to be featured on his show. Over 30 years later, my dreams have come true,” said Vanessa.

For the past two years, the mother-of-two has been unable to walk because of a degenerative neurological disorder. But rather than let her physical limitations break her, she says her faith has only grown deeper and she continues spread the gospel through music.

On New Year’s Day, Jesus in the City, a Christian organisation out of Canada released its major music video production “The Blessing: Caribbean”.

Vanessa represented the Bahamas in this project, along with fellow musicians Tony Lowe and Nehemiah Hield of Baha Men fame.

To date, the music video has nearly 150,000 views.

A journalist by profession, Vanessa expressed pride in making an impact in this Caribbean music project, as she also had the opportunity to cover CARICOM for a local newspaper when it was held in Cuba in the early 2000s.

“The Bible says that praise will come from the islands and it has always been my desire to be a part of that movement – no matter how God would get it done,” said Vanessa.

“It tells us that our praise must go forth into the world and be launched from home – the islands.

God inhabits the praise of His people and so we share the very essence of Him in our praise and the way we worship.”

Vanessa was also nominated for the Texas Gospel Music Excellence Awards in multiple categories, including Producer of the Year and Song of the Year for the song “Going Through”.

Additionally, she was nominated in the 2021 Gospel Choice Music Awards in six categories, including Best International Female Artist.

The Clarke household has much to celebrate as V’lori, a fourth-grade honour roll student at Walter Parker Primary School was invited to represent the Bahamas in an international children’s television show called “Graceville”.

The show, which can be found on YouTube, is

broadcast to many churches throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

“Graceville” founder, Pastor Anastacia Brandi, described V’lori as a little preacher in the making.

As for V’Lori, she expressed pride in being on this growing children’s programme.

“I feel great. I want the Bahamas to be known – not just as a tropical country for people to visit, but this is a place where God is. Kids love God, too” she said.

Meanwhile, her sister V’ajha, an eighth grade honour roll student of Bishop Michael Eldon School, represented the Bahamas in the Expo 2020 Dubai as part of the “Children’s Tales from Around the World” segment.

V’ajha was invited to illustrate the Bahamian folklore characters Ber Bookie and Ber Rabby in a book by Heather Thompson called “Ber Rabby’s Free Lunch”. The digital book can be found on the Bahamas Pavilion Facebook page.

If it weren’t for the pandemic, V’ajha would have participated in the Dubai Book Expo in person.

“That’s my one regret,” she said. “Who doesn’t want to go to Dubai? I wish I could have made that trip, but I understand that we have to be safe and that’s a priority.”

She added: “At first I was scared to do this project because I am not used to drawing animals. Most of the characters I draw are in human form. So this was a challenge for me. I am so happy that I was able to do this and that they were pleased with my work.”

V’ajha is the also author and illustrator of “The Cats and the Mats: Bahamas Vacation” and her books will be featured as part of the Bahamas’ showcase in Dubai.

V’ajha is a former Student of the Year of Walter Parker Primary School and was named the Bahamas Primary School Student of the Year for Grand Bahama in 2019. She graduated as valedictorian of from primary school with a GPA of 3.94.

Her gift for art was discovered by her mother when she was six years old. She then became the youngest author and illustrator in the country at the age of seven when she published her first book, “The Cats and the Mats”. This was followed up by “The Cats and the Mats: Bahamas Vacation”, for which she drew 43 illustrations.

Her book is available on Amazon.

She is currently working on her first novel.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 4, 2021, PAGE 13

BODY AND MIND

All natural, all the way Exuma native turns to ‘bush remedies’ for hair and skincare line

with customers about various treatments.

“We have a lot of Bahamian women that are self-conscious about their looks and their hair.

And with my products, I am able to give them a new sense of confidence they didn’t have before.

They are able to wear their natural hair and don’t have to cover up their face with makeup to hide blemishes. They can actually smile because they know they are beautiful in every sense of the word,” he said.

“I think health-conscious businesses like this need to be pushed because we have a lot of Bahamians suffering from hypertension, obesity, diabetes and more because of our unhealthy lifestyles. Most of our younger Bahamians also tend to suffer from extreme acne, eczema and fungus from using different products on their skin that have so many chemicals that they tend to dry it out and cause different reactions. If we eat healthy, live healthier and use healthy or natural products more, the number of persons with these ailments will decrease.”

His business is home based and offers delivery services, but he hopes to open an actual store.

“I am also creating new products...one of them being a natural cleaning products line,” said Deanton.

In Nassau, Uncle Deeta’s products can be found at the Gladstone Road Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 8am to 4pm.

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

Exuma native Deanton Ferguson is a man of faith and he believes that God has given us everything we need to heal and take care of ourselves - bushes, trees, plants, all of earth’s natural resources.

For years ago, after losing his job because of his sight, he decided to translate his love all things natural into a hair and skincare venture.

“I started dreaming, and as I dreamed, recipes would come to me about different products, and I made them. My first product was avocado and carrot grease, and that was how Uncle Deeta’s was born,” he said of the launch of his company. My wife Krystal has also been a great motivator in my life, and she gave me the encouragement I needed to help bring it all together.”

“I am a firm believer in bush medicine and love being able to advise people with any health issues they may have. I like that Uncle Deeta’s has opened up a different line of communication with my customers and it has allowed me to help make them more aware of the increased need to be natural in all that you do.

Also, it has generated a new clientele that I have never had before, and persons are now more open to trying natural hair, and skincare products.”

Apart from the avocado and carrot products, Uncle Deeta’s Natural Products also offers okra, garlic and onion, hibiscus, aloe, and love vine greases, which Deanton says help hair growth and act as skin moisturisers. Also available soaps in varieties like sage, orange peel, ginger and turmeric, charcoal and bentonite, lemon, aloe and tomato.

“All of our soaps either aid in (fighting) acne, shifting clouds, eczema, hyper-pigmentation and a host of other related skin issues, or are even just for bathing,” he said.

“We also carry hair and skin oils, cooking oils, lip balms, facial masks, lotion, inhalers and natural detox drinks.”

Deanton says he enjoys helping people and being able to educate them on natural remedies and their everyday uses. He said sometimes spends hours talking

After tough, complicated pregnancies miracle babies bring joy OB/GYN says TVCIC procedure offers hope to the hopeless It took nine years, five pregnancies and a minimally invasive but technically challenging medical procedure for Cherise Butler to deliver her first miracle baby with husband, Yorick Sr. Each pregnancy conceived naturally, two years apart, was a roller coaster ride of hope and heartache. As her body – time and time again – rejected the baby she dreamt of having, Mrs Butler slipped further into depression. At her lowest point, she attempted suicide before learning to cope and ultimately welcoming two-year-old Yorick Jr and five-month-old Cheyanne into the world.

During this month honouring motherhood, she shared her journey to give courage to those who have endured the loss of a baby.

“My first two pregnancies ended in miscarriages. I was unsure of what the problem was until my third pregnancy. I found out that I had a cervix problem. I had a procedure done to get my womb stitched and I was on bed rest for about 12 weeks. The very day I went back to work…my stiches popped and pulled apart. I was 24 weeks at that time. I was rushed to the hospital where the doctor, he restitched me. Afterwards, I stayed in the Rand Memorial for about two days,” the 33-year-old recalled.

The transvaginal cervical stitch, known as a cerclage, continued to pull apart. Fearing she might lose the baby, local doctors rushed the patient to Florida’s Jacksonville Memorial. She was hospitalised for about four days before the baby arrived.

“It literally felt like my womb was pulling apart and the baby was pushing down on it. Whilst my womb was contracting, they had to cut the stitches, so I was in severe pain.”

Weighing in at a pound, little Lavado was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for urgent medical care. He died two weeks later.

“I was happy I got to spend the time with him (but) after that experience I was depressed. I was devastated. I couldn’t sleep,” Mrs Butler recalled.

CHERISE and her husband Yorick Butler are thankful for their two kids Two weeks after cremating her son, she remained in a state of depression.

“I was tired. I took all the sleeping pills I had and took some type of alcohol and attempted suicide.

I was ready to give up. My husband’s grandmother found me. I ended up in the hospital and had my stomach pumped.”

Following Lavardo’s birth, Mrs Butler’s doctors discovered a large cyst on her ovary which had to be removed. Two years later she was able to conceive again.

This time, the foetus was lodged in a fallopian tube. Since tissues outside the uterus cannot provide the necessary blood supply and support, ultimately the foetus did not survive, and a portion of the tube had to be removed.

Recognising she had to lift herself out of a downward spiral, Mrs Butler began to chart her course to mental wellness. She went through counselling, got closer to God and strengthened her resolved not to give up on life or her hopes of becoming a mother.

Exploring all her options, Mrs Butler contemplated having her children through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) using a friend as a surrogate.

DR Shamanique Bodie-Williams helps patients triumph over tragedy “I remember her sister telling me, ‘Cherise, God said you are going to carry your kids.’ From then I believed, and I found a way.

I found Dr Bodie-Williams.”

In 2016, obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Shamanique Bodie-Williams introduced transvaginal cervicoisthmic cerclage (TVCIC) into her practice due to the experience of another patient who sought her out for a second opinion on whether to proceed with the high vaginal stitch or suture which aims to keep the

cervix close during pregnancy, giving the baby more time to develop in the womb.

“That first patient had experienced a loss. She had done all her research and found out about the TVCIC. She wanted to go abroad to have the procedure done,” recalled the woman’s reproductive health specialist who works as a consultant physician in Grand Bahama’s public health system and sees private patients at the Medical Pavilion in Freeport and at The Bahamas Women’s Wellness Centre in Nassau.

“I started to do TVCIC because of that patient. I was very excited for her, but I subsequently realized that locally we have patients in the public system and private system who may not have the ability or the desire to travel abroad.

I wanted to be able to offer them the same service locally,” said Dr Bodie-Williams.

Her research revealed that not every OB/GYN practitioner offers the TVCIC. “When I first started performing TVCIC, I realised why. They are more technically challenging, and they take more time to complete, but when they are successful, which is most of the time, it makes a world of a difference,” she said.

Mrs Butler was a good candidate for the procedure, said Dr Bodie-Williams, whose patient authorised her to speak publicly on the matter.

“Because Mrs Butler had failed a traditional cerclage and had some previous surgeries we made the decision to proceed with the TVCIC. Every time a patient has surgeries there’s an increase of risk. TVCIC tends to be done at an earlier gestation because there is an increased risk of bleeding.

For each patient there is different criteria you would use to determine if they’re a candidate for this particular procedure,” said Dr Bodie-Williams.

Cervix incompetent, or cervix insufficiency, is a condition where the neck of the womb opens or gives way usually in the second trimester causing the loss of the pregnancy. It can occur without any symptoms.

“We normally make the diagnosis after the first time that it has happened to someone. We know that one out of four women who lose a pregnancy in the second trimester is due to cervical insufficiency. In subsequent pregnancies we might use a cerclage, a suture in the neck of the womb, to try and reinforce that womb to prevent it from giving way prematurely,” Dr Bodie-Williams explained.

“Think of it like a cinch drawstring of a garbage bag that adds some support. However, there are other issues which could lead to a loss of pregnancy and a cerclage would not help in those circumstances.” To stitch

a cervix, physicians can either go through the vagina during day surgery with spinal anaesthetic (the patient is awake but can’t feel a thing) or through the abdomen which carries risk similar to a C-section. The cerclage goes in the neck of the womb but can go in at different heights providing varying levels of reinforcement.”

She added: “I have found that for some patients TVCIC is a way you can have a minimally invasive procedure that may give you a chance at succeeding at a pregnancy even if you fail a traditional cerclage. It saves you the down time, the risk and the complication associated with an abdominal cerclage.”

The TVCIC during her fifth pregnancy proved successful for Mrs Butler. She carried almost to term before preeclampsia, characterised by high blood pressure, triggered an early delivery.

“When (Yorick Jr) came at 34 weeks. He was three pounds and 13 ounces – a little small, but we didn’t have any problems. He was breathing on his own. He was in the hospital for about 13 days and then we took him home,” said the new mother. “Everything I went through was devastating but I’m happy at the end of the day that I have my baby and he is completely healthy.”

Less than two years later she became pregnant for the sixth time. On November 19, 2020, Mrs Butler gave birth to her daughter who weighed in at five pounds. With the placement of the TVCIC, she was able to carry the baby to 36 weeks.

“I always wanted to be a mother and have that connection. I didn’t grow up with my mother. She was an alcoholic who died when I was 19. For years I couldn’t wait to have kids so I could have that motherly connection,” said Mrs Butler.

Dr Bodie-Williams credits the success of such surgeries to a team effort which includes the hospital’s theatre staff and anaesthesiologist, Dr Vincent Burton.

She thanked Grand Bahama Health Services for providing her sufficient time to successfully accomplish those procedures.

“Having had a history of multiple losses, I think that this is a blessing for Cherise. As a mother myself, I understand the joy that a child brings to your life and the sense of fulfilment. As an obstetrician, I have also seen the pain that loss can bring,” said Dr Bodie-Williams.

“TVCIC is not a cure-all but it gives you a good chance of having that hope and having that success. I think there is nothing in the world that can bring as much joy as the birth of a wanted pregnancy.”

PAGE 14, Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Why a night of drinking may cause you to wet the bed

THE TRIBUNE

Nocturnal enuresis, or wetting the bed during sleep, can unfortunately happen after consuming even a few alcoholic beverages in a responsible manner. Bedwetting after one or two beers or glasses of wine could lead to great embarrassment in a new or longterm relationship and cause great concern and a need for understanding of the cause of the event for the bedwetter. Larger volumes of alcohol intake will increase the likelihood of bedwetting. A beer or alcohol-soaked night can indeed lead to a urine-soaked bed the next morning.

This article serves to outline the medical reasons behind the embarrassing and upsetting event of adult bedwetting after alcohol intake.

According to the British Medical Journal in a 2013 review, 0.5 to 2 percent of adults urinate involuntarily in their sleep.

Larger volume of fluid intake before bed The more fluid that is taken in before bed, the more fluid the bladder must hold during sleep.

Alcohol could lead to reduction in the body’s liquid reserves and lead to dehydration, with the kidneys producing larger volumes of urine and the bladder filling quickly with urine. People in a deep sleep after alcohol consumption may not be awoken by the pressure of a fully distended bladder and consequently the bladder could release urine without the individual waking up. The horrifying result may be waking up in a pool of urine.

Alcohol suppresses a hormone produced by the brain Alcohol is a diuretic, which means that it causes the body to remove fluids from the blood through the kidneys at a faster rate than if other fluids such as water were taken in.

Our brains produce a hormone called arginine vasopressin, an antidiuretic hormone (ADH) which signals the kidneys to produce less urine so the body doesn’t become dehydrated. Alcohol suppresses ADH production so the body produces more urine than it normally would. Adults of all ages are well aware that drinking any type of alcohol, leads them to urinate more frequently as the kidneys produce more urine. When we sleep after drinking alcohol, our bladders will fill more quickly and if sound asleep, a distended bladder may lead to the unknowing release of urine to reduce bladder pressure.

The kidneys regulate the volume of fluids in our body, if they are functioning properly.

Osmolality is the scientific term used to describe the ratio of solutes or particles in your body to fluid. The kidneys are directed to produce larger volumes of urine if there is more fluid than particles in the body. Conversely, if there are more particles than fluid in the body then the kidneys would be directed to hold onto fluids and one will urinate less. Alcohol is a liquid and it will push the body’s osmolality in the direction of more fluid and thus the kidneys will be directed to produce more urine.

Alcohol and caffeine make the bladder contract Caffeine like alcohol is a diuretic which leads to the kidneys being directed to remove more fluids from the body and produce more urine. Alcohol is often mixed with sodas that contain caffeine, such as rum and coke, thus two forms of diuretics are being taken in at the same time.

Caffeine and alcohol can both lead to irritation of the bladder detrusor muscle. The detrusor muscle is part of the bladder that signals the urge to urinate and leads the bladder to contract and expel urine. Night time drinking often leads to a deep sleep with a difficulty in the body being aroused and made to wake up when there is a strong urge to

urinate. Signals to wake up to use the bathroom are often missed during a deep slumber.

Blame your brain Being inebriated or drunk often lowers your inhibitions. The subconscious could, in a drunken state, lead to unfortunate decisions such as not bothering to get up and use the bathroom but instead just relieving yourself in the bed. High alcohol intake could also lead to very vivid life like dreams whereby drunk persons wake up in a pool of urine but they are convinced that they woke up to urinate but that appropriate behavior only happened in their vivid dreams.

Many men and women urinate frequently at night or may occasionally wet the bed without alcohol intake before bed. The causes of nocturia or night time urination and nocturnal enuresis/ bedwetting in adults are numerous. Alcohol consumption could potentially exacerbate a preexisting problem of nocturia or nocturnal enuresis.

Middle-aged or older men often suffer from frequent nighttime urination or incomplete bladder emptying secondary to an enlarged obstructive prostate.

Both male and female diabetics may have a condition called diabetic cystopathy whereby the nerves that supply the bladder are impaired, thus the ability to contract the bladder is impaired

and the sensation of a full bladder is diminished. An estimated one in three women have an overactive bladder that leads to frequent day and night time urination, with the frequent urge to urinate when the bladder is not full. Uterine fibroids or pregnancy could cause women to have nighttime and daytime urinary leak and increased frequency. Other common conditions leading to increased night time urinary frequency and possible bedwetting include pelvic organ prolapse, urinary tract infections, urinary tract stones, obstructive sleep apnea and constipation.

Alcohol should always be consumed in moderation and responsibly.

Avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach.

Bedwetting after alcohol intake may be potentially avoided by urinating just before bed and setting an alarm wake up, call in the middle of the night so as to wake up and urinate. Avoid caffeine intake starting in the afternoon if a night of drinking alcohol is intended. Bedwetting after alcohol intake is a clear sign to limit one’s alcohol intake in the future.

Never suffer needlessly in silence and embarrassment in regards to any urinary issue whether suffered by men, women or children. Never let your bladder control your life or reduce the quality of your life. Seek confidential, compassionate and comprehensive urological care in

regards to any urinary complaint and regain control of your bladder and your happiness.

THE UROLOGY DOCTOR IS IN...

Dr Greggory Pinto

• Dr Greggory Pinto is a board certified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon. He has trained in Germany, South Africa and France, and is a member of the European Association of Urology. He can be contacted at OakTree Medical Center, #2 Fifth Terrace & Mount Royal Avenue. Telephone: (242) 322-1145 (6) (7); e-mail: welcome@urologycarebahamas.com, or visit the website:www.urologycarebahamas.com.

Reducing the stigma of mental illness in the Bahamas

By MAGAN JOHNSON, MA The Bahamas Psychological Association

The Bahamas Psychological Association (BPA) recognises May as Mental Health Awareness Month and stands in solidarity with the theme “Mental Health is Health, Too!” It is critical, therefore, to commence this month of activities by strengthening our collective effort toward reducing the stigma of mental illness in the Bahamas.

Imagine this: Someone asks you to define mental illness without using phrases like “trip out”, “crazy” or “demons”. Some Bahamians may find this exercise difficult, considering that the common attitudes toward mental illness may not be so flattering. Frankly, we are largely uninformed on what mental illness is, and our interpretation of this concept is often clouded by our own beliefs and assumptions.

So, let us address the elephant in the room. Mental illnesses are health conditions, where changes in emotions, thoughts and behaviours can cause distress, and impact overall functioning.

While there are a number of disorders that fall under mental illness, the public may be more familiar with depression, anxiety,

schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. What many people may not know is that mental illness is a reality for a large percentage of the global population, and it can affect anyone, no matter their race, ethnicity, sexual preference, socio-economic status, education, upbringing or religion.

Perhaps this example will make things clearer: In 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) named depression a leading cause of disability, and a major contributor to the global burden of disease. In other words, it is estimated that more than 300 million people on earth suffer from

depression, and the disorder is considered a major health risk if not appropriately managed. This disease is characterised by loss of interest in everyday activities, insomnia, low mood and in some cases, suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, WHO named depression the second leading cause of death in young people from ages 15-29, an occurrence that health officials continue to investigate and monitor closely.

What experts also recognise is that the way we address mental illness is influenced by our own culture and context, meaning that where you live, can determine

the way society responds to these types of health conditions.

So how does the average Bahamian respond to mental illness? If you said “with compassion, empathy and the desire to know more”, unfortunately, you are mistaken.

The word “stigma” is so closely associated with mental illness that a quick Google search will often pair the two phrases together.

Tagging along with this word is “prejudice” and “discrimination”: actions that indicate an unfair treatment or response based on limited knowledge or interaction. Therefore, stigmatisation of mental illness is defined as the negative labelling, marginalisation and avoidance of those with mental illness.

While religion has played a role in stigmatising mental illness, we must recognise that labelling someone with spiritual possession is not the only myth that must be debunked. Those with these conditions are often framed as violent and unpredictable, painting them to be a danger to the public, and unworthy of dignity, respect and justice. These false narratives create further distress for those that suffer with their illness, and mistreatment of this population affects their “health, welfare, civic participation, access to resources, and quality of life” (ArboledaFlorez & Stuart, 2012).

If you are consistently exposed to negative beliefs around your mental health, you may internalise these stereotypes, believe that you are unworthy of care, and experience a decline in your selfesteem and willingness to receive treatment. Although the mental health field continues to learn more about these disorders and how to successfully treat them, public stigma remains a threat to programs that are accessible to those that need them, that address

their mental illness, and promote mental health.

With that being said, how can we reduce the stigma of mental illness? We must first attend to the stigma itself. To counteract this misinformation, an attempt to improve public knowledge on mental illness through psychoeducation and campaigns that raise awareness, may be beneficial. Having discussions or forums about mental illnesses in our communities can bring attention to the assumptions behind public stigma, and encourage overall empathy.

Additionally, mental health literacy programmes may be useful in refining our understanding of mental illnesses, the different forms of available treatment and where to seek help. Replacing common myths with facts can begin to chip away at the enduring negative attitudes that influence how we treat those with mental illness, and by proxy, improve our perspective of mental health.

Finally, increasing personal interaction with this population, as well as advocating for their needs and vulnerabilities, may help us to see them as people that simply suffer from an illness. They are no different from the patient with some other physical condition, and connecting with them in a pleasant and constructive way can improve public attitudes toward them. Our effort to destigmatise mental illness must be collective and unfailing. To bring awareness to mental health in our nation, we must challenge our beliefs, be willing to be educated on what we once thought we knew, and address the ideas and opinions about mental illness that create the risk of mistreatment and intolerance.

PAGE 20, Tuesday, May 4, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Governor: We saved $500m for reserves FROM PAGE 24

To preserve The Bahamas’ foreign currency reserves, and maintain its ability to import reserves at the pandemic’s height, the Central Bank suspended the Investment Currency Market (ICM) that allowed locals and residents to invest in international securities and real estate.

That restriction remains in place today, although Mr Rolle previously pledged that it would be reviewed by the 2021 third quarter, halting between $50m to $100m in annual foreign currency outflows.

The other measures imposed by the Central Bank included a bar on dividend repatriations by the Canadian-owned commercial

banks; a relaxation on bank foreign exchange sales to the public; and the National Insurance Board (NIB) liquidating its overseas investment holdings. The dividend restriction has since been relaxed.

Asked yesterday when The Bahamas could reach a “tipping point” in its foreign exchange reserves holdings, Mr Rolle acknowledged that persons were “right to be concerned about tourism and the reserves” but asserted: “We don’t see ourselves in that neighbourhood right now.”

The tourism industry’s shutdown for large parts of 2020, and subsequent slow revival amid local and foreign health-related travel restrictions, means that The Bahamas’ traditional primary source of foreign currency

earnings has slowed to a trickle. And concerns have also been raised that the reserves have been inflated by the government’s foreign currency borrowing.

However, Mr Rolle said the Central Bank possesses sufficient tools to intervene and ensure monetary stability, and the one:one US dollar peg’s preservation, should it become necessary as a result of a protracted economic recovery or further downturn.

The government, he added, still has access to domestic and international credit markets, and “will have more wiggle room to source some of its financing in the local economy” to help cover the anticipated $950mplus deficit for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. However, it will still have to raise some of its

financing in foreign currency to help protect the external reserves.

“The foreign exchange markets provide a reliable gauge of earnings and demand trends in the local economy,” Mr Rolle said. “On the earnings side, commercial banks’ purchases of foreign exchange from the private sector, which highly correlate with export activities, decreased by approximately 30 percent in comparison to the first quarter of 2020.

“Speaking to the compressed spending capacity of domestic residents and businesses, the demand for foreign exchange usage, mainly for imports of goods and services fell by 14 percent.” Mr Rolle said the fact foreign exchange purchases from the private sector were

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that CLIFFORD SAINT VAL, of Sisal Road, Golden Gates #1 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 27th day of April 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that JIDELESSE PHILIPPE, of Abaco, Marsh Harbour 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 27th day of April 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that LUNER STANICLAS, of Fourth Street of Robinson Road, P.O.Box GT-2595 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 27th day of April 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that LINE MESINOR, of Claridge 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 27th day of April 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

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1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

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

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

LAST CLOSE 5.05 32.12 1.50 2.61 1.59 6.00 6.96 3.53 4.30 2.90 5.67 9.75 2.35 6.80 11.11 9.00 14.00 3.99 8.19 15.50

CLOSE 5.05 32.12 1.50 2.61 1.59 6.00 6.96 3.53 4.30 2.90 5.58 9.75 2.43 6.80 11.23 9.00 14.00 3.99 8.19 15.50

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGRS780222 BSBGRS760240 BSBGRS870288

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.65 100.00 100.86

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.65 100.00 100.86

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

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

BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

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

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 100.00 100.50 100.66

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 99.97 100.66

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

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BGRS FL BSBGRS780222 BGRS FL BSBGRS760240 BGRS FL BSBGR870288

occurs in later months of the year [due to holiday travel].

“This has helped to explain some of the lessened pressures observed in the first quarter. So far, credit to the private sector has not generated strong impulse for foreign exchange, because even within the selective accommodation ranges for new financing that the Central Bank has sanctioned, lending institutions are still very restrained in the current risky environment,” he continued.

“However, public sector expenditures that have been a source of stabilisation to domestic demand have also stimulated important foreign exchange usage. As the tourism business recovers, foreign exchange pressures will lessen further in comparison to 2020.......

“There is also a maintained scope, in the outlook for the reserves, to absorb projected domestic investment expenditures on continued rebuilding of housing and infrastructure in the hurricane damaged areas of The Bahamas.”

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that I, JAMIE JAMEEL JOHNSON of The Eastern District, New Providence, The Bahamas. Parent of JAIDA J’ADORE COLEBROOKE A minor intend to change my child’s name to J’ADORE JAMIE COLEBROOKE 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.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

MONDAY, 3 MAY 2021 CLOSE

only down 30 percent, despite tourism being down by more, showed other export sectors were picking up some of the slack.

He added that the COVID-19 downturn had also triggered a selfcorrecting mechanism for consumers’ foreign exchange demand, as the increase in unemployment combined with the drop in incomes, had reduced the desire for imports.

“As regards the foreign reserves, balances contracted over the quarter by $126m to $2.26bn at the end of March,” Mr Rolle said. “At today’s date, reserves are still around $2.26bn. These are very comfortable holdings to absorb the drawdowns that are expected over the remainder of 2021. Afterwards, the coverage for the Bahamian dollar fixed exchange rate will still be robust.

“There has traditionally been less negative pressure on the reserves in the first quarter of the year, with 2021 being no different, because on a seasonal basis the peak in private spending usually

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.09) 0.00 0.08 0.00 0.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

3,000

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

70

VOLUME

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

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

P/E 21.1 34.5 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.9 -8.1 30.7 15.8 12.4 13.5 23.8 14.6 17.4 12.4 17.2 19.7 8.7 24.6

YIELD 3.37% 3.92% 1.33% 1.15% 0.00% 0.00% 3.74% 0.00% 0.00% 4.14% 3.94% 7.38% 17.86% 0.88% 2.92% 2.67% 3.86% 3.01% 2.44% 3.94%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

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

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 4.44% 4.50% 4.33%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 22-Sep-2022 18-Jan-2024 26-Apr-2028

MATURITY

The Public is hereby advised that I, PRUDENCE LOUISE THOMPSON formerly PRUDENCE LOUISE RICHARDS, of Charles Drive, Faith Gardens, Nassau, Bahamas, intend to change my name to PRUDENCE LOUISE SMITH. 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, The Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

LEGAL NOTICE

Augusta Fund Ltd. (the “Company”)

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, No.45 of 2000, the Dissolution of Augusta Fund Ltd. (IBC №. 203862 B) has been completed, a Certificate of Dissolution has been issued and the Company has therefore been struck off the Register. The date of completion of the dissolution was the 16th day of December 2020.

Philippe Doucet Leautaud Liquidator

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.42 4.43 2.16 202.18 190.86 1.69 1.83 1.78 1.24 8.49 10.26 7.28 13.91 12.84 10.81 10.00 10.43 14.89

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 2.42 4.43 2.16 202.18 190.86 1.69 1.75 1.75 1.03 8.49 10.03 7.28 13.91 12.84 10.05 N/A 10.43 14.89

YTD% 12 MTH% 1.11% 4.62% -0.08% 0.88% 0.64% 2.75% 0.14% 5.02% 3.25% 31.13% 0.72% 0.80% -2.20% -1.87% -0.37% 0.01% -2.48% -11.52% 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 3.00% 25.60% 7.90% 48.70%

NAV Date

31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 26-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2020

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

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

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

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

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

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

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

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

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

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

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

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

N/M - Not Meaningful

Global Asset Limited (the “Company”)

31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

MARKET TERMS

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

LEGAL NOTICE

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

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

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, No.45 of 2000, the Dissolution of Global Asset Limited [IBC No. 196689 (B)] has been completed, a Certificate of Dissolution has been issued and the Company has therefore been struck off the Register.

The date of completion of the dissolution was the 17th day of March 2021.

Choo Koon Lip Liquidator

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 4, 2021, PAGE 21

BPL WARNS ON NEW PROVIDENCE OUTAGES BAHAMAS Power and Light (BPL) yesterday warned New Providence customers “may experience short outages” as a result of what it described as “fuel logistics” issues at its Blue Hills power plant.

It added that Sun Oil Ltd, a subsidiary of BISXlisted FOCOL Holdings, “has assured that all necessary steps are being taken to remedy the matter, and we are working jointly to stabilise the power supply while corrective actions are implemented.

“Until the solutions are fully implemented, some customers may experience short outages.” No further details were provided, although BPL earlier this

year rented 16 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity from Sun Oil/FOCOL Holdings, whose major shareholders include Sir Franklyn Wilson and the Turnquest family.

This was designed to help bridge the gap until a further 90 MW of new permanent supply is installed at the Clifton Pier power plant. The BISX-listed company won the tendering process launched in May 2020, and Desmond Bannister, deputy prime minister, said at the time that the four units it was supplying will be more efficient and cheaper than the smaller 1 MW engines provided by Aggreko.

The latter’s rental

generation units typically use the more expensive automated diesel oil (ADO) fuel, while those provided

by Sun Oil run off much cheaper propane. “Aggreko has these little units.

They’re not as reliable as we’d like them to be. They take up a lot of space. There are a lot of challenges with them,” Mr Bannister said.

“We’ve bought these larger units from Sun Oil. “Appreciate that’s a Bahamian group we’re working with. We look forward to working with them until such time as we have the agreement we want to complete generation.

There’s not going to be any more issues with BPL being unable to supply the level of power the country needs.”

Minister’s ‘rising frustration’ over vaccination hesitancy FROM PAGE 24 vaccinated, while the European Union (EU) yesterday said it will re-open to tourists from countries with low COVID infection rates, and to anyone who has been fully vaccinated, from June 2021.

“Given that the vaccine ensures you don’t fall badly ill, and that it greatly diminishes your ability to spread the virus to someone else, these are exactly the reasons why we are removing the PCR test requirement,” Mr D’Aguilar told this newspaper. “It is supported by the science. This is not the call of the Ministry of Tourism; this is the call of the Ministry of Health. They’ve guided us in this exercise.”

The minister added that it was “too early to tell” whether removing the COVID-19 PCR test, which had to be taken within five days of visiting The Bahamas, will boost visitor numbers by removing a potential deterrent to travel and thus further aid the tourism sector’s rebound.

“I anticipate that it will, but it will take a little time to filter into the marketplace,” Mr D’Aguilar said.

“We obviously anticipate an increase because there are fewer impediments to travel.

There’s no doubt having to get a PCR test within five days of coming into The Bahamas causes some people consternation.

“You have to take the test, get the results, upload them to the Health Visa website and get approval. Some people pictured it to be a nerve-wracking process.”

However, John Rolle, the Central Bank’s governor, yesterday warned that The Bahamas could squander the early gains of its tourism re-opening - and the possibility of exploiting high US COVID vaccination rates - unless it gets its own infection outbreak under control.

Speaking as the regulator revealed its 2021 first quarter economic assessment, he added that the present surge in COVID-19 infections will “impact how readily we can take advantage of the improving situation in the US” as vaccinations continue to roll-out in a major source market that is presently giving The Bahamas 90 percent-plus of its tourists.

Loan approvals hit six-year low FROM PAGE 24

were considered to lack sufficient security or collateral backing for new debts.”

Underemployment was cited as another issue.

The report itself, pointing to a “sharply reduced” demand for credit, added: “The number of credit applications fell markedly under the weight of the economic downturn brought on by the novel coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic.

Further, the overall average rate of approval on loan applications decreased to its lowest level since the survey’s inception in 2015.”

While the 11,398 total loan applications received from businesses, households and consumers during the final six months of 2020 represented a 3.8 percent improvement on the first half, they were down by 58.3

“Getting beyond the next few months is very important in how The Bahamas preserves its initial re-entry into the tourism business,” Mr Rolle argued. “It’s very critical in preserving this initial amount of business that we’re starting to see.

“Beyond that, the outlook for the second half of the year and the recovery we expect to see in 2022, there’s a little more certainty around this.” However, he added that it was vital that The Bahamas contains and manages its latest COVID outbreak if it is to maintain the tourism and wider economic recovery momentum going into the third and fourth quarters this year.

“Access to vaccines and the pace of vaccination still leaves global tourism exposed to the risk of further setbacks. The upside potential for The Bahamas is the next-door progress in the US, but the downside risk is less immediate progress inside The Bahamas with inoculation and containment,” Mr Rolle said.

The Bahamas recorded another 27 confirmed COVID-19 cases yesterday, with one further fatality, taking the latter total to 210.

More than 700 cases remain active, with 50 persons in hospital and four of those in intensive care. The 27 new cases follow the 160 cases recorded between Thursday and Saturday of last week.

Meanwhile, with cruise ship tourism still completely shut down and stopover arrivals limited, the Central Bank revealed that total arrivals to The Bahamas fell by 93.2 percent yearover-year for the 2021 first quarter given that they were up against two pre-COVID months from last year.

Air or stopover arrivals were off 70.4 percent nationwide, while sea arrivals were down 99 percent in the absence of the cruise ships. However, the Family Islands, aided by their social distancing appeal and attraction for private aviation and yachters, only saw a 30.6 percent year-over-year drop-off in stopover business for the 2021 first quarter following a 45 percent decline last year.

The larger mass market tourism sector on New Providence fared worse, with air arrivals down 74.7 percent

year-over-year. Passengers travelling through Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) were down 80.7 percent for the first quarter, while Grand Bahama’s air arrivals were off by 71.9 percent.

“Reflective of the ongoing restrictive global travel measures, total international departures for March 2021 amounted to 32,489, vis-àvis the 91,538 departures recorded in March 2020,” the Central Bank said of LPIA. “Despite a gradual reopening of tourism, the industry remained significantly behind the performance levels of 2020.

Relatively, the onshore business resumption has been faster for the Family Islands than for New Providence and Grand Bahama, while domestic tourism provided healthy support for the vacation rental market,” Mr Rolle said.

“So far, only the stopover market has benefited from the restart. Cruise activity is still only expected to resume after home porting arrangements from inside The Bahamas begin over the summer month, which could take advantage of a significantly vaccinated American population and pent-up travel demand.”

The Central Bank added: “Data provided by AirDNA revealed positive activity within the short-term vacation rental market during the month of March, supported by domestic demand. Specifically, total room nights sold rose by 64.8 percent, contrasting with a 0.3 percent decline in the prior year.

Underlying this development, bookings for entire place listings and hotel comparable listings increased by 65.9 percent and by 55.4 percent, respectively.....

“For the first three months in 2021, total room nights sold declined by 39.6 percent, underpinned by a 38.8 percent fall-off in bookings for entire place listings and a 45.8 percent reduction in private room listings.

Pricing data showed that the ADR for both entire place and hotel comparable listings advanced by 17.2 percent and by 2.2 percent to $456.46 and $159.54, respectively.”

percent year-over-year. Of those, some 7,677 or 67.4 percent were approved, while 3,001 requests for credit were denied.

Consumer loan applications continued to dominate the market via an 89.3 percent share, with the largest category of 4,681 - or more than 40 percent of submissions - concerning requests for debt consolidation.

Only 2,790 such loans, or just under 60 percent, were approved.

“During the review period, the number of consumer loan applications processed contracted by 60.5 percent to 10,181 vis-à-vis the corresponding period of 2019. Applications were still 6.6 percent higher in comparison with the first half of 2020,” the Central Bank said of 2020’s final six months.

“Declines were registered across most credit components, when compared to the same period of the prior year. The significant movements were noted for credit cards (89.1 percent),

travel (84.5 percent), taxis and rented (76.9 percent) and furnishings and appliances (72.9 percent). In contrast, loan requests for commercial vehicle purchases rose sharply.

“Alongside the reduction in the number of applications received, the average approval rate fell by 15.5 percentage points year-onyear to a low of 67 percent in the second half of 2020. With regard to the reduction in approvals, the most common reasons cited by banks were high debt service ratios (47.9 percent), no collateral (29.5 percent) and underemployment (11.3 percent).”

Turning to residential mortgages, the report added that the 702 applications processed represented a 19.6 percent decline yearover-year although a minor increase compared to the 2020 first half. New construction applications jumped by 14.5 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively, compared to late 2019 and the 2020 first half.

PAGE 22, Tuesday, May 4, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

‘EMBRACE CALL’ TO PAY FOR COVID-19 DEBT BLOW-OUT

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Central Bank’s governor yesterday argued Bahamians must “embrace the call” to pay for the country’s COVID debt blow-out, but hinted that new and/or increased taxes are unlikely to be imminent.

John Rolle, speaking as the regulator unveiled its 2021 first quarter economic assessment, said the private sector and Bahamian taxpayers “must agree” that they will have to “contribute the resources” to cover the record borrowing and deficits incurred by the government in propping up the economy during the pandemic.

Asserting that the ‘do nothing’ option had simply not been feasible for the Minnis administration or any nation when COVID19 struck, he added that The Bahamas must face

Governor hints new/increased taxes unlikely immediately “the reality” that the government will have “significant financing needs” for some time to come.

The national debt is forecast to breach the $10bn mark by mid-2022, which is just 13 months away, following a record $1.327bn deficit projected for this fiscal year and another $954.6m in 2021-2022, but Mr Rolle argued that such excessive borrowing was the only way for The Bahamas to stave off total economic collapse after the tourism industry and much of the wider economy shut down last year.

However, he suggested that new and/or increased taxes were unlikely to be

LEGAL NOTICE

NOTICE

DELPHIC WAVES INCORPORATED Pursuant to the provision of Section 138(8) of the International Business Companies Act, 2000 (Chapter 309) NOTICE is hereby given that the above-named company has been dissolved and struck off the Register of Companies and a Certificate of Dissolution has been issued by the Registrar General on 22nd March 2021.

Brittany Investment Company Limited Liquidator

EMERA INCORPORATED

(“Emera”) Notice to Holders of Depositary Receipts DIVIDEND NOTICE UPDATE The custodian of Emera’s depositary receipts has advised Emera that due to logistical challenges related to Covid-19, the payment of the dividend of CAD $0.159375 per Emera depositary receipt (CAD $0.6375 per common share of Emera) payable to depositary receipt holders of record as at May 3, 2021 may be delayed until on or before May 28, 2021.

imposed in the short-term as such measures would only add to the pandemic’s costs and further stall a weak, protracted recovery for the Bahamian economy.

“The trade-off is one of two,” Mr Rolle said yesterday. “You intervene, you accumulate some debt to maintain a stable outcome or, as a government, do the opposite and stay within the resources the economy is generating. That is not a policy option recommended in any country.

“This is a time when the government is expected to step forward and provide some safety nets for the economy. What makes this process easier to execute is to recognise, plain and simple, that the government has taken on the debt now and we’re the ones that have to contribute the resources to help the government pay those debts in the future.

“We have to accept that the government has supported the economy. We must agree that the government has supported the economy, and we must

agree we are the ones that contribute the resources, whether it’s taxes to to generate smaller deficits to pay down the debt.......”

Reiterating this message, and warning that there will likely be no escape, Mr Rolle added: “I think the most important thing, when we look at the debt, is to embrace the fact the government will call on the private sector to provide the resources to help repay the debt.

“We have to accept that reality. If we don’t accept that reality we have a strong case to push against the deficit and amount of borrowing.” He argued again that there had to be “a simple recognition” that without major government borrowing/deficit spending, the government would not have been able to prop up the economy and provide various forms of social assistance to thousands of Bahamians.

“We have to recognise there is a trade-off,” the Central Bank governor said. “We do have the capacity to repay the debt

taken on.” He pointed out that The Bahamas was not unique, as multiple countries were now assessing how they address the unsustainable debt loans forced on them by the pandemic as they move forward.

While many fear that new and/or increased taxes may be imposed as early as the 2021-2022 budget, which is due to be unveiled in just over three weeks’ time, Mr Rolle indicated this was unlikely to happen given that it would undermine the economy’s post-COVID recovery and potentially result in business closures and more unemployment.

Asserting that cutting/ eliminating the government’s annual deficits, and slashing the national debt, “needs to be the focus postpandemic”, he added: “We need to be thinking beyond the present when we talk about rebuilding the public finances. There’s no advice being given to governments globally that they should be raising taxes in the middle of a pandemic to address the costs of the pandemic.”

Mr Rolle said The

Bahamas had three options available for addressing the fiscal woes created

by Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19. One was to increase taxes on The Bahamas’ existing economic base; another involved “generating returns” from faster economic growth; and “the third element” is to reduce the government’s spending.

“If we look at tax policy, expenditure and growth, they need not be mutually exclusive,” the Central Bank governor added, suggesting a combination of all three may be required. He also said diversifying the economy, and generating growth from new industries, will also help to spread the post-COVID pain.

“A lot of the conversations we are having in The Bahamas right now are about how we mobilise resources and stimulate the economy to help so that not all the burden of repayment lands on the existing base of economic activity,” Mr Rolle said. “That way the average payback is lessened for the economy.”

SAND DOLLAR IS ‘ON CUSP OF NATIONAL ROLL-OUT PUSH’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Central Bank’s governor yesterday said the Bahamian digital dollar is “on the cusp” of a national roll-out drive that he expects to gain “momentum” heading into summer 2021.

John Rolle, speaking as the regulator unveiled its first quarter economic update, added that financial institutions which will provide Sand Dollar services to their clients have made “good progress” in completing the electronic infrastructure and associated security components needed for “national adoption”.

“We are literally on the cusp of beginning that push for nationwide adoption,” he confirmed. “That is a focus that will gain attention and momentum as we move over the summer months.”

He added that Sand Dollar providers had completed their “interoperability” work, which will enable clients of one financial institution to conduct Sand Dollar transactions - such as sending and receiving monies - with clients of another.

And directly linking Sand Dollar mobile wallets to a client’s bank account will encourage Bahamians to view the former as akin to an “automated teller machine they can withdraw

funds from and spend as digital Bahamian dollars”.

Work to tie the commercial banking industry’s Automated Clearing House (ACH), a facility that settles transactions between customers of two different financial institutions, is also drawing to a close, Mr Rolle added, while the government is also readying its payment systems to accept Sand Dollars.

“We’ve had very good progress,” Mr Rolle said of preparations for the Sand Dollar ramp-up. “What has been happening up to this point is that have seen largely a lot of work being done on the technology platforms at various financial institutions.

“Our financial institutions today, the payment providers, quite a number of them have put their mobile wallets out there and are converting to the Sand Dollar. Among the payment providers, they can communicate with each other and send funds across the platform....

“The work we’re doing with the banking system, the ACH, that is work that is concluding now. That will provide an important part of the infrastructure to push for national adoption. The government has been doing a lot of preparation of its systems, and that aligns with the push we’ll be doing over the summer months.”

Reiterating that the Central Bank itself will not be providing Sand Dollars or related services to businesses and the public, Mr Rolle added: “Our core focus has been the infrastructure. The infrastructure is ready. Our financial institutions are ready with their [platforms] and are now at the stage to push for customers.”

The Central Bank has driven a months-long initiative to ensure there is full

banking and payments system integration with the Bahamian digital currency, so that the system can communicate through the existing ACH set-up.

The Sand Dollar, which will accelerate and deepen the move to digital and electronic payments, is also designed to help to fill the vacuum created in many Family Island economies and communities by the withdrawal of commercial bank branches. It will therefore play a role in improving inclusion and access to financial services throughout The Bahamas, according to its advocates.

Cash and Go; MoneyMaxx; SunCash; Omni Financial Group; Kanoo; and Mobile Assist were the first six providers to complete their cyber security assessments and be approved to integrate the Sand Dollar into their mobile wallets and digital platforms, then start offering them to consumers.

Three other institutions, including a credit union and commercial bank, were following swiftly behind.

Turning to other Central Bank-led initiatives, Mr Rolle said The Bahamas’ first credit bureau was “not very far off” the preparation timelines set for the lead-up to its launch. “We are right at the border of going live,” he added, while conceding that more work is required.

Testing is being conducted on the borrower data supplied by Bahamian commercial banks “to make sure they have the right format”, and that no deficiencies and information gaps are occurring.

The Governor added that “housekeeping and legal matters” between the credit bureau operator, CRIF SpA, and the banks relating to the agreement for the latter to supply data are also being addressed.

While Bahamians could currently get an indication of what their credit report scores may look like based on banking data alone, Mr Rolle said the likes of insurance companies, utility companies and money lenders will likely be given more time to submit the information required by the credit bureau.

The creation of a Bahamian credit bureau has been over a decade in the making, with the initiative first unveiled by the Central Bank in 2010. It has long been viewed as a vital “missing link” in The Bahamas’ credit architecture, with its absence depriving lenders of a centralised information repository they can draw on to better understand a borrower’s credit profile and risk of non-repayment.

Among those required to supply information to the credit bureau by the Credit Reporting Act will be commercial banks, insurance companies, credit unions, financial and corporate services providers, the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation and Bahamas Development Bank.

Others likely to be added in the future are the utilities, auto dealers and furniture stores that extend credit to customers, and even the government’s revenue agencies.

The credit bureau will then compile and organise this information in a credit report provided to lenders, which will help them assess the risk provided by each loan applicant and reject those with poor histories.

Its launch means that delinquent Bahamian borrowers are rapidly running out of time to get their affairs in order, and will no longer be able to bounce from bank to bank and obtain multiple loans while not disclosing their past.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 4, 2021, PAGE 23

Bimini’s top investor in $40m airport proposal FROM PAGE 24 “We’re being very deliberate in our discussions to ensure we have take a welldeveloped proposal before we submit it to Cabinet for approval. They’ll be the managing partner for the airport, Genting and RAV Bahamas.

It’s something we’ve been planning for a couple of months. We’ve had several meetings, but contracts have not been executed. “ Mr Cargill added that the Bimini airport talks were separate from the proposed $150m-$200m package of Family Island airport

upgrades that the government has hired RF Holdings to seek the financing balance for, and also has no links to plans to transform Grand Bahama International Airport following its acquisition by the government last week.

Pointing out that negotiations may not result in a final deal, he nevertheless said: “We’re interested. We want to come to the table and negotiate. To have a large, modern commercial airport will create jobs, including construction jobs, and the type of development they have planned will create jobs.

“The idea is to increase employment in Bimini and create expansion opportunities for the economy.” While unable to specify how many jobs will be created if the $40m project receives the

go-ahead from the government, Mr Cargill estimated that 250 posts will be created between construction and full-time operations, with the size of airport proposed requiring at least 50 permanent positions.

Given that Genting and RAV Bahamas are Bimini’s largest investors, there may be some unease among smaller tourism operators that handing the duo the island’s prime aviation gateway may give them too much control and power.

However, Mr Cargill saw no downside, and said the Resorts World Bimini owners would likely have no difficulty in sourcing the necessary airport management expertise. “They’d have to pass the litmus test of what is required from an airport

manager,” he added.

“They’re experienced business people with the ability to recruit the right talent for airport development, so we’re not concerned about that at this time.”

The Central Bank of The Bahamas, in unveiling its 2021 first quarter economic assessment, also detailed several other projects in the government’s investment pipeline. These include a $35m investment by HotelConsult Bahamas in what was described as a hotel to be constructed on 107 acres of New Providence land it acquired for $10.3m.

The location of the property was not disclosed, although the project was billed as employing “100 new workers at its peak” along with 80 “incremental” staff.

Amenities were described as including a “restaurant, bar, five bungalows, pool lounges, cabanas and the expansion of the existing dock and marina”.

Tribune Business records show an entity called HotelConsult Bahamas as purchasing the Paradise Harbour Club & Marina in 2016, along with the nearby Columbus Tavern, with plans to invest $7m in creating a new resort and restaurant complex. However, the size of land referred to by the Central Bank indicates the $35m may be earmarked for another development.

Other potential foreign direct investment (FDI) projects listed were the $20m Pinnacle Farm (Bahamas), a “full-scale poultry farm” targeted for Andros and which

THE WEATHER REPORT

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Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 86° F/30° C Low .................................................... 75° F/24° C Normal high ....................................... 83° F/28° C Normal low ........................................ 70° F/21° C Last year’s high ................................. 84° F/29° C Last year’s low ................................... 71° F/21° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 3.25” Normal year to date ..................................... 6.29”

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is billed as employing 50 full-time and another 50 parttime workers.

An entity called Marquis Point Holdings is aiming to acquire land at Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands for a $10m project that will feature a 20-room luxury resort and an eight-room complex for housing employees, creating ten jobs, while the $1.8m Soul Fly Fishing lodge has been given an International Persons Landholding permit to purchase land for its venture on the same island.

And Navigare Yachting (Bahamas) has also received approval to establish an operations office at the Conch Inn in Marsh Harbour so it can lease yachts to local customers for recreational purposes, creating an extra six jobs.

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business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021

$4.86 Governor: We saved $500m for reserves

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Central Bank’s governor yesterday disclosed that restrictions on foreign currency outflows imposed at COVID’s peak could have saved up to $500m in external reserves.

John Rolle, speaking as the Central Bank unveiled its 2021 first quarter economic assessment, said the measures introduced exactly one year ago to support The Bahamas’ vital one:one US dollar exchange rate peg had served to keep the country’s foreign currency reserves above the $2bn mark.

“The collective measures, in our estimation, would have provided a cushion in the reserves of between $350m to $500m depending on how you estimate it,” he said.

“The impact was real in terms of providing the cushion.

“Then you had the government with its financing activities [foreign currency borrowing] occasionally providing replenishment in the reserves level. Without this money the reserves would be a few hundred million dollars below the $2bn mark at this point.”

SEE PAGE 20

$4.86

Minister’s ‘rising frustration’ over vaccination hesitancy

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A

CABINET minister says daily reports on the growing COVID-19 surge are making him “evermore frustrated” with the “hesitancy” of many Bahamians to become vaccinated and aid economic revival.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business he blamed “stupid, silly fake news” about the AstraZeneca vaccine’s effectiveness and alleged side effects for dissuading Bahamians from protecting their lives, health and employment.

Describing this as “quite worrying” amid the socalled COVID-19 third wave, which saw more than 1,200 new cases detected in April alone, he blasted: “Every day when I see these reports [of new infections], this adds greater frustration that the level of hesitancy is as high as it is.

“Given the fact that cases are moving up, this should provide all the more incentive for people to get

• D’Aguilar: ‘Stupid, silly fake news’ dissuades Bahamians • Central Bank chief warns tourism gains hit by case rise • Family Island bright spot: Air arrivals off just 31% in Q1

DIONISIO D’AGUILAR

JOHN ROLLE

vaccinated. Obviously a destination without COVID-19 is much more attractive than a destination with COVID19. If we go forward on that premise, as cases increase so, too, it impacts the attractiveness of the destination.

“That’s why, as minister of tourism, I’m a strong proponent of people getting vaccinated. Hotels know the potential impact on their brand and on their business.

I’m sure they’re going to be encouraging in the strongest

possible way for their staff to get vaccinated.”

Addressing concerns that The Bahamas has removed the COVID-19 PCR testing requirement for fully vaccinated visitors too soon, given that there remains a chance they can still carry the virus and therefore worsen this country’s so-called “third wave”, Mr D’Aguilar responded: “What the science has showed is that persons who are vaccinated will not get

Bimini’s top investor in $40m airport proposal

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net BIMINI’S largest investor has submitted a $40m proposal that would see it transform and take over the management of that island’s airport, a senior government official revealed yesterday.

Algernon Cargill, director of aviation, confirmed to Tribune Business that the Minnis Cabinet has given “approval in principle” to enter into negotiations with the Genting Group and Gerardo Capo’s RAV Bahamas, joint owners of Resorts World Bimini, over a public-private partnership (PPP) that will see the duo “redevelop, manage and operate” the island’s primary aviation gateway.

“That’s at a very preliminary stage,” he told this newspaper of talks

$4.88

• Genting/RAV in PPP talks on island’s aviation gateway • Aim to extend runway to 8,000 ft, build new terminal • Aviation chief: ‘We’re interested’, no taxpayer burden

ALGERNON CARGILL that began around two months ago. “The Genting Group and RAV Bahamas are putting together their proposal so we can secure the formal Cabinet approval of the project.

They’re looking at investing approximately $40m in

the Bimini airport in order to support all the infrastructure on the island.

“We’re very excited about it. This will be a PPP with that group that is similar to other PPPs. The plans are already in the preliminary stage. They’re looking at lengthening the runway and building a brand new terminal.”

Mr Cargill added that Genting/RAV Bahamas were seeking to source financing for their plans from a US-based company called Phoenix Infrastructure Group, although the government has not yet had contact with the latter.

The Resorts World Bimini owners are aiming to

extend the runway from its present 6,000 feet to 8,000 feet, so that it can easily accommodate commercial passenger aircraft as well as private jets. The aviation director also confirmed that the proposal’s principal attraction for the government is that it will have to provide no financing itself from the cash-strapped Public Treasury.

“The good thing about it is that the proposed development will not cost the government any money, and is a way to increase the island’s development without expending any taxpayer money,” Mr Cargill told Tribune Business.

SEE PAGE 23

so sick that they have to go to hospital.

“And their ability to pass on the virus is diminished by 90 percent even if they get infected. This is why we want Bahamians to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, and this hesitancy I see quite a lot, especially on New Providence, is quite worrying in that regard.

“There’s a lot of what I call stupid, silly fake news going on about the vaccine that is causing a considerable amount of hesitancy.”

Mr D’Aguilar added that The Bahamas’ decision to remove the COVID-19 PCR test for fully vaccinated travellers as of Saturday, May 1, was backed by similar steps taken by other countries.

He pointed out that the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had advised it was safe to travel if fully

SEE PAGE 21

$4.93 Loan approvals hit six-year low

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net BANK loan approvals fell to their lowest level for six years in the 2020 second half, it was revealed yesterday, with just two-thirds of applicants approved compared to 80 percent in the prior year.

The Central Bank, unveiling its semi-annual commercial bank lending survey, further exposed just how badly borrower demand as well as the industry’s risk appetite has been damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating economic fall-out.

John Rolle, its governor, commenting on the report’s findings, said: “The results show that private appetite for credit was sharply scaled back in that period.

The number of requests for loans fell by more than half - 58 percent - compared to the year before. Banks also screened applications more carefully, approving only two-thirds of requests.

“In comparison, the year earlier, an average of four out of every five applications were approved. The most common reasons for unsuccessful requests continued to be assessments of already high debt levels or insufficient earnings. Banks also refused applicants who

SEE PAGE 21