05172021 BUSINESS

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MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021

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‘We’re scapegoats for Mortgage Corp fiasco’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

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HE Bahamas Mortgage Corporation’s legal chief yesterday asserted that she and three other suspended executives are being made “scapegoats” over a probe into “serious irregularities” on home loans.

Shirl Deveaux, an attorney of 20 years standing, demanded a public apology from the state-owned lender for damaging her reputation as it investigates multiple transactions - many of which occurred more than a decade ago - which “at worst may have elements of fraud” involved.

Documents seen by Tribune Business detail bungled title searches and opinions provided by multiple Bahamian attorneys, which have potentially exposed the Mortgage Corporation and its borrower clients to multimillion dollar losses because ownership of the homes subject to these loans has been

• Legal chief blasts suspension; demands apology • Probe aims at decade-old ‘serious irregularities’ • Ex-Cabinet minister among bungling title lawyers

THE MORTGAGE Corporation’s new office building. called into question.

Among those blamed for providing “defective title opinions” is a former PLP Cabinet minister, along with a law firm that is no longer in existence. Neither can be identified for legal reasons, but another attorney named is Troy Kellman, an attorney with Hanna, Kellman & Company, who was recently slammed by a Supreme

Super Value chief: ‘Well will run dry’ if taxes increase

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net SUPER Value’s president has warned that “the well will run dry” if the government imposes new and/ or increased taxes in next week’s budget, adding: “We have to get the economy rolling first.”

Rupert Roberts told Tribune Business that “the government cannot get their full pound of flesh” out of an economy where thousands of workers, especially in the tourism sector, are either unemployed or furloughed and consumer spending is depressed.

Arguing that Bahamians

and businesses are “taxed out” in an environment where tourism and foreign currency inflows remain well below pre-pandemic heights, he added that imposing new and extra levies now to help ease the government’s fiscal

SEE PAGE 8

Govt not bound’ to renew BPC licence

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE government has full legal authority not to renew Bahamas Petroleum Company’s (BPC) oil exploration licences, a major environmental organisation has told the prime minister.

Steve Mashuda, managing attorney for Earthjustice, told Dr Hubert Minnis in a May 13, 2021, letter its analysis suggests that neither the Petroleum Act nor BPC’s existing licences impose a

legal obligation on the government that it must extend them into a third three-year term.

“Based on these available authorities, we conclude that the Government of The Bahamas has broad discretion under the law to deny BPC’s request for renewal of its licenses and that BPC has no right of renewal,” he wrote.

“In addition, such denial is not only within the lawful authority of The Bahamas,

SEE PAGE 7

Court judge in a ruling that also involved the Mortgage Corporation.

Justice Keith Thompson, in a February 23, 2021, ruling, urged the director of public prosecutions to investigate Mr Kellman for “possible fraud” over a series of six-figure transactions involving the same real estate parcel. He also called on the Bahamas Bar

Association to take “disciplinary action” over what he branded as the attorney’s “seriously unethical behaviour”.

Ms Deveaux, meanwhile, argued that both the suspension and allegations against her were “baseless and unjust” - not least because she only took up her post as legal affairs director in May 2012, which was two years after many of the mortgage transactions in question originated.

Asked why these dealings were only being investigated now, given that many occurred more than a decade ago, while the present board is already four years into its tenure, she retorted: “That is the $1m question.”

Ms Deveaux said BDO

SEE PAGE 6

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Banker: Bar’s ‘bad apples’ leading to attorney controls

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Bar Association’s failure to properly discipline wayward members is why many banks will only deal with “approved attorneys” for mortgage transactions, a top executive said yesterday.

Gowon Bowe, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief executive, told Tribune Business the Bar was being “a little bit sensitive and a little bit disingenuous” in its attacks against the commercial banking sector’s practice of employing “lists of approved attorneys” for mortgage work.

Emphasising that the banks have a responsibility to protect both their shareholders and depositors by perfecting mortgage loan security, he argued that the Bar’s failure to properly self-regulate the profession and take action against attorneys guilty of “poor work and shoddy practices” (see lead article on Page 1B) meant other safeguards were required.

NASSAU Cruise Port.

The Fidelity chief warned that “a few bad apples could spoil the entire bunch” when it came to the Bahamian legal profession, which on Friday railed against a practice that it says undermines consumer choice and effectively acts as a restraint on free and fair trade for practitioners.

Khalil Parker, the Bahamas Bar Association’s president, in a May 14, 2021, message to members said the Central Bank had informed him that all commercial banks had fallen into line with the Homeowners Protection Act which requires all institutions to

SEE PAGE 4

PAGE 2, Monday, May 17, 2021

Pipeline ransomware attack exposes threat to Bahamas

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BY DEREK SMITH

HE technology landscape has changed dramatically in the last year, making it a constantly shifting and evolving environment.

This has tested enterprise risk management (ERM), governance structures and business continuity management strategies like never before. No one could have predicted the impact COVID-19 has had on business, technology and cyber security. What remains evident is that multiple industries lack robust risk management and incident recovery plans, which makes them vulnerable to cyber attacks.

One form of attack is ransomware.

These attacks, where criminals install tools that freeze or lock computers until a ransom is paid, are actually quite common. Ransomware attacks usually involve ransom payments being

FIVE BTVI PRESENTERS AT CARIBBEAN SUMMIT FIVE Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) employees recently presented at the same international conference on education opportunities within the Caribbean.

They each spoke at the fifth international conference on technical vocational education and training (TVET) in the Caribbean, which was held from May 12-14 under the theme TVET: Creating opportunities in a global pandemic.

The BTVI team included president Dr Robert W Robertson, along with Dr Pleshette McPhee, dean of academic affairs; Racquel

Bethel, dean of student services; and Anthony Ramtulla, dean of information technology and distance education.

Alexander Darville, dean of construction and workforce development, co-presented with Valencia College’s construction programme manager, Mark Hughes, who is also master trainer for the National Centre for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). BTVI has partnered with Valencia College to offer the NCCER curriculum in The Bahamas, which culminates in certification.

Dr Robertson said: “We are very pleased to have a

THE TRIBUNE made in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. A former CIA case officer, now a partner with the US-based law firm, Hogan Lovells, said recently: “We are in the middle of a ransomware epidemic right now.”

A perfect example of a successful ransomware attack was the Colonial Pipeline incident on May 7, 2021. The company, which purports to transport 45 percent of the fuel consumed on the US east cvoast through its 5,500mile pipeline network, was held for ransom by a group called DarkSide.

In a previous article, entitled What is in your fraud incident response plan, I wrote: “An organisation’s approach to adverse events, such as fraud, is called contingency planning. During this process both, the information technology (IT) and information security community’s interests are aligned to prepare for, detect, react to and recover from events that threaten the security of information resources and assets.”

It is against the aforementioned circumstances and wide range of the academic leadership team recognised for their leading-edge work. This is the largest regional TVET conference with international participants, and having five peer reviewed presentations accepted is a credit to the team at BTVI. “With the rapid advancement of technology, the world is our oyster. We have a core team of academic presenters who are not only willing but able to intelligently represent the institution and the country. It is incredible for such a small institution in a relatively small Caribbean nation to be so well represented at a conference of this nature. I am particularly pleased with the quality of their research and had the opportunity to sit in on their presentations. As a leader, I was incredibly proud

facts that I seek to add to the conversation surrounding lessons that boards, chief executives and risk management professionals should gather from the Colonial pipeline hack.

Be clear on incident and disaster recovery ZAG chief executive, Greg Gatzke, recently wrote on LinkedIn: “Too many people confuse backups with disaster recovery.

If the company is experiencing an attack, the goal must be to get systems restored quickly and cleanly.

“Relying on back-ups can cause significant delays that can dramatically hurt the organisation. Snapshots are often the best solution to recover promptly.

Remember, it takes time to ensure the environment is clean of criminal activity … often more time than just falling back to a snapshot.

Ensure your organisation is ready for this.”

For companies to be resilient, they must identify and assess risks; implement risk controls and respond to risk. A comprehensive incident response plan enables companies to respond to

threats efficiently and effectively, thus avoiding them escalating to disaster.

Clear communication plans are an asset You must customise your plans to various target audiences, including internal customers, external customers, the media, suppliers, family members and others.

Colonial Pipeline, within 24 hours, released statements to the media regarding the cyber breach. Throughout your risk assessments and impact analyses, you should use pre-defined information to construct clear and concise messages. This proactive approach sends a signal to stakeholders that you are prepared to handle a crisis.

Assess supply chain vulnerabilities VRIO, which stands for value, rarity, imitability and organisation, provides companies with an opportunity to identify and protect the resources and capacities that enable them to sustain their competitive advantage. Failure to test on a systematic basis the supply chain (valuable asset) can lead to inefficient

approaches to incidents or disasters. Companies must continually seek to transform their supply chains and further integrate new channels to enhance their agility.

Conclusion Do not expect cyber attacks to slow any time soon. A study by Deep Instinct found that malware usage increased by 358 percent through 2020, and ransomware usage increased by 435 percent.

The key is being prepared.

NB: Derek Smith Jr is a compliance officer at a leading law firm in The Bahamas, and a former assistant vice-president, compliance and money laundering reporting officer (MLRO), at a local private bank. His professional career started at a ‘Big Four’ accounting firm and has spanned more than 15 years, including business risk management, compliance, internal audit, external audit and other accounting services. He is also a CAMS member of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS).

DR ROBERT ROBERTSON

RACQUEL BETHEL

ANTHONY RAMTULLA

ALEXANDER DARVILLE

DR PLESHETTE MCPHEE

soft and hard skills, and this skills gap is neither new nor unique to The Bahamas.

Life-long learning is key to the future, and virtual and blended training will remain relevant as BTVI addresses the skills gap head on.”

Dr Robertson spoke about BTVI’s response to training in a COVID-19 environment, including establishing a Centre for Online and Distance Education (CODE), led by Dean Ramtulla. It supports innovation in a virtual and blended education, which has resulted in virtual opportunities nationwide.

This was in addition to BTVI securing a partnership with the Commonwealth

of Learning (COL) to train 30 faculty members on developing and delivering online classes, offering dual enrollment for high schoolers and pushing the need for certification inclusive of CompTIA, Cisco, City and Guilds, Microsoft and NCCER. The conference attracted 500 participants, including from most of the 17 states within CARICOM. Professor Disraeli Hutton, chairman of the web platform committee, said the virtual conference had three times’ the number of participants attending compared to the previous four face-to-face conferences.

of this team.”

Ms Bethel presented on Soft skills in TVET Educatio, while Dr McPhee followed with a presentation on Improving our digital skills as TVET teachers: Adapting to the new virtual reality. Dr McPhee was aided by chair of office systems and administration, Kerima Smith, and academic support officer, Remiska Wildgoose.

On the conference’s second day, Mr Darville and Mr Hughes co-presented on Certified technical training to rebuild The Bahamas, while Mr Ramtulla’s focus was on Developing skills in The Bahamas. Dr Robertson was a part of the symposium for country reports, and presented on The future of work: Perspectives from The Bahamas.

“A 2019 skills gap survey notes that more than 60 percent of employers have concerns about the skill sets and quality of prospective employees. We resurveyed in 2021 and the same concerns persist,” said Dr Robertson.

“Skills in demand include

GOVT DISCLOSES TESTING, RESTAURANT COVID EASE RESTAURANTS on New Providence and Abaco can now offer indoor dining to persons who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the government said last night.

The Minnis administration, unveiling its latest Emergency Powers (COVID 19 Pandemic) (Management and Recovery) Order 2021, said patrons must provide documentary proof that they have received the two shots required for full vaccination to take advantage of this easing as well as continue to comply with social distancing, mask wearing and hand-washing protocols.

And, in what it likely hopes will be a further incentive for Bahamians to become inoculated, the government said fully vaccinated persons will not have to take an RT PCR test for COVID-19 to travel from New Providence and Grand Bahama. They will also be exempt from secondary

testing on day five of inter-island travel when travelling from New Providence or Grand Bahama.

This brings domestic travel into line with the international variety, as fully vaccinated travellers - including citizens and residents - are not required to take an RT PCR test for COVID-19 to enter The Bahamas.

For international travel, a fully vaccinated traveller is defined as a person who has received the required number of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and two weeks have elapsed since they completed the process. Fully vaccinated travellers are still required to obtain a Travel Health Visa. However, visa fees for fully vaccinated persons have been reduced for citizens and residents.

International travel health visas for fully vaccinated citizens and residents are $10. Domestic travel visas for fully vaccinated

travellers are free of charge. The fine for submitting falsified vaccination records is $10,000 or two years imprisonment, or both.

The government said daily curfews have been lifted from all Family Islands where a curfew was in place, including Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma. Grand Bahama’s daily curfew remains from 11pm to 5am. The daily curfew on New Providence remains 10pm to 5am.

Under the new order, the requirement has been removed for RT PCR COVID-19 testing for persons traveling from Abaco, Eleuthera and Exuma. The RT PCR COVID-19 test requirement remains in place for persons travelling from New Providence and Grand Bahama, except in the case of fully vaccinated travellers who are exempted from the test requirement.

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 17, 2021, PAGE 3

CONCH POISONING AN ARAWAK CAY ‘DAMPER’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

RECENT conch poisoning has placed a “damper” on business at Arawak Cay, with less than 25 percent of vendors presently selling conch salad and other dishes based on the fish.

Rodney Russell, the Arawak Cay Association’s president, told Tribune Business that only five vendors now sell conch salad out of the 20-plus restaurants located at the popular fish fry destination. Many of those businesses remain closed and, of the nine who re-opened after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, only five are operating now.

Mr Russell said: “Due to the damper that the conch poisoning has put on Arawak Cay, it has now reached its lowest point where some conch salad places are closed. We’re not faring well out here at all.”

Several reports of conch poisoning emerged at the end of April, prompting officials to warn consumers about the dangers associated with eating conch that has not been properly cleaned.

INTERNATIONAL WEDDING LEADS ‘STEADILY RISING’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

THE local wedding market is “coming back slowly”, the Bahamas Bridal Association’s (BBA) president has disclosed, although “leads” for international clients are increasing.

Cindy Coakley-Knowles told Tribune Business the local bridal business is “coming back slowly” after COVID-19 restrictions for the industry eased in March to allow 40 persons at wedding ceremonies inside churches.

“Internationally, while it is too early to speak of any significant change, leads have

Mr Russell said: “There is no problem with cracked conch, because it is cooked and the heat kills the bacteria that causes the conch poisoning. But this is primarily an issue with raw conch made for conch salad, as often times vendors still wash their conch with salt water even though they are encouraged not to because salt water carries the bacteria. We tell our vendors to wash the conch in fresh water to kill off some of the bacteria if they prepare conch salad.”

The vibrio parahaemolyticus bacteria was confirmed by health officials as the same bacteria that affected dozens of people in 2018.

Conch poisoning happens every year around summer, Mr Russell said. “But this year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has hit the vendors especially hard.

It’s like a double whammy.

They are wondering what will happen to them next?

Hopefully not a hurricane, too,” he added.

“From the onset of the conch poisoning several businesses have closed.

They don’t want people coming to them saying that they were poisoned by their

stall; that they had conch and were poisoned. We still have people coming to Arawak Cay for cooked food, but other than that things are quiet.”

Mr Russell, who is primarily a conch salad vendor himself, said, “Conch salad is down at the moment and I expect it to be down all summer after the news broke about conch poisoning. The restaurants with cooked conch, there is no problem with that. There is a problem with the raw conch.

“Not only do you have individual conch salad vendors like myself, but we have persons who rent small booths outside of the larger restaurants who have had to close up. That means there is no rent for the landlord.”

He added: “We have four or five open.They are open expecting customers to come, but they only sell maybe two or three conch salads a day. Conch is not a preference anymore, because people are now only making one conch salad a day now, they have gone from selling 25 a day to now one conch salad a day,” said Mr Russell.

been steadily increasing over the past few months in comparison to the latter part of 2020,” she said.

“Personally, couples are reporting that it is easier to come to The Bahamas compared to our neighbouring Caribbean islands. Fortunately for The Bahamas, people are anxious to travel and, like one of my planners told me, this pandemic has put a degree of urgency on couples to get married.

People want to get married.”

The BBA is also growing as more members have been signing up to the association.

Ms Coakley-Knowles said: “As for the local professionals in the romance industry, the BBA is experiencing an increase in membership as these individuals are understanding now more than ever the importance of exposure, networking and basically allaround effective visibility in

the romance industry.

“Let’s remember, when we speak of the romance industry there are dozens of Bahamian professionals who, along with their families, depend on the sustainability of this industry - from the transportation provider, marriage officer, cosmetologist, event designer, photographer, videographer, musician, florist, event supplier to, of course, the planners.”

Ms Coakley-Knowles told new members that while she was appreciative of the interest in the BBA: “We know too well how important it is to have this industry bounce back safely, and strong both for our local and international market.”

“We are happy to see the allowances being made, and trust that this is the direction the country will be able to continue to move.”

PAGE 4, Monday, May 17, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Banker: Bar’s ‘bad apples’ leading to attorney controls FROM PAGE ONE

make public their “approved attorney” lists and the criteria for qualifying as such.

“We have continued to work on the long-standing and vexing problem of commercial banks’ use or arbitrary closed ‘lists of approved attorneys’ as a means of unlawfully interfering with members’ business relationships with

their clients and arbitrarily and unfairly excluding members from meaningful participation in mortgage work, a fundamental practice area,” Mr Parker wrote.

Pledging that the Bar had been, and will continue to, work with the Clearing Banks Association on the matter, he added: “In light of commercial banks’ continued failure to comply with the letter and spirit

of section 16 (2) of the Homeowners Protection Act 2017 to the detriment of members’ practices, and homeowners’ reasonable right to the attorney of their choice, we advised the Ministry of Finance of our concerns on members’ behalf and made a formal complaint to the Central Bank.”

The Central Bank’s bank supervision department, Mr

Parker said, responded to him on April 22, 2021, by confirming that all Bahamasbased commercial banks are now compliant with the Act’s requirement to publish their list of ‘approved attorneys’ and the qualifying criteria.

Mr Bowe’s Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) was the only exception, the Central Bank explained, because it does not maintain an “approved attorney” list for its mortgage clients to choose from, although it does have a qualifying criteria they must meet.

However, Mr Parker warned that the Bar Association was braced for further action if its members were excluded from mortgage work, saying that “we recognise that the banks continue to arbitrarily exclude members on the basis of these closed lists”. He also blasted unnamed attorneys who he accused of collaborating with the banks in creating “approved” lists.

He added: “Should members find that any institution fails to provide clear and objective criteria for inclusion on their list of approved attorneys, fails to provide a reasonable response to an application for inclusion on the said list or is otherwise conducting business in breach of its statutory duty under the Homeowners Protection Act, we ask that you forward a complaint with respect to the same to us along with any supporting correspondence and documentation, without prejudice, of course, to members’ right to take individual remedial action should they deem fit.

“We remain cognisant of the fact that this problem did not arise, and could not

persist, without collaboration between financial institutions and members of our association in breach of our professional code of conduct.

“We invite members at both the private bar and employed bar to consider the impact of arbitrary, oppressive and unlawful closed lists of attorneys on their colleagues and wider public.”

Mr Bowe, in response, said that while commercial transactions typically involved different attorneys representing the different parties, in The Bahamas a practice had arisen where mortgage lender and borrower were often represented by the same counsel.

This, he explained, had arisen out of a desire to make home ownership more affordable for Bahamians because otherwise the bank’s legal fees would be embedded in the mortgage loan. And, given that the interests of borrower and bank were aligned when it came to securing title to the property, and the filing and recording of the necessary document, “conflict of interest” provisions could be waived.

However, Mr Bowe said it would be “unreasonable” to expect the banks to waive this for every Bahamian attorney - especially those with a history of flawed title searches and failing to file conveyancing documents with the Registry of Records on time or at all.

At Fidelity Bank (Bahamas), he explained that mortgage clients are free to employ the attorney of their choosing, but if those practitioners do not meet its qualifying criteria or have produced poor work

in the past then the bank will require its own counsel to be hired - at the customer’s expense - to verify and check all work performed.

“To be very honest with you, this is one where the legal fraternity are being a little bit sensitive and a little bit disingenuous,” Mr Bowe told Tribune Business. “They appreciate the reason the lists came about is because self-regulation at the Bahamas Bar leaves much to be desired and there are too many instances where financial institutions have received poor work or shoddy practices from legal professionals that has not led to disciplinary action and recompense to those affected....

“Self-regulation comes with tremendous responsibility. It does not come with peer review [for attorneys] like the accounting profession, and in that regard there’s an opportunity for a few bad apples to spoil the entire bunch.”

Mr Bowe suggested that the Bar had been “emboldened” by the Homeowners Protection Act, which he described as needing “much work to be done”. He added: “It’s at the behest of the banking industry as to whether or not it’s prepared to waive the conflict of interest provision.

“The main message is this issue in truth boils down to having a well-regulated fraternity that disciplines, and is seen to be disciplining, wayward members and maintain standards if there is poor workmanship, while maintaining a mechanism to ensure there is recompense to parties who are aggrieved.”

COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS

2021

IN THE SUPREME COURT

QUI/No. 00210

Equity Side IN THE MATTER OF THE QUIETING TITLES ACT 1959

AND IN THE MATTER of Petition of DIKIA FORBES of the Island of New Providence, The Bahamas

AND IN THE MATTER of ALL THAT piece parcel or lot of land being Admeasurement 7122 square feet and situated 490 feet south of Robert Sandilands Road in the Eastern District of New Providence and bounded Northerly by vacant land and running thereon (1150.39) feet Southerly by a 30 feet wide road running thereon (61.04) feet Westerly by a 30 feet wide road reservation and running thereon (118.00) feet.

NOTICE Dikia Forbes the Petitioner claims to be the owner in Possession of ALL THAT piece or lot of land hereinafter described and has made application of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Under Section 3 of the Quieting Title Act, 1959 to have its title to the said land investigated and the nature and extent thereof determined and declared in a Certificate of Title to be granted by the Court in accordance with the provision of the said Act. Copies of a diagram or plan showing the position boundaries and shape marks and dimensions of the said piece parcel or lot of land may be inspected during normal working hours at the following: (a)

The Registry of the Supreme Court, New Providence in the

Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Chambers of . Alfred Gray & Company, Dowdeswell House, Dowdeswell and Armstrong Streets, New Providence;

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that any person or persons having dower or right of dower or an Adverse Claim or Claim not recognized in the Petition shall with thirty (30) days after the appearance of the Notice herein file in the Registry of The Supreme Court in New Providence aforesaid and serve on the Petitioner or the undersigned a Statement of his/her claim in the prescribed form verified by an Affidavit to be filed therewith.

Failure of any such person to file and serve a statement of claim on or before the 30th June 2021 will operate as a bar to such claim.

Dated this 3rd day of May A.D., 2021

V. ALFRED GRAY & CO.

Chambers Dowdeswell House Dowdeswell & Armstrong Streets Nassau, Bahamas

Attorneys for the Petitioner

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 17, 2021, PAGE 5

Publish your Balance Sheets and Financials in The Tribune.

Call 502-2394 BEEPLE’s digital collage sold at Christie’s.

The Rise of NFTs

ACTIVTRADES WEEKLY

By RICARDO EVANGELISTA www.activtrades.bs

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HE artistic world has through the years provided many anecdotes that illustrate the subjectivity of the concept of value.

One such moment is the story of Yves Klein, a French avant-garde artist active during the 1950s and 60s, who once convinced a visiting couple of rich Americans to pay $2000 worth of gold ingots for nothing more than Paris fresh air and a receipt confirming the purchase of a “Zone of Immaterial Pictorial Sensibility”. The ‘artist’ then proceeded to ask the buyers to burn the receipt and, once they did, threw half of the gold into the River Seine, as an art dealer and a museum curator looked on with incredulity, while also conferring “artistic legitimacy” to the transaction.

Beauty is the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes, and it appears that value is in the pockets of the buyer.

Many will be surprised to hear that the third most expensive artwork ever sold by a living artist, costing $69m, cannot be used as a decorative piece in a mansion or hang on a palace wall. In fact, it won’t ever even be touched because it only exists in digital format.

Sold at auction house Christie’s in March this year and named “Everydays: the first 5000 days”, the piece is a patchwork of 5000 digital images created by Beeple, an American graphic artist.

Crucially, the work is freely available to download and share by anyone with an internet connection.

So, what did the buyer pay $69m for? Not the artwork itself; rather, a receipt that can be used as proof of ownership of the original digital file. Such receipts are known as “non-fungibletokens” or NFTs. These are unique files based on blockchain technology, that allow verification of the digital file’s ownership. In a way, purchasers of these tokens are just buying the right to claim ownership, and to sell those same rights at a later stage.

The incredible rise of NFTs - and the shockingly high prices at which some are being transacted - is undoubtedly part of a wider speculative wave of blockchain-based products, with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and dogecoin (which surged 15000 percent since

the beginning of the year not bad for a coin based on a dog meme that started of as a joke) capturing headlines and rallying to levels few thought possible only a year ago.

Some argue that this speculative fever resembles a pyramid scheme, where those who got in early stand to benefit financially by, through social media hype and mediatic stunts, bringing others into the game in order to inflate prices. This is perhaps a harsh and toosimplistic view of a complex dynamic that has attracted several heavyweight investors, who see cryptos as a way to mitigate the devaluing effect that a potential rise in inflation may have over traditional currencies.

However, during the last atypical 12 months most of the investment in blockchain based instruments came from locked-at-home traders, a phenomenon a Bloomberg columnist called the “boredom market hypothesis”. With life slowly returning to normal, it will be interesting to see what happens in these markets.

PAGE 6, Monday, May 17, 2021

‘WE’RE SCAPEGOATS FOR MORTGAGE CORP FIASCO’ FROM PAGE ONE Bahamas, the Mortgage Corporation’s external auditors, were presently clearing an audit backlog that has seen no financial statements made public since 2013.

She argued that these were likely to reveal the losses resulting from the botched title searches, which the lender was forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars remedying to ensure it had security for its loans.

In particular, documents seen by Tribune Business disclose that the Mortgage Corporation “has incurred a loss in excess of $3.5m, outside of the inherent opportunity cost” on the Snow View subdivision in the Bacardi Road area.

Ms Deveaux, though, argued that the Mortgage Corporation had little choice but to acquire that subdivision after it discovered - having already extended mortgage financing to residential lot buyers - that the developer did not own Snow View because it had failed to pay the full purchase price for the property.

With buyers lacking good title to their property, and the Mortgage Corporation having questionable security for its loans, the previous Board and its chairman, Alex Storr, moved to resolve these issues by acquiring Snow View and the remaining unsold lots with a viewing to developing a 50-lot subdivision on the site.

However, Ms Deveaux argued that the present Board, chaired by Patrick Ward, had failed to follow through on these plans and, as a result, Snow View had been “gathering dust” instead of being developed and generating a return on the Mortgage Corporation’s investment. Thus she argued that responsibility for any losses lay with the Board, rather than the suspended executives.

Mr Ward did not return Tribune Business calls seeking comment before press time last night, but Ms Deveaux said: “The subdivision is sitting there, catching dust. When this board took over, it had a viable subdivision that it could have done things with. It could have built homes, sold lots, but it didn’t do that. It did nothing.

“Now they’re saying the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation spent $3.5m on Snow View and Abraham Estates, and will declare it a loss.

They’re saying there was a loss that we were responsible for. The auditors will find monies were paid out, and there was nothing in return.

“The board needs to have some scapegoats to blame these losses on. The Board was appointed in 2017. Everything they’re discovering now they could have discovered in 2017. They didn’t ask any questions about the

subdivision and losses. I don’t think it’s fair.”

Ms Deveaux said she had been left with no choice but to go public, and attempt to clear her name, after her identity as one of the four suspended Mortgage Corporation executives was posted on social media. She added that her name had been incorrectly linked to a separate investigation into fraudulent cheques bearing the Mortgage Corporation’s name.

“People seem to think I’m involved with the fraudulent cheques, which is not true,” she said. “I have had all these people asking me: ‘What’s happening? What’s going on?

It’s horrible.

“I had a performance review that was deemed ‘outstanding’ as recently as October 2020. How, all of a sudden, am I negligent and responsible for losses when I was not even engaged by the Mortgage Corporation at that particular time? I just want them to make a public apology. I think they should, and state categorically that the suspension was wrong.

They should make it right.”

Philip Haven, the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation’s managing director, in a May 7, 2021, letter to Ms Deveaux confirming her suspension, said: “We refer to our meeting dated April 22, 2021, based upon which you are aware that the corporation is currently actively investigating matters related to apparent serious irregularities in relation to the issuance and management of several mortgages issued during the period 2010-2013.

“During the course of the meeting, we provided you with details of the serious concerns which we had in relation to the role which you played in the issuance of these mortgages which, at this current time, appear to be at best irregular and, at worst, may have elements of fraud.”

Mr Haven told Ms Deveaux the Mortgage Corporation’s concerns related to her assessment that no loss was suffered on the Snow View deal; alleged failures “to identify the defects in title” at both Abraham Estates and a development on Bernard Road; and failure to take action against the attorneys responsible for the bungled title opinions that had “resulted in loss and/or exposure to loss”.

He added: “The corporation has incurred a loss in excess of $3.5mm, outside of the inherent opportunity cost, in the Snow View subdivision to remediate title defects, procurement of subdivision approval and refunds to customers.”

However, Ms Deveaux described these allegations as “foolishness”. She said she had been responsible for filing a complaint with the Bahamas Bar Association’s disciplinary tribunal against Mr Kellman for his purported failings, and a hearing for directions in that matter was held two weeks ago.

Mr Haven, though, also

THE TRIBUNE detailed concerns over three properties acquired in the Tusculum Subdivision in western New Providence by a developer called Pacific Investment Group. These were all subsequently sold on to Mortgage Corporation borrowers, but all three mortgages were written by the same loan officer, and also shared the same attorney and real estate appraiser.

The land parcels in the sales agreements did not match those on the conveyances, Mr Haven wrote, adding: “To-date, the stamped and recorded conveyance remains outstanding; there is effectively no security on the property.

“While there is evidence that some payments were made to these mortgages, none of the clients made more than nine payments to the account.

Collection activity progressed, and new appraisals were conducted that confirmed inflated market values used to qualify the client.

“In all cases, the new appraisal returned market values well below the amount financed to the client. In one instance, the value was $63,000 less than the initial appraisal completed three years earlier.” Mr Haven warned Ms Deveaux that the allegations, if confirmed, “would invariably be indicative of gross incompetence and gross negligence on your part” even if there was no fraudulent activity.

But Ms Deveaux, in her written response to the claims, blasted back: “Please be advised that I deny each and every claim and allegation made against me as contained in your above referenced letter. I have always acted bona fide and in good faith in the discharge of my fiduciary duties to Bahamas Mortgage Corporation.

“Each and every one of your claims is baseless and unfair with the intent to malign my character and cause me loss and damage.” Arguing that she was not being given access to documents with which to defend herself, she added: “Due to the fact that I joined the corporation in May 2012, any references to responsibilities for mortgages granted prior to the time of my on-boarding between 2010 to April 2012....is baseless and unjust.”

On Snow View, she said the former board agreed to purchase the subdivision after its seller, Universal Travel Agency and Tour Company, revealed that the original purchaser/developer, Seven Stars Investment, had failed to pay the full purchase price.

She referenced minutes from a November 19, 2013, Board meeting where it was forecast that the Mortgage Corporation could generate “20 percent profit per property” from sales, she said of Snow View’s acquisition: “The Board made a decision to purchase Snow View from Universal Tour so as to guard against a legal claim

by Universal Tour to ownership of Snow View and dispossessing the Mortgage Corporation’s borrowers and the Mortgage Corporation of the properties...

Attorney named among Bahamas’ top millennials A HIGGS & Johnson attorney, Keith O Major Jr, has won the 2021 Project Bahamas Top 48 Millennials award. Project Bahamas is a group that seeks to heighten awareness about emerging leaders through honour programmes, magazines and documentary series, campaign awareness, educational forums and outreach initiatives.

“On behalf of the partnership, I wish to congratulate Keith on this achievement,” said Higgs & Johnson’s co-managing partner, Oscar N Johnson.

“This recognition comes as no surprise given his work ethic and dedication to the pursuit of law, and we are delighted that he has been named in the Top 48 of leading Bahamian millennials.”

Under the theme, The Road to 48 - Celebrating Our Best, Mr Major was recognised as a Bahamian millennial who is excelling in his field and contributing to the sustainable development of The Bahamas.

With 200 submissions and 100 finalists, he was chosen by his peers to be included in the top 48.

“I am thankful to my nominators, references and the organisers for establishing this programme.

I appreciate the recognition and wish to use this opportunity to encourage every Bahamian to work in silence, strive to operate in your gift/niche, and let’s all continue to build a better and stronger Bahamas.”

Mr Major is co-deputy chair of Higgs & Johnson’s maritime and

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

KEITH O MAJOR JR

aviation practice group; deputy chairman of The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA); and the first Bahamian to obtain an LL.M. in International Aviation Law. He has recently authored commentaries, and spoken at local and international conferences, on aviation law topics including drones, “hacking” and air accident investigations in The Bahamas. Mr Major provided The Bahamas chapters in both the Legal 500 Aviation Country Comparative Guide (2020) and lexology Getting the deal through – Air Transport (2021).

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 17, 2021, PAGE 7

Govt not bound’ to renew BPC licence FROM PAGE ONE

but it is also consistent with the Government of The Bahamas’ public opposition to offshore drilling activities as well as its nationally determined commitments under the Paris Agreement.”

Mr Mashuda argued that while BPC’s first licence renewal in 2012 was non-discretionary, provided that it met certain conditions, later renewals are entirely at the government’s choice based on paragraph 43 of the oil explorer’s 2007 licence agreement.

That paragraph provides for two further renewals for periods of no more than three years, with the area covered by the licences to reduce by 50 percent each time. BPC is now seeking the first of these two renewals.

“This discretion is reiterated through the Petroleum Act,” Mr Mashuda said, “where ‘[t]he term for which a licence may be further renewed by the minister, shall not exceed a period of three years’.

“The Petroleum Regulations further reaffirm this discretion, using language similar to the 2007 licence agreement, when referring to a request for a second renewal: ‘and thereafter may, in his discretion, renew for two successive periods each not exceeding three years as to fifty per centum of the licensed area’.

“Neither the licence itself, nor the subsequently enacted provisions of the Petroleum Act and its regulations, place any limitations on the minister’s discretion to deny a subsequent renewal. Additionally, we evaluated the minister’s discretion to consider either a general extension or an extension due to force

majeure. In both cases, we similarly concluded that the minister retains the discretion to deny both requests.”

The Earthjustice conclusions, of accurate, will place more pressure on the prime minister and his cabinet to live up to their publicly stated opposition to oil drilling in Bahamian waters by rejecting BPC’s licence renewal request. Dr Minnis and his cabinet have repeatedly said they were bound by a legally watertight agreement to let BPC drill its Perseverance One exploratory well.

Neither Carl Bethel QC, attorney general, nor Romauld Ferreira, minister of the environment and housing, returned Tribune Business calls yesterday seeking comment. The Earthjustice letter was also released right after Eytan Uliel, BPC’s incoming chief executive, told investors it was “our right to extend” the company’s four oil exploration licences beyond their end-June 2021 expiration.

He said on a recent podcast: “We were required to submit the application to extend the licence. “It’s not so much an application, because we have the right to... It’s our right to extend it.

“We have submitted all the paperwork required. It was required three months before June 30. That’s now been submitted to and there’s a process we go through in terms of renewal, but that’s all in train.”

Earthjustice’s Mr Mashuda, meanwhile, argued that BPC’s outstanding licence fees were just one of several reasons not to renew the company’s licences. He added: “BPC has recently made abundantly clear that it lacks the

ability to fulfill the future obligations that would attach to a renewal.

“It is notable that for any operations under a renewal licence, BPC currently seeks ‘a funding and operating partner for the next stage of exploration activity in The Bahamas’, demonstrating through its efforts to farmout the licence agreements that it does not have the assets or operational capacity to utilize the licences.”

Mr Mashuda continued: “The Petroleum Act requires both the technical and financial capability of the applicant be taken into consideration in the initial application for the licence, and further requires the minister to consider ‘any other particulars which the minister may deem appropriate’ when considering a renewal request.

“It is axiomatic and prudent that the Government of The Bahamas weigh BPC’s technical and financial capacity as part of its discretionary consideration of the renewal request.

The Government of The Bahamas has no obligation to take on or accommodate problems caused by BPC’s past miscalculations.

BPC must demonstrate its own capabilities and not rely upon a future potential farm-out to fulfill its obligations under a renewed licence agreement........

“The Government of The Bahamas should exercise its discretion to consider whether it is in the best interest of the country to grant a renewal to a company that is currently seeking to farm out its licences to an undetermined entity.”

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

PAGE 8, Monday, May 17, 2021

Super Value chief: ‘Well will run dry’ if taxes increase FROM PAGE ONE

crisis would merely further frustrate and delay an economic recovery to the detriment of all.

“I don’t know how the government can put any more taxes on us because people are taxed out,” he told this newspaper. “I don’t know what taxes they can come up with that will not affect poor people. It eventually gets down to the poor paying taxes. Businesses don’t pay taxes; they collect it from the individual.

“I don’t see any more taxes coming until the economy revives. The more money you take out of the economy, the worse it becomes. Unless we have extra income coming

into the economy we can’t take on more taxes. The well will run dry. In a good economy you can tax, but if it’s not in the bucket you cannot take it out.

“You cannot get what’s not there. If people are not working and fully employed, the government cannot get their full pound of flesh out.

You8 have to get everybody back to work, get the pandemic behind us and get the economy rolling before you talk about taxes,” Mr Roberts continued.

“You tax me, I have to get it from somewhere. I have to get it from the public. We’re just an agent. It comes in and we pass it on.”

Mr Roberts urged the government to hold-off on any

THE TRIBUNE new and/or increased taxes in the upcoming 2021-2022 budget despite initial projections it will incur around a $950m deficit to add to the $1.327bn in additional debt taken on during this fiscal year, with the two sums combined set to push The Bahamas’ national debt well beyond the $10bn mark within the next 12 months.

“Not until we have improvement in the economy,” he added of the possibility of tax increases.

“The tourists have to bring it in. It has to come in. I don’t see taxes without hurting the people. They [the government can’t budget to spend it because they don’t see how they can collect it from this economy.

“I don’t know if the government feels and sees the way certain people are hurting. They are to the point of not taking care of their

environment. Their broken spirit has given up when they don’t take out their own garbage. They’re not taking care of their environment, not taking care of themselves.

Because I’m in the food business I hear about it and see what pressure they’re under.

“The private sector is also concerned and worried about servicing the debt. The debt servicing also takes out of the economy. The bigger the debt, the bigger the servicing costs, and more comes out of the economy to service the debt, so that’s a big concern.”

The government faces a variety of competing pressures as it prepares next Wednesday’s budget. It has to balance the need for fiscal prudence, and ensuring the deficit and national debt do not completely get out of control, and become a spiral that feeds on itself before collapsing, with protecting Bahamians in need and ensuring the economy recovers from COVID-19.

While taxes remain one option for slashing its fiscal “red ink”, this would risk further delaying and stalling the economy’s recovery.

However, the pressure from the credit rating agencies and International Monetary Fund (IMF) for increases

and/or new levies should not be discounted, while the government will also have one eye on the upcoming general election.

The government’s $878.2m deficit for the nine months to-end March 2021, which measures how much its spending exceeds its income, is equivalent to 66.2 percent, or two-thirds of the full-year’s projected $1.327bn.

Total revenues, at $1.23bn, are 69.8 percent of the forecast $1.763bn full-year income, which - given that three-quarters of the fiscal year has passed - indicates that the government may come in slightly short of the 12-month projection.

However, total expenditure at the same point was $2.108bn or 68.2 percent of the full-year forecast, indicating that the deficit target remains in reach if the government is able to continue containing its outlays.

Still, the deficit is more than triple, or 249.5 percent greater, than the prior year comparative’s $251.2m, which was incurred in a period that was largely COVID19 free while still featuring the impact from Hurricane Dorian.

“Compared with the same period in fiscal year

2019-2020, total revenue declined by an estimated $527.4m (30 percent) to $1.23bn, equal to 70 percent of last year’s collection, and representing 69.8 percent of budget,” the Ministry of Finance’s latest “fiscal snapshot” said.

“Consistent with the sharp downturn in economic activity, decreased collections were recorded for VAT (down 36.4 percent), excise taxes (down 38.3 percent), license to conduct special business activity, mainly business license and communication levies (down 15.5 percent), customs & other import duties (down 31 percent) and immigration fees (down seven percent).

“However, the yield from property taxes increased by $11.6m (up 13.6 percent),” it added. “Aggregate expenditure firmed by $99.5m (five percent) to $2.108bn, boosted by substantial increases in social assistance benefits ($145m), finance charges ($43.5m), public debt interest ($21.8m,) and subsidies ($19.2m).

“Yet, the increase in overall expenditure was offset in part by reductions in outlays for compensation of employees ($61m), supplies & materials ($11.5m) and services ($10m).”

COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS

2021 QUI/No. 00195

IN THE SUPREME COURT Equity Side

IN THE MATTER OF THE QUIETING TITLES ACT 1959 AND IN THE MATTER of Petition of HENRY A. DELANCY of the Island of Eleuthera, The Bahamas.

AND

IN THE MATTER of ALL THAT piece parcel or lot of land originally granted to Henry Duncan in 1790 and situate on the Western side of the New Public Highway South of Green Castle and North of Wemyss Bight Eleuthera and being of admeasurements 12.874 Acres and bounded Eastwardly by a New Public Road to Green Castle and running thereon 603.17 feet Westwardly by other portion of land claimed by Luck Delancy and running thereon 1380.22 feet Northwardly by vacant land and running 814.10 feet Southwardly by land claimed by Luck Delancy and running thereon 803.1 7 feet.

AND

All that piece parcel or lot of land originally granted to Henry Duncan in 1790 and situated on the Eastern Side of a New Public Highway South of Green Castle and North of Wemyss Bight Eleuthera and being of admeasurements 53.323 Acres and being Triangular in shape and bounded Westwardly by the New Public Road to Green Castle and running thereon 3072.48feet Southeastwardly by land now claimed by Millars Commoners and running thereon 20,762. Feet more or less Northeastwardly by land claimed by one Ann Miller in 1876 and running thereon 24,396. Feet more or less AND

All that piece parcel or lot of land of admeasurements 4.734 Acres and situate on the Eastern Side of Cotton Bay Road now called Cris the Fireman Blvd and bounded Northeastwardly Irregularly by a Road Reservation and running thereon for a total of 564 feet Southeastwardly by a portion of land claimed by Ann Miller Commoner and running thereon 403.80 feet Southwestwardly by another portion of land claimed by Ann Miller Commoner and running thereon (404.60) feet Northwestwardly Irregularly by the Cotton Bay Road and a portion of land owned by the Nixons and running thereon Irregularly for a total of 543.27.

NOTICE Herny A. Delancy the Petitioner claims to be the owner in Possession of ALL THAT piece or lot of land hereinafter described and has made application of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Under Section 3 of the Quieting Title Act, 1959 to have its title to the said land investigated and the nature and extent thereof determined and declared in a Certificate of Title to be granted by the Court in accordance with the provision of the said Act. Copies of a diagram or plan showing the position boundaries and shape marks and dimensions of the said piece parcel or lot of land may be inspected during normal working hours at the following: (a) The Registry of the Supreme Court, New Providence in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Chambers of . Alfred Gray & Company, Dowdeswell House, Dowdeswell and Armstrong Streets, New Providence;

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that any person or persons having dower or right of dower or an Adverse Claim or Claim not recognized in the Petition shall with thirty (30) days after the appearance of the Notice herein file in the Registry of The Supreme Court in New Providence aforesaid and serve on the Petitioner or the undersigned a Statement of his/her claim in the prescribed form verified by an Affidavit to be filed therewith.

Failure of any such person to file and serve a statement of claim on or before the 30th June 2021 will operate as a bar to such claim.

Dated this 3 rd day of May A.D., 2021

V. ALFRED GRAY & CO.

Chambers Dowdeswell House Dowdeswell & Armstrong Streets Nassau, Bahamas

Attorneys for the Petitioner

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 17, 2021, PAGE 9

STOCKS CLOSE HIGHER WITH HELP FROM TECH, STILL DOWN FOR WEEK Associated Press STOCKS marched solidly higher again on Friday, though the major indexes still ended with their worst weekly loss since February after a sharp pullback earlier in the week.

The S&P 500 rose 1.5%, its second straight gain. The gains were broad, though technology sector stocks powered much of the rally.

Retailers, banks, communication companies and industrial stocks also helped lift the market. Energy stocks also rose as the price of US crude oil climbed 2.4%. Treasury yields mostly fell.

Investors’ worries about the possibility of rising inflation as the US economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic fueled three days of heavy selling to start the week, and the major stock indexes were not able to make up all of those losses the last two days.

The S&P 500 lost 1.4% for the week, its first weekly decline in three weeks. The Nasdaq marked its fourth weekly pullback in a row,

giving up 2.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.1% for the week.

The market’s rally the last two days reflects a mix of traders piling back into the market, which hit alltime highs just last week, to take advantage of lower stock prices, and a boost in confidence after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision Thursday to ease mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people. The move is expected to encourage more Americans to go out and spend money, speeding up the reopening of the economy.

“It’s just jittery markets,” said Chris Gaffney, president of TIAA Bank World Markets. “We’re going to continue to see this pushpull between good growth and reopening and inflation worries, that’s what’s causing this volatility.”

The S&P 500 gained 61.35 points to 4,173.85. The Dow rose 360.68 points, or 1.1%, to 34,382.13. The Nasdaq, where the losses this week have been steepest, added 304.99 points, or 2.3%,

to 13,429.98.

Smaller company stocks, which for most of this year have outgained the broader market, also recovered some of their losses from earlier in the week. The Russell 2000 index picked up 53.68 points, or 2.5%, to 2,224.63.

Disney fell 2.6% after reporting lower revenue and missing forecasts for growth in subscriber additions to its video streaming service.

Disney had been adding subscribers at a breakneck pace the past year, helped by popular shows like “The Mandalorian” and the pandemic, which kept many Americans at home with little to do except watch TV. DoorDash vaulted 22.1% after after the company said its revenues tripled from a year ago, helped by homebound Americans ordering in.

Technology stocks led the gainers after sinking earlier in the week as investors fretted about signs of rising inflation. Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon.com and Google’s parent company all rose 1% or more.

Investors have been

questioning whether rising inflation will be something temporary, as the Federal Reserve has said, or something more durable that the Fed will have to address.

The central bank has kept interest rates low to aid the recovery, but concerns are growing that it will have to shift its position if inflation starts running too hot.

“There’s certainly a lot to be happy about in the reopening and earnings pictures, but at the same time there’s a lot to be worried about if inflation, if these price increases remain and it forces the Fed to act quicker than they want to,” Gaffney said. “That could put a quick halt to the

(stock market) rally.”

Data from Commerce Department on Friday showed Americans kept up their share of retail purchases in April, helped by the stimulus checks that have gone out in the last few weeks. However, economists expected retail sales figures to be slightly higher for the month. Sales were up at restaurants and bars in the month, according to the data.

In other economic data, industrial production, which includes output at factories, mines and utilities, rose 0.7% last month, down from a sharp increase of 2.4% in March, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.

Auto

production fell 4.3% in April, largely because car makers can’t find enough semiconductors. But the output of computers, electrical equipment and appliances, machinery, and metals such as steel all increased.

Bond yields have risen sharply this week but pulled back slightly on Friday. The yield on the ten-year Treasury fell to 1.63% from 1.66% a day earlier.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

Are you highly adaptable? Competitive? Energetic? Flexible?

Fidelity is looking for a passionate, sales-driven, networking professional to fill the role of:

Personal Banking Representative (Loan Officer) If you have what it takes, we want you!

PUBLIC HOSPITALS AUTHORITY

NOTICE

Job Summary: The ideal Candidate will be a proven sales leader who is target-driven and possesses excellent communication and interpersonal skills. This role is primarily responsible for the sale of Fidelity’s loan and credit card products, while ensuring successful relationship management of clients.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR THE PROVISION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AT THE PRINCESS MARGARET AND RAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL’S OF THE PUBLIC HOSPITALS AUTHORITY

In addition to a fixed salary, this position also earns substantial performance-based incentives

Main Duties and Responsibilities: • The solicitation and sale of loans, credit cards and other credit products.

• Solicit and interact with prospective clients regarding loan applications and other credit matters – utilizing effective relationship management skills.

• Prepare credit applications (loans, overdrafts, credit cards) and perform credit facility renewals.

• Perform collection of overdue loan and credit card payments.

• Serve as a backup and relief for other Lending roles or functions as required.

Requirements/Qualifications: • High school Diploma • Minimum of 3 years’ experience in the Financial Services industry or in a role which required solicitation and sales based on targets • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (verbal and written) • Must be energetic, competitive and goal-oriented • Exceptional character, integrity and work ethics • Proficient at Microsoft Office Suite programs • Ability to work in a self-motivated environment, on a team and with little supervision • Ability to manage the administration of multiple tasks at one time

PLEASE SUBMIT BEFORE May 28th 2021 to:

HUMAN RESOURCES Re: Personal Banking Representative (Loan Officer) 51 Frederick Street P.O. Box N-4853 | Nassau | F: 328.1108 careers@fidelitybahamas.com

ABSOLUTELY NO PHONE CALLS

A competitive compensation package will be commensurate with relevant experience and qualification. Fidelity appreciates your interest, however, only those applicants short listed will be contacted.

The Public Hospital Authority (PHA) is seeking an Expressions of Interest (EOI) to be conducted from an Environmental Firm to oversee the Environmental Impact Assessment Process in accordance with the Ministry of Environment and the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection Act (2019) for the expansion of the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in New Providence and Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama.

The World Bank Group, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) Environmental and Social Review Summary (ESRS) and its appended Environmental & Safety Action Plan (ESR-AP) loan condition requires the PHA to obtain a written statement from the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and its respective certificate of environmental clearance.

To register for participation in this EOI PROCESS, firms are requested to email award@phabahamas.org and mcartwright@phabahmas.org.

All EOI’s are to be returned to the Public Hospitals Authority at Tendersubmission@phabahamas.org NO LATER THAN 4:00 P.M. on Friday MAY 21st, 2021.

All submissions must be accompanied by (i) a current Business License that states your company is Licensed to provide Environmental Impact Assessments; (ii) three (3) references from current or previous clients; (iii) Value Added Tax (V.A.T) Registration Certificate; (iv) An up-to-date (not less than one (1) month old) V.A.T Compliance Certificate; (v) a copy of Insurance Policy Certificate indicating that your company is insured against loss of life, injury or damages; and (vi) a letter from the National Insurance Board (NIB) stating that your company is up to date (not less than one (1) month old) and in good standing in the payment of its NIB contributions on behalf of those persons employed in your company.

The Public Hospitals Authority reserves the right to accept or reject any or all EOI (s).

PAGE 10, Monday, May 17, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

US joins global push against violent extremism online WELLINGTON Associated Press TWO years after a white supremacist in New Zealand livestreamed the slaughter of 51 Muslim worshippers on Facebook, French President Emmanuel Macron says the internet continues to be be used by terrorists as a weapon to propagate hate.

Macron and other leaders from tech giants and

governments around the world — including the US for the first time — gathered virtually on Saturday to find better ways to stop extremist violence from spreading online, while also respecting freedom of expression.

It was part of a global effort started by Macron and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern after deadly attacks in their countries were streamed or shared on social networks.

The US government and four other countries joined the effort, known as the Christchurch Call, for the first time this year. It involves some 50 nations plus tech companies including Google, Facebook, Twitter and Amazon, and is named for the New Zealand city where the slaughter at the two mosques took place.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a prerecorded video that

authorities in his country alone had taken down more than 300,000 pieces of terrorist material from the internet over the past decade, which he described as a tsunami of hate.

“Terrorist content is like a metastasizing tumour within the internet, or series of tumours,” Johnson said. “If we fail to excise it, it will inevitably spread into homes and high streets the world over.”

Since its launch, governments and tech companies have cooperated in some cases in identifying violent extremist content online.

Ardern, however, said more tangible progress is needed to stop it from proliferating.

The meeting was aimed at revitalising coordination efforts, notably since President Joe Biden entered office, and getting more tech companies involved. Macron and Ardern welcomed the

NEW Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a press conference in Wellington, New Zealand on Saturday following an online call to find ways to stop extremist violence from spreading online while also respecting freedom of expression. Tech giants and governments around the world are gathering virtually to find better ways to stop extremist violence from spreading online while also respecting freedom of expression.

Photo: Nick Perry/AP

US decision as a potential catalyst for stronger action.

Macron said the internet had continued to be used as a tool in recent attacks in the US, Vienna, Germany and elsewhere. He said it cannot happen again, and that new European regulations against extremist content would help.

Ardern said that two years after the Christchurch Call was launched, momentum was strong. But she acknowledged the challenge in essentially playing whac-a-mole with different countries, internet platforms and algorithms that can foster extremist content.

“The existence of algorithms themselves is not necessarily the problem, it’s whether or not they are being ethically used,” Ardern said.

“And so that is probably the biggest focus for the Call community over the next year.”

THE TRIBUNE

Monday, May 17, 2021, PAGE 11

UK readies for major reopening but new variant sparks worry LONDON Associated Press TRAVELERS in England were packing their bags, bartenders were polishing their glasses and performers were warming up as Britain prepared yesterday for a major step out of lockdown — but with clouds of worry on the horizon.

Excitement at the reopening of travel and hospitality vied with anxiety that a more contagious virus variant first found in India is spreading fast and could delay further plans to reopen.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Britons to “take this next step with a heavy dose of caution.”

“We are keeping the spread of the variant first identified in India under close observation and taking swift action where infection rates are rising,” he said. “I urge everyone to be cautious and take responsibility when enjoying new freedoms today in order to keep the virus at bay.”

Cases of the variant have more than doubled in a week in the UK, defying a sharp nationwide downward trend in infections and deaths won by hard-earned months of restrictions and a rapid vaccination campaign. A surge testing and stepped-up vaccination effort was being conducted in the northern England areas hardest hit by that variant.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the variant, formally known as B.1.617.2, is more transmissible than the UK’s main strain and “it is likely it will become the dominant variant”.

Today, people in England will be able to eat a restaurant meal indoors, drink inside a pub, go to a museum, hug friends and visit one another’s homes for the first time in months.

A ban on overseas holidays is also being lifted, with travel now possible to a short list of countries with low infection rates. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are following similar but slightly different reopening paths.

Patrick Dardis, chief executive of brewery and pub chain Young’s, said the indoor opening — which

follows the reopening of outdoor patios and beer gardens last month — is “a big step back on to the path to normality”.

“The weather has been pretty dire, and people are hardy, but we really needed this next step to come,” he said.

But hospitality and entertainment venues say they won’t be able to make money until they can open at full capacity. That’s due to happen June 21, the date set by the government for lifting its remaining COVID-19 restrictions, including social distancing and mask-wearing rules.

Johnson has said if the new variant causes a big surge in cases, it could scupper that plan.

Britain has recorded almost 128,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest reported toll in Europe. But new infections have plummeted to an average of around 2,000 a day, compared with nearly 70,000 a day during the winter peak, and deaths have fallen to single figures a day.

Almost 70% of British adults have received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and more than 38% have had both doses.

Health officials, backed by the army, are carrying out surge testing in Bolton and Blackburn in northwest England, where cases of the new variant are clustered. Pop-up vaccination sites have been set up to speed the inoculation drive, with authorities aiming to inoculate all members of multi-generational households to stop the variant spreading within families.

Across the country, the government is shortening the gap between doses for people over 50 from 12 to eight weeks in a bid to give them more protection.

Hancock said scientists had a “high degree of confidence” that current vaccines work against the Indianidentified variant.

Critics of Britain’s Conservative government say lax border rules allowed the new variant to enter the country. They accuse the government of delaying a ban on visitors from India, which is experiencing a devastating coronavirus outbreak, because it is seeking a trade deal with the vast country.

India was added to the

UK’s high-risk “red list” on April 23, weeks after neighbors Pakistan and Bangladesh.

“We shouldn’t be in this situation,” said opposition Labour Party lawmaker

Yvette Cooper. “This was not inevitable.”

The government denies that its health policies were influenced by political or trade considerations.

Mark Walport, a member

of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, said Britain was at a “perilous moment”, and people should be cautious with their new freedoms.

“My advice is that just

because you can do something doesn’t necessarily mean you should,” he told Sky News. “As far as possible, socialise outside, maintain social distancing. If you’re going to hug, hug cautiously.”

PAGE 14, Monday, May 17, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that I, ROXANN KORENZA LOPEZ of Western District, New Providence, Bahamas intend to change my name to ROXANNE KARENZA STRACHAN. If there are any objections to this change of name

by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the 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 The Public is hereby advised that I, KAMERON ISAIAH HILLARY ARMBRISTER of Bain Town, West Street, P.O.Box N10864 New Providence, Bahamas intend to change my name to KAMERON ISAIAH HILLARY NEWBOLD. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that KERVIN S PIERRE , of 142 McGallian Crescent, Freeport, 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 17th day of May 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that NORDIA ZENOVER STEELE, of #334 Blue Hill 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 17th day of May 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

THE TRIBUNE

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

FRIDAY, 14 MAY 2021

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CLOSE

CHANGE

1948.54

0.79

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

0.04 -143.92

-6.88

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

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 5.20 33.05 1.50 2.90 1.78 6.00 6.96 3.60 6.00 4.03 6.16 12.00 2.75 7.50 10.71 9.00 14.60 4.25 8.97 16.00

52WK LOW 3.13 22.65 1.46 1.62 1.44 5.00 6.00 2.70 4.25 2.75 5.00 9.75 2.10 4.90 9.50 8.00 13.00 3.42 8.15 15.20

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

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

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

LAST CLOSE 5.05 32.12 1.50 2.61 1.44 6.00 6.96 3.53 4.30 2.90 5.91 9.75 2.32 6.80 11.24 9.00 14.00 3.99 8.19 15.50

CLOSE 5.20 32.12 1.50 2.61 1.44 6.00 6.96 3.53 4.30 2.90 5.91 9.75 2.34 6.80 11.36 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 BSBGR1252380 BSBGR1271398 BSBGRS870288

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 94.44 93.73 100.86

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.86

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 5.56 6.27 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

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 100.00 100.00 100.66

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.66

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 FX BGR125238 BGRS FX BGR127139 BGRS FL BSBGR870288

CHANGE 0.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME 1,000

3,170

4,688

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

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

VOLUME

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

P/E 21.8 34.5 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.9 -8.1 30.7 15.8 13.2 13.5 22.9 14.6 17.6 12.4 17.2 19.7 8.7 24.6

YIELD 3.27% 3.92% 1.33% 1.15% 0.00% 0.00% 3.74% 0.00% 0.00% 4.14% 3.72% 7.38% 18.55% 0.88% 2.89% 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%

MATURITY

19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 5.00% 5.00% 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 15-Oct-2038 15-Jan-2039 26-Apr-2028

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.42 4.43 2.16 202.18 190.86 1.69 1.83 1.78 1.24 8.58 10.26 7.35 14.59 12.84 10.31 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 8.58 10.14 7.35 14.59 12.64 9.99 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% 1.14% 4.22% 1.09% 3.04% 1.01% 4.65% 4.93% 42.27% -1.56% 0.80% -0.60% -4.90% 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 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

MARKET TERMS

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

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

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

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

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

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

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

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

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

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

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

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

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

N/M - Not Meaningful

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

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

PAGE 16, Monday, May 17, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

A TOUGH SELL: IN DUBAI AMID CLASH, ISRAEL PROMOTES TOURISM

DUBAI Associated Press AS violence flares within Israel and on a day in which Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City killed at least 42 people yesterday, it was business as usual for a senior Israeli tourism official in Dubai as she promoted the country as a must-see destination for Muslim visitors.

It might seem an odd proposition at an odd time given that major airlines have suspended flights to Israel amid the flareup in violence and while the spread of coronavirus remains a threat.

But at Dubai’s Arabian Travel Market, billed as the first travel and tourism event to happen in person since the global coronavirus outbreak, a small Israeli booth— tucked behind Slovenia’s— marketed the country as the “Land of Creation”.

Promotional videos advertised Israel’s vegan culinary scene, its beaches and urged: “Book Your Trip Now” to Tel Aviv.

And the devastating airstrikes on Gaza leading the world’s television news?

“We were not talking about it. We are talking about the future. We are talking about what we can do to bring tourism

A MAN passes by the Israel stand on the opening day of the Arabian Travel Market exhibition, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates yesterday. As violence flares within Israel and on a day in which Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City killed at least 42 people yesterday, it was business as usual for a senior Israeli tourism official in Dubai as she promoted the country as a must-see destination for Muslim visitors.

Photo: Kamran Jebreili/AP

to Israel,” said Ksenia Kobiakov, director of new markets development at the Israeli Tourism Ministry.

The presence of Israel at the travel and tourism event in Dubai highlights the United Arab Emirates’ business-first approach and demonstrates how rapidly ties with Israel have developed since the UAE and Israel signed an accord to formalise ties in September. It also signals how even the most brutal conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians are no longer viewed by some Gulf Arab leaders through a prism of Muslim or Arab solidarity, but as part of a wider

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 67° F/19° C

TAMPA

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Periods of sun and breezy

Partly cloudy

Mostly sunny and windy

Very windy; a shower in the p.m.

Very windy; showers around

Very windy; partly sunny

High: 84°

Low: 74°

High: 85° Low: 74°

High: 84° Low: 74°

High: 85° Low: 74°

High: 86° Low: 73°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

87° F

72° F

87°-72° F

86°-70° F

86°-71° F

87°-71° F

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

N

almanac

E

ABACO

S

N

High: 79° F/26° C Low: 74° F/23° C

8-16 knots

S

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

8-16 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

E S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

W

uV inDex toDay

TUESDAY

W

N

| Go to AccuWeather.com

TONIGHT

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 71° F/22° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 72° F/22° C

MIAMI

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

7-14 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 82° F/28° C Low .................................................... 77° F/25° C Normal high ....................................... 84° F/29° C Normal low ........................................ 71° F/22° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 72° F/22° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 3.36” Normal year to date ..................................... 7.34”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

tiDes For nassau High

E

W

8-16 knots

S

10-20 knots

Low

Ht.(ft.)

12:00 a.m.

12:23 p.m.

2.7 2.0

6:36 a.m.

6:20 p.m.

0.4 0.5

Tuesday

12:48 a.m.

1:16 p.m.

2.6 2.0

7:25 a.m.

7:16 p.m.

0.5 0.5

Wednesday 1:40 a.m.

2:15 p.m.

2.6 2.1

8:17 a.m.

8:18 p.m.

0.4 0.5

Thursday

2:37 a.m.

3:16 p.m.

2.6 2.3

9:10 a.m.

9:24 p.m.

0.3 0.4

Friday

3:35 a.m.

4:16 p.m.

2.6 2.6

10:03 a.m. 0.1 10:29 p.m. 0.3

Saturday

4:33 a.m.

5:12 p.m.

2.7 2.9

10:56 a.m. -0.1 11:31 p.m. 0.0

Sunday

5:30 a.m.

6:07 p.m.

2.7 3.2

11:47 a.m. -0.4 ---------

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:25 a.m.

7:48 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

10:58 a.m.

12:12 a.m.

First

Full

Last

New

May 19

May 26

Jun. 2

Jun. 10

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 75° F/24° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

8-16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 78° F/26° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

H

Ht.(ft.)

Today

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 76° F/24° C

N

S

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

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

CAT ISLAND

E

W

calculation in a region gripped by multiple threats.

Israel’s tourism minister was scheduled to attend a panel at the conference on Gulf-Israeli tourism, but the panel was quietly renamed and her visit to Dubai did not transpire. Israeli tourism officials say the minister’s visit was never approved by the prime minister and the cancellation had nothing to do with the current fighting.

The first plane of Israeli tourists to the UAE landed in November. Since then, the UAE has welcomed tens of thousands of Israelis to its sandy beaches and marbled malls, with most flocking to Dubai.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 82° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

E

W

E

W

N

S

S

7-14 knots

6-12 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday: Today: Tuesday:

WINDS NE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots NE at 10-20 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots NE at 6-12 Knots ENE at 6-12 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 7-14 Knots ENE at 8-16 Knots NE at 7-14 Knots E at 7-14 Knots NE at 8-16 Knots ENE at 10-20 Knots

WAVES 3-5 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 3-6 Feet 4-7 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 3-6 Feet 3-6 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 4 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 79° F 79° F 83° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 78° F 78° F 80° F 78° F 82° F 80° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 81° F 80° F