05192020 BUSINESS, WOMAN AND HEALTH

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TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020

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$16m debt?: ‘Just the way Bahamas normally operates’

Judge: Medical Council ‘undermined its integrity’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Water & Sewerage Corporation’s main supplier yesterday reassured the capital markets that the $16m debt currently owed to it by the state-run utility is “just the way The Bahamas operates”.

David Sasnett, chief financial officer of BISXlisted Consolidated Water, said the financially-strapped corporation is simply unable to pay its bills when they come due after it was suggested by one financial analyst that the water supplier is being given a “hard time collecting receivables on time”.

Revealing that the Water & Sewerage Corporation is also paying interest on its eight-figure debt to Consolidated Water, Mr Sasnett told those attending the company’s 2020 first quarter results conference call that the government - meaning Bahamian taxpayers - will reduce the sum outstanding to “a much lower level” once the situation with COVID-19 stabilises.

Responding to concerns that the pandemic will worsen the corporation’s inability to pay its bills, he said: “It’s important to recognise that Hurricane Dorian hit The Bahamas back in September. That really set the island back.

And then, obviously, they have been impacted by COVID-19 because they’ve closed the islands for tourist travel, but the situation that exists with our receivables, we’ve actually seen a slight decline in the receivables from the end of the year.

“And there was also a slight decline moving into April. This is a pattern that’s existed for as long as I’ve been with the company, and I’ve been with this for about 14 years now.

It’s just the way The Bahamas operate. The Water & Sewerage Corporation can’t really meet the financial commitment for our bill. So periodically, the receivable balance is billed, and then the government steps in and makes lump sum payments on their behalf and brings the receivable balance down under control.”

Consolidated Water supplies the corporation and all its New Providence customers with water from its Blue

HE Supreme Court has blasted the Bahamas Medical Council (BMC) for “undermining its integrity” through improperly accessing a doctor’s “confidential” employment file held by a government agency.

Justice Ian Winder, in an April 22, 2020, ruling, found that the council, which is responsible for protecting the Bahamian people’s health and safety via the licensing/registration of all practicing doctors, had failed to provide Dr Mandela Kerr with “real and substantive due process”.

He ruled that the restrictions imposed on Dr Kerr’s application to be licensed as an independent doctor were “so unreasonable” that no independent regulatory body “properly directing themselves” could - or should - have arrived at such a decision.

Noting that this was “the second round of litigation” between Dr Kerr and the council over the former’s application, Justice Winder pleaded for “cooler heads to prevail on both sides

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• ‘Improperly’ accessed doctor’s files at govt agency • Overturns restrictions imposed by body on licence • Calls for ‘cooler heads to prevail on both sides’ of this dispute” given the “unnecessarily harsh and disparaging comments and accusations” being levied by all sides.

He recorded that the battle began when Dr Kerr, who had been registered by the council on November 16, 2015, applied to be licensed as a fully independent medical practitioner - meaning he could practice without supervision or oversight - on October 13, 2017.

The council responded by saying he was ineligible for registration, and needed to successfully pass the Special Purpose Examination (SPEX), which triggered Dr Kerr’s first legal action.

Justice Winder set aside the council’s first decision on October 31, 2018, on the basis that the application had not been given “proper consideration”.

Two months later, the council requested that Dr Kerr provide it with evaluations from his supervisors at Princess Margaret Hospital and the Department of

Public Health, together with documentation of cases he managed when assigned to the public health clinic in Andros.

However, the doctor’s attorneys argued that there was “no reasonable or lawful basis” for the information to be provided and branded the council’s request illegal. The council’s response was to invite Dr Kerr to a meeting where he could present his case, while warning him that “concerns have been raised in respect to your general medical knowledge, and the adequacy thereof”.

The doctor asked for the council to provide details on its “concerns”, and attended an April 25, 2019, meeting with its assessment committee that was chaired by Dr Mark Weech.

Also present were attorneys for both sides, and the council’s registrar, Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis, who currently appears regularly on national TV as the government’s main adviser on

the COVID-19 pandemic.

The parties, though, made little headway at the meeting after Dr Kerr and his attorney demanded to know the lawful basis for holding it. Five days later, the council told the doctor that while it had decided to licence him as a “fully licensed medical practitioner” he was only allowed to practice under the supervision of someone else who had held such status for at least five years.

“The council’s assessment of your application is that it could not reasonably conclude that it would be in the public interest to license you without the aforementioned restrictions and conditions,” the council told Dr Kerr of the rationale for its decision.

“You have been provided with the material which the council had before it, which raised concerns as to your readiness for independent practice and, in particular, your general medical knowledge base.

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Marinas ‘chomping at bit’ to lead re-opening

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN marinas are “chomping at the bit” to re-open before the wider tourism industry in a bid to make multi-million dollar inroads into the lucrative yacht charter market, it was revealed yesterday.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business that marinas were one element that believed they could safely resume business before the June 15-July 1 target date set by the major hotels and other segments in the economy’s largest sector.

Adding that the government had “heard their cries and pleas”, Mr D’Aguilar said the marina industry had made an “extremely valid case” for its reopening that will now be assessed by the government.

“The tourism sector always had a goal of

• Minister: Sector in ‘extremely valid case’ • ‘Perfect chance’ to target yacht charters • With vessels stacked on US east coast

DIONISIO D’AGUILAR mid-June to July 1,” the minister told this newspaper, “but the maritime sector, the marinas, I think they’re chomping at the bit to get going now. I don’t think they need until the middle of June or July 1.

They’re of the belief that they’re ready to go now.

There are different sectors of the economy at different stages.

“The government will obviously assess before they come to a decision, but they’re [the marinas] making an extremely valid case that’s worth considering. We hear their cries, we hear their pleas, so we’ll obviously open as quickly and safely as we can.”

Peter Maury, the Association of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president, yesterday explained that the strategy presented by the sector to the government and Ministry of Tourism aimed to capitalise on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the ultra high-end yacht charter market.

The global shutdown, he said, has left many vessels that would normally be cruising the Mediterranean and other global tourism

hot spots parked/moored up around the US east coast.

With wealthy clients having already paid millions of dollars in deposits to charter these yachts, he argued that The Bahamas’ proximity and multi-island destination made it a natural alternative choice for such high-paying guests.

Pointing out that marina slips and fuel could be prepaid online before a yacht’s arrival, thus minimising interaction between staff and guests and preventing COVID-19’s spread, Mr Maury said The Bahamas’ multiple uninhabited islands and cays not only provided a variety of guest experiences but also “miles of social distancing” for

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$3.23 ‘Level playing field’ on Family Island re-open

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net ELEUTHERA’S Chamber of Commerce president yesterday called for “a level playing field” on the reopening of Family Island economies, and warned: “The well-being of communities across this island is at stake.”

Thomas Sands, in a messaged reply to Tribune Business questions, said Eleuthera residents and businesses needed to understand what was required to fully re-open commercial activity on their island after eight weeks of curfews and lockdowns.

Acknowledging that preventing COVID-19’s spread and associated loss of life remains a key priority, Mr Sands warned that the government needed to be increasingly aware of the growing toll its measures were taking on businesses, jobs and livelihoods.

Warning that many entrepreneurs “will lose their businesses” due to the economic fall-out associated with COVID-19, he said the “mental anguish” caused by lockdowns, jobs losses, income reduction and being unable to provide for themselves was likely to have a devastating, unquantifiable impact on many Eleutherans.

Speaking out after the prime minister did not include Eleuthera among the Family Islands permitted to open this week during his Sunday afternoon address, despite the fact it and other islands have yet to record a single COVID-19 case, Mr Sands said the health dangers meant caution was required in reopening the economy.

Yet he added: “At this juncture, where we have been experiencing curfews and lockdowns for eight weeks, we all need to be on the same page and to understand the key performance indicators related to what islands get opened and what islands remain closed.

“Today, Eleuthera is feeling uncertain about its future. We need a level playing field but we don’t really know the rules related to what it takes to reopen our economy. While we all remain concerned and would not want to see any further loss of life, it is important that those in authority also note that other serious losses are also taking place.

“Many Eleutherans have lost their livelihoods, many

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Phew! Govts relief port not given to cruise lines

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE government is breathing a sigh of relief that it did not award Nassau cruise port’s multi-million dollar transformation to the cruise line consortium given COVID-19’s disruption, a Cabinet minister revealed yesterday.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business that Prince George Wharf’s redevelopment would now likely be facing several years’ delay had it done so with the cruise industry reeling from its worldwide closure and multi-billion dollar losses due to the pandemic.

He argued that the COVID-19 fall-out had further justified the government’s selection of Global Ports Holding, the Turkish-headquartered,

• COVID-19 would likely have delayed project years • Minister: Critical Bahamian investors led the way • Govt involvement ‘such 20th century thinking’

A LOOK at the proposed redevelopment of Nassau’s cruise port.

London-listed port operator, as the winning bidder for a 25-year concession that obligates it to redevelop, operate and maintain

The Bahamas’ main cruise tourism gateway.

Mr D’Aguilar admitted his surprise that Nassau Cruise Port Ltd, the 49

percent-owned Global Ports subsidiary, had exceeded its $130m target

SEE PAGE 6

PAGE 2, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

$250M PI INVESTMENT ‘SHAKES OFF’ LOCKDOWN STERLING Global Financial’s $250m Hurricane Hole redevelopment is “shaking off” the COVID-19 lockdown with a construction restart that has brought 75 Bahamians back to work.

The Paradise Islandbased project has resumed with masks and social distancing added to normal construction industry safety protocols, as workers put in the hours to earn their first pay cheque for seven weeks.

“There’s a lot of happy faces around here,” said Star Construction manager, Greg van der riet, although he admitted that worker numbers were less than had been on the job prior to COVID-19. At peak activity, more than 100 workers were on site for the first phase, Sterling Commons, whereas that number has now dropped to between 40 and 75.

“The men are shaking off the lockdown, but they are also taking their time

because they want to be cautious,” Mr van der riet added. “For us, the main thing now is sanitation. We have new rules and measures in place. Everyone must have a mask, remain at least six feet from other workers. We have installed more hot water washing stations and we have a sanitation crew on duty all day.

“We’re about 95% done on the exterior of the west building and nearly ready for the façade.” Sterling Commons’ easternmost structure is 70 percent completed.

Together, the two structures, which feature retail and dining on the first level; professional office space on the second; and luxury residential units on the third, will overlook the Hurricane Hole marina that is also undergoing a multi-million dollar transformation.

“I’m happy to be back doing what I love,” said Winston Bullard, a 15-year veteran carpenter and

THE TWIN three-storey buildings of Sterling Commons are nearing structural completion and ready for façade and interior work.

LEFT: Winston Bullard, 48, one of dozens of workers who have returned to Sterling’s Hurricane Hole project, says he was elated when the construction lockdown order was lifted. Photos: Cay Focus Photography/DP&A

equipment operator. “I stayed home for a while and did a lot of projects, but I was glad when I got that phone call ‘cuz I was runnin’ out of projects and couldn’t wait to get back.”

“We are extremely grateful to the prime minister and those in government who paved the way for construction to re-start, understanding its importance to individuals in the industry and to the overall economic health of the country,” said David Kosoy, Sterling’s chairman. “We will do everything we can to maintain the new safety standards just as we were committed to industrial safety on all of our projects prior to COVID-19.”

Among Sterling’s projects in The Bahamas are THIRTY-SIX on Paradise Island; Beach House Villas on Paradise Island; Ocean Terraces on West Bay Street; Matt Lowe’s Cay in Abaco; and the Sky Beach Resort in Eleuthera.

Economic Recovery team’s dual strategy THE government-appointed Economic Recovery Committee (ERC) says it is focused on a dual strategy as it begins a seven-week public consultation exercise seeking recommendations on ten key sectors.

The committee, appointed in the wake of the economic shutdown that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, has been asked to take both an immediate and medium to long-term view of the Bahamian economy’s structure, positioning and competitiveness.

The Minnis administration has asked it to come up with “immediate fixes and mitigation initiatives” as The Bahamas slowly seeks to restart commerce and business

KENWOOD KERR

MARLON JOHNSON

activities following the health-imposed lockdown.

And, looking beyond the present situation, it has been tasked to “present a bold vision for a modern Bahamian economy that is stronger, resilient, diversified, future driven and fully integrated”. This vision, according to accompanying literature on the committee’s mandate, is to be based

on “robust free enterprise”, entrepreneurship, skilled labour, “adequate” job opportunities and sufficient social protections for those on society’s margins.

“The prime minister requested the ERC provide specific policy ideas that are tailored made for the key sectors under our mandate,” said Ken Kerr, the committee’s co-chairperson.

“The prime minister challenged us to put together recommendations that will represent a bold vision for a modern Bahamian economy - that is stronger, resilient, diversified, future driven and fully integrated.”

The Economic Recovery Committee’s sub-committees, appointed by the Prime Minister last week, will facilitate public and stakeholder engagement over the next seven weeks through direct meetings, virtual town hall meetings and presentations.

The ten committees are focused on structural reform; financial services; digitisation and the conceptual economy; tourism and the Orange economy; healthcare and social capital; commerce, entrepreneurship and next

generation (youth) engagement; agriculture, fisheries and manufacturing; Family Islands development; energy and environmental stewardship; labour and education “Our scope is broad, but it is also well-defined. We will be taking the time to explain it to the Bahamian people so we can maximise everyone’s participation as we chart a way forward for our economic recovery,” said committee co-chair, Marlon Johnson.

“With our sub-committee structure, we have created a simple entry point for the public to engage with us, and to provide their feedback and recommendations. These sub-committees will also have additional persons

appointed to them from the broader Bahamian civil society.”

Documents explaining the committee’s mandate include multiple talking points such as an “achievable diversification strategy for the economy with emphasis on the blue, orange, green economies, digital and conceptual economies, and the manufacturing and trade sectors”.

It also promised to expand Bahamian ownership and participation in the economy, and to create “a business environment that is globally competitive, with defined strategies for easier access by residents and businesses to land, credit and public services”.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 19, 2020, PAGE 3

GOVT URGED: END ABACO LOCKDOWN

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

ABACO’S Chamber of Commerce president is urging the prime minister to “revisit” a weekend lockdown that “makes no sense” with Dorian-ravaged residents now racing against time to prepare for the new hurricane season.

Ken Hutton told Tribune Business that the government’s move to fully restore all commerce on Abaco was “a great step forward. We’ve basically been open during

the week - well, most businesses that are operating were open anyway”,” he added.

However, Abaco and the other Family Islands that have been permitted to re-open their domestic economies are still subject to 9pm to 5am curfews during the week coupled with total lockdowns (except for so-called “essential” services and their workers) at weekends.

“One thing that I would ask the prime minister to take another look at is the lockdown on the weekend,”

AVIATION INDUSTRY CALLS FOR REOPEN ‘GUIDANCE’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamian aviation industry needs details and “guidance” on all the health and safety protocols it will need to implement so that it can re-open to inter-island and international commercial travel once again.

Anthony K Hamilton, president of the Bahamas Association of Air Transport Operators, told Tribune Business that the sector needed more than the “blanket statement” provided by the prime minister in his national address on Sunday night.

“In a general sense a blanket statement was made, but it has to be drilled down because the industry doesn’t function like that,”

Chamber chief: ‘Progress on reopening is occurring’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive has reassured that “progress is being made” on reopening the Bahamian economy despite the outcry over restrictions being left in place on some Family Islands.

Jeffrey Beckles acknowledged that more work is needed on some islands after the prime minister permitted full commercial activity to resume on just Abaco, Cat Island, Andros and Long island, in addition to those previously reopened in the southern Bahamas.

“Progress is being made,” he said. “We are very happy to see that the Family Islands are going to be able to resume their commerce and trade. That is always exciting. We know that there is much more work

Mr Hamilton said. “I do have some concerns with the little bit that I heard, because I have no idea of the requisite protocols put in place for guidance.

“We need to rely on the authorities to instruct the industry as to how we might execute. There is definite need for a partnership so we have an understanding, and proper alignment is critical in this process.” Mr Hamilton added that he was was “hoping somebody from the [Civil Aviation] Authority would be calling” him soon “to pass on some good news and provide some proper guidance”.

Dr Hubert Minnis, in his Sunday address, said: “The government is well advanced in our planning for the beginning of the re-opening of our tourism to be done for some of the other islands but, again, good progress being made.”

The chamber chief executive also pointed to the extra day that hardware and home stores can open instore, and the go-ahead for manufacturers of hurricaneresistant products such as windows to resume, as signs that the Bahamian economy is slowly freeing up.

“We are also very happy to see those entities that cater to the hurricane preparatory efforts, which are critical right now, especially in a post-Dorian era,” Mr Beckles added. “We want to be able to make sure that homes and businesses have the ability to really get their physical plants and properties protected, and so we are very happy about that as well as the hardware store extension.

“By extension, more and more companies are being allowed to operate, which is a very positive thing, but we do know there is a lot of work ahead. We are also happy to see that there is consideration for some of the smaller entities getting back on their feet and operational, and then the announcement of the July 1 opportunity to receive guests again to the country.

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Mr Hutton added. “A lot of people need that time to work on their own properties. They are working during the week and they need time on the weekend to work on their own properties.

“This is hurricane season, so we do need that additional time. I am just not sure on the reason for the lockdown on the weekend.

We will be open all week; it doesn’t really make sense to me. I would just ask the prime minister to revisit that.” Mr Hutton said he is presently drafting a letter to

the prime minister on this very issue.

Dr Hubert Minnis, in his national address to the nation on Sunday, confirmed that Cat Island, Long Island, Abaco and Andros were able to resume full commercial activity with effect from yesterday as part of “Phase two” in the government’s re-opening strategy.

“To all of the Family Islands that are able to resume commercial activity, weekday curfews and weekend lockdown measures still remain in place, as

do physical distancing measures and the requirement to wear masks,” the Prime Minister reminded.

Mr Hutton, in reply, said: “Again, Abaco, because of the [Dorianrelated] exemptions we have been given, through the whole period there weren’t a lot of businesses here anyway. The ones that were here were primarily engaged in the construction and reconstruction of the island with the exception of the food stores.

“So it [the exemptions] really hasn’t had that much of

an effect. We haven’t had any shoe stores, or clothing stores or restaurants or bars or anything like that. I am happy that the small businesses will now have an opportunity to open, but again it really hasn’t had that much of an effect on Abaco because we were really focused on the rebuilding process anyway.”

sector and to allow for travel in and out of The Bahamas.” It is targeting a date “on or before July 1” at which to restart commercial air travel, although the precise timing depends on the COVID-19 infection rate and whether adequate health and safety measures are in place.

“Our resorts, our airports and our sea ports are finalising the health and safety protocols that will be necessary for us to provide for a re-opening,” the prime minister added. “Taking into account what is being done within the region and around the world, these extensive guidelines will be designed to provide for reasonable assurance that travel and leisure are generally safe.”

The prime minister added that the government is also moving to gradually re-open inter-island travel within the Bahamian archipelago.

Travellers, including those on work or business trips, must first be

evaluated by doctors and obtain a COVID-19 Authorisation Travel Card before they can leave.

Family Island residents stuck in New Providence and Grand Bahama, and wanting to return to COVID-19 free islands, will be the first to travel.

Mr Hamilton said the aviation industry’s regulator and other government agencies now needed to explain what this means for the sector. “Obviously decisions have been made now that have to be filtered, because the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) in conjunction with other agencies of the Government needs to provide instructions,” he explained.

“We are speaking for an industry that is very complex and complicated in many respects, because it is a technical industry. There are a lot of compliances that are necessary, and we need to have that guidance in order to operate and comply.

“I’m thinking the islands have been opened and, in the industry, you have certain airlines that fly to particular destinations. So it would appear that automatically those operators would be able to get in gear, but how do they get in gear?

There need to be protocols to be followed in order for that to happen,” Mr Hamilton added.

“This is part of the process now in terms of being clear and definitive on what constitutes commercial activity with regards to the islands that are open.....

The authorities may say that certain things can happen tomorrow if they wish, but what will happen to facilitate that to happen tomorrow in terms of the industry?”

“Obviously we support a very careful and very considered approach to that, so that is good news. That means that people will get to return to work, and support businesses will be able to provide their services again. So overall we’re happy to see that progress is being made. We do know there is much more work that is needed to be done and we’re up to the task,” he continued.

“The chamber is very excited about the progress that is being made, and we will continue to work feverishly with all of the stakeholders to make sure

JEFFREY BECKLES that we get through this safely in the shortest possible space of time, while protecting the health which is the real wealth of our country for Bahamians and those that visit our shores.”

KEN HUTTON

PAGE 4, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

PREPARING for the first day of electronic trading in May 2000.

PICTURED from left: Keith Davies, BISX’s chief legal and compliance officer (now chief executive); Ian Fair, BISX’s founding chairman; and Gerry Ritchie, ex-BISX chief executive, in May 2001.

BISX celebrates 20th anniversary THE Bahamas International Securities Exchange (BISX) last week celebrated 20 years since it began electronic trading on May 12, 2000, as a “proud day” that signals it has become a key part of the “financial landscape”.

Incorporated on September 23, 1999, BISX said it was created with the aim of further developing the Bahamian capital markets through a regulated trading platform that would replace the previous overthe-counter system.

BISX’s chairman, Andrew Strachan, said of the 20th anniversary: “Building an exchange isn’t done in a day. Rather, it’s a generational project that involves education of all stakeholders - from regulators to issuers to brokers and, most importantly, to investors.

“I am proud of the first 20 years of BISX as a

part of the capital markets infrastructure of The Bahamas. I am even more so excited when I think of the potential avenues of growth for both the Bahamian capital markets and BISX in the next 20 years.”

Ian Fair, BISX’s founding chairman and still a director, added: “I am truly proud of what has been accomplished by the stakeholders and staff of BISX over the past 20 years.

While the path has not always been plain sailing and has had its challenges, we have endured and our growth has resulted in an organisation that is now a national institution and a key part of our financial landscape. I’m pleased to observe this historic moment and am grateful to all of the persons that have contributed to the exchange reaching this point.”

Keith Davies, BISX’s

chief executive, said: “This is a proud day for BISX to reach this milestone. However, given the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic pain that this has caused around The Bahamas, we will observe this milestone through charitable giving to our community.

“At this time in our nation’s life, helping our fellow Bahamians is more important than any form of celebration. Nevertheless, on behalf of the BISX Board, myself and the BISX staff, I wish to thank all stakeholders - especially the Bahamian investing public - for their faith over the first 20 years. I look forward to BISX continuing to provide financial market innovation, regulation and price discovery going forward.”

BISX has switched to a 20-year anniversary logo to mark its milestone.

$16m debt?: ‘Just the way Bahamas normally operates’

the long-term we will collect 100 percent of these receivables.

“We presently have a bit of a liquidity problem there in The Bahamas, but the government recognises that, and I think they will pay us. And I think you’ll see hopefully, once we get past the impacts of COVID-19, I think you’ll see those receivables come down to more traditional levels. They’re not at their highest level. When they do, they actually had more money than they have now at some point in time in the past.”

Tribune Business reported yesterday how the Water & Sewerage Corporation reduced the debt owed to its main BISXlisted supplier by almost $2m during April 2020 despite suffering a 61 percent revenue decline for the same month.

The state-owned utility slashed the sum it owes from $17.8m at end-March 2020 to $16m at April 30, with its ability to do so likely to be linked to a oneoff $5m payment it received from the government in

March 2020.

“Consolidated Water (Bahamas) accounts receivable balances due from the Water and Sewerage Corporation of The Bahamas amounted to $17.8m as of March 31, 2020, and $18.4m as of December 31, 2019,” the BISX-listed water supplier said in its SEC filings.

“Approximately 75 percent of the March 31, 2020, accounts receivable balance was delinquent as of that date. The delay in collecting these accounts receivables has adversely impacted the liquidity of this subsidiary. As of April 30, 2020, Consolidated Water (Bahamas)’ accounts receivable from the Water and Sewerage Corporation totalled approximately $16m.”

Consolidated Water added that it has yet to see a reduction in the Water & Sewerage Corporation’s demand for its product despite the COVID-19 pandemic although this was likely to change if economic conditions do not improve in the coming months.

“The volume of water Consolidated Water Bahamas sold to the Water & Sewerage Corporation did not vary significantly from March 2020 to April 2020, despite the downturn in economic activity on New Providence that began in April 2020 that stems from the preventative measures taken by the government in March 2020,” Consolidated Water said.

“However, we believe that at some point in the coming months, if the current economic conditions in The Bahamas do not improve, Consolidated Water (Bahamas) will experience a decrease in the demand for its water, with a resulting decline in its revenue.”

FROM PAGE ONE Hills and Windsor reverse osmosis plants. Mr Sasnett added of the BISX-listed firm’s financial issues: “It’s important to note that they [the Water & Sewerage Corporation] are paying us interest on these receivables.

“So we’ve never recorded any kind of allowance for doubtful accounts, and we feel very confident that when things stabilise, the government will bring the receivables back down to a much lower level. In the meantime, they’re paying us periodically. Like I said, we received a substantial payment in April, and we’re confident that over

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THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 19, 2020, PAGE 5

Storm manufacturers: Phone has not stopped

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net MANUFACTURERS of hurricane-resistant windows and doors yesterday said “the phone has not stopped ringing” on the first day they were permitted to conduct business following the COVID-19 lockdown.

Lilla Smith-Mosby, Bahamas Aluminum Manufacturing Company’s general manager, told Tribune Business: “We just opened and the phone has not stopped ringing.

Everybody is trying to get estimates on shutters or

placing an order for shutters and windows.”

Revealing that this pentup demand could continue for another two months at this pace, she added: “We are fully stocked. We order twice a year, and our container came in a week before we closed in March.

“We’re excited to be back to work. We are trying to catch up on our orders that we had before we closed down, especially for Abaco. So we want to see those persons whose homes got destroyed with Hurricane Dorian. We’re trying to fulfill their orders so they could get back in before hurricane season starts,

which is right around the corner.”

Ms Smith-Mosby added that the majority of Bahamas Aluminum Manufacturing Company’s business is with contractors in Nassau and Exuma.

Desmond Curling, general manager of C & S Steel & Building Supply Company, said: “I thought we were back to be fully reopened. I want this thing to be over with. One day doesn’t do much to help.

We need to be fully opened.

We have been doing the curbnside pick-up, but we just want this lockdown to be over with so we can get on with our lives.”

More than 350 set to attend financial services briefing MORE than 350 financial services executives had confirmed they will attend tomorrow’s government briefing that will be led by remarks from Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis.

The virtual symposium is being staged by the Ministry of Financial Services, Trade and Industry and Immigration, and will begin at 10am. The event, Financial services: An opportunity for advancement, innovation and creativity, will see ministers answer questions and provide updates on initiatives to improve the ease of doing business, innovation and ensure business continuity.

It is also intended to demonstrate the government’s commitment to the financial services sector in

the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elsworth Johnson, minister of financial services, trade and industry and Immigration, said: “At the Ministry, we are redoubling our efforts to support the financial services sector, our second most important economic driver, in response to the current crisis.

“Unlike other industries, in many ways, financial services has remained active during the COVID-19 pandemic. So even during this challenging time, our goal is to enhance stakeholder engagement, streamline our collaboration across government, support the international promotion of our local sector, and advance an aggressive legislative and

regulatory agenda in the coming months.”

“Along with the prime minister, we have worked to include the government and regulatory authorities who can answer a wide range of questions industry stakeholders might have. I will speak about my Ministry’s efforts to improve our stakeholder engagement and public relations, locally and globally, and to advance long-awaited legislative and regulatory priorities for the industry.”

Those present to answer questions will be K Peter Turnquest, deputy prime minister and minister of finance; Senator Carl Bethel, attorney general and minister of legal affairs; and Christina Rolle, executive director of the Securities Commission.

Marinas ‘chomping at bit’ to lead re-opening FROM PAGE ONE those eager to escape crowded cities in the US and elsewhere.

“The way the whole thing works is that the charter industry is sitting on millions of dollars in deposits that were booked around the world - the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, The Bahamas - and are now sitting in escrow waiting to be spent,” Mr Maury told Tribune Business.

“You have all these yachts that have been hanging out there in quarantine for more than eight weeks.

They’ve been putting health protocols in. These are high net worth yachts that can’t afford to get infections because if these millionaires get on board and get sick, they’ll sue.

“They’re looking for somewhere close to where they are. Most of them are in North America, and who could be closer than us?

We’re a 40-minute flight away. My proposal to the government was to allow these vessels to come in.”

To prevent further COVID-19 infection reaching The Bahamas’ shores via these yachts, Mr Maury said the proposal submitted to the Ministry of Tourism called for their crews and guests to be tested for the virus both before they leave the US or other country or origin and once they arrive in The Bahamas.

He argued that the hoped-for “double negative” results from both tests would eliminate any possibility that one passenger could be an asymptomatic COVID-19 carrier. “Our industry is completely different,” Mr Maury added.

“If a yacht comes in and clears at the border, the guests and crew stay on board.

“We have 1,200 islands in The Bahamas, and plenty of beaches to anchor up at, swim in the water and not affect anybody. You have social distancing for miles.

That was my proposal. We would be a good industry to start the ball rolling.”

Mr Maury said the typical high per capita spending of many yacht guests and crews stays in the Bahamian economy through purchases of food, liquor, dock slips, fuel boat washes and a full range of goods and services sourced locally, as well as generating significant tax revenues for the government.

He argued that COVID19 had presented The Bahamas with the opportunity to seize greater market share from a high-end yacht charter market that typically bypassed The Bahamas to focus on other Caribbean destinations such as the US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands (BVI).

“It’s been my purpose to bring this back to The Bahamas because we offer more

than any other destination in the world,” Mr Maury told Tribune Business. “In The Bahamas you basically pay one entry fee coming in, and can go all the way from Abaco to Inagua and everything in between.”

He added that The Bahamas needed to adjust its marketing strategy to focus on physical distancing and promoting that “it’s safe wherever you go” in a postCOVID-19 world, and also needed to move quickly as rival Caribbean destinations are already opening up to the yacht charter business.

“We could be the beginning of the step forward,” Mr Maury said, revealing that he and the wider industry had been hoping to hear more from the Prime Minister’s speech on Sunday night. “I can’t tell you how many brokers, owners and captains have called me in the past 18 hours in disappointment and said: ‘We really want to come to The Bahamas’.

“We were really hoping for better news. I don’t know what to tell you....

People have had enough of this lockdown business. They want to spend a week in The Bahamas.

It’s summer vacation, and people want to get back to normal. It’s a perfect opportunity for us. Business is virtually non-existent for the marinas at the moment other than a few of us have boats in storage.”

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

PAGE 6, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Judge: Medical Council ‘undermined its integrity’ FROM PAGE ONE Regrettably those concerns have not been resolved to a point where the Council can reasonably conclude that it would be in the public interest to register and license you without restrictions and conditions.”

Dr Kerr immediately launched Judicial Review proceedings to overturn this decision, challenging both the rational for the decision and the processes through which it had been reached.

He argued that the restrictions imposed upon him were “arbitrary, oppressive, irrational, unreasonable and unlawful”.

Setting out his medical qualifications, several of which were obtained from Cuban and Latin American schools, Dr Kerr argued that he had been treating patients through the Department of Public Health since 2016 and had at times been the only doctor on Long Island and Andros.

Denying that there had been any patient complaints against him, Dr Kerr alleged that “the correspondence between he and the BMC (Council) demonstrates that the BMC, in unlawful conspiracy with others, had set

out to besmirch and slander his professional reputation.

“He refused to provide the BMC with his confidential employee records not out of any concern regarding the contents thereof, but rather because the BMC had no statutory authority to request it and nor did it have a reasonable basis for requiring the same,” Justice Winder added.

“Kerr says that the BMC refused to explain the statutory authority upon which it sought and secured his confidential employee records from the Department of Public Health and the Public Hospitals Authority.”

The doctor also said he had initiated legal proceedings against both government agencies “the unlawful disclosure of his confidential employee records”.

Dr Kerr argued that the council’s actions had caused him “embarrassment both professionally and personally”, and that the restrictions imposed on his licence had effectively undermined its purpose - being able to practice independently - and made it worthless.

He was backed by affidavit evidence from other doctors, including Dr Melisande Bassett,

president of the Bahamas Doctors Union (BDU), which represents the junior doctors, who all argued it was “incredible” to suggest doctors working in the public health system could be a danger to patient safety.

One, Dr Lina Mortimer Reyes, alleged that the Council also attempted to unsuccessfully obtain her confidential appraisals and assessments that are supposed to be protected by public service regulations.

In reply, Dr Weech, who is also the council’s chair, said the relief sought by Dr Kerr “will have the effect of usurping the lawful powers of the BMC in a manner which is completely at odds with the unanimous professional opinion of the BMC and its members, and which would jeopardise public safety”.

He alleged that evaluations of Dr Kerr’s performance by senior physicians had caused the council concern as they raised questions about his medical knowledge base. As a result, the council felt it was “in the public interest” that he be supervised.

Justice Winder, in his ruling, found that the council was entitled to consider

Dr Kerr’s application afresh and request evaluations of his performance of him. Yet he added: “What is troubling to Kerr, and indeed to the court, was how the council was able to obtain private confidential information on Kerr’s employment file with public health.....

“Dr Weech’s explanation, that the material was in the council’s file of Kerr, is confusing when the record reflects that Dr Dahl-Regis, registrar of the BMC, had been asking for the material and, up to January 9, 2019, had offered to assist him in obtaining it.”

Justice Winder said that the council’s access to his confidential files was especially troubling because they revealed “senior physicians seeking to overturn positive evaluations given by physicians who actually oversaw his [Dr Kerr’s] work”. And some of the evaluations were based on evidence more than two years-old.

“On any account, the BMC’s obtaining of the material on Kerr’s personnel file was improper,” Justice Winder blasted. “The BMC, managed by physicians who previously held high offices in the public service, knew or ought to have known

that the accessing of Kerr’s confidential evaluations was wrong. In my view, this is even more so where Kerr was resisting production, albeit unjustifiably.

“The Court of Appeal, has in the past been forced to remind the BMC that it is an independent statutory authority and not an agency of the Ministry of Health or the executive..... Instances like this, involving the sharing of personnel files, suggest that the BMC has not paid heed to the condemnation of the Appeals Court. This is unfortunate and undermines the integrity of this important body.”

Justice Winder also criticised the council for “casually executing” Dr Kerr’s right to be heard, and to respond to the concerns about him, finding that this was “an entitlement under principles of basic natural justice”.

He added: “Regrettably, rather that re-engage Kerr and seek his responses to their concerns in writing, the assessment committee immediately ended its investigation and reported to the council. Within a five-day period of the meeting, the full panel of the BMC is convened and, prematurely in my view, issues the decision

which is the subject of this dispute.

“In my view, Kerr was denied substantive natural justice. Weech admits in his evidence, that, had the council had the benefit of Kerr’s position, as came out in this action, the decision may well have been different.

“Additionally, in regretting that Kerr did not engage with the BMC, Weech also asserts that the evidence which came out in the hearing would have been vital to the decision-making process. This only confirms that the application was not fully considered.”

Justice Winder also found against the restrictions imposed on Dr Kerr’s licence, adding: “What the BMC couldn’t do was to grant the license and registration on the one hand, and impose conditions and restriction which make the benefit of the grant impossible. In all the circumstances, therefore, the restrictions are so unreasonable that no reasonable council properly directing themselves could come to such a decision.”

Finding that the council’s decision “cannot stand and must be quashed”, Justice Winder sent Dr Kerr’s application back for a fresh hearing.

Phew! Govts relief port not given to cruise lines FROM PAGE ONE with the two-week bond capital raising that closed on Friday. He added that “this is how a public private partnership (PPP) should be done” with the majority of funding generated by Bahamian investors rather than coming from overseas sources, which happened with Lynden Pindling International Airport’s (LPIA) funding.

The minister also took a swipe at the government’s political opponents, pointing out that the massive infrastructure works associated with the cruise port

upgrade “have not cost the Bahamian government one dollar”. He accused persons who believed the Public Treasury and, by extension, Bahamian taxpayers should finance all capital works project of being “so 20th century” in their mindset and outlook.

“I was pleasantly surprised that even in these uncertain times Nassau Cruise Port Ltd was able to go into the market, target $130m and exceed that,” Mr D’Aguilar told Tribune Business. “I say to all the naysayers: It didn’t cost the Bahamian government a single dollar to raise the money to

redevelop that port.

“Imagine if we were waiting on government, and if the cruise consortium had got it. I think the government made the right decision. I think it’s [the port] going to get the attention it needs. There is no doubt that the cruise industry will come back and be much more robust.

“The port will be well-positioned to take advantage of this rebound, and it will keep the port of Nassau as one of the premier destinations for cruises in the Caribbean.” Global Ports Holding’s main competition for the Nassau cruise port deal came from

a consortium of four cruise lines - Carnival, Disney, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean - who also teamed with a Bahamian investor group.

However, their bid was rejected amid concerns over what some perceived as the cruise lines’ “conflict of interest”, since they would be both operator and customer if the group was selected as Prince George Wharf’s manager. And the port would also directly compete with their multiple Bahamian private islands, with some likening their involvement to “the fox guarding the hen house”.

The cruise lines also

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

(242) 323-2330

MONDAY, 18 MAY 2020

(242) 323-2320

ALL SHARE INDEX: CLOSE: 2,139.19 | CHG: -1.96 | %CHG: -0.09 | YTD: -92.41 | YTD%: -4.14 BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 4.45 22.65 7.00 6.75 2.60 2.00 5.47 12.77 6.17 4.50 10.30 3.64 5.10 10.88 8.15 16.99 9.40 4.25 15.21

52WK LOW 3.35 20.91 5.50 5.39 1.78 0.67 2.00 10.21 5.60 3.62 5.41 2.53 1.85 8.00 6.63 13.04 6.98 3.14 13.90

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

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

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

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

CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

PREFERENCE SHARES

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

CORPORATE DEBT - (percentage pricing) 52WK HI 100.00

52WK LOW 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

SECURITY Fidelity Bank Note 22 (Series B) +

SYMBOL FBB22

Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2015-1-3Y BGS: 2014-12-5Y BGS: 2015-1-5Y BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-3Y BGS: 2015-6-5Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-3Y BGS: 2015-10-5Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y

BAH29 BG0203 BG0105 BG0205 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0303 BG0305 BG0307 BG0330 BG0403 BG0405 BG0407

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing)

LAST CLOSE 3.55 17.43 6.00 6.68 1.78 1.62 2.98 11.26 5.98 4.03 6.01 2.69 5.10 9.04 8.15 14.50 8.97 4.05 15.20

CLOSE 3.55 17.43 6.00 6.68 1.78 1.62 2.98 11.26 5.98 4.03 6.01 2.93 5.10 9.14 8.15 14.50 8.97 4.00 15.20

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.24 0.00 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.05 0.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.91

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 0.91

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

CLOSE 100.00

CHANGE 0.00

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

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

LAST SALE 100.00 107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00

VOLUME

20,000

VOLUME

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

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

P/E 14.9 18.7 N/M 18.1 N/M N/M -6.8 15.6 13.3 21.9 42.9 28.7 10.9 14.1 11.2 17.8 9.6 19.7 24.1

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

YIELD 4.79% 7.23% 0.00% 3.89% 0.00% 1.23% 0.00% 6.39% 3.68% 2.98% 0.00% 14.81% 1.18% 3.59% 2.94% 3.72% 2.23% 3.00% 4.01% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 6.25% 7.00% 6.50%

52WK LOW 1.67 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.61 1.75 1.70 1.14 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 Preferred Income Fund Leno Growth Fund Leno Diversified Fund Leno Global USD 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 2.30 4.38 2.09 195.13 166.73 1.67 1.79 1.75 1.16 8.31 10.07 7.00 11.42 12.58 10.52 N/A 8.31 10.01

‘Level playing field’ on Family Island re-open

officially starts. My husband needs to be here because we were talking about being prepared for the hurricane season. He is in Nassau, and the island of Eleuthera always has hurricanes. We have been hit quite a number of times over the years, so he needs to be here to prepare.

“June is almost here, and there are so many things he has to come home to do. If he needs to be tested, then let him be tested and come back to the island, or if he needs to isolate himself for the two weeks then let that be the case. He went for medical reasons, and he is finished with that and he is still stuck in Nassau, and we’re not opened up. Because there are no cases reported on the island people feel pretty safe.”

Ms Thompson said Eleuthera residents feel they are being punished because of an incident at a funeral during the weekend in South Eleuthera, where there was a large motorcade and crowd. “I think the prime minister should have made himself clear if he was punishing Eleuthera because they didn’t follow the rules or if it is some other reason,” she added.

“Now we have a lot of winter residents and second home owners, so all of this is a concern with rentals, and we have a lot of small businesses on the island that need to be reopened to keep our people employed in the central part of the island, like the ‘Mom and Pop’ stores and the small businesses.”

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022

FROM PAGE ONE

6.95% 4.00% 4.25% 4.25% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.00% 4.25% 4.50% 6.25% 3.50% 3.88% 4.25%

20-Nov-2029 30-Jul-2018 16-Dec-2019 30-Jul-2020 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2018 26-Jun-2020 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2018 15-Oct-2020 15-Oct-2022

YTD% 12 MTH% 0.37% 3.81% 0.24% 4.38% 0.23% 2.75% 5.76% 5.76% 12.81% 12.81% 0.94% 3.72% -3.46% 2.09% -0.11% 3.43% -3.33% 1.53% -0.32% 10.20% -1.58% 15.37% 0.88% 5.22% -4.91% 10.77% 1.89% 6.75% -1.95% 0.38% N/A N/A -10.90% -4.30% -18.80% -12.00%

NAV Date 31-Jan-2020 31-Jan-2020 31-Jan-2020 31-Dec-2019 31-Dec-2019 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 29-Feb-2020 29-Feb-2020 29-Feb-2020 29-Feb-2020 29-Feb-2020 29-Feb-2020

will lose their businesses, and the mental anguish as a result of months of lockdowns may never be truly quantified. We must have a definitive strategic plan to immediately move forward. The well-being of communities across this island is at stake.”

Dr Hubert Minnis has only allowed commercial activity to resume on Abaco, Long Island, Andros and Cat Island, while leaving restrictions in place in Exuma, Eleuthera and San Salvador without explaining why.

Meanwhile, Family island business are also calling for clarification on the COVID-19 travel authorisation card unveiled by the Prime Minister on Sunday.

Rosemary Thompson, general manager of Thompson’s Seaside convenience store in Eleuthera, told Tribune Business: “My husband has been in Nassau for nine weeks. This is his store. I’m here because my business has been closed down due to the COVID-19.

I do printing and engraving, along with plaques and trophies, so I am manning his store.

“He needs to get back home because it looks like the hurricane season is about to get out of the gate before the actual hurricane season

MARKET TERMS

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

things and take on infrastructure projects are so 20th century. In a country that has so many ports and airports, there’s no way the Government of The Bahamas can ever be expected to keep these vital pieces of infrastructure modernised and state-of-the-art.

“We have these problems with the Family Island airports. There’s only so many the government will be able to fix. That is a wonderful model that the Government has to enter into; a PPP to upgrade and modernise vital pieces of the tourism infrastructure.”

Around 20,000 Bahamian retail investors will be given an opportunity to own part of Prince George Wharf once the offering of shares in The Bahamas Investment Fund takes place next year. That fund will own a 49 percent equity stake in the project.

Global Ports Holding’s matching contribution will take total equity funding to $74.3m. This, combined with another $80m debt financing raise scheduled for 2021, will provide the funding for the “superstructure” phase three of the cruise port’s transformation, with a new passenger arrivals building, Junkanoo Museum, and amphitheatre.

INTEREST Prime + 1.75%

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.30 4.38 2.09 195.13 166.73 1.67 1.85 1.76 1.24 8.34 10.26 7.00 12.15 12.58 10.81 10.00 8.98 11.79

came under increasing scrutiny by many Bahamians amid the perception they retain the vast majority of the industry’s economic benefits, while this nation gets the crumbs, especially given their increased reliance on the same private islands where they control the majority of attractions and activities.

Meanwhile, Nassau Cruise Port Ltd had sought a mix of $80m in Bahamian currency, and $50m in US dollars, to finance Prince George Wharf’s redevelopment through the next 16 months, which will carry it through into phase three.

Mr D’Aguilar said it was “very important” that Bahamian investors, rather than their overseas counterparts, had provided the bulk of the financing.

“This is how a PPP should be done,” he told this newspaper. “In the past, when we did the other gateway, LPIA, 75 percent of the money raised was from non-Bahamians.

We’re allowing Bahamian institutional investors a place to invest their money and get a return on Bahamian assets, and these Bahamian institutions represent many, many Bahamian pensioners and investment groups.

“These people that think government must do these

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

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

31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020 31-Mar-2020

PAGE 8, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

BODY AND MIND

‘COVID-19 shows vital need for national wellness programme’

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

A

local fitness and wellness coach hopes his proposal for a national wellness programme does not fall on deaf ears and is given the proper consideration now that the COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the precarious state of Bahamians’ health.

While the establishment of a national wellness programme has been a long-cherished dream of Ethan Quant’s, he said the current coronavirus pandemic has made it more than obvious that an over-arching, multi-tiered initiative is needed to address the country’s obesity problem and its consequences.

Mr Quant, CEO of Elite Wellness Solutions, submitted his proposal after the government announced it was soliciting ideas from the populace as to the way forward when it comes to the nation’s health.

His plan suggests giving members of the public easy and ready access to local health, wellness and fitness resources through professionals who will facilitate the different areas of wellness programming.

Education, promotion of health, as well as televised physical activity programming and various wellness platforms that can educate people on food, its preparation, grocery shopping and exercise are at the core of Mr Quant’s proposal.

“I facilitated a pilot for the national wellness programme last year. Based on the data my team collected, we presented recommendations to the Ministry of Health. However, given the stats about COVID-19 and the heightened risk factors for obese people and individuals with diabetes and hypertension, I decided to draft a revised paper for consideration by the government based on where we are now,” he told Tribune Health.

The Bahamas currently ranks number one in the world when it comes to diabetes cases per

capita, and number six globally when it comes to obesity. The country also has one of the worst hypertension rates in the Americas. The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) estimates that over 70 percent of all deaths in the Bahamas are as a result of non-communicable diseases.

Mr Quant said the decline of health among Bahamians is why he believes a programme like the one he’s proposed should be given consideration and put into effect.

“We know the challenges that many Bahamians face as a result of our unhealthy lifestyles. When we look at the data, the vast majority of our population are at risk of suffering severe effects if contracting COVID-19. This disease has put us face to face with our unhealthy lifestyle and as a result of the curfews, lockdown and working from home, many people are experiencing what industry professionals are call the ‘COVID 15’, because we see that across the board people are putting on more weight due to the constant eating and inactivity, which means that we are

becoming even more unhealthy,” he said.

“People need access to the tools, professionals and education that can help them lead healthier and more fulfilling lives. If we do not do something on a national level, we will be even more unhealthy, physically, mentally and emotionally once things go back to normal.”

Mr Quant, who himself once weighed over 300 pounds, knows the struggle and effort it takes to be healthy. This is why, he said, people need access to readily available resources.

“Wellness programming on a national level isn’t just something that’s nice to have, it’s something that we need to have. I used to be 306 pounds; I lost 110 pounds, so I know first-hand the challenges that many of my Bahamian brothers and sisters are facing by being overweight and obese,” he said.

“I know the struggle of wanting to improve your health and failing, I know what that does to someone mentally and emotionally. We have a lot of people who want help, but not everyone can

afford a full-time health and lifestyle coach or a personal trainer. I believe that Bahamians genuinely want to get healthier, they just really could use support and guidance because it’s not easy.”

If the government does not wish to implement his plan, Mr Quant said there are alternatives.

“The private sector would have to step up. I mean, it is important that corporate Bahamas steps up in any event. We know that around 90 percent of the Bahamian work force is either overweight or obese. We know that this results in high healthcare costs for companies as well as low productivity by employees.

Effective wellness programming decreases healthcare costs and increases workplace productivity, and improves the overall quality of life. But it does help to have a multi-tiered approach that includes the government, corporate Bahamas, the community, and each household, down everyone,” he said.

One size shouldn’t fit all

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net

In today’s fast-paced world with its pre-packaged, ‘one size fits all’ solutions to life’s problems, the individual and their personal needs are often overlooked.

But Daniella Thompson-Ferguson wants to change all of that, at least when it comes to the area of skin care.

Although a quarantine may seem like a bad time to get a new business venture off the ground, the makeup artist and wellness enthusiast said her new, all-natural Mind Body Soul by Daniella brand has actually really resonated with Bahamians.

“I’ve always been of the resourceful type that looks for readily available solutions to a concern. And growing up I was taught natural remedies, using plants and herbs to cure the body inside and out. So when I was solely a makeup artist, I always told my clients how to take care of their skin using natural products.

It was only when this pandemic came about and totally obliterated my business when I ventured into selling all-natural products,” she told Tribune Health.

Daniella makes all of her skincare products, which range from

CARROT papaya vitamin C oil

DANIELLA Thompson-Ferguson believes when it comes to pampering your skin, natural is the way to go.

soaps and scrubs to oils and creams, by hand, using vegan and other sustainably sourced ingredients.

“We have the solution for acne, dark spots, eczema, discoloured skin, sun burns, itchy skin, and stretch marks. In our kits we have

turmeric soaps, charcoal soaps, yoni soaps, face mask, body and lip scrub, whipped body butter, dark spot oil, acne oil, yoni steams, eczema skin salves and rose water. All of our herbs and oils are organic and the highest quality available. Our fragrance oils are cruelty free, highly concentrated, enhanced formulas and ideal for crafting. We prefer to use vegan ingredients in each soap, body butter, oil, salve and scrub,” said Daniella.

She hopes to educate her clients on ways to make their own skincare products and build their confidence in natural beauty.

“Chemical drugs are not the answer. For no drug is free from

OATMEAL, lavender and neem oil cleansing bar for sensitive skin side effects. Botanicals are created for that purpose. Our goal is to be the future of clean, handmade, luxurious beauty brands that do not just do things to get accredited natural or organic, but also offer guidance and highperformance, cleaner products.

Going forward we would also like to cater to the next generation of conscious consumers,” said Daniella.

Mind Body Soul by Daniella products are available online for order via her Facebook page and on www.tings4sale.com.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 19, 2020, PAGE 9

At some point in their lives, almost all men deal with the problem of not being able to achieve an erection quick enough after experiencing the first ejaculation.

Many men dread the second round of sexual intercourse as they feel that their male member fails them and is not up to the task of engaging again in sexual activity. There is often a great deal of anxiety and stress that men face when facing the task of repeating the performance of the first sexual performance. This anxiety often makes getting an erection for the second round, even more difficult to attain.

INCREASE DOPAMINE LEVELS Low dopamine levels contribute to a longer refractory period after ejaculation. Men can increase their dopamine levels by eating foods such as tuna, chickpeas and asparagus that are rich in vitamins B6, B12 and folate.

The challenge of round two

WHAT IS THE REFRACTORY PERIOD? The refractory period is the scientific physiological term that describes the interval after the first ejaculation during which a man is unable to attain and maintain another erection.

The refractory period cannot be eliminated completely as it is a normal physiological process but there are ways to shorten the refractory period so that a man can respond more quickly for that second round.

WHY IS THERE A REFRACTORY PERIOD? After a man has an orgasm, the penis becomes flaccid as neural signals are transmitted that cause the contraction of the smooth muscle of the penis. This releases the blood in the penis that had caused it to become erect.

The levels of the hormones testosterone and dopamine fall post orgasm and the pituitary gland produced hormone prolactin rises.

VASODILATOR FOODS Natural vasodilators such as found in spinach, dark chocolate, and watermelon improve the blood flow to the penis and an erection is achieved faster.

Lowered testosterone and elevated prolactin makes it more difficult to achieve an erection.

After an orgasm, the brain also releases a surge in serotonin that makes a man feel like he wants to sleep after sex.

Post sex brain scans have scientifically proven that ejaculation causes reduced prefrontal brain cortex activity and the release of serotonin and oxytocin that makes men less alert and attentive and less likely to have sexual desire.

A 2006 study demonstrated that the key hormone prolactin, causing the refractory period, is 400 percent higher after penile vaginal intercourse than after self masturbation.

The refractory period is therefore longer after sexual intercourse with a partner than after solo masturbation.

Women also often experience a refractory period but it is often very short. Many women however experience ultra-sensitivity post

intercourse and require a break after the first orgasm.

The refractory period for men is often age related, with teenagers usually requiring a few minutes and a thirty year old requiring on average a thirty minute refractory period and a fifty year old man requiring as long as one day.

HOW DOES A MAN SHORTEN THE REFRACTORY PERIOD? There are varying scientific study results regarding the effectiveness of medications such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra in reducing the refractory period to allow for a quicker response time for a second round of sexual intercourse. Most studies have shown some benefit in hastening the sexual recovery time but the level of effectiveness is debatable.

Pelvic floor exercises are beneficial in lowering the refractory time.

The stress associated with the demand to achieve a second erection can be self defeating. A relaxed, tension free environment

THE UROLOGY DOCTOR IS IN...

Dr Greggory Pinto

with an understanding partner could aid in limiting the refractory period.

Less frequent sex could also improve the recovery response time in achieving a second erection.

LOWER PROLACTIN LEVELS The increased prolactin levels after orgasm are strongly linked to longer refractory periods. Vitamin intake of B6 and vitamin E could potentially lower body prolactin levels in men in general.

A healthy lifestyle is important with routine exercise and a well balanced diet with lowering of cholesterol and good blood pressure control. Limit alcohol intake as alcohol can limit sexual arousal.

Sexual difficulties for both men and women can be potentially embarrassing topics. Seek compassionate and confidential care from a urologist and regain a healthy and happy sexual life again.

• 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 The Surgical Suite, Centreville Medical Centre, #68 Collins Avenue/Sixth Terrace; telephone: 326-1929.

keep in mind that strenuous exercise right before bedtime can make it harder to settle down for a good night’s rest.

2. WIND DOWN EARLY When your mind, body and bedtime are out of synch, you need to give yourself more time to slow down and get ready for sleep. Screens flood your brain with the same serotonin-inducing light as the sun that wakes you up in the morning. Turn them off at least 30 minutes before bedtime so your brain can start creating melatonin and get your body ready for sleep.

Consider replacing those gadgets with a book, or distress with soothing music, meditation, a warm bath, or any other activity you find relaxing. This is especially important for children, who can be easily overstimulated by electronic entertainment, so avoid leaving them in the bedroom too.

3. PUT A CORK IN IT! Alcohol makes you drowsy, but it can degrade the quality of your sleep.

Skip that glass of wine. Instead try to eat sleep-friendly foods such as sweet potatoes, turkey and broccoli.

5

4. CREATE AN IDEAL BEDROOM ENVIRONMENT For the best night’s sleep, most people need cool, quiet rooms that are as dark as possible. A sound machine can help soothe you to sleep and drown out outside noises. The longer days delay the natural production of melatonin. Blackout shades can help.

tips to help you get better sleep now

The fact is, most people don’t get enough sleep. Getting the optimal amount of sleep each night not only leaves you feeling rested but has a profound impact on your overall health - affecting immunity, mental sharpness, weight management and much more.

If you find you’re struggling to get to sleep, consider supplementing with melatonin, a sleep aid that helps you get better sleep - enabling you to get

The power of now Health coach Ethan Quant, of Elite Wellness Solutions, has succeeded in his weight loss journey and now wants to share his methods with the Bahamas in an effort to foster a culture of wellness and conquer the obesity epidemic.

I remember to once listening to a speech by author and life coach Tony Robbins as he was talking about the power of now. If you are not familiar with it, he said that we only have the power to change our lives now, not in the future, and definitely not in the past. And now means now; not a month from now, or a week from now or a minute from now. The

power of now also has to do with being present and transcending thoughts of the past or the future.

This is so true, especially when we put it in the context of health, wellness and fitness. We often look at our past, all of the failed attempts at transforming our body and getting healthy, or how we used to be so fit. Or we look at the future, you know, once things slow down at work, or the kids are out of school, or I have more money, that’s when I will focus on getting in shape.

I know for years that was me. I was the exact same way, waiting on the right time to begin and being held hostage by my previous failed attempts. The way I overcame that was to literally focus on what I could do now, in this very moment.

I looked at my current circumstances and figured out what could I realistically do that would move me in the direction of getting healthy and fit. If we take an honest inventory of our day,

the healthy rest you need. Read on to learn five things you can do to prepare for a good night’s sleep so that you and your family can feel rested, focused and ready for the day ahead.

1. EXERCISE No matter your age, physical activity has been proven to help you sleep better at night. Exercising in the morning can help reset your body’s clock so you’re sleepier at bedtime. However,

even with our crazy schedules, we can find something that we can start or stop doing that will move us along in our health, wellness and fitness journey.

A huge part of this process of acting in the now is also changing the framing of the conversations we have with ourselves. For example, instead of looking at our very complicated and complex lives and saying, “I don’t have the time”, we can look at it and say, “Where can I make the time? Where in my day can I carve out enough time to do a little something that will help me improve?”

Simply asking ourselves this question puts our brain into problem-solving mode. See, we are experts in our lives. There is no one that knows what we do, when we do it, and how we feel about it better than us. So we are really the best people to figure out how to incorporate health, wellness and fitness into our daily lives.

If you have been struggling on your journey, or even if you have hit a plateau and want to

5. CONSIDER TAKING A MELATONIN SUPPLEMENT If you or your child are having trouble sleeping, consider a low-dose melatonin supplement such as Natrol Melatonin.

Melatonin can help you overcome sleep disruptions by resetting your sleep-wake cycle.

If you’re just have occasional difficulty relaxing and getting to sleep, remember all of these tips can help you get the rest you need to feel and be your best this Summer.

break through it, I encourage you to think about what is the easiest thing that takes the least amount of effort that you can start right now given your current circumstances.

Once you find that thing, then you just do it. It may seem strange or silly, or even a bit uncomfortable at first, but I can assure you that as long as you keep at it, two things will happen: 1. You will get better and feel more comfortable in doing it.

2. Your life will open up and you will have the time, resources, energy and motivation to do more.

Remember, if you want help navigating this or any part of your health, wellness and fitness journey please feel free to reach out to me directly.

• You can contact Ethan Quant at ethan@elite-wellnesssolutions. com or on Instagram at @ ethanquant.

ETHAN QUANT

HEALTH COACH

PAGE 10, Tuesday, May 19, 2020

THE TRIBUNE

Precious time Time - probably the one thing we all take for granted: a fleeting sequence of moments, which once gone can never be retrieved and yet very often we squander it mercilessly and carelessly as if we will live for ever and there’s always tomorrow. As if we don’t all know that “tomorrow never comes”, as my grandmother used to say. Except for the very driven or focused amongst us, I think it’s fair to say that we all procrastinate from time to time - particularly if the thing we are avoiding is tedious, will require a good deal of energy, is something we think we may not be able to do well or is a task we don’t like but may be important.

The 17th century English poet Edward Young said “procrastination is the thief of time” and these days more than ever I am aware of time and perhaps you are too. There are of course two ways of looking at these days of curfews and isolation: the positive and the negative.

It’s given us time to start or finish all those tasks or things we say we wanted to do but didn’t quite get around to completing Conversely, it’s very easy to complain that being confined to our homes is a waste of time and we could be doing... what exactly? It’s a serious question which ironically we do now have plenty of time to consider.

Procrastination is a bad habit to get into for many reasons. It causes bad feelings, perhaps rifts in interpersonal relationships if it becomes chronic, even over what is a seemingly small issue - small “issues” can cause alarmingly big reactions.

Because we “don’t feel like doing it just now” can be a selfish or thoughtless response in answering a family member’s need. Perhaps we are unaware that we are causing them hurt or that our lack of action is placing too much stress on them which could easily be avoided with a little thought. It’s better for everyone if things run smoothly.

Life lines

Victoria Sarne

Avoidance can also cause problems in the workplace perhaps with colleagues as your delay or poor work may affect their work and ultimately have a waterfall effect on performance evaluations with ramifications for your career trajectory or earning capability. Whilst we may have the best intentions to do a job later (and that’s a slippery slope) it will still cause us anxiety with the task hanging over our heads, as we know it must be done eventually. So why not get on with it and be done with it? Then we can truly relax being satisfied we have accomplished something. We are far more likely to produce good quality work whether tangible or intangible if we start in a timely way. Whilst some of

us can perform well under pressure or deadlines, it is still preferable to have the time to consider, reconsider and potentially improve what we are doing if we give ourselves the appropriate amount of time.

Working under the pressure of time constraints whether self-imposed or having deadlines is stressful and can be mentally exhausting. If we are over-tired or stressed it will affect our physical and emotional health and if we have learned anything from the current coronavirus crisis, it should be that our fundamental physical and emotional wellness contributes greatly to our ability to overcome this or any other affliction. So stressing ourselves over anything should be something we

take seriously and use sensible measures to prevent.

We have all had sufficient time, more than enough for most of us, to put it to good use thinking about how we will re-create a more normal life for ourselves; to dream, to plan and to visualise how to put those plans into action.

It will require some creative thinking, strategy, determination and a fundamental belief in ourselves as individuals and as part of a community. Whatever we can do positively to meet our own goals or needs will impact those around us.

As Edward Young also said 400 years ago: “Too low they build, who build beneath the stars.”

I like to believe that we have all, world-wide, been given an opportunity to re-think and re-evaluate our lives on a small and on a grand scale; to aim for bigger, positive goals for ourselves and for others but most of all to bring more balance back into our lives and reduce our anxieties where we can so we are better equipped to deal with unforeseen circumstances. Dr Hans Selye was a noted Hungarian-Canadian endocrinologist whose work focused on human stressors and reactions. A quote I remember is that human beings do not have an infinite capacity for absorbing stress; sooner or later if we have overdrawn our reserves. He compared it to going to the bank and finding you have no money left. Let’s really appreciate that time is finite and use it wisely.

If not you, who? If not now, when?

• Victoria Sarne is an entrepreneur and writer. She headed a team to establish a shelter for abused women and children in Canada and was its first chairwoman. You can reach her at victoria.conversations@gmail.com, visit www. lifelineswritingservice.com or call 467-1178.

Spinster, old maid or self-partnered

Why words for single women have changed through time

By AMY FROIDE Professor of History, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (THE CONVERSATION) - In an interview with Vogue last year, actress Emma Watson (“Harry Potter”, “Beauty and the Beast”) opened up about being a single 30-year-old woman. Instead of calling herself single, however, she used the word “self-partnered.”

I’ve studied and written about the history of single women, and this is the first time I am aware of “selfpartnered” being used. We’ll see if it catches on, but if it does, it will join the ever-growing list of words used to describe single women of a certain age.

Women who were once called spinsters eventually started being called old maids. In 17th-century New England, there were also words like “thornback” – a sea skate covered with thorny spines – used to describe single women older than 25.

Attitudes toward single women have repeatedly shifted – and part of that attitude shift is reflected in the names given to unwed women.

The rise of the ‘singlewoman’ Before the 17th century, women who weren’t married were called maids, virgins or “puella,” the Latin word for “girl.” These words emphasized youth and chastity, and they presumed that women would only be single for a small portion of their life – a period of “pre-marriage.”

But by the 17th century, new terms, such as “spinster” and “singlewoman,” emerged.

What changed? The numbers of unwed women – or women who simply never married – started to grow.

A 1797 print depicts three ‘old maids’ leading strings of apes in hell.

In the 1960s, demographer John Hajnal identified the “Northwestern European Marriage Pattern,” in which people in northwestern European countries such as England started marrying late – in their 30s and even 40s. A significant proportion of the populace didn’t marry at all. In this region of Europe, it was the norm for married couples to start a new household when they married, which required accumulating a certain amount of wealth.

Like today, young men and women worked and saved money before moving into a new home, a process that often delayed marriage. If marriage were delayed too long – or if people couldn’t accumulate enough wealth – they might not marry at all.

Now terms were needed for adult single women who might never marry. The term spinster transitioned from describing an occupation that employed many

women – a spinner of wool – to a legal term for an independent, unmarried woman.

Single women made up, on average, 30 percent of the adult female population in early modern England. My own research on the town of Southampton found that in 1698, 34.2 percent of women over 18 were single, another 18.5 percent were widowed, and less than half, or 47.3 percent, were married.

Many of us assume that past societies were more traditional than our own, with marriage more common.

But my work shows that in 17thcentury England, at any given time, more women were unmarried than married. It was a normal part of the era’s life and culture.

The pejorative ‘old maid’ In the late 1690s, the term old maid became common. The expression emphasizes the paradox of

Online programme helps kids relax and learn non-traditional skills

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Writer acadet@tribunemedia.net Every Saturday for the past five weeks, Maylene Bowe and her team of women have provided a platform for kids who are currently stuck at home to be both entertained and educated in non-traditional and nonacademic skills.

Through the Zoom app, her “Once Upon A Child 242” organisation has given them a space where they can share art, story times and games during the coronavirus quarantine.

“The ‘Lockdown Saturday’ series came about as a desire to give back to the children who regularly attend

the programme weekly. The idea was to give the children an opportunity to feel some sense of (normalcy) where they can see their friends and other kids,” Ms Bowe told Tribune Woman.

“The initiative serves to provide children with an event to look forward to after an intense week of virtual learning. It also provides an option for parents who are looking for activities to get their kids involved in during this time of quarantine. Parents can be confident that for at least one hour during the week, their child is not just playing games on their phones or tablets, but engaging with other children in a healthy manner, guided by facilitators who are all educators.”

Ms Bowe, a teacher for more than 15 years who currently works as reading specialist at St John’s College, created Once Upon A Child 242, as an after-school enrichment programme that provides an outlet for children to relax and have fun.

“The programme is a perfect blend of stress relief and an opportunity for the children to be involved in learning non-traditional and non-academic skills. The idea also came after successfully completing the Camp Summer Fun 242 experience at the Tambearly International School during the summer of 2019.

One of the happy participants casually made the statement, ‘We should be able to do this every day’. This child’s desire prompted the journey

being old and yet still virginal and unmarried. It wasn’t the only term that was tried out; the era’s literature also poked fun at “superannuated virgins.” But because “old maid” trips off the tongue a little easier, it’s the one that stuck.

The undertones of this new word were decidedly critical.

“A Satyr upon Old Maids,” an anonymously written 1713 pamphlet, referred to never-married women as “odious,” “impure” and repugnant. Another common trope was that old maids would be punished for not marrying by “leading apes in hell.”

At what point did a young, single woman become an old maid? There was a definitive line: In the 17th century, it was a woman in her mid-20s.

For instance, the single poet Jane Barker wrote in her 1688 poem, “A Virgin Life,” that she hoped she could remain “Fearless of twentyfive and all its train, / Of slights or scorns, or being called Old Maid.”

These negative terms came about as the numbers of single women continued to climb and marriage rates dropped. In the 1690s and early 1700s, English authorities became so worried about population decline that the government levied a Marriage Duty Tax, requiring bachelors, widowers and some single women of means to pay what amounted to a fine for not being married.

Still uneasy about being single Today in the US, the median first age at marriage for women is 28.

For men, it’s 30.

What we’re experiencing now isn’t a historical first; instead, we’ve essentially returned to a marriage pattern that was common 300 years ago. From the 18th century up until the mid-20th century, the average age at first marriage dropped to a

low of age 20 for women and age 22 for men. Then it began to rise again.

There’s a reason Vogue was asking Watson about her single status as she approached 30. To many, age 30 is a milestone for women – the moment when, if they haven’t already, they’re supposed to go from being footloose and fancyfree to thinking about marriage, a family and a mortgage.

Even if you’re a wealthy and famous woman, you can’t escape this cultural expectation. Male celebrities don’t seem to be questioned about being single and 30.

While no one would call Watson a spinster or old maid today, she nonetheless feels compelled to create a new term for her status: “self-partnered.” In what some have dubbed the “age of self-care,” perhaps this term is no surprise. It seems to say, I’m focused on myself and my own goals and needs. I don’t need to focus on another person, whether it’s a partner or a child.

To me, though, it’s ironic that the term “self-partnered” seems to elevate coupledom. Spinster, singlewoman or singleton: None of those terms openly refers to an absent partner. But self-partnered evokes a missing better half.

It says something about our culture and gender expectations that despite her status and power, a woman like Watson still feels uncomfortable simply calling herself single.

of Once Upon A Child 242,” said Ms Bowe.

On a weekly basis, children ages six to 11, engage in activities such as yoga, art, and an interactive reading club, The Princess and the Book. Ms Bowe said students have also been involved in conversational French, character development, and Junior Achievement Primary.

She said she is always looking for new ways to engage the children in her care, and she said it has been “beautiful” to see the virtual Saturday sessions attract the attention of the general public thanks to social media. It has even reached children from Barbados, Canada and the United States as well.

“Bottom line is, we have fun every single week. Not only the children, but the facilitators as well. Our resident facilitators are myself, Ms Thurston, Ms Ramacola and Storyella242. We are constantly thinking and toying with ideas, but one of the things we would embrace is

collaborations with other children’s organisations, whether national or international,” she said.

“This time of quarantine, and by extension virtual learning, has been easy on no one. Everyone wants to feel like they are fulfilling their purpose daily. The facilitators experience that sense of fulfilment and enjoy themselves simultaneously.

Every Saturday that we see familiar faces and new faces alike, we know that we are blessed. With this knowledge we start every session with what has become our theme song, ‘Thank God I Made It’ by Frank Edwards.”

To keep up with the activities of Once Upon A Child 242, visit the organisation’s Facebook page or ‘ouac242’ on Instagram.

“When we get over COVID-19 and are able to utilise the parks and schools, we will be conducting ‘Art in the Park’ sessions for kids. Hopefully, a camp is possible this Summer.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed,” said Ms Bowe.

• This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com.

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, May 19, 2020, PAGE 11

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 69° F/21° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

A strong afternoon t‑storm in spots

A late‑night thunder‑ storm or two

An a.m. t‑storm; some brightening

Sun through high clouds

Rather cloudy with a brief shower

Times of sun and clouds

High: 86°

Low: 76°

High: 86° Low: 76°

High: 87° Low: 75°

High: 86° Low: 74°

High: 85° Low: 74°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

97° F

86° F

99°-83° F

97°-79° F

94°-75° F

94°-74° F

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 73° F/23° C

N

ABACO

N

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

10‑20 knots

S

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 73° F/23° C

8‑16 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 75° F/24° C

S

E

W

WEST PALM BEACH

E

tiDes For nassau High

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

MIAMI

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 74° F/23° C

7‑14 knots

KEY WEST

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 78° F/26° C

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 84° F/29° C Low .................................................... 71° F/22° C Normal high ....................................... 84° F/29° C Normal low ........................................ 71° F/22° C Last year’s high ................................. 88° F/31° C Last year’s low ................................... 67° F/19° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.01” Year to date ............................................... 12.83” Normal year to date ..................................... 7.61”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 76° F/24° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

N

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

6:23 a.m.

6:52 p.m.

2.3 2.7

12:29 a.m. 0.4 12:35 p.m. 0.1

Wednesday 7:03 a.m.

7:30 p.m.

2.3 2.8

1:12 a.m.

1:12 p.m.

Thursday

7:43 a.m.

8:07 p.m.

2.3 2.9

1:53 a.m. 0.1 1:48 p.m. ‑0.1

Friday

8:21 a.m.

8:45 p.m.

2.3 2.9

2:33 a.m. 0.0 2:24 p.m. ‑0.1

Saturday

9:00 a.m.

9:23 p.m.

2.3 3.0

3:13 a.m. 0.0 3:01 p.m. ‑0.1

Sunday

9:39 a.m.

10:03 p.m.

2.2 3.0

3:53 a.m. 0.0 3:39 p.m. ‑0.1

Monday

10:21 a.m.

10:45 p.m.

2.2 3.0

4:34 a.m.

4:20 p.m.

0.2 0.0

0.0 0.0

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:24 a.m.

7:49 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

4:39 a.m.

5:19 p.m.

New

First

Full

Last

May 22

May 29

Jun. 5

Jun. 13

CAT ISLAND

E

W

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

N

S

E

W

6‑12 knots

S

4‑8 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Today

almanac

E S

W

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

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.

W

N

uV inDex toDay

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

N

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 78° F/26° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N W

N E

W

E S

S

3‑6 knots

3‑6 knots

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

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS SW at 8‑16 Knots SW at 4‑8 Knots S at 6‑12 Knots SW at 4‑8 Knots S at 6‑12 Knots SSE at 3‑6 Knots SSE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots S at 6‑12 Knots SSE at 3‑6 Knots SSW at 8‑16 Knots W at 4‑8 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 3‑6 Knots SE at 3‑6 Knots ENE at 4‑8 Knots SSW at 3‑6 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots SSE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots S at 7‑14 Knots S at 3‑6 Knots SW at 3‑6 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots SSE at 3‑6 Knots

WAVES 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 1‑2 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet

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SECTION B

TUESDAY, MAY 19TH, 2020

The sweet treatment for your feet

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net

A

s the days of quarantine drag on, women need to ensure that they still find ways to

pamper themselves and escape the crazy.

While hair and nails may be the obvious body parts that need attention, it’s important not to forget your feet during your athome spa routine.

“We aren’t wearing shoes, walking around the house barefoot

and haven’t had our regular pedicures, and that can leave your feet looking like a hot mess,” Monica, a part time nail tech, told Tribune Woman.

But do not despair, there are some easy solutions.

“It can very easy to make your own at home treatment,” she said.

The main ingredients of a good foot scrub are something with an abrasive quality – which is the basis for the “scrub” component and something which can provide a moisturising element. Think, for example, brown sugar and olive oil.

Another great way to moisturise and pamper feet is the old sock trick.

“After your evening bath, just slather coconut oil or petroleum jelly on your feet and sleep in socks. Every morning, just give

your feet a quick pumice. Do this for a few consecutive nights and you will be very pleased with how soft your feet are,” said Monica.

Here are a few sugar-based spa treatments with ingredients you probably have in your cupboard already Soothing peppermint and sugar scrub The peppermint is considered beneficial for increasing circulation and relieving the pain of tired feet, and the sugar is the exfoliant to remove dry skin. Combine peppermint oil with half a cup of sugar and a few drops of olive or coconut oil.

Baking soda, brown sugar and olive oil scrub Baking soda may seem an odd ingredient, but soaking your

feet in baking soda can soothe inflamed skin, reduce irritation and itching while reducing any foot odours. As brown sugar is finer than granulated sugar, it easily dissolves in hot water, making it a great foot soak which will also aid in exfoliation. Use a teaspoon of each to make a paste or add to a hot foot bath and soak as you binge-watch Netflix.

Milk and sugar scrub Milk can be a great liquid for soaking and softening the skin of your feet ahead of a sugar exfoliation.

Just put equal parts milk and hot water in your foot bowl, soak for 10 to 15 minutes, and then add oil to your sugar for the scrub.

Vaginal steaming arrives in The Bahamas

By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net

Vaginal steaming has surged in popularity in recent years, and it seems everyone is suddenly talking about it – from celebrities like Chrissy Teigen who has been promoting the practise on social media, to Oscar-winning actress and Goop owner Gwyneth Paltrow, who caused quite a stir when she suggested women having a ‘mugwort v-steam’ is beneficial.

While scientific studies have not been able to prove that vaginal steaming has any real benefits, and some OB-GYNs actually warn against the practice altogether, it is an ancient method that has been used across Africa, Asia and Central America, and today can be found in many highend spas around the world.

The vaginal steaming practice involves sitting over a basin (or “throne” as some spas call it) of heated herbs, allowing the steam to penetrate one’s private parts. Popular herbs that are used include mugwort, wormwood, chamomile, calendula, basil and oregano. Some claim the steaming alleviates stress and reduces menstrual symptons.

Here in Nassau, this specialised treatment is available at the Contour Me Body Studio. And the studio’s owner, Marissa Coakley, is offering a virtual course all about vaginal steaming on June 7 for entrepreneurs who want to add this service to their business.

She said interest in vaginal steaming has been growing locally.

“Vaginal steaming, sometimes shortened to ‘v-steaming’, and

MARISSA COAKLEY, owner of Contour Me Body Studio, is offering vaginal steaming services to Bahamian women.

also known as yoni steaming, is an alternative health treatment whereby a woman squats or sits over steaming water containing herbs such as mugwort, rosemary, wormwood, and basil. It has been practiced in Africa, Asia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Central America,” said Ms Coakley.

She encourages ‘v-steaming’ once a month. However, the studio also offers ‘yoni kits’ to allow women to do it in the comfort of their own homes. However, doctors warn women to be careful when practising intimate steaming at home, as they could easily burn themselves.

“In Chinese medicine, for example, all the organs have emotional and energetic qualities. Likewise,

yoni steaming allows women to reconnect with their bodies in a positive, loving way which helps to clear blocked energy as it also helps with yoni (vaginal) wellness.

There is a wisdom worth exploring in practices that have been passed down from women for centuries,” she said.

For her studio, she said, she has developed a better way for women to experience a ‘v-steam’.

Ms Coakley said it is all about relaxation.

“I have developed a way for women to experience a positive and relaxing way to nurture and connect with themselves. This

takes place in our private, modern and tranquil setting,” she told Tribune Woman.

Ms Coakley said she has developed a passion for wanting to empower women to take back their power when it comes to the balance and healing of their own bodies.

“I am very inspired and passionate about changing women’s wellness experiences and lives,” she said.

It is the reason she launched her studio, so that women can have a place to go that allows them to give themselves much needed love and care.

“We know how much it means for you to feel confident in your body. It is about prolonging the simple joy of feeling your best.

Our mission is to help our clients accomplish these goals in a painless, compassionate and efficient way,” she said.

“Using the power of ultrasonic waves (and other non-invasive methods) to safely, painlessly, sculpt and contour your body.”

Ms Coakley said the studio is designed to serve regular, working, busy woman just like herself.

“We sometimes get so caught up in working and providing for our family that we neglect to take care of our bodies.

“At times we do not have an hour or two to go to a spa, so why not treat our body to luxury care in the comfort of our home. My yoni products allow for us ‘norms’ to feel luxurious and the royalty we are in the comfort of our own homes, while healing, nourishing, cleansing, detoxing the vagina and the body,” she said.