Taxpayers forecast to pay $50m on controversial PPP
BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIAN taxpayers are scheduled to pay more than $50m for the Government’s Eight Mile Rock administrative complex, built by a contractor and developer linked to the general election day plane crash drug suspect, due to a 48.8 percent surge in costs and a near-$17m interest bill.
Documents obtained by Tribune Business reveal that the price tag for the project, constructed by Top Notch Builders and its wholly-owned development vehicle, PPP Investments & Construction Company, ballooned from the $22.81m stipulated in the original deal - signed just one day before the 2017 general election - to $33.93m for a jump of more than $11m.
And, besides the almost-50 percent surge in construction costs that the Bahamian people now have to pay
‘Phenomenal’ job creation if economy expanded 3.8%
BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas would have seen “a phenomenal amount of jobs” created with the economy growing by almost 4 percent in real terms during 2025, a senior banker has suggested.
Gowon Bowe, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief executive, told Tribune Business he was not “discrediting or suggesting that the numbers are inaccurate” following Friday’s advance gross domestic product (GDP) growth estimates unveiled by the Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) but, rather, questioning whether they were comparing “like-for-like” in terms of measurement methodologies used and the amount of economic data capture. He spoke out after the Institute unveiled GDP, or economic output, growth estimates for 2025 that were up to a percentage point higher than those provided by both Central Bank governor, John Rolle, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
EMPLOY - See Page B5
All-in price tag jumped $16m or 48.5%, papers reveal
Near-$17m interest due to firms linked to drug suspect
back via the Government’s leaseto-own arrangement, the papers also reveal that taxpayers are scheduled to fork out a further $16.678m in “interest” payments over what is forecast to be a ten-year period. Combined, the lease and interest payments take the Eight Mile Rock complex’s total cost to the public to $50.608m.
The total price tag, and increase in lease and interest payments to PPP Investments & Construction Company and Top Notch, are revealed by comparing the original 2017 deal with documents filed with the Supreme Court at end-March 2026. The 2017
Leno bond hit less than 1/3 of target; Gov’t pays in-full
version pegged the total cost to Bahamian taxpayers at $22.81m in lease payments and $11.279m in interest outlay for an all-in price tag of $34.089m, meaning that the latter has now risen by more than $16m or 48.5 percent increase.
This newspaper previously revealed how Jonathan Gardiner, who is now in custody after being charged with involvement in a long-running conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the US, confirmed in a sworn affidavit that he was Top Notch’s president and director on February 13, 2017 - just months
CONSTRUCT - See Page B3
Pearl Island seeks dismissal of tourist’s leg-loss lawsuit
BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A BAHAMIAN excursion destination and boat operator are both urging dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a US tourist over the loss of both her legs to a vessel’s propeller after staff allegedly told her to jump into the sea to urinate after being “plied with unsafe amounts of alcohol” and drugs.
Pearl Island Investment Management Group, which operates the cruise passenger and tourism destination located off New Providence’s north-east coast, and Sun Cay Ltd are arguing that the south Florida
‘Brutally honest’ Budget needed to shift trajectory
BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas “is fiscally improving but structurally under-powered” as it enters tomorrow’s Budget, a well-known financial commentator is asserting, as he called for a revision to the 50 percent-debt-toGDP target’s timing and the start of an “honest conversation” about taxation.
Hubert Edwards, writing on his LinkedIn page, said that - despite the first Davis administration’s
federal court should dismiss the claim by Hannah Smith - which has attracted significant international media attention - on the basis that it has no jurisdiction over them since they have no relevant ties or connections to the state.
Ms Smith, in her amended claim filed on March 11, 2026, is alleging that Pearl Island “bartenders” also supplied and “encouraged” the use of marijuana while she and her friends were visiting on May 12, 2025, after arriving in Nassau on board the Carnival Celebration cruise ship. And she is also alleging that her drink was spiked with a
INJURY - See Page B7
progress towards eliminating the annual deficit and other forms of fiscal consolidation - the Bahamas needs to generate greater, sustained momentum from achieving higher annual economic growth rates than the 1.6 percent long-run average forecast by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Hailing the Government’s energy reforms as the potential “master variable” for realising greater gross
RELEASE - See Page B6
Ex-ambassador’s 20-year ban over ‘misappropriation’
BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas’ former ambassador to Bahrain has been banned from holding any meaningful post in this nation’s financial services industry for 20 years after confessing that he “misappropriated significant client funds”.
The Securities Commission, unveiling its May 21, 2026, “prohibition order” against Taran Mackey, determined that he is not “fit and proper” to serve in any financial services post requiring the regulator’s prior approval after he agreed late last year to repay monies taken from clients of his now-former employer, IPG Family Office.
The capital markets, investment funds and digital assets supervisor added that Mr Mackey, who also resigned from his position as a government-appointed director at BISX-listed Bank of the Bahamas after agreeing the repayment deal with IPG, did not deny the misappropriation claims levied against him and only challenged the sum said to have been involved.
Christina Rolle, the Securities Commission’s executive director, declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Tribune
TARAN MACKEY
Admitted to taking ‘significant client funds’ Commission passes probe details to police Ex-IPG, BOB director is not ‘fit and proper’
Business other than to disclose the regulator has handed over all information obtained during its investigation into Mr Mackey to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. “Whatever information the Government has in its possession, we’ve handed it over to the police,” she told this newspaper.
INVESTIGATE - See Page B4
HUBERT EDWARDS
GOWON BOWE KWASI THOMPSON
Fire devastates well-known gas station on Kemp Road
BY ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
A FIRE tore through the Kemp Road Service Gas Station early Monday morning to leave one of the area’s most recognisable businesses heavily damaged, and residents and officials rallying around the family who have owned and operated it for decades.
Lincoln Deal, newly-elected MP for Free Town, shared news of the blaze in a social media post, calling it an “unfortunate fire” and extending prayers to those affected. “Early this morning, our community experienced an unfortunate fire at the Kemp Road Service Gas Station,” he wrote. “My thoughts and prayers are with the owners, employees, nearby residents and everyone impacted by this incident.”
Mr Deal said he first learned of the fire from a constituent living nearby. “At this moment, we don’t know how the fire started,” he said. “I believe that the police are still investigating that aspect. But I do know it started around 3am. One of my constituents that live in the area actually sent me
a message and mentioned that the gas station was on fire.”
Mr Deal publicly thanked firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel for their response efforts, and encouraged residents to avoid the area as emergency teams work. The station’s owner, Cecelia Knowles-Rahming, said the extent of the damage appears devastating.
“It started early this morning, and there has to be an investigation to let me know how it got started,”
Ms Knowles-Rahming said. When asked about the level of destruction, she added:
“Well, I can say it’s total, because of all the water.”
She said from what she could see nearly everything had been damaged. Ms Knowles-Rahming was unable to provide an estimate of financial losses.
“To tell you the truth, right now I don’t even want to think about it,” she said.
“I just want to try to relax my mind, and maybe later think about it and try to figure things out.” She said her immediate focus is accessing and assessing the property once authorities determine it is safe.
“The first thing to do is to try to get it cleaned up,”
Ms Knowles-Rahming said.
“Actually, to see. The first thing to do, really, is to try to get in there. I was told not to go in because of all the water and oils, and the mixture of stuff that was in the building.”Only after a personal assessment, she said, will decisions about rebuilding be made.
Mr Deal described the gas station as “a landmark and a long-standing pillar in the community for over 50 years”. He said: “The original owner would have passed away, but his daughter runs the gas station,” he said. “She’s an amazing person.”
Mr Deal added that generations of residents have patronised the business. “There’s a lot of memories in that gas station,” Mr Deal said. “Persons who would have been sending messages would say, ‘From I was a child, I used to go to that gas station’.”.
Andrew ‘Blue’ Johnson, who ran as an independent candidate in Freetown in the May 12 general election, said: “This gas station has been a staple in our community for over 50 years, a place I and many others grew up visiting as children and still frequent now as adults purchasing gas.
GB Chamber seeks Gov’t and Port’s ‘collaboration’
BY FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
THE Grand Bahama business community is seeking greater transparency and consultation over reforms involving the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) and other development projects, arguing that investor confidence will depend on “visible progress” and clear execution plans.
The Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce, responding to the Government’s Speech from the Throne, urged the Davis administration and the Grand Bahama Port Authority to fully engage licensees and stakeholders over any proposed governance or economic framework changes,
warning the island “cannot afford to lose momentum” at a critical stage in its recovery and redevelopment efforts.
In a statement, the Chamber said while recent developments surrounding Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), maritime activity, tourism redevelopment and other proposed investments have generated “renewed optimism” about the island’s future, businesses still require greater clarity, timelines and visible progress on several key initiatives.
Ralph Hepburn, the GB Chamber’s president, specifically pointed to the importance of stakeholder engagement regarding any restructuring or reorganisation involving the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA).
“Given the significance of these matters to the future governance and economic framework of Freeport and Grand Bahama, we are again asking both the Government and Port Authority to engage with - and collaborate with - licensees and stakeholders as discussions progress,” said Mr Hepburn.
“Not only does this impact residents, their businesses and livelihoods but it remains a key component and requirement of the Hawksbill Creek Agreement.” The Chamber also said businesses remain eager for more information regarding several major redevelopment projects, particularly those tied to the Grand Lucayan area and broader tourism expansion plans.
While welcoming momentum surrounding the MSC development and
“For those of us on Kemp Road, this spot has been more than just a gas station. It’s been a meeting point, a landmark you pass every day, and part of what makes our neighborhood feel like home.”
Mr Johnson identified the business as a long-standing family operation. “I know the station has been run by Celeste, the daughter of Mr Knowles and Mrs Ruby, and it’s been part of the Knowles family for a long time,” he said.
“Celeste and the family, please reach out to me directly. I want to offer whatever support and assistance I can as you deal with this. This community stands with you.”
Many residents echoed similar sentiments, sharing personal memories and expressing hopes for recovery in comments under the social media post.
“Such an unfortunate event and a significant landmark in that community,” one commenter wrote. “I hope they are able to rebuild so that history can continue for many years to come.”
Another resident reflected on decades of patronage. “Been around since I was a baby. Praying
related tourism activity, Mr Hepburn said businesses still need a clearer understanding of how redevelopment plans will integrate with the wider Freeport economy.
“It is important that businesses and stakeholders understand what is planned so we can prepare, invest and participate – in a real way - in the opportunities being created,” he said. “A co-ordinated and holistic approach to redevelopment along the Lucayan strip will be essential to ensuring long-term benefits for Grand Bahamians.”
The Chamber also described redevelopment of the Grand Bahama International Airport as one of the island’s “most urgent and important priorities”, arguing that expanded airlift and improved international connectivity remain critical to both tourism and logistics growth.
Donna Jones, the Chamber’s first vice-president, said businesses continue to await clearer direction and visible movement on the
they can rebuild and push forward,” the commenter said.
Others remembered the station’s role beyond fuel sales, describing kindness from its owners, long-standing community relationships and its importance to daily life.
One former jitney operator recalled stopping there for diesel during early morning shifts, saying the owners sometimes extended credit when cash was short.
Another resident described the original owner as someone who “help build the Kemp Road community”. Mr Deal said his office intends to remain engaged with the family. “We spoke briefly, and we intend to continue the conversation to see how best we can be of any assistance and support,” he said.
airport redevelopment project, which has remained a major issue since Hurricane Dorian devastated Grand Bahama in 2019.
“Expanded airlift, reliable international connectivity, cargo capacity and the restoration of US Customs pre-clearance are all critical to tourism growth, logistics expansion and investor confidence,” said Ms Jones.
“While airport redevelopment has been referenced generally, the business community continues to look for greater clarity and visible movement regarding the project.”
The Chamber also raised concerns regarding the long-term future of the Grand Bahama Power Company ahead of the start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
Carina Ferguson, the Chamber’s second vice-president, said residents and businesses still lack details regarding the utility’s transition process, resilience planning and long-term operational strategy.
“Grand Bahamians are not yet privy to details regarding the transition process, infrastructure
As investigators work to determine the cause of the fire, residents continue mourning the damage to a business many viewed not simply as a gas station, but as a fixture of community life. “Free Town is strong, resilient,” Mr Deal wrote, “and we will stand together through this.”
resilience and long-term operational strategy for the Grand Bahama Power Company and this is, of course, vital to maintaining public and business confidence,” she said.
The Chamber further linked Grand Bahama’s development ambitions to broader governance and ease-of-doing-business reforms, including reduced bureaucracy, faster approvals, greater transparency and full implementation of the Freedom of Information Act.
Mr Hepburn said such reforms are essential if Grand Bahama is to become a more competitive and investment-ready jurisdiction. “We continue to advocate for our island, and for there to be genuine stakeholder engagement and collaboration,” he said.
“Grand Bahama has extraordinary potential and the opportunities ahead are significant - not only for our island, but for our country. However, realising that potential will require urgency, practical action, collaboration and sustained follow-through. Grand Bahama cannot afford to lose momentum at this critical stage.”
In the Estate of VERNON J. SYMONETTE late of #76/78 Killdeer Drive, Monastery Park, in the Eastern District of the Island of New Providence, one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, deceased
NOTICE is hereby given that all persons having any claims or demands against the above Estate are required to send the same duly certified in writing on or before 5:00pm on Friday the 15th day of May, A.D., 2026.
NOTICE is hereby given that after the expiration of the time mentioned above, the assets of the late VERNON J. SYMONETTE will be distributed among the persons entitled thereto having regard only to the claims of which the Executors of the Estate shall then have had Notice.
AND NOTICE is hereby given that all persons indebted to the above-named Estate are required to make full settlement or arrangements with the Executors for the full settlement of the same on or before the date mentioned above.
Monique V. A. Gomez & Co. Chamber The Oschloe Building #73 East St. & Cordeaux Ave. Nassau,The Bahamas
REMAINS of kemp road gas station after fire.
Original plan called for 2% pts profit margin for PPP developer
before the Eight Mile Rock deal was signed on May 9 that year - although he denied owning shares, or having any beneficial interest, in the Adelaide Road-based contractor that was formed in 2002.
The significant increase in the project’s cost and interest bill are revealed in Supreme Court submissions by PPP Investments on March 30, 2026, as part of the ongoing legal action launched by Leno Corporate Services, the Bahamian financial services provider, which is alleging that both it and the Government have defaulted on repayments due on the bond it placed to raise funding for the Eight Mile Rock construction.
Besides the jump in the burden imposed on Bahamian taxpayers, which has increased from an originally-projected $806,394 per quarter to $1.158m, a hike of 43.6 percent in combined lease-to-own and interest payments, the Supreme Court filings also reveal that:
* Leno was only able to raise $8.107m of the $25m targeted by the bond, meaning that investors purchased less than one-third of the offering to make it less than successful. The bond was placed in the 2018 first quarter, yet Leno only informed PPP Investments of the outcome months later on November 6, 2018.
* The Government allegedly defaulted on the rent and interest repayments within one year of the leaseto-own deal taking effect.
Signed on August 8, 2023, this was made retroactive until November 29, 2022, and PPP Investments in its submissions alleged that the first missed payment occurred on December 31, 2023. This was just six weeks after Prime Minister Philip Davis KC officially opened the Eight Mile Rock complex, which is named after the late tourism minister and MP, Obie Wilchcombe.
* The default was not cured until Simon Wilson, the Ministry of Finance’s financial secretary, and who signed the original 2017 contract on the Government’s behalf, took action in July 2025 just after the start of the current fiscal year.
He told Alecia Bowe, managing partner of Bowe Partners and PPP Investments’ attorney, on July 9, 2025, that she should inform Leno that the Government would repay the entire $8.1m bond principal plus accrued interest owing to the Bahamian financial services provider within eight days by July 7. Payment happened much more swiftly, with the Government making full payment
of $8.121m to Leno just two days later on July 11, 2025. It is unclear whether the $8.1m bond’s early repayment will reduce the interest bill for Bahamian taxpayers, although this seems possible as the leaseto-own agreement between the Government and PPP Investments allows for “prepayment” that results in “interest payable on the [outstanding] balance” falling by a similar proportion. Mrs Bowe, in an e-mail to Leno’s legal representatives last July, wrote that “the Government of The Bahamas has completed its buy-out process for the purchase of the Eight Mile Rock government complex building” although it is unclear whether that means the full $33.93m has been paid or if just the lease-toown paperwork has been completed. Mrs Bowe did not reply to Tribune Business e-mails seeking comment before press time last night, but it is possible taxpayers may enjoy some savings.
PPP Investments, in its Supreme Court submissions, said that under the bond terms agreed with Leno it was supposed to make semi-annual payments of interest and principal on June 30 and December 31 every year for ten years until 2028. Interest on the bond was set at 8 percent, and failing to meet these payments was set to incur a “penalty interest rate” equal to 2 percent per year calculated daily.
However, PPP Investments’ ability to service the bond and make repayments to Leno was, in turn, dependent on the Government fulfilling its side of the bargain by making quarterly lease and interest payments to it under the lease-to-own deal. Combined, these payments were worth $1.158m every three months from the Public Treasury, and are spread over a ten-year period due to end on October 15, 2022, when “the purchase price [is to be] paid in full” and the Government’s obligations satisfied.
“On December 31, 2023, the second defendant [Ministry of Finance] failed to remit the payment due to the first defendant [PPP Investments] in accordance with the terms of the lease agreement,” PPP Investments asserted. “This failure resulted in the initial default and commenced the ensuing default period.
“As a direct consequence of this non-payment, the first defendant was unable to satisfy its corresponding repayment obligations to the claimant [Leno] under the financial agreement, resulting in a further default that resulted in penalty interest payments.”
Mr Wilson and the Ministry of Finance, more than 18 months later, moved into pay off Leno and the bond in full. “On July 11, 2025, the second defendant [Ministry of Finance] made a full payment of $8.121m, which included the principal amount and the interest accrued at the time, directly to the claimant. This payment satisfied all the sums owed under the financial agreement,” PPP Investments alleged.
If that is the case, it is unclear why Leno is continuing to pursue the Supreme Court action as indicated by the April 10, 2026, ruling by Adrienne Bellot, the Supreme Court’s acting assistant registrar, who determined that the case deserved a full hearing on the merits before a Supreme Court judge.
Mrs Bowe, in a July 9, 2025, e-mail to Devard Francis, the attorney for Leno, urged that the financial services provider discontinue its legal claim as the Ministry of Finance was settling the outstanding sum in full.
One explanation for why the action is seemingly continuing could be that Leno still believes monies are owed on the bond, especially the penalty interest payments for the default.
The failure to raise the full $25m via the bond, though, appears to have forced PPP Investments and Top Notch to revise their financing plans. Documents filed with the Registry of Records on March 12, 2019, show that the former obtained a $10m loan from National Commercial Bank of Jamaica, a Jamaican bank, via a mortgage that was secured on the 2.83-acre site at Eight Mile Rock.
The transaction was approved by the Minnis administration’s Investments Board even though the record shows several of its ministers had misgivings about the deal. Candia Ferguson, the then-administration’s Bahamas Investments Authority (BIA) director, and Investments Board secretary, signed off on the Investments Board permit for the Jamaican bank on December 3, 2018.
PPP Investments appears to have relied heavily on Jamaican, as opposed to Bahamian, financing sources for the Eight Mile Rock complex as it secured another $9m from Sygnus Capital, the Jamaican investment and alternative financing house. The disruption and changes to its financing plans may be one factor why a project, which was supposed to take two years to complete and be finished in 2019 according to the original 2017 contract, required another four
and only officially opened in 2023.
One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of the Eight Mile Rock complex: “There were issues over whether the project was properly scoped, there were issues with monies that were obvious. It didn’t meet the requirements of the agencies, and it seemed as if the guys ran out of money. There were a bucket of issues. It seemed to be something stitched together for political reasons. It didn’t make sense.”
This newspaper also understands that construction work was halted temporarily by the regulatory authorities because the type of concrete being used was not appropriate for a building of that size. Meanwhile, the original 2017 PPP contract shows that PPP Investments and Top Notch also planned to profit from the interest payments by Government as well as the lease payments - in effect, enjoying two profit or earnings streams; Documents studied by this newspaper show that PPP Investments’ original plan was to borrow $16.018m from CIBC Caribbean (Bahamas), secured on both the Eight Mile Rock complex and vacant properties that its 100 percent owner, Top Notch, had purchased in the Venice Bay subdivision in Nassau that were purportedly worth $4.436m. The interest rate on the bank loan was projected to be 6.5 percent.
However, under the terms of both the 2017 and existing lease-to-own agreements, the Government is paying PPP Investments an interest rate of 8.5 percent. That would have given PPP Investments an interest margin, or spread, of two percentage points representing pure profit on the deal over and above what was repaid to CIBC Caribbean but the terms with the Jamaican lenders are unknown.
PPP Investments’ tenyear projections showed the forecast interest margin, or profit, to range from an annual high of $805,521 to $80,375. In total, the developer was forecasting it would earn between $4.6m to $5m in interest-related profits from the Bahamian taxpayer over the lifetime of the deal. And its total profits over the first three years of the lease-to-own deal, based on the original timeline and 2019 completion, were forecast within a range from $2.173m to $2.551m.
One financial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Tribune Business that the interest payments add fuel to - and support - Free National Movement (FNM) accusations that the Eight Mile
Rock complex and other public-private partnership (PPP) deals agreed under the Christie and first Davis administrations are, in effect, off-the-books loans designed to keep debt from adding to the annual fiscal deficit and national debt even though they still represent liabilities for the taxpayer. They argued that the $16.778m interest bill showed that it was a loan, rather than a lease, as the latter does not attract interest payments. This, they added, ran contrary to the traditional PPP concept, where the private sector finances the up-front capital costs, and earns a return on investment while paying back any lender, from the revenue streams generated by public infrastructure assets they develop or services provided. The source also questioned whether a similar structure has been used for other so-called PPP deals, such as the Bahamas Striping road development contracts, with the private sector partner charging both the Government and Bahamian taxpayers an interest ‘margin’ or profit. And they argued that it would have been cheaper, and less costly for Bahamian taxpayers, if the Government had borrowed the money itself rather than left it to PPP Investments.
“The question that has to be asked is what is the Government paying interest on?” the source said. “Is it really a lease? The only thing that accrues interest is debt. The entire purpose of these arrangements, on the face of it, is nothing more than off-the-books debt. They [PPP Investments] made money on the construction and money on the interest rate as well with arbitrage on the different rates they were looking to secure.
“This makes a mockery of any notion of it being a PPP. For what purpose is interest charged? Interest is paid on a debt. What are you paying interest on? That’s no lease. The Government is borrowing from the owner and paying it off over ten years. There’s no lease-to-own.
The Government has borrowed from the builder. A lease doesn’t have any principal or interest. Principal applies to a loan.
“Why didn’t the Government go to the market and borrow the money itself when it could have got it for less?” the source added.
“What’s the advantage to the Government of going with this approach and not borrowing the money itself? The only answer is you are taking on debt undetected. You are saddling the Bahamian people with millions of dollars in principal and interest payments. A PPP
is to avoid this very thing - saddling the Bahamian people with debt.” Tribune Business records show that, just over three months after Leno launched legal proceedings on the Eight Mile Rock administrative complex bond, the arrangement suddenly appeared in the Government’s 2025-2026 Budget - not as a rental payment but, rather, a loan debt.
The deal appeared under the ‘public debt servicinginterest and other charges’ heading, noting a $33.93m, ten-year loan due to PPP Investments & Construction Company even though this debt was supposed to have been serviced by rental payments. The PPP had been billed as a leaseto-own structure where the Government would pay back the company and its lenders via rental payments. However, it has now appeared in the Government’s books as a “loan” that has to be repaid by Bahamian taxpayers. Some $2.308m is due to be paid in 2025-2026, with payments of $2.094m and $1.874m due in 2026-2027 and 2027-2028, respectively. One source said tomorrow’s 2027-2028 Budget should be scrutinised carefully to see if this is still included, and whether the $8.1m due to Leno has been recorded.
Prime Minister Philip Davis KC, speaking at the November 13, 2023, Eight Mile Rock complex’s opening one month before the Government defaulted, said: “Ground was first broken on this administrative complex in December 2016.
“Then-prime minister Christie was instrumental in seeing this vision through –a vision which sought to do better by Grand Bahamians. By signing a contract with Top Notch Builders, the PLP administration of the day embarked on a pioneering and fiscally prudent public-private partnership. This was ideal because such partnerships free the Government from the burden of borrowing while still allowing us to deliver important change.”
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COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS IN THE SUPREME COURT Common Law & Equity Division
2025/CLE/qui/01072
B E T W E E N
IN THE MATTER of Quieting Titles Act, 1959 AND IN THE MATTER OF the Petition of STEPHANIE LOUISE BURROWS-McKENZIE AND Schedule
ALL THAT tract of land containing an area of 31,430 square feet situate 150 feet south of Step Street and approximately 400 feet west of Grant Street in the Eastern District of the Island of New Providence one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
NOTICE
STEPHANIE LOUISE BURROWS-McKENZIE, the Petitioner claims to be the owner of the tract of land hereinbefore described and has made application to the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas under Section 3 of the Quieting Titles Act to have the title to the said tract of land investigated and the nature and extent thereto determined and declared in a Certificate of Title to be granted by the Court in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Copies of the Plan showing the position boundaries and shape marks and dimensions of the said tract of land may be inspected during normal working hours at the following places:-
(1) The Registry of the Supreme Court, British American Financial Building, George Street, Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas, and (2) Trinity Chambers, No. 27 Thomas Road, Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas.
Notice is hereby given that any person or persons having a right of Dower or an adverse claim not recognized in the Petition shall within thirty (30) days after the appearance of the Notice herein file in the Registry of the Supreme Court in the City of Nassau aforesaid and serve on the Petitioner of the undersigned a Statement of Claim in the prescribed form, verified by an Affidavit to be filed therewith.
Failure of any such person to file and serve a Statement of Claim within thirty (30) days herein will operate as a bar to such claim.
Dated this 28th day of April, A.D., 2026
Trinity Chambers
TRINITY CHAMBERS.
No. 27 Thomas Road Nassau, N.P., The Bahamas Attorneys for the Petitioner
Ex-Bahamas diplomat is barred from posts needing regulator nod
It is unclear whether Mr Mackey could thus face a police probe and possible criminal charges over the client funds misappropriation. The value of the monies taken was not disclosed in the Securities Commission order, and some sources - speaking on condition of anonymitysuggested that the culprit himself may not know the true figure.
However, the regulator’s disclosure confirms why Mr Mackey suddenly stepped down from both his diplomatic post and Bank of The Bahamas directorship between Christmas and New Year 2025 with little to no explanation. “I have made this decision to focus on resolving a private
matter,” he said in a statement at the time.
Tribune Business sources had alleged then that Mr Mackey had resigned over the misappropriation of client funds but this could not be confirmed and no one wanted to speak ‘on the record’. He had spent just eight months in his role as The Bahamas’ ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, a Middle East state, and a similar duration on Bank of The Bahamas’ Boardwhere he was hailed as the institution’s youngest-ever director in a government statement.
The Securities Commission took action after Mr Mackey reached a November 22, 2025, settlement and repayment agreement with IPG, his former employer, “wherein [he] agreed to repay significant client funds he
acknowledged, therein, to have misappropriated”.
A hearing involving Mr Mackey then took place on March 12, 2026, at the Securities Commission’s East Bay Street offices after submissions were made on his behalf by his attorney the previous day. Mr Mackey had been employed by IPG Family Office as its managing director, and the regulator found that he had abused his position of trust and breached his fiduciary duty to the company’s high net worth clients.
“Upon considering that Mr Mackey did not deny the allegations but, rather, objected to the amount of client funds alleged to have been misappropriated by him while employed by IPG, using his position of considerable trust, to do so, the Commission has determined that Mr
Taran Mackey would not be fit and proper to serve in any capacity requiring the approval and/or consent of the Commission,” the Securities Commission determined in its ‘prohibition order’.
“It is hereby ordered that, pursuant to section 148(d) and (u) of the Securities Industry Act 2024, in light of the nature and gravity of this matter, Mr Taran Mackey is hereby prohibited for 20 years from engaging in any financial activity whatsoever requiring the Commission’s knowledge, consent, approval or otherwise, whether it be for himself or on his behalf personally, or for a regulated company. This final decision is effective immediately.”
The order was signed by retired Supreme Court justice, K. Neville Adderley, in his capacity as Securities Commission chairman. The order appears to have been carefully crafted, as it does not impose a total Bahamian financial services industry ban on Mr Mackey, but instead bars him from any post that he will need the regulator’s permission or go-ahead to hold - in other words, prohibiting hin from having access to, and decision-making power over, client and firm monies.
Mr Mackey’s former employer, IPG Family Office, was founded by Andrew Law, former head of Credit Suisse Trust (Bahamas), ex-Association
of International Banks and Trust Companies (AIBT) chief, and founder of the annual Nassau Conference on financial services. Mr Law did not respond to a Tribune Business e-mail seeking comment yesterday.
IPG provides a comprehensive range of wealth and asset management, and trust and estate planning, services ranging from company formation through to family offices, executive entities, foundations and the provision of protector services to watch over trustees as they supervise trust assets. Mr Mackey’s Bank of the Bahamas biography described IPG Family Office, which provides its services to high net worth international clients, as having more than $2bn in assets under administration.
The Bahamas, from the perspective of reputation integrity, as a jurisdiction appears to have escaped any wider fall-out from Mr Mackey’s actions so far. His resignation from the ambassadorial post, as well as IPG Family Office and Bank of The Bahamas, came just months after Mr Mackey launched a variety of investments and business ventures.
Prominent among them is the Bimini Semi Submarine Adventures - the red-coloured, transparent bottom submarine that gives tours of the ocean floor on Bimini. Newly-re-appointed foreign affairs minister, Fred
Mitchell, posted a photo of himself and Mr Mackey on board the submarine on October 12, 2025, which was taken just weeks before the latter agreed his settlement with IPG and only two months before he resigned his ambassadorial post.
“Congratulations to Ambassador Taran Mackey and his new investment in Bimini Semi Submarine Adventures,” Mr Mitchell posted. “Beginning 1 November, 2025, tours of the ocean floor around Bimini $100 all in. This is how we do it.”
Tribune Business had also reported in September 20205 how Mr Mackey had created Coconut Stock Bahamas (CSB), the local franchise for Coconut Stock, which custom brands fresh coconuts for events, venues and businesses.
“Our coconuts aren’t just a beverage, they’re an experience,” said Mr Mackey, its president. “We’re here to help hotels, cruise lines and event planners surprise and delight their guests with something that feels fresh, fun and unforgettable.” To celebrate its launch, Coconut Stock Bahamas said had partnered with Hands for Hunger to debut at Paradise Plates, the non-profit’s signature fundraiser.
There is no evidence, proof or confirmation that the client funds misappropriated were used to finance either Bimini Semi Submarine Adventures or Coconut Stock Bahamas.
MP: ‘Warning signs’ on retail, household spend contribution
Its 3.8 percent real GDP growth estimate, using a measurement that strips out the effects of inflation, suggests the Bahamian economy enjoyed strong economic expansion and job-creating activity last year. This exceeds both Mr Rolle’s projection of Bahamian economic growth “at a rate close to 3 percent” in 2025, and the IMF’s own 2.8 percent forecast.
The data unveiled by the Institute also showed
The Bahamas’ economic output increased by more than half-a-billion dollars in 2025, rising by $557.6m from $14.671bn in 2024 to $15.229bn last year. This nation’s nominal growth rate, which includes the impact of inflation, was even higher at 7.1 percent.
However, Kwasi Thompson, the east Grand Bahama MP, yesterday challenged whether all Bahamians were feeling, seeing and enjoying tangible benefits from the growth projected by the Institute. And he noted that real economic output in key sectors such retail, wholesale and motor vehicle repairs was down compared to 2024 numbers, while household consumption spending was relatively flat in 2025, growing by just $25.6m year-over-year to hit $8.411bn.
“The latest GDP report from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute confirms that the Bahamian economy continued to grow in 2025, and every Bahamian should want to see our country succeed,” he told Tribune Business. “But the truth is this: Far too many Bahamians are still not feeling the benefits of this growth in
their every day lives. Yes, the economy grew. But so did the pressure on families trying to afford groceries, electricity, rent and basic necessities.”
Mr Bowe made similar, but more nuanced, points. He said that the respective nominal and real GDP growth rates of 7.3 percent and 3.8 percent signalled that The Bahamas had suffered a 3.5 percent inflation rate in 2025, yet he argued that this indicator declined in 2025 as the full impact of the Trump tariffs was not truly felt and oil prices remained relatively stable prior to the start of this year’s Middle East conflict. “No one’s saying we had inflation at 4 percent and, equally, to say we had nominal growth of 7 percent, that would be a phenomenal amount of jobs in terms of activity,” the Fidelity chief said. “The question I ask is which sector is seeing that?” The national Bahamian unemployment rate even spiked at 10.8 percent in the 2025 first quarter before dropping to 9.3 percent in the second, but no major hiring or job-creating surge was reported or seemed apparent.
Focusing on tourism, Mr Bowe said: “We have a number of hotels in renovation or the redevelopment stage. We had Exuma (Sandals) closed for 2025, we have had Atlantis’ Beach Towers closed for quite a while. Certainly, when we look at the tourism numbers, we had flat or contracting stopover visitors and all the growth coming in cruise passengers and no increase in cruise passenger spending.
“If tourism is 60 percent of the economy, did we see growth in tourism-related
businesses and an expansion of properties? It’s not a negative that we see a lot of properties in the development stage. But we have challenges with airlift to the Family Islands and airport connectivity… We have to make the numbers make sense.”
Mr Bowe suggested another factor behind the strong 2025 GDP growth estimates may have been activity which, although known of for a long time, was not being properly captured or recorded until last year. As examples, he cited the cruise industry’s private island destinations, where the Government has sought to generate increased tax revenues, and the construction industry which remains the last sector without self-regulation.
“What was the activity we are seeing on a like-forlike basis to achieve this level of growth?” Mr Bowe asked. “It’s really to ensure that we temper the expectations of the population. We’ve had the general sentiment that we need a period of growth before we take on tax increases. The numbers suggest we should be in the business of taking on tax increases because the economy is growing at a fast pace.
“That’s not the sentiment from businesses. Businesses always take the most pessimistic view even when they are doing well. Certainly, the clarion call by most businesses is things remained rough during 2025. If we have that type of growth, is it the businesses misrepresenting that expansion or is this activity that previously existed that went unrecorded.”
Mr Thompson, meanwhile, said the Institute’s
report “shows warning signs beneath the surface”. He added: “Wholesale and retail trade, the sector most connected to ordinary consumers and small businesses, declined in 2025. Household spending barely moved. That tells us something important: Growth is happening, but many Bahamians are still struggling to get ahead.”
Value-added by the wholesale, retail and motor vehicle repairs sector fell slightly in 2025, declining to $1.597bn compared to $1.665bn the year before, while household GDP rose slightly from $8.385bn to $8.411bn. “The decline in arts, household employment and other community-based services suggests that while the economy is growing at a high level, many ordinary Bahamians and smaller service sectors are still not fully feeling the benefits of that growth,” the Opposition MP added.
“The report also shows that much of the growth came from tourism and finance, and increased government spending. Those sectors matter, but the Bahamian people are asking a bigger question: Where is the broad-based opportunity? Where is the relief for small businesses? We believe the next Budget must focus directly on helping ordinary Bahamians feel the benefits of economic growth.
“The Government should introduce more meaningful cost of living relief and measures to reduce electricity costs for families and small businesses. There must also be stronger support for small businesses through access to affordable financing, faster government payments, and
Could anything but profit steer AI? The
OpenAI
By MATT O’BRIEN
AP Technology Writer
trial offered clues but no verdict
THE trial pitting Elon Musk against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman made clear the two billionaires agreed on one thing: building artificial intelligence would require significant resources — and enormous amounts of money.
It may seem obvious now, as an AI-obsessed stock market helps finance a global construction boom of chipmaking factories and energy-hogging data centers to keep chatbots running, but testimony and evidence showed how people with outsized control of the AI industry were privately debating its costs nearly a decade ago.
“Even raising several hundred million won’t be enough,” Musk said in a 2018 email to Altman and other OpenAI co-founders about what he increasingly saw as a futile attempt to compete with Google. “This needs billions per year immediately or forget it.”
The soaring costs factored into the trajectory of OpenAI, which began in 2015 as a nonprofit dedicated to developing AI for the common good and is now a capitalistic enterprise valued at $852 billion. As San Francisco-based OpenAI and other AI companies move toward historically large Wall Street debuts, the trial also raised questions about whether anything but commercial interests can steer AI’s future.
It is possible to build big things only with nonprofit money, but in the case of OpenAI’s early years, the uncertainty around AI also made it a risky investment, said Karan Girotra, a professor of operations, technology, and innovation at Cornell Tech. Now, he said, investment in AI is no longer speculative.
“Now it’s traditional investment in something we know works,” Girotra said.
“People want your car, you need to build the factory ahead of demand.”
In his lawsuit, Musk accused OpenAI of betraying its charitable mission for building AI, saying Altman and fellow co-founder Greg Brockman went behind his back and unjustly enriched themselves. OpenAI, in turn, has said Musk
supported plans to form a for-profit company and filed his 2024 lawsuit to undercut the ChatGPT maker’s success as he built his own AI company, xAI.
The jury did not touch questions about AI’s future
The federal jury in Oakland, California, never got to deliver a verdict on the merits of the case, determining Musk’s lawsuit missed a statutory deadline and dismissing it Monday after a three-week trial.
But the trial put on record details of internal battles that presaged today’s societal and political debates over AI’s impacts and costs.
“It’s sort of hard to imagine at this point, given where AI has gotten,” testified Kevin Scott, Microsoft’s chief technology officer, as he explained to jurors why his company opted to invest billions of dollars to help build OpenAI’s technology after founding donor Musk quit OpenAI’s board in 2018.
“It was before ChatGPT,” Scott said. “It was before these remarkable things that are happening right now and so most of the people at Microsoft were very skeptical about whether or not all of these claims were going to materialize into reality.”
Microsoft, a defendant in the lawsuit, at the time was also looking for a way to compete with Google in AI research. OpenAI told Microsoft what they needed was more data and more computing resources — and if they had that, their AI systems would grow far more powerful.
“The things that they wanted and ultimately that we helped them do were very capital-intensive projects like building giant data centers, full of very expensive computers and networks,” Scott said.
Testimony detailed how costs limited options
It remains in dispute how much profit was the prime motivator for the shift to OpenAI’s capitalistic enterprise, which is not yet profitable but likely headed for an initial public offering as soon as later this year.
What is clear, however, is how the costs involved constrained the company’s options. More than five years before OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, the company had a breakthrough when it taught an
AI system to beat professional players of Dota 2, a multiplayer video game featuring ogres, centaurs and other fantastical creatures.
“Honestly, the world reacted to it somewhat less than I thought they should have, but to us internally, it really felt like a moment where we had shown that our technology, using
something called reinforcement learning, could take on an enormously complex task,” Altman testified.
OpenAI’s livestreamed victory against a top Dota 2 player at a Seattle competition in 2017 made the tiny nonprofit a major contender against Google, which was then seen as the leader in AI research.
reforms that make it easier to operate and grow a business in The Bahamas,” he added.
“At the same time, we need a serious national jobs initiative. Economic growth must also be matched by fiscal responsibility and accountability. Bahamians deserve transparency in public spending and responsible management of the country’s finances. The next challenge for our country is making growth meaningful, sustainable and inclusive.”
The Institute, in its statement, said: “Real growth was driven primarily by the financial and insurance activities; transport and storage; accommodation and food services and construction industries, which accounted for the largest share of the growth. In 2025, the value added generated through the production of goods and services in the Bahamian economy was estimated at $17.2bn in current prices, and $15.2bn in constant prices.”
Breaking this down, it added: “The financial and insurance activities sector exhibited growth, expanding by approximately $203m, which represents a 20 percent increase yearover-year. This upward movement was driven predominately by the insurance industry sub-sector, which experienced a growth in total premium income.
“The accommodation and food services sector increased by approximately $79m (5 percent).
The accommodation Industry was responsible for the majority of the increase in this group.
“The construction industry increased by
approximately $80m or 9 percent. This increase is mirrored in the rise of imports of construction materials. Preliminary reports of building construction statistics in 2025 indicate a growth in both the number and value of construction completions. The transport and storage sector increase by $47m or 7 percent. Marine transportation was the primary driver of this increase, leading by an 18 percent increase in its value added.”
The Institute, turning to the so-called ‘expenditure approach’ for calculating GDP, said: “Gross fixed capital formation or investments showed an increase in 2025 compared to 2024 of 8 percent. Building and infrastructure investments led this growth with approximately $228m or 9 percent, followed by transport equipment that grew by $83m or 50 percent.
“General government final consumption experienced real growth in 2025 of $188m or 9 percent when compared to the previous year. Government consumption is measured by the sum of costs. This growth contains a combination of wages and salaries; depreciation; and purchases of goods and services.
“Exports of goods and services increased by $107m or 2% percent in 2025 compared to 2024. This sector includes the contribution to the economy by tourism, which includes both stopover and cruise visitor spending and represents the bulk of total exports of services.”
‘Honest conversation’ required over Bahamas’ taxation needs
domestic product (GDP) growth ambitions, he argued that this nation needs a “serious strategic response” for generating faster economic expansion and job creation.
Turning to the fiscal situation, ahead of the second Davis administration’s unveiling of the 2027-2028 Budget in the House of Assembly tomorrow, Mr Edwards wrote that the 2030-2031 target for achieving a 50 percent debt-to-GDP ratio needs to be “revisited” and pushed back because its attainment is “not viable without either significant new taxation or expenditure compression [austerity] that would retard the very growth the country needs”.
Backing the Government’s focus on improving the financial performance of loss-making state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and reducing annual taxpayer subsidies to them, he added that this was “among the richest sources of available fiscal space” if it gets this right.
And Mr Edwards urged the Government to use the Budget to trigger discussion on the tax base that The Bahamas needs to finance its growth and development ambitions over the next 15 years. Calling on it to ensure there are sufficient resources to deliver on Speech from the Throne and campaign promises, he urged Bahamians “to treat stability as the floor, not the ceiling” and understand that the lessthan-2 percent long-term annual economic growth forecasts is a recipe for “managed decline”.
Arguing that the Davis administration is returning to office “with stronger political capital than any” of its predecessors over the past 30 years, having become the first two-term government since the 1997 general
election, Mr Edwards forecast that the 2027-2028 Budget is unlikely to see any major tax increases although some fees may rise to keep pace with cost recovery and inflation.
“On the revenue side, expect continued reliance on VAT, Customs duties and Business Licence fees, the established pillars of the tax architecture that has served the country well but remains structurally insufficient,” he foreshadowed. “There are likely to be increased ‘fees’ in various areas but no direct upward shift in any of the major taxes.
“Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT) will feature as a fiscal contribution from large multinational groups. But it is an instrument of response, not a structural tax reform. The country’s underlying revenue architecture, cyclically vulnerable and heavily consumption-linked, will remain the dominant feature.”
As for what Wednesday’s Budget should contain, Mr Edwards said: “The country needs a Budget that honestly confronts a prevailing reality: The Bahamas is fiscally improving but structurally underpowered. The IMF projects medium-term potential growth at approximately 1.5 percent, a growth rate which demands serious strategic response.
“Tourism recovery, financial services activity and construction have performed creditably since the pandemic. They cannot, on their own, eliminate the structural deficit in growth potential. The Budget should respond directly to this important reality.”
And, turning to the Government’s finances, he added: “A recalibration of the fiscal strategy itself would be valuable. The hard target of 50 percent debt-to-GDP by fisval year 2030-2031 should be revisited. That target, as currently configured, is not viable
without either significant new taxation or expenditure compression that would retard the very growth the country needs.
“A more pragmatic framework leans into growth rather than surplus accumulation, deploys deficit financing strategically and lays the foundation for productive investment. The Budget should, by its underlying policies, set out a ten to 15-year growth trajectory as its primary organising principle of fiscal policy. Surpluses should be targeted as by-product of a growing economy, not the objective that potentially constrains it by limiting spending in critical areas.”
Mr Edwards argued that “strict public sector corporate governance requirements, including those already documented in the Public Financial Management Act, supported by comprehensive board mandates, director training, Board and director evaluations, robust internal controls and risk management” are an essential foundation and pre-requisite for reforming Bahamian SOEs that
consume more than $500m (half a billion dollars) annually.
“Successful SOE reform is among the richest available sources of fiscal space. SOE inefficiency crowds out capital spend on infrastructure and productive investment, holds back the country’s ambition to improve its sovereign debt profile, and repeats almost perpetually annual outlays in this area too often represent catching up on what should have been done years earlier,” Mr Edwards said.
“Critical to SOE reform must be the underlying principle that all initiatives are geared at fundamentally shifting the prevailing culture associated with them and public sector. SOE reforms should be used as a sand box for application to the wider public sector.”
Looking ahead to meaningful long-term reform, Mr Edwards reiterated that execution is critical for the Government to deliver on its mandate. “An honest tax architecture conversation should emerge from this Budget. It need not introduce a comprehensive tax overhaul, and it is not expected to do so. It should,
however, frame the question publicly: What tax base does The Bahamas require to fund its development ambitions sustainably over the next 15 years?
“Delaying it does not defer the reality; it will only reduce the country’s ability to respond on its own terms. The Bahamas is rich with policy ideas but has not always demonstrated the administrative capacity to convert good ideas into lasting outcomes. Against this backdrop, the Speech from the Throne’s announcement of a National Investment Policy, FDI Compliance Unit, continued land registry modernisation and mandatory development approval timelines are important precisely because they target the execution gap.
“The Budget must answer a direct question, for citizens and residents, investors, rating agencies, the business community, and above all the generation that inherits what is being built today,” he argued. “That question is whether the country is prepared to treat stability as the floor, not the ceiling.
“Having regard for population growth, greater demand for public goods and services, and the geopolitical pressures already reshaping economic realities, a country that is stable at sub-2 percent growth potential is not holding steady, it is declining on a managed schedule.”
“The Budget must resource these initiatives concretely. They are part of the path to the new economic architecture the country needs. Great care must be taken to ensure they do not become unfunded mandates.” Mr Edwards said the Davis administration has a “genuine opportunity” to move The Bahamas forward, but needs to produce a Budget that is “brutally honest” on some of the country’s challenges and the strategies needed to “shift this trajectory”.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I, APOLEON DESAMOURS of Carmichael Road, Nassau, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 18th day of May, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that WESNEY JAMES SAINTIL of Sampson Street, Nassau Village, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of May, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I ALCENE ALCENAT of, Harbour Island, Eleuthera, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of May, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I ALIX BEAUCHAMP of 6th Street the Grove, New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of May, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I SHNYDER JOACHIN of Bacardi Road, New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 26th day of May, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
Visitor and friend allege staff ‘plied’ them with alcohol, drugs
sedative commonly used in sexual assaults - all of which resulted in her becoming intoxicated, and purportedly led to the propeller accident.
She has now been joined by her friend Brooklyn Pitre who, in a separate lawsuit filed with the south Florida court on May 11, 2026, alleged that she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed member of Pearl Island’s staff that very same day. She is also claiming damages for psychological and emotional distress caused by the sight of Ms Smith’s injuries, which left her friend’s “left leg attached only by a sliver of skin” when she was pulled from the propeller and the sea.
However, the south Florida court must now rule on the dismissal bids by both Pearl Island and Sun Cay, as well as that by Carnival.
Pearl Island, in its attempt to have Ms Smith’s claim struck out, simply asserted:
“This court has no personal jurisdiction over Pearl Island…. Pearl Island is a Bahamian company. All of its operations are conducted in The Bahamas. The May 12, 2025, incident giving rise to plaintiff’s claims occurred in Bahamian waters and has no connection to the state of Florida.”
Peter Rebmann, managing partner of Pearl Investment Management Group, which runs the destination, listed in an April 28, 2026, affidavit all the ways in which the company and its operations have no connection to Florida and the US. A similar template was followed by Sun Cay Ltd, which operates the catamaran that transports cruise passengers from the Nassau Cruise Port to Pearl Island.
“This personal injury claim involves a tragic incident in which plaintiff, Hannah Smith, jumped off the back of a catamaran in Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas when that catamaran was docked at a pier in
the Port of Nassau on May 12, 2025,” Sun Cay asserted in its dismissal motion.
“The incident occurred at the end of an excursion called the ‘Pearl Island Beach Escape with Lunch’. At the time she participated in this excursion, the plaintiff was a passenger on a cruise on the Carnival Celebration that left from Miami and made a port call at Nassau. Plaintiff and her best friend had signed up for the cruise to celebrate their recent college graduation.
“The issue before the court is whether personal jurisdiction - whether general or specific - exists in this case over Sun Cay. General personal jurisdiction.. does not exist over Sun Cay in Florida given that it only has two connections to the sate of Florida - its purchase of insurance through a Florida-based insurance broker, and its contracts with the Florida-based cruise lines. Nevertheless, having such business relationships alone with the Florida-based cruise lines is insufficient to render Sun Cay subject to general jurisdiction in the state of Florida.”
However, the allegations made by Ms Smith and her friend are not a good look for Bahamian tourism, which remains this country’s largest industry. “Plaintiff’s claims arise from a catastrophic and life-altering incident during a Carnival-marketed shore excursion to Pearl Island/ Sun Cay in Nassau, Bahamas,” Ms Smith claims in her lawsuit.
“What began as a celebratory cruise, taken just two weeks after plaintiff graduated summa cum laude from college, quickly devolved when plaintiff and her best friend took part in the promoted ‘Pearl Island Beach Escape with Lunch’ Carnival adventure excursion.
“There, Pearl Island/ Sun Cay bartenders plied plaintiff, her best friend and another young woman with copious and unsafe
amounts of alcohol, including multiple large mixed drinks and repeated ‘litre pours’ dispensed on a ‘complimentary’ basis from plastic liquor bottles, furnished and encouraged use of marijuana and, as recently discovered, surreptitiously spiked the mixed litre-pour drinks with a drug-facilitated-sexual-assault (“DFSA”) and sedating substance known to impair alertness, cognitive functioning and judgment,” the action alleges.
“In the grossly impaired condition caused by defendants’ conduct, plaintiff was then exposed to the additional hazard of an unsafe catamaran ferry. The ferry’s captain, a Sun Cay employee, failed to properly tie off the vessel and instead periodically used its engines to manoevere and hold the ferry in position adjacent to the pier while passengers disembarked.
“After being told on separate occasions that ‘the ocean is your toilet’ and to ‘use the water [to urinate]’, plaintiff entered the water at the aft of the ferry and was sucked into the vessel’s propeller, suffering a traumatic amputation of her left leg below the knee and devastating lacerations to her right leg,” Ms Smith and her attorneys asserted.
“Despite repeated efforts to save the right leg, Plaintiff underwent three successive surgical amputations of that leg - first below the knee, then above the knee with removal of the femur, and ultimately the amputation of the entire right leg. A previously healthy young woman, plaintiff now faces permanent bilateral lower-extremity loss, profound pain and suffering, extensive future medical care, prosthetics and lifelong psychological and physical consequences.”
Ms Pitre, too, in her separate lawsuit is alleging that she was left in a “grossly
impaired condition” and a later toxicology test showed she was “positive for the same DFSA substance found in Hannah Smith”. She is also alleging that a “supervisor/bartender positioned himself behind [her] in a private, isolated cabana and pressed his hands and groin against her buttocks without her consent.
Recalling the accident, Ms Pitre alleged in her claim: “After Hannah Smith was directed to enter the water from the aft diver platform to relieve herself and was sucked into the ferry’s starboard propeller, suffering a near-traumatic amputation of her left leg below the knee, plaintiff - herself in zone of danger of the same propeller- single-handedly grabbed Hannah Smith’s extended hand to prevent her from being pulled back into the still-running propeller.
“A good Samaritan assisted plaintiff, and lifted Hannah Smith on to the swim platform with the lower portion of Hannah Smith’s left leg attached only by a sliver of skin. Plaintiff was covered in Hannah Smith’s blood.
Plaintiff continued to render aid as Hannah Smith was moved aboard the vessel and ultimately transferred to emergency-medical-services personnel and a rescue vehicle for transport to a Nassau hospital.
“As a direct and proximate result of defendants’
conduct, plaintiff sustained direct toxicological and physical injury, and severe and permanent emotional and psychological injury, manifesting in symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.”
NOTICE
WBORTOLUCCI HOLDINGS LTD.
Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration number 206093 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 21st day of May A.D. 2026.
Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator MR. WILSON BORTOLUCCI, whose address is Rua Jose de Paula, 321, Apt 151, CEP: 13840-050, Mogi– Guacu, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 21st day of June A.D. 2026 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is proved.
Dated this 21st day of May A.D. 2026.
WILSON BORTOLUCCI LIQUIDATOR
TENDER NOTICE
(PROPERTY SALE)
Tenders are invited for the purchase of the following:
Commercial building located approximately 321 feet South of Shirley Street and situated on the Western side of Village Road in the Northeastern district of New Providence Island, The Bahamas.
The property consists of:
• Commercial Building
• Property also occupied by Montague Motors
All tenders must be in writing marked “Tender” and addressed to the Receiver via email to james.gomez@ecovis.bs.
The closing date for submission of tenders is July 31, 2026.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
WELLNESS in The Bahamas is beginning to look very different from how it did even a few years ago.
For many people, health is no longer viewed solely through the lens of doctor visits, medication or physical illness. Increasingly, Bahamians are placing greater emphasis on mental clarity, emotional peace, rest, movement and creating lifestyles that feel more balanced and sustainable.
In a society where many people are juggling demanding jobs, financial pressure, caregiving responsibilities and nonstop schedules, the conversation around wellness has evolved beyond simply “trying to stay healthy.” For some, it has become about survival, burnout prevention and protecting peace of mind.
Across social media, wellness culture has also become far more visible.
Morning walking routines, beach workouts, journaling, healthier eating habits, therapy conversations and mindfulness practices are becoming more common among Bahamians of different ages.
However, many say the shift is not necessarily about following trends, but about recognising that the pace and pressures of modern life are forcing people to rethink how they care for themselves.
“I reached a point where I realised I was functioning every day, but I wasn’t actually okay,” said Andre Rolle. “I was exhausted all
the time, constantly stressed and mentally drained. I think a lot of Bahamians got used to operating like
body and mind start responding when you never slow down.”
For some, wellness has taken the form of early morning walks and outdoor exercise. Others have begun prioritising sleep, reducing stress, drinking more water, spending less time online or creating healthier work-life
Many Bahamians say they are learning that wellness does not always have to involve expensive lifestyles or extreme fitness routines.
How Bahamians are wellnessredefining
Hannah Foster-Middleton
Improve posture to avoid back and neck pain
If there’s one complaint I hear almost every day in the clinic, it’s this: “I woke up with neck pain and I have no idea why.” Or: “My back just started hurting out of nowhere.”
The surprising truth is that back and neck pain rarely appear without a reason. More often than not, the culprit is hiding in plain sight — poor posture, long hours sitting, and weak spinal muscles. Modern life has made us masters of sitting. We sit at desks, in cars, on couches, and hunched over our phones. Unfortunately, our bodies were designed for movement, not marathon sessions in front of a computer screen. Over time, poor posture places extra stress on the muscles, joints, and discs of the spine, eventually leading to stiffness, headaches, neck pain, lower back pain, and even pain radiating into the arms or legs.
The good news? Small daily changes can make a massive difference. In many cases, improving posture and adding a few simple exercises into your routine can dramatically reduce pain and help prevent future problems.
The Sitting Epidemic Today’s lifestyle is far more sedentary than that of previous generations.
Many people spend eight or more hours a day sitting at a computer, then go home and spend even more time watching television or scrolling through their phones. This lack of movement weakens the muscles that support the spine and reduces overall flexibility and fitness.
When spinal muscles become weak, the body starts relying on poor movement patterns and awkward
positions for support. Shoulders round forward, heads drift toward screens, and the lower back loses its natural curve. Before long, tension builds in the neck and lower back, leading to chronic discomfort. Fortunately, correcting sitting posture is one of the easiest ways to reduce stress on the spine.
Four Simple Ergonomic Tips That Can Save Your Spine
1. Stop Crossing Your Legs
Many people cross their legs without even thinking about it, but this habit can throw the pelvis out of alignment and flatten the natural curve of the lower back. Keeping both feet flat on the floor helps maintain proper spinal positioning and distributes weight evenly through the hips and pelvis. It may feel strange at first, especially if crossing your legs is second nature, but your back will thank you later.
2. Adjust Your Chair Height Properly Your chair setup matters more than most people realize. Ideally, your hips should sit level with or slightly higher than your knees. When the chair is too low, the pelvis tilts backward, placing extra strain on the lumbar spine. A properly adjusted chair allows the spine to sit in a more natural position and reduces unnecessary tension through the lower back and hips.
3. Support Your Lower Back
The lower back naturally has a gentle inward curve known as the lumbar lordosis. Sitting for long periods often causes this curve to
Tia Ferguson said: “I used to think wellness had to look a certain way. Social media sometimes makes it seem like you need luxury gyms, expensive products or these perfect routines. But honestly, some of the biggest changes for me came from very simple things like walking on the beach, getting proper rest and taking quiet time away from noise and pressure. I realised wellness is really about how you feel internally.”
Mental health conversations have also become significantly more open, particularly among younger Bahamians.
Topics that once carried stigma, including therapy, anxiety, burnout and emotional exhaustion, are now being discussed more publicly than in previous generations.
University student Kayla Moss believes that shift reflects a broader cultural change happening globally and locally.
“Growing up, people mostly focused on physical sickness. Now people are paying more attention to emotional health too. Younger people especially are starting to understand that constantly being stressed, overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted is not normal or healthy. I think we’re becoming more self-aware as a generation.”
At the same time, health experts continue encouraging Bahamians to focus on preventative wellness habits as noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension,
collapse, leading to muscle fatigue and pain. Using a chair with good lumbar support — or adding a lumbar roll or cushion — can help maintain the spine’s natural alignment. The support should sit comfortably in the small of your back and encourage you to sit upright without straining. Think of lumbar support as a personal assistant for your spine.
4. Position Your Upper Body Correctly Poor desk ergonomics are a major contributor to neck pain. Your keyboard should allow your elbows to remain bent at about 90 degrees, while your shoulders stay relaxed. Your mouse should sit at the same level as the keyboard to avoid reaching and straining. Perhaps most importantly, your computer monitor should be directly in front of you at eye level. Constantly turning or
tilting your head to one side places enormous stress on the neck muscles over time. Your head weighs more than you think — and the farther it drifts forward, the heavier it becomes for your neck muscles to support.
Movement Is Medicine
Even with perfect posture, sitting for hours at a time is still hard on the body. One of the simplest ways to reduce stiffness and tension is to move regularly throughout the day. Stand up every 30 to 60 minutes. Walk around the office. Stretch. Roll your shoulders. Your spine loves movement, and even brief breaks can prevent muscles from tightening up.
Adding a couple of simple exercises into your daily routine can also work wonders for neck and back pain.
Two Easy Exercises That Can Relieve Pain
diabetes and heart disease continue affecting large portions of the population.
Doctors often stress that regular movement, proper hydration, stress management and adequate sleep all play important roles in overall health.
Still, many people admit maintaining wellness can feel challenging in an economy where survival often takes priority.
Abaco resident Cheryl Bain said: “Life is expensive and stressful right now. A lot of people are tired mentally, financially and emotionally. So for many of us, wellness is becoming less about aesthetics and more about trying to protect our sanity. People are trying to find balance wherever they can.” That desire for balance is also changing the way some Bahamians approach fitness itself.
Rather than focusing purely on appearance or intense workout culture, many people are leaning toward movement that feels enjoyable and sustainable, including walking groups, dance classes, yoga and outdoor fitness communities.
Others say they are intentionally seeking slower, softer lifestyles after years of glorifying burnout and overworking.
“We grew up in a culture where people almost bragged about being busy and exhausted.Now I think more people are realising that constantly running yourself into the ground is not something to celebrate. People want peace now. They want balance. They want to actually enjoy their lives while still taking care of themselves,” Cherly added.
Sit upright and gently glide your head backward, as though you are trying to make a double chin. Keep your eyes level and avoid tilting the head up or down. Hold briefly, then relax.
This exercise strengthens the deep neck muscles and helps correct forward head posture caused by computer and phone use.
Performing a few repetitions throughout the day can significantly reduce neck tension and headaches.
Small Changes, Big Results
The reality is that posture is not about sitting perfectly stiff like a robot. Good posture is about maintaining balance, reducing strain, and keeping the body moving well.
Standing Backbends for Lower Back Pain
This exercise is excellent for counteracting prolonged sitting and slouching. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands at belt level to support your lower back. Keeping your knees straight, gently bend backward as far as comfortable, then return to standing upright. Repeat several times throughout the day, especially if you spend long hours sitting. This movement helps restore extension to the spine and can relieve the pressure and stiffness that build up from prolonged forward bending.
Cervical Retractions for Neck Pain
Cervical retractions — often called chin tucks — are one of the best exercises for modern “tech neck.”
The little habits you practice every day — how you sit, how often you move, and how you position your body at work — can either help your spine or slowly work against it. Back and neck pain do not have to become a normal part of life. With better posture, regular movement, and a few simple exercises, many people can stay active, comfortable, and pain-free for years to come. Sometimes the solution isn’t complicated at all. Sometimes it starts with simply sitting a little better and moving a little more.
• For questions and comments, call Hannah Foster-Middleton at 356 4806, e-mail genesisphysiotherapy@gmail.com, or visit www.physiotherapybahamas.com.
Photo: freepik.com
Photo: freepik.com
Miss Daisy sets sail with laughter, healing and faith
By JEFFARAH GIBSON Tribune Features Writer jgibson@tribunemedia.net
FOR 25 years, enter tainer and minister Terez Davis has used the bold and outspoken Miss Daisy character to make Bahami ans laugh through humour rooted in everyday island life and church culture. Now, through the upcoming “Cruising with Miss Daisy” experience themed “I’m All Churched Out,” Davis hopes to offer something deeper than comedy alone.
Set for November 26, the seven-day cruise expe rience blends entertainment, reflection and faith while encouraging people to rest, reconnect and recharge.
Behind the punchlines and exaggerated church lady antics is a message centred on restoration and spiritual reflection.
“The message is to a few different groups of people. Firstly, persons who are involved in church work can sometimes experi ence burn out when they are constantly pouring out without being refilled. This cruise is a call to get away from exhaustion and replenish your body, mind and spirit with clean fun,” Davis said.
“Secondly there are some persons who have been going to church but their experience has been far from authentic due to dead religion, church hurt or even disappointment and misunderstandings. This
its original purpose and
For Davis, the message also comes from personal experience. She openly shared that she too has experienced moments of spiritual exhaustion and disconnect.
“Yes I have personally experienced spiritual exhaustion and moments of disconnect but the promise of our Lord in the 23rd Psalm is that He our Good Shepherd will restore our souls. Rest and relaxation is a mark of trusting God. We must give attention to the needs of our minds not only to acquire knowledge but to focus on our Creator and pray for His wisdom, knowledge and understanding,” she said.
“Laughter is medicine to the soul. One night of the seven days you, your family and friends can let your hair down, that’s if you have hair, and get a belly full of laughter with Dynamite Daisy.”
Known for her quick wit and relatable humour, Davis said much of Miss Daisy’s comedy continues to come directly from real life experiences and observations within Bahamian church culture.
“Exactly the humour and commentary will come from real life experiences and Bahamian church culture. Just coming out of a general election, we also have some new and exciting material,” she said. Instead of presenting the concept through a traditional stage production, Davis decided
to build the experience around a seven day Caribbean cruise as part of celebrating 25 years of the Miss Daisy brand.
“As we continue to celebrate 25 years, we wanted to think outside the box and try something we never did. We know that persons go on vacations all year round so why not combine a trip that includes beautiful Caribbean islands like ours, inexhaustible pre paid good food with the bonus of Bahamian comedy,” she said.
“We are cultural ambassadors and proud to represent the 242 anywhere in the world so our Bahamian flag will be on display and on the night of Miss Daisy’s stand up comedy show our Bahamian cruisers will all be attired in either Androsia or Bahari outfits.”
While comedy will be a major feature onboard, Davis said there will also be moments intentionally created for deeper conversation and healing. One private session will specifically focus on preacher’s kids, often referred to as PKs.
“There will be an intimate and up close conversation with Pastor Terez Davis as a preacher’s kid. Many PKs as we are affectionately or not affectionately called are all churched out as well. In many cases we have been misjudged and mishandled,” she said.
“I am prayerful that this cruise will help to heal some of the wounds and trauma that we have had to endure for years. Our session will create a safe space for conversation and reflection.”
At its core, Davis said her hope is that people leave the experience feeling spiritually refreshed and reminded that they are loved.
“It’s my prayer everyone walks away knowing that they are loved by Jehovah God. If persons leave with a renewed faith in God and a resolve to come back home and make their homes, communities, work environments and churches Christ centered, then the cruise would have served a great purpose,” she said.
the bridal and formalwear industry at Buttons Bridal & Formal Wear in 1999 and is the fashion show choreographer of Bahamas Bridal Show. Mrs. Wallace is the voice of many bridal show radio and TV commercials and the brain behind “Girls Night Out,” a special event which started in 2014. Makeva also manages Lynx Brokerage & Cargo Services. Among locals attending the conference were Vandia Toote, romance general manager at tourism; Bahamas Bridal Association president and vice president Lesley Pinder and Jasmine Wright; and Kim Wallace of Template Bahamas, who was among 5 keynote speakers at the conference. Kim Wallace spoke on “How to Survive in a Small Business Market.” WSPI members and family visited her store during a 3-hour island bus tour.
WSPI’s membership comprise of 70 leading professional alliance of wedding expo owners, directors, and producers spanning the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, including The Bahamas through the Bahamas Bridal Show. WSPI members represent hundreds of consumer bridal show events annually, collectively reaching nearly one million engaged couples and tens of thousands of wedding vendors each year.
of the BBS for “satisfying the required criteria for show producers.” The conference was held May 4-7 and co-sponsored by The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Aviation
& Investments which provided welcome gift bags and a junkanoo performance send-off. WSPI members were greeted by Warwick Resort on Monday, May 4, with a cocktail reception. Out-going managing director, Joe Andretta, welcomed to the new WSPI 2026-2028 executive board Makeva Wallace, coordinator of the Bahamas Bridal
Show and Willow Events Bahamas, who will serve with 10 others. “Makeva is a fine addition to our board, and we look forward to great things from her over the next two years,” said Andretta. “Everyone loves her energy and personality.” Mrs Wallace is a multi-talented businesswoman who started her career in
Andretta says he remains “genuinely excited about the significant opportunity to spotlight The Bahamas as a premier destination for weddings and honeymoons across our extensive network of shows in the U.S. and Canada.”
“We were thrilled to feature The Bahamas at this conference and believe this collaboration with Bahamas Bridal Show and Bahamas Ministry of Tourism will create exceptional exposure and goodwill throughout our North American producer network and the global wedding industry,” he said.
MAKEVA WALLACE, 2nd at right, poses with new WSPI members
Loving mom in the twilight years
By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net
MOTHERS play a pivotal role in shaping society, providing a place of rest and comfort for their children long after they leave the nest and start families of their own.
It’s that ability to pick up the phone for some quick advice, or to share an anecdote about the day with the knowledge that the voice on the other end will always be there.
But what happens when those arms that once held you become limp and that strong voice of encouragement begins to soften.
“It can be really difficult to watch your mom get old, it’s the biggest shock to the system ever,” says 51-yearold Tanya.
“To me it was not a gradual happening, it seemed like she was running around with my children one minute and then she was this frail person I almost didn’t recognise the next.”
has attended her grandchildren’s college graduations and the eldest grandchild’s wedding. Her presence has shapped me in so many ways, how I parented my own children and now how I care for a parent in her twilight years,” says Maisie. Linda says her goal is to focus on now and cherish these years she has been given.
“There are days when you driving home and you are like I should go see Mommy or I should call her and the tiredness tries to creep in, but then I think how blessed I am and you know what, I turn that car right around or I pick up the phone and call her.”
And Linda, 58 says that it took the reflection in her daughter’s eyes to change her own.
“I see Mommy a lot, so she looks the same to me, I guess she got older, but so did I and she definitely is weaker. But when my daughter came home
Maisie, 65 agrees, “ My mom has been bedridden for the past three years. It has been an honour to care for her as she did me. But at the same time, I know that my time with her is possibly winding down. I feel myself wanting to tell her everything and have her tell me everything. We have talked my whole life almost every day and yet I know there is still more to say.”
after being away for eight months, she said ‘Mommy, Grammy looks so different’ and that forced me to really look at her and wow, she is here and she is for the most part healthy, but it does put things into perspective.”
May is a time to honour mothers and these women are grateful that they got to middle age themselves with the influence of their moms.
Tanya offers this advice to all daughters, in particular those of parents of advancing years,
“I had a friend die and she left three little girls all under 15 and I think wow their entire adult life will be without a mom and that is heartbreaking. I know I am so blessed that my mommy is still here. She was here to not just see her children grow up, but she
WEATHER REPORT
“Cherish the time you have with your mom, ask her about those childhood recipes and the family history and the gossip, love her, yes it can be so hard to watch her decline but hold onto her for as long as you both have left.”
Photo: freepik.com
Building beauty with purpose
By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter
TWO years after introducing her House Of Luxxe edge control product to the Bahamian market from Abaco, young entrepreneur Greneka Johnson has taken another major step in her business journey with the opening of a full storefront in Nassau.
For Greneka, the launch represented a physical manifestation of years of persistence, sacrifice and quiet determination behind the scenes.
“Opening a storefront in Nassau was a deeply meaningful milestone for me, both personally and professionally,” said Greneka. Personally, she said, it felt like a moment of fulfilment and validation, seeing something that started as a vision, built through faith, long hours, and dedication, finally come to life in a physical space that people could walk into, experience, and connect with.
The owner explained that moving into Nassau’s market required a different level of discipline and strategy. She viewed the transition as an opportunity to strengthen the identity of the brand while creating an elevated customer experience.
“Professionally, it marked a major step forward for House Of Luxxe. Expanding into Nassau meant elevating the brand to a new level of visibility and accessibility, and positioning in a more competitive and fast-growing market,” she said.
That vision became tangible during the recent grand opening, an occasion Greneka described as one of the most emotional moments of her entrepreneurial career. Supporters travelled from multiple islands and even overseas to celebrate alongside her.
“The love that I experienced that day completely exceeded anything I could have imagined,” she said.
According to Greneka, many of those in attendance journeyed from Abaco, the island where her business first gained momentum. Others rearranged work schedules, booked flights and made last-minute travel plans simply to be present for the occasion.
“One of the most special parts for me was seeing how many people truly made the effort to be there. I had persons who literally caught flights just to come into Nassau to celebrate with me. Some even flew in from the United States just to be part of that moment, which completely touched my heart,” she said.
While the celebration highlighted how far the business has come, Greneka noted that the road to opening the storefront was anything but easy. The project demanded extensive travelling between Abaco and Nassau, constant revisions and months of problem solving.
The entrepreneur revealed that the building initially arrived as an empty shell, requiring her to oversee nearly every detail from construction layouts to paint selections and imported materials.
“Every other week, I found myself travelling into Nassau to review progress, sit through meetings, review architectural plans and personally handle change orders as adjustments became necessary,” said Greneka.
She added that sourcing materials internationally and coordinating contractors across multiple locations tested her patience and leadership abilities throughout the process.
“Looking back, it wasn’t just a construction process, it was a test of endurance, leadership, and faith in the vision I set out to build,” said Greneka. Today, House Of Luxxe has evolved far beyond the edge control product that initially introduced many Bahamians to the brand. The business now carries a wide range of beauty and self-care products, including hair collections, skincare items and bath products. Greneka shared that one of the company’s strongest performing
the beauty and wellness industry.
“I definitely see franchise potential in the future. I also want to continue growing not only within salon suites, but eventually tap into the med and wellness side of the beauty industry as well,” she said.
Coming from Abaco has remained central to how she views success and opportunity. The Bahamian woman hopes her story encourages young Bahamians, especially young women, to believe that ambitious dreams are possible regardless of where they begin.
“I want House Of Luxxe to become a symbol of what’s possible for any
products has become its branded lace glue, which has developed a loyal customer base throughout the islands.
“It has become my number one product and continues to perform extremely well, building a strong demand across the different family islands,” said Greneka.
The expansion of House Of Luxxe’s inventory has also been guided heavily by customer demand and changing beauty trends. Greneka said she keeps a close eye on industry shifts through travel and social media while also listening carefully to what shoppers request in-store.
“Whenever someone comes into my store asking for something I don’t have, I take that seriously. I see it as direct feedback from the market,” she said.
Her passion for beauty, however, extends beyond trends and sales figures. Greneka described herself as someone who values quality and intentionality, qualities she believes should be reflected throughout the business.
“I don’t put anything on my shelves that I wouldn’t personally use myself. I believe in the products I carry, and I take pride in testing and experiencing them before offering them to my customers,” she said.
Even with a new storefront now operating in Nassau, Greneka believes the brand is still in its early stages. Her longterm goals include expanding House Of Luxxe beyond a single location and eventually entering additional areas of
young girl who grew up feeling like she didn’t have much, but still carried big dreams inside of her,” she said. For Greneka, patience has been one of the biggest lessons throughout her journey. Rather than rushing expansion plans, she focused on learning the business carefully before making her next move.
“Sometimes we want things to happen quickly, but there’s so much value in taking your time and building things the right way,” she said.
As House Of Luxxe continues to grow, Greneka said her faith remains the anchor behind every decision she makes.
“For me personally, God is the foundation of everything. Before any decision, before any move, before anything else, He is the
