HEALTHCARE THE FOCUS OF 2026 GOVT BUDGET
• $11.6m for Family Island clinics and an initial $20m to its proposed New Providence hospital
• Govt targets $470m revenue increase for the 2026-2027 fiscal period
• Moves to revive longawaited public sector pension reform as unfunded liabilties hit $3bn
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Government is tar-
geting a $470m revenue increase for the 2026-2027 fiscal period despite this year’s collection pace lagging 2024-2025, it was revealed yesterday, as it cut the forecast Budget surplus by 24 percent. Michael Halkitis, newly-appointed minister of finance, in his first-ever
Budget presentation told the House of Assembly that the lower surplus projected for the upcoming fiscal year - now $223.1m, as opposed to the previously forecast $291.4m, representing a reduction of $68.3m - was justified by the Davis administration’s decision to “prioritise the needs of the Bahamian people” by investing in healthcare improvements.
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
BUDGET COMMUNICATION 2026
New budget targets healthcare with clinic and hospital funding
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Davis administration yesterday allocated $11.6m to build and upgrade Family Island clinics and committed an initial $20m to its proposed New Providence hospital, as it faces persistent scrutiny over poor conditions, manpower shortages and limited capacity in the public healthcare system.
Finance Minister Michael Halkitis announced the allocations while presenting the 2026/2027 Budget Communication, saying the
government would invest in clinics in Abaco, Andros, Acklins, the Berry Islands, Crooked Island, Exuma, Eleuthera and Long Island. The clinic programme is intended to expand access to primary healthcare and reduce the need for Family Island residents to travel elsewhere for treatment.
Mr Halkitis also said additional resources will be provided to the Public Hospitals Authority to improve service delivery, support the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals amid manpower shortages and carry out targeted upgrades to key facilities, including
mental health services.
The commitments come as the administration remains under pressure over conditions at Princess Margaret Hospital, where healthcare workers have repeatedly raised concerns about ageing infrastructure, limited resources and staff shortages. Patients have also complained about long waits and bed shortages.
The Free National Movement has repeatedly urged the government to prioritise comprehensive repairs to Princess Margaret Hospital rather than building a new facility.
Despite those calls, the government broke ground
Govt announces plan to buy 40 fire trucks in new budget
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Davis administration yesterday announced plans to acquire 40 fire trucks, strengthen prison security and expand maritime defence infrastructure as it faces continuing pressure over emergency response capacity and public safety.
Finance Minister Michael Halkitis, delivering the 2026/2027 Budget Communication in the House of Assembly, said the government intends to acquire 20 fire trucks for the Fire Department and another 20 for the Airport Authority to strengthen emergency response and protect lives and property.
The acquisition comes as the government outlined investments across the country’s national security
institutions, including the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and the Royal Bahamas Police Force. For the Defence Force, the government plans to refurbish three patrol craft and the auxiliary vessel HMBS Lawrence Major, while acquiring another auxiliary vessel.
Mr Halkitis said the government will also continue development of the HMBS Coral Harbour Base and advance work at the Inagua Base to strengthen the country’s maritime presence.
The Budget also provides for the upkeep of navigational aids and marine lights to improve safe passage through Bahamian waters.
At the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, the government plans to construct a secure
exterior perimeter wall intended to prevent intrusions, deter escapes and disrupt illicit activity, including drug trafficking within the compound.
The announcement follows the government’s July 2025 groundbreaking for the long-promised high and medium security facility at the prison, after years of concern over outdated infrastructure, overcrowding and unsanitary slopping conditions that officials said failed to meet accreditation standards.
The project, estimated to cost $50m, is being financed through a public-private partnership and is expected to take two to three years to complete.
Mr Halkitis said the government will continue improvements to correctional facilities as the department pursues
in April on the proposed $285.25m hospital project on a 50-acre site in the Prepall tract.
The facility is designed primarily for women and children and is expected to include a trauma centre, medical-surgical wards, maternal and child health services, diagnostic and treatment units, same-day surgical suites, intensive care units, advanced imaging and the country’s first reference morgue.
The project is also expected to include a 510space parking facility and green spaces intended to support patient recovery.
It is backed by a $195m concessional loan from the Export-Import Bank of China at two per cent interest over 20 years, with a five-year grace period.
Mr Halkitis said the hospital project is supported
international certification, including upgrades to the remand centre intended to meet international standards.
The government also plans to introduce modern security technology, including cellphone jammers, to strengthen control and monitoring at the prison.
The Budget advances a Virtual Court Project intended to reduce inmate
by an initial investment of approximately $20m alongside international financing arrangements.
The National Health Insurance Authority is also expected to undergo several reforms, including expansion of the proposed Prescription Drug Programme, implementation of the Standard Health Benefit and improved data-sharing platforms intended to create a more connected healthcare system.
The government also announced proposed reforms affecting public officers, including a contributory pension fund under which employees would contribute three per cent and the government would contribute five per cent.
Mr Halkitis said the proposed system would
transport requirements and speed up case processing, while investments in medical and surgical equipment for the new correctional medical centre are intended to improve healthcare access for inmates.
feature individual accounts and additional protections for workers and their families.
“Our next steps in continuing this reform include finalizing the legal framework and tabling the White Paper today, marking another milestone in our shared journey toward progress and prosperity for all Bahamians,” he said.
The government is also introducing comprehensive health insurance plans for public officers, with three plan options intended to reflect differing healthcare needs and income levels.
Mr Halkitis said the government will cover a significant portion of the cost depending on the plan selected. The plans will also include vision and dental benefits, survivor benefits and options for family coverage.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force is also expected to receive replacement and newly procured generators for police stations and facilities throughout the country to maintain operations during emergencies.
Mr Halkitis said: “These investments represent a comprehensive approach to national security, strengthening maritime and land-based capabilities, modernising our justice system, and ensuring that our institutions are equipped to meet current and emerging challenges.”
Govt promises teacher raises and upgrades in new budget
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Davis administration has set out an ambitious agenda to for further education reform in the upcoming budget, promising salary increases for teachers, higher grants for special needs schools and major school upgrades.
Finance Minister Michael Halkitis also revealed plans to construct a new high school in Grand Bahama, describing the projects as part of efforts to ensure students have access to safe, modern, and well-equipped learning environments.
His comments came as he presented the 2025/27 budget in the House of Assembly yesterday.
The government has allocated $141.9m for the Ministry of Education, according to budget documents.
Under this budget, Mr
Halktis said key initiatives will include summer repair and upgrade programs across public primary and secondary schools to address critical maintenance needs. He also promised increased grants for boards of special schools, including the Stapledon School, the Center for the Deaf, and School for the Blind funded through the Caribbean Development Bank. He said the government will continue investing in technical and vocational education, digitising student records, and expanding funding for the National School Breakfast Programme. Regarding teachers, he promised salary increases under a new five-year industrial agreement with the Bahamas Educators, Counsellors and Allied Workers Union, effective July 1, 2026. He also pledged support for the completion of the
Bahamas Polytechnical Institute that he says would expand tertiary level technical and professional training opportunities.
“Madam Speaker, these investments go beyond infrastructure,” Mr Halkitis said. “They are about strengthening the entire education ecosystem by modernizing facilities, expanding access, and improving administrative systems. We are equipping our young people with the tools, skills, and opportunities needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world. In doing so, we are investing directly in the future strength and resilience of The Bahamas.”
Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, the new Minister of Education, Science and Technology, has said that his new role will focus on shaping the country’s future through youth development and national empowerment
BUDGET COMMUNICATION 2026
New budget targets healthcare with clinic and hospital funding
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Davis administration yesterday allocated $11.6m to build and upgrade Family Island clinics and committed an initial $20m to its proposed New Providence hospital, as it faces persistent scrutiny over poor conditions, manpower shortages and limited capacity in the public healthcare system.
Finance Minister Michael Halkitis announced the allocations while presenting the 2026/2027 Budget Communication, saying the
government would invest in clinics in Abaco, Andros, Acklins, the Berry Islands, Crooked Island, Exuma, Eleuthera and Long Island. The clinic programme is intended to expand access to primary healthcare and reduce the need for Family Island residents to travel elsewhere for treatment.
Mr Halkitis also said additional resources will be provided to the Public Hospitals Authority to improve service delivery, support the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals amid manpower shortages and carry out targeted upgrades to key facilities, including
mental health services.
The commitments come as the administration remains under pressure over conditions at Princess Margaret Hospital, where healthcare workers have repeatedly raised concerns about ageing infrastructure, limited resources and staff shortages. Patients have also complained about long waits and bed shortages.
The Free National Movement has repeatedly urged the government to prioritise comprehensive repairs to Princess Margaret Hospital rather than building a new facility.
Despite those calls, the government broke ground
Davis administration shares plans to buy 40 fire trucks
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Davis administration yesterday announced plans to acquire 40 fire trucks, strengthen prison security and expand maritime defence infrastructure as it faces continuing pressure over emergency response capacity and public safety.
Finance Minister Michael Halkitis, delivering the 2026/2027 Budget Communication in the House of Assembly, said the government intends to acquire 20 fire trucks for the Fire Department and another 20 for the Airport Authority to strengthen emergency response and protect lives and property.
The acquisition comes as the government outlined investments across the country’s national security
institutions, including the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services and the Royal Bahamas Police Force. For the Defence Force, the government plans to refurbish three patrol craft and the auxiliary vessel HMBS Lawrence Major, while acquiring another auxiliary vessel.
Mr Halkitis said the government will also continue development of the HMBS Coral Harbour Base and advance work at the Inagua Base to strengthen the country’s maritime presence.
The Budget also provides for the upkeep of navigational aids and marine lights to improve safe passage through Bahamian waters.
At the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, the government plans to construct a secure
exterior perimeter wall intended to prevent intrusions, deter escapes and disrupt illicit activity, including drug trafficking within the compound.
The announcement follows the government’s July 2025 groundbreaking for the long-promised high and medium security facility at the prison, after years of concern over outdated infrastructure, overcrowding and unsanitary slopping conditions that officials said failed to meet accreditation standards.
The project, estimated to cost $50m, is being financed through a public-private partnership and is expected to take two to three years to complete.
Mr Halkitis said the government will continue improvements to correctional facilities as the department pursues
in April on the proposed $285.25m hospital project on a 50-acre site in the Prepall tract.
The facility is designed primarily for women and children and is expected to include a trauma centre, medical-surgical wards, maternal and child health services, diagnostic and treatment units, same-day surgical suites, intensive care units, advanced imaging and the country’s first reference morgue.
The project is also expected to include a 510space parking facility and green spaces intended to support patient recovery.
It is backed by a $195m concessional loan from the Export-Import Bank of China at two per cent interest over 20 years, with a five-year grace period.
Mr Halkitis said the hospital project is supported
international certification, including upgrades to the remand centre intended to meet international standards.
The government also plans to introduce modern security technology, including cellphone jammers, to strengthen control and monitoring at the prison.
The Budget advances a Virtual Court Project intended to reduce inmate
by an initial investment of approximately $20m alongside international financing arrangements.
The National Health Insurance Authority is also expected to undergo several reforms, including expansion of the proposed Prescription Drug Programme, implementation of the Standard Health Benefit and improved data-sharing platforms intended to create a more connected healthcare system.
The government also announced proposed reforms affecting public officers, including a contributory pension fund under which employees would contribute three per cent and the government would contribute five per cent.
Mr Halkitis said the proposed system would
transport requirements and speed up case processing, while investments in medical and surgical equipment for the new correctional medical centre are intended to improve healthcare access for inmates.
feature individual accounts and additional protections for workers and their families.
“Our next steps in continuing this reform include finalizing the legal framework and tabling the White Paper today, marking another milestone in our shared journey toward progress and prosperity for all Bahamians,” he said.
The government is also introducing comprehensive health insurance plans for public officers, with three plan options intended to reflect differing healthcare needs and income levels.
Mr Halkitis said the government will cover a significant portion of the cost depending on the plan selected. The plans will also include vision and dental benefits, survivor benefits and options for family coverage.
The Royal Bahamas Police Force is also expected to receive replacement and newly procured generators for police stations and facilities throughout the country to maintain operations during emergencies.
Mr Halkitis said: “These investments represent a comprehensive approach to national security, strengthening maritime and land-based capabilities, modernising our justice system, and ensuring that our institutions are equipped to meet current and emerging challenges.”
Govt promises teacher raises and upgrades in new budget
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Davis administration has set out an ambitious agenda to for further education reform in the upcoming budget, promising salary increases for teachers, higher grants for special needs schools and major school upgrades.
Finance Minister Michael Halkitis also revealed plans to construct a new high school in Grand Bahama, describing the projects as part of efforts to ensure students have access to safe, modern, and well-equipped learning environments.
His comments came as he presented the 2025/27 budget in the House of Assembly yesterday.
The government has allocated $141.9m for the Ministry of Education, according to budget documents.
Under this budget, Mr
Halktis said key initiatives will include summer repair and upgrade programs across public primary and secondary schools to address critical maintenance needs.
He also promised increased grants for boards of special schools, including the Stapledon School, the Center for the Deaf, and School for the Blind funded through the Caribbean Development Bank. He said the government will continue investing in technical and vocational education, digitising student records, and expanding funding for the National School Breakfast Programme. Regarding teachers, he promised salary increases under a new five-year industrial agreement with the Bahamas Educators, Counsellors and Allied Workers Union, effective July 1, 2026.
He also pledged support for the completion of the
Bahamas Polytechnical Institute that he says would expand tertiary level technical and professional training opportunities.
“Madam Speaker, these investments go beyond infrastructure,” Mr Halkitis said. “They are about strengthening the entire education ecosystem by modernizing facilities, expanding access, and improving administrative systems. We are equipping our young people with the tools, skills, and opportunities needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world. In doing so, we are investing directly in the future strength and resilience of The Bahamas.”
Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper, the new Minister of Education, Science and Technology, has said that his new role will focus on shaping the country’s future through youth development and national empowerment
BUDGET COMMUNICATION 2026
Govt unveils $4.4bn budget projecting $223.1m surplus
By JADE RUSSELL Tribune Staff Reporter jrussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Davis administration yesterday unveiled its first Budget since securing a second term, projecting a $223.1m surplus while offering targeted relief to first-time homeowners and households and raising revenue from the country’s largest businesses, foreign-owned property, immigration applicants and commercial users of public services.
Finance Minister Michael Halkitis told the House of Assembly that the 2026/2027 Budget estimates $4.4bn in revenue against $4.1bn in expenditure, including $3.7bn in recurrent spending and $415.8m in capital expenditure.
The government projects a fiscal surplus equal to 1.2 percent of gross domestic product and a primary surplus of 5.2 percent of GDP, with the debt-to-GDP ratio expected to fall to 59.9 percent by the end of the fiscal year.
However, the projected surplus is lower than previously forecast in the 2025 Fiscal Strategy Report. Mr Halkitis said the revision reflected uncertainty over energy and import costs amid Middle East tensions, along with a decision to increase support for the Public Hospitals Authority and invest further in hospital services.
The Budget, delivered just over two weeks after the Progressive Liberal Party won the May 12 general election, places the administration’s claims of continued fiscal recovery against the reality that the government recorded a $157.5m deficit during the first nine months of the current fiscal year. That deficit, recorded at the end of March 2026, was
higher than the $130.1m shortfall during the same period of the previous year, although the government recorded a $294.5m primary surplus, meaning revenue exceeded spending before interest payments were counted.
Revenue for the ninemonth period reached $2.5bn, or 65.3 percent of the full-year budget target, while expenditure totalled $2.7bn, or 70.7 percent of projected spending. Interest payments on public debt reached $452m.
Central government debt stood at $12.5bn at the end of March, a 6.4 percent increase compared with March 2025. Mr Halkitis maintained that economic growth outpaced the increase in the central government debt stock and forecast that the debt burden would continue to decline over the medium term.
The government expects to achieve a surplus for the current fiscal year, partly on the strength of $130m in expected collections under the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax Act, which imposes a minimum effective
tax rate of 15 percent on large multinational enterprise groups operating in The Bahamas. Those collections are expected in June.
Mr Halkitis said the taxpayer base for that new revenue category could exceed the fewer than five taxpayers anticipated when last year’s Budget was prepared, potentially improving the final fiscal outturn.
For the coming fiscal year, the Budget’s most prominent relief measure targets first-time homeowners. The government is expanding zero-rated VAT treatment to include duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes where at least one unit is occupied by the first-time homeowner.
The relief will apply to the entire building rather than only the owner-occupied portion, reducing upfront costs for qualifying buyers or builders while allowing them to generate rental income from additional units. Mr Halkitis said the measure takes immediate effect.
The government will also raise the first-time homeowner exemption under the Real Property Tax Act from
$500,000 to $600,000 and broaden exemptions available to eligible first-time homeowners.
But the administration is also seeking greater contributions from major businesses and foreign property owners.
Businesses earning more than $175m annually will face a 0.25 percentage point increase in the Business Licence rate, bringing it to 1.5 percent per year. Mr Halkitis said the country’s largest businesses had benefited substantially from the economy’s performance and had the capacity to contribute more to national development.
The government is also introducing a two-tier Real Property Tax system distinguishing between Bahamian-owned and foreign-owned property.
A new category of foreign-owned property will attract a rate of 0.625 percent, with a maximum cap of $200,000. The system will no longer be based on whether a person spends at least 180 days in The Bahamas, but on whether the property is used as a residence.
Other household relief measures include reduced duties on common household plastic items, paper goods such as tablecloths and serviettes, and sanitary products.
The government will remove the 45 percent duty on chair lifts designed for elderly people and persons with disabilities by establishing a duty-free tariff line for the equipment, which had previously been classified under general machinery.
Duties on human hair and wigs will also be reduced and their classifications revised so they are no longer grouped with cosmetic items such as false beards and eyelashes. The measure is
intended to assist people with cancer, alopecia and similar conditions.
Registration fees for non-motorised bicycles will be eliminated, while the government plans to modernise rules governing electric bicycles.
The Budget also outlines new measures aimed at broadening revenue collection and improving enforcement. The government plans to introduce the Bahamas Identification Number during the fiscal year to strengthen compliance and support enforcement, while pursuing public consultation on a review of the Business Licence Act, consolidated fiscal incentives legislation and the creation of a national domestic revenue agency by statute.
In the maritime sector, the government will introduce a formal registration regime for foreign-owned recreational vessels and non-resident users of Bahamian waters, along with clearer classifications, fee schedules and designated anchorage zones.
Mr Halkitis said the measures were aimed at foreign users rather than Bahamian boaters and were intended to ensure that those using Bahamian waters contribute to the system.
The government will also reintroduce landfill tipping fees in New Providence for large waste producers and introduce seabed lease fees for commercial and industrial use of marine space. Fixed penalties for environmental nuisances are also planned. Immigration fees will also be adjusted, with changes to permanent residency charges, higher fees for certain senior and executive management work permit categories and a late payment regime.
The government plans to amend the Immigration Act to make zero coupon bonds more attractive to people seeking economic permanent residency. It will also revise the Trusted Traveller Programme by replacing pervisit fees with annual fees for frequent business visitors and reduce work permit fees for caregivers assisting elderly or bedridden people. On expenditure, the Budget allocates $11.6m for the construction and upgrading of clinics in Abaco, Andros, Acklins, the Berry Islands, Crooked Island, Exuma, Eleuthera and Long Island.
The government is also advancing a new hospital facility in New Providence with an initial investment of approximately $20m alongside international financing arrangements.
Mr Halkitis presented the Budget against what he described as continued economic expansion. According to figures cited in the communication, real GDP grew by 3.8 percent in 2025 after growth of 4.2 percent in 2024, while the International Monetary Fund projects growth of 2.1 percent for 2026.
Inflation averaged 0.6 percent in 2025 and is projected at about 1.6 percent this year. Preliminary Bahamas National Statistical Institute figures showed unemployment falling from 10.8 percent in March 2025 to about 9.3 percent in June 2025.
Tourism remained a major engine of the government’s economic case, with approximately 12.5m visitor arrivals recorded in 2025, an 11.4 percent increase over the previous year. By March 2026, total arrivals stood at about 3.9m, up 17.5 percent over the same period in 2025, driven largely by sea arrivals.
Opposition leader slams budget, demands accounting of funds
By EARYEL BOWELG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
OPPOSITION Leader
Michael Pintard yesterday demanded an accounting of how more than $200,000 in publicly funded gift certificates were allegedly distributed in Abaco during the general election, accusing the government of failing to address the controversy in its 2026/2027 Budget Communication.
Responding to the budget presentation, Mr Pintard said Finance Minister Michael Halkitis should have explained how the funds allegedly moved from the Ministry of Finance into vouchers bearing the names of Progressive Liberal Party candidates and officials.
“We would have expected that the Minister of Finance would make it clear in his initial statement how he went about, how they went about spending $200,000,
having those funds leave the Ministry of Finance, and end up in Abaco in the form of vouchers, used to aid the political campaign in Abaco,” Mr Pintard said. “That appears very clearly to be an illegal act of misappropriation.”
“At a minimum, the Minister of Finance should have advised the country on the status of any investigation into how public monies were moved from the Treasury to advance a political campaign. Our minister of finance must give an accounting for that.”
The controversy centres on information that gift certificates worth more than $200,000 were distributed to Abaco residents in the names of PLP candidates and officials as Hurricane Dorian relief payments. Chris Lleida, chief executive officer of Premier Importers, the company that issued the certificates, said the Ministry of Finance
paid for the vouchers.
Mr Pintard’s call for answers formed part of a broader attack on the government’s budget presentation, which he rated at less than 50 out of 100. He argued that the administration failed to present measures that could meaningfully improve Bahamians’ lives.
He rejected government claims of progress in energy reform, the cost of living and housing affordability, arguing that Bahamians were not experiencing the improvements described by the administration.
Mr Pintard also challenged the government’s portrayal of improving public finances, accusing it of leaving major fiscal risks out of its budget narrative and failing to explain a substantial increase in public debt.
According to the Ministry of Finance, public sector debt stood at an estimated
Ombudsman and probe commission get low funding in new budget
By LEANDRA ROLLE
Chief Reporter
THE Davis administration has earmarked just $40,000 for the Office of the Ombudsman and $100,000 for the Independent Commission of Investigations, two bodies it has promoted as central to strengthening accountability and investigating official misconduct. Budget documents show the Office of the Ombudsman’s allocation increased by only $110 from the previous fiscal year, when it received $39,890. The Independent Commission of Investigations, which is intended to investigate serious complaints, including allegations involving members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence Force, received $100,000,
up from $30,000 in the 2025/2026 budget cycle. The allocations come as the government has also set aside $140,000 for implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, an amount officials previously said falls far short of the estimated $1m needed to put the transparency law into effect.
The figures raise questions about how quickly the government intends to make its good governance agenda functional after identifying the Ombudsman’s Office and the Independent Commission of Investigations as pillars of its accountability reforms.
The Independent Commission of Investigations Act was passed in early 2025 to establish an independent body empowered to investigate serious complaints,
including alleged misconduct by police and defence force officers. It followed an explosive indictment alleging widespread corruption involving cocaine smuggling.
The Office of the Ombudsman is intended to independently investigate complaints against government agencies, address maladministration and protect citizens’ rights. Attorney General Wayne Munroe could not explain the limited allocations when questioned yesterday, saying he had not yet met with the relevant sections involved in preparing the budget.
He said the figures cover recurrent expenditure only and do not include accommodation costs, which fall under the Ministry of Public Service, or any required capital expenditure.
$14.1bn at the end of March 2026, up $689.2m from June 2025 and $57m from December 2025.
Mr Pintard said the increase required explanation because the government’s annual borrowing plan had indicated there would be no new borrowing. He questioned how debt could rise by nearly $700m without the government returning to Parliament for additional approval to borrow.
He accused the administration of repeatedly evading parliamentary scrutiny over the public purse
and warned that the additional debt would persist beyond the current fiscal year. Mr Pintard further argued that the government was shifting fiscal exposure into state-owned enterprises through loans, long-term contracts and financing arrangements that are not fully reflected in the budget figures presented to Parliament. He pointed to Treasury lending to public authorities, claiming it increased from under $100m at the end of 2022 to more than $600m.
“In just over three years, more than a half a billion dollars have been advanced to state-owned entities, and all of those have been under the guise of loans,” he said.
“We've not been told which budgetary appropriations these funds came from.”
“What was the legal authority that allowed the government to do this, and what are the terms of each of these loans, and how will these funds be repaid? This matters because the law is clear.”
“The government
MINISTER OF FINANCE MICHAEL HALKITIS
The Tribune Limited
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LEON E. H. DUPUCH,
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RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
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Mourning the loss of a great Bahamian
NEARLY everyone had a story to tell about Rupert Roberts yesterday.
The news of his death, just two days before what would have been his 89th birthday, prompted many to share their memories of a man whose presence resonated throughout The Bahamas.
There were the packing boys turned politicians, there were the entrepreneurs who had been given advice and a helping hand by a man determined to help others, there were the members of the non-profit community who had been aided by someone who was more interested in progress than choosing political sides.
There were the customers who talked of times when they had perhaps complained, perhaps given a bit of advice and were impressed when Rupert listened, and implemented the changes simply because it made things better, and because he could.
There were the activists who talked of the support and advice that was offered, all in the name of helping the country.
There were the workers at Super Value who paid tribute to a boss who made such a difference in their lives.
There are many businesses across the world where bosses are far from beloved. Not so at Super Value.
When Rupert was taken ill and had to go to for treatment, staff members volunteered to donate blood in case that would help.
In this column in February, after he was taken ill first of all, we noted how Super Value staff were among the first to answer the call for blood donations and how it was a sign of how much he is loved by his staff.
We also recalled how in the dark days of COVID-19, his stores kept serving Bahamians, in the toughest of times, both for the economy and for the health of the nation.
He was a regular donor in support of charities – and there to help again when hurricanes hit our nation, getting his team out to help load up supplies to go to whichever island needed them most.
Through it all, he was also a forthright voice on a host of issues. He would not
shy away from what needed to be said, and he would not suffer fools easily.
Rupert Roberts was also a good friend to The Tribune, a voice of reason, a partner in the business community, and a valued ally.
No one will feel his loss as much as his immediate family, but we hope they will feel comforted by the sheer love and fondness which has been expressed for Rupert after his passing.
Super Value is what he is best known for, but really that was just the tip of the iceberg for a man deeply involved in the business community of The Bahamas.
When there were hurdles, such as inflation or shipping costs, or any of the host of things a retailer has to beware of, he was never shy in expressing his views. He did not flinch from saying what needed to be said.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Philip Davis paid tribute, recalling his own days working as a packing boy under the supervision of Rupert and how he loved it not least of all because he got to go to the Lyford Cay store where the tips were bigger.
FNM leader Michael Pintard hailed Rupert as someone who put his money where his mouth was to support businesses and those in need.
Throughout the day, the tributes went on, and on, and on. They were still not enough.
At The Tribune, we shall miss most of all Rupert’s phone calls and messages –to applaud, to criticise, to say what was on his mind. He was wise and witty, and often a shaft of sunlight on the greyest days.
His absence will leave a hole in our lives – though one we suspect he would have told people they had to get up and fill themselves, to get on with doing what needs to be done.
We send our deepest condolences to all who loved him, to his colleagues and workers, and most of all to his family.
Rupert Roberts was one of a kind, and he will be deeply missed.
The Bahamas has lost a titan. May he rest in peace.
Education is a right, not a privilege
EDITOR, The Tribune.
I GREW up in Lebanon during a time of conflict. The reason I was able to leave a country at war and build a future was simple: my parents believed in education. That belief changed everything. Education opens doors. It transforms lives.
I want to share a message that matters deeply to me: talent should never go unnoticed. Since 2018, the International Day of Education observes every January and a global call to action is issued. This year’s theme for calls on youth to be agents of change. But how do we make that possible if access to quality education is challenging? Education cannot be a privilege reserved for the few. That conviction led me to create the Nsouli Scholars Programme: a commitment to democratise opportunity and build pathways for the next generation of leaders. Last year, our scholars came from across the
globe: South Africa, Germany, Sri Lanka, Kenya, China, Lebanon, Jordan, Greece, the USA, Vietnam, Serbia, and Palestine. They joined Inspired schools from Sotogrande in Spain to Brookhouse in Kenya, and from Reddam House Berkshire in the UK to Moraitis in Greece. They now learn in environments that have world-class teaching, cutting-edge facilities, and an international community that believes in excellence. Now in its third year, this fully funded programme gives students access to Inspired’s global group and comprehensive curriculum; combining academic rigor with sports, performing arts, and creative expression. Behind every scholar is a story of resilience and aspiration. They are future scientists, elite athletes, and gifted performers and are united by a desire to make a difference.
Today, more than 2,200 students benefit from scholarships and
The gate has been opened, a generation must walk through
EDITOR, The Tribune.
IN 1967, a young Franklyn Wilson came home to a country still learning the meaning of its freedom. He was twenty years old. Majority Rule had arrived, but The Bahamas was still in the early hours of a new national life. The vote had changed the political order, yet the deeper work remained. A people had to decide what freedom would do to their minds, their ambitions, their institutions, and their duty to one another. Wilson and other young Bahamian students understood that moment. They were part of UNICOLL, a movement of university and college students who came home during the summer with more than degrees on their minds. They wanted young Bahamians to think, debate, organise, and accept responsibility for the country being born around them. They believed education was larger than personal escape. It was preparation for service.
Wilson called that generation “the trustees of posterity”. That phrase still cuts through time. A trustee receives something built by sacrifice. He guards it from waste. He improves it where he can. He passes it on with cleaner hands than he received it. That was the charge placed before young Bahamians in 1967. It is the charge placed before young Bahamians now.
Every generation must decide whether it will live inside the history it praises. We quote Burma Road. We remember the General Strike. We celebrate Black Tuesday. We honour Majority Rule. Yet the real test is whether we carry their meaning into the present, when the door is heavy, when power is guarded, and when young people are quietly told that the room belongs to someone else.
In 1942, Bahamian workers walked from Oakes Field down Burma Road because a wage had become a judgment. Four shillings for Bahamian labour. Eight shillings for foreign labour. The insult was counted in coins, but the wound was carried in the spirit. Those workers marched because a people cannot forever accept being made small in its own land.
In 1958, Sir Randol Fawkes and Lynden Pindling helped awaken the force of labour. One word moved through that hour: “NOW”. It was the sound of a people whose patience had reached its moral limit. It was the sound of private pain becoming public action. It was the sound of ordinary Bahamians forcing the country to face the truth about dignity.
Then came the young men of the National Committee for Positive Action. Sir Arthur Foulkes, Warren Levarity, Sir Cecil Wallace Whitfield, Sir Clement Maynard, Perry Christie, A. Loftus Roker, Dr. Eugene Newry, and others saw the PLP as the vehicle for majority government, social justice, economic justice, and independence. They were young,
LETTERS
but they understood power. They understood that politics is where a people either accepts the country as it is, or fights to make it fairer.
On Black Tuesday in 1965, Lynden Pindling threw the Mace from the window of the House of Assembly and declared that authority belonged to the people. That moment still burns because it was about far more than protest. It exposed the central question of Bahamian democracy: who owns this country?. The answer came in 1967, but the meaning of that answer must be defended in every generation. The progressive movement was born by challenging locked doors. It challenged the door that kept workers underpaid. It challenged the door that kept Black Bahamians from power. It challenged the door that kept women from full citizenship. It challenged the door that treated Family Islanders as distant voices. It challenged the door that told ordinary people to be grateful for crumbs from tables they helped build. That history is powerful because the work remains unfinished. One of the quiet injuries in our national life today is opportunity hoarding. We all know how it works. Doors open for some and stay closed for others. The same names are called. The same circles are consulted. The same people are trusted. Young people are praised in public and doubted in private. They are called the future while being denied real responsibility in the present. This is how a country wastes itself. It teaches gifted young Bahamians to believe national life belongs to someone else. It teaches them to stand at the edge of rooms they have the capacity to help lead. It turns politics into inheritance instead of service. It turns opportunity into private property. A progressive movement worthy of its history cannot accept that. The party of Majority Rule cannot become a party of guarded rooms. The movement that broke open power cannot allow opportunity to be hoarded by the few. If the PLP is to remain true to its deepest purpose, it must keep opening gates for those with talent, preparation, courage, and love of country.
Young Bahamians must also be ready to walk through those gates. The country does not need young people chasing visibility alone. It needs young people prepared for responsibility. It needs young people who can read a budget and still hear the fear behind a grocery bill. It needs young people who can discuss policy and still sit with a grieving family. It needs young people who can enter formal rooms without forgetting the settlement, the classroom, the clinic, the dock, the farm, the corner,
and the small home where Bahamians are trying to live with dignity.
This is a political call to the student with policy ideas and no invitation, the teacher who sees the future every morning, the nurse who knows where pain hides, the young lawyer who believes justice must reach beyond the courtroom, the police officer who sees the cost of broken homes, the civil servant, the entrepreneur, the artist, the tradesman, the farmer, the fisherman, the pastor, the unionist, the creator, the young mother, the young father, and the Family Island child whose dreams deserve a wider country. The Bahamas needs you in the work. The progressive cause needs your mind, your courage, your honesty, your impatience with unfairness, and your love for people whose names may never appear in a public story. The country needs young Bahamians who understand that service is heavier than attention it receives, and that leadership means carrying people who may never know the weight you carried for them.
This brings me back to my own life. I write as a young Bahamian who has been given a chance. Prime Minister Philip Davis opened a gate for me. He trusted me with serious responsibility. He gave me room to serve in the centre of national life, under pressure, in moments when the work was difficult and public. He allowed me to help carry part of the burden of nation building. That decision changed my life, but it must also challenge a generation. A gate opened for one young Bahamian is a blessing. A gate opened for many young Bahamians can change a country. This progress page cannot be turned by my hand alone. No single appointment can satisfy the hunger of thousands of young Bahamians who want to serve, build, organise, lead, and help move The Bahamas forward.
I was given a chance. I say that with humility, because many others deserve one too. The gate has been opened. Now a generation must walk through it. When we walk through, we must hold it open wider than it was held for us. We must hold it open for those with no surname to announce them, no sponsor to recommend them, no old connection to carry them, only talent, preparation, courage, and love of country. That is how gratitude becomes service. That is how opportunity becomes progress. That is how the sacrifices of Burma Road, the General Strike, Black Tuesday, Majority Rule, UNICOLL, and every movement of Bahamian courage become a living inheritance. History is calling for young trustees again. This time, we must answer with our lives.
SENATOR THE HONOURABLE LATRAE RAHMING Nassau, Bahamas May 26th, 2026
bursaries across Inspired’s 125 schools worldwide. At any given time, up to 50 Nsouli Scholars are part of our community. This programme reflects a personal promise: to remove barriers, widen access, and empower students to pursue their dreams. Because when we believe in their potential, they learn to believe in themselves.
Education gave me the chance to build Inspired Education Group and my life’s work. Now, it is my turn to help others do the same.
If you know a student who could benefit from this opportunity, share it with them today. To find out more information about the Nsouli Scholars Programme, please visit https://www.inspirededu. com/nsouli-scholars-2026
NADIM NSOULI Nassau, May 26, 2026.
$260 per week not enough
EDITOR, The Tribune.
ON Friday of last week, Eyewitness News took to the streets to interview Bahamians about the minimum wage, and the message was clear: people are struggling to make ends meet. That struggle gets worse in two weeks when public schools close. For 20,000 children, it also means the National School Breakfast Program pauses.
$260 a week is the minimum wage that a full-time worker takes home in The Bahamas since January 2023. It sounds like a lot until you run the numbers. Rent. Utility bills. Bus fare. Clothes. Food. Groceries alone eat up most of it, and that bill gets bigger when school closes.
During term time, the school breakfast program eases that load. From June to September, it’s gone. Parents still have to feed those same kids three times
a day for 10 weeks, with no increase in pay. We are thankful for the many charitable organisations that step up and make contributions over the summer break. They fill a gap that would otherwise leave families worse off. But charity shouldn’t have to cover what a full-time wage should. This is why the minimum wage debate can’t wait until September. A single parent working 40 hours can’t make up the gap by working harder — they’re already at full-time. We’re one of the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean, with nearly $40,000 in GDP per capita, yet a full-time worker still can’t keep their kids fed during summer break.
Unions are right to push for $300 a week. That’s not greed. That’s catching up to a cost of living that hasn’t stopped climbing. To make $300 work, exempt businesses under
$100,000 in annual revenue. Let large employers move to $300 now, and give small shops a phased path so they don’t have to close. The government has to make the call and set the new floor. That’s what keeps it fair and enforceable across the board.
Deuteronomy 15:11 doesn’t let us off the hook:
“You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.” That includes paying wages that let people live without having to choose between rent and groceries.
The breakfast program proves we know how to close a gap when we decide to. The question is whether we’ll do the same for the adults working every day.
God bless you as you reach out in your community.
ANTHONY PRATT Nassau, May 25, 2026.
PM silent on Gardiner crash amid ‘Politician-1’ protests
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip Davis and Aviation Minister Jobeth Coleby-Davis ignored questions over the plane crash off the Florida coast involving Eric ‘Player’ Gardiner yesterday, while FNM deputy leader Shanendon Cartwright led a protest outside the House of Assembly demanding answers about allegations of political links to drug trafficking.
Mr Davis walked away without answering questions about any Progressive Liberal Party connection to Gardiner and how the flight was chartered, after one survivor told local US media that West Grand Bahama and Bimini MP Kingsley Smith had helped them get seats on the flight that was forced to ditch off the Florida coast when both engines failed.
Mrs Coleby-Davis ignored questions about whether the crash would be investigated and how the aircraft was able to fly despite the plane not being licensed.
Mr Smith also did not respond when questioned whether he had any involvement in chartering the flight from Marsh Harbour to
Grand Bahama. Mr Gardiner was allegedly carrying $30,000 when rescue teams reached him and ten other survivors of the crash. The silence from senior government figures came as the opposition pressed the Davis administration over Top Notch Builders, a company connected to Mr Gardiner that has won government contracts.
FNM leader Michael Pintard questioned whether Finance Minister Michael
Over $24k raised
Halkitis had ever served as president or director of Top Notch Builders. Mr Halkitis denied this and declined to comment when asked how a company purportedly led by a convicted drug dealer secured government contracts.
Outside the House of Assembly, opposition members wore name tags saying “not politician-1”, which Mr Pintard said was intended to signal that they were not the people US authorities
for Bimini boy shot in head by brother
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
MORE than $24,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe campaign launched for eight-year-old Duran Saunders of Bimini, who is fighting for his life at a Florida hospital after he was accidentally shot in the head by his 12-year-old brother nearly a week ago.
So far, there has been an outpouring of support, with 77 donations totaling $24,766 — nearly 25 percent of the $100,000 goal.
Americans Raul Rodriguez and Yarelys Rodriguez organized the fundraiser to assist the Saunders family with medical costs and other related legal expenses.
The couple, who have close ties to the North Bimini community as second homeowners, initially stepped in to help by assisting with the emergency air ambulance that rushed the boy to Fort Lauderdale for life-saving treatment following the tragic incident. According to reports, on Saturday, May 23, Duran was inside a business establishment on King’s Highway in North Bimini when he was shot by his brother.
The boy was taken to the Bimini Community Clinic shortly after 9pm, where
healthcare workers alerted police. He had suffered gunshot wounds above his left eyebrow and to the left rear of his head.
His injuries were described as serious by the attending physician.
After being airlifted to Fort Lauderdale, Duran underwent emergency brain surgery. At last report, he was said to be in stable condition.
On their GoFundMe page, the Rodriguezes described the circumstances involving the two brothers as devastating, calling it “every family’s worst nightmare.”
“While the boys were playing together, they found a gun and it accidentally discharged, striking little Duran in the head,” they shared.
“At the same time, (the brother), only 12 years old himself, is being held in Bimini. He is not a criminal — he is a child devastated by a tragic accident that changed both brothers’ lives forever,” the couple said.
“Their family is now facing unimaginable emotional pain along with overwhelming medical and legal expenses.
“My husband and I own a home in Bimini and care deeply about the community, so we stepped in to help. We have already assisted with the emergency air
ambulance, but the family urgently needs continued support,” Mrs Rodriguez said.
The Rodriguezes are appealing for support and prayers for the boys and their family.
may be seeking.
He called on Mr Davis to address what he described as ‘gangsterism’ surrounding members of the administration, claiming the Prime Minister has full knowledge of those involved.
“We're saying that he should speak up and deal with the individual or individuals, but again, this is the same prime minister who was clearly aware when he signed the contracts related to the housing project, or he
was involved as minster of works with the Eight Mile Rock project that involves a Bahamian now in US custody, he knew all along who the individuals were,” he said.
Mr Pintard criticised Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell and Mr Davis for speaking about the matter “like defence attorneys”, after Mr Mitchell said the plane crash controversy will be a ‘nothingburger’ when the truth emerges.
“It's a nothingbuger to somebody who lacks concern about the reputation of the country being savaged, because people believe politicians are working with gangsters to move drugs from south to the US through The Bahamas,” Mr. Pintard said, describing the prospect of five years having people in government positions working with gangsters as “worrisome”.
“We're gonna have more of this, more reputational damage, and that's the cause for deep concern.”
Outside Parliament, Mr Cartwright led about a dozen protesters carrying signs questioning the identity of “Politician-1”.
“We are asking everyone to please pray for these boys and share this fundraiser. Every donation, no matter the size, can make a difference when people come together to help a family in crisis,” the couple said. Eight
“Today, as the government chuckled into the House of Parliament, one of those persons is Politician-1,” Mr Cartwright said.
Mr Cartwright said the Prime Minister was duty-bound to protect the country’s reputation and answer the questions facing the public.
Responding to Mr Mitchell’s characterisation of the controversy, Mr Cartwright warned that the government risked further damaging public confidence by dismissing the allegations.
“This cuts at the heart of our democracy, and every day, every session that the government does not give answers, it will continue to leak confidence from this government and continue to call into question this institution,” Mr Cartwright said. He said Bahamians were enraged, hurt and disgusted by the allegations in the DEA affidavit that a politician was involved in arranging drug deals in Parliament.
“We know that the Office of The Prime Minister would have put out a statement, a statement is not enough, and silence is not enough,” Mr Cartwright said, further questioning how in 2026 the same person who swore oaths in Parliament last week also “tried to cut a cocaine deal”.
JOB TITLE: Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
DIVISION: Finance
JOB OVERVIEW:
Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has primary responsibility for the planning, implementation, managing and running of all the finance activities of the company, including business planning, budgeting, forecasting and negotiations. The Group CFO is responsible for obtaining and maintaining investor relations and partnership compliance. Additionally, the Group CFO is to support the Group CEO and the board in setting the strategy for the group and to ensure the group provides the level of returns for investors and complies with and manages all banking relationships.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
As part of an executive management team, the Group CFO will interact with various members of a company, both senior and junior. This includes:
• Providing leadership, direction and management of the finance and accounting teams of Aliv and Rev.
• Providing strategic recommendations to the Group CEO and members of the executive management team.
• Managing the processes for financial forecasting and budgets, and overseeing the preparation of all financial reporting.
• Advising on long-term business strategy and financial planning.
• Establishing and developing relations with key business leaders, the board, the investor community, and other regulatory and industry stakeholders.
• Reviewing all formal finance, HR, and IT related procedures.
• Managing the financial actions of the company, tracking cash flow and financial planning as well as analyzing the company’s financial strengths and weaknesses and proposing corrective actions.
• Building financial models, analyzing, and preparing financial statements, and reconciling income and expenses.
• Coordinate and facilitate the internal audit function in accordance with the expectations of the board of directors and the audit committee.
• Support the Group CEO and the executive team to prepare, review and execute a 5-year strategic and business plan focused on growth and providing returns to investors.
• Lead the preparation of board financial reports as well as public filings to the investor community as well as banking reporting as necessary.
• Support a data centric culture in the organization to ensure that all leaders are making strategic decisions to support the overall goals and objectives of the group.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:
• Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in finance, economics, or accounting.
• 10 years’ experience in the finance industry and proven leadership and management experience is essential.
• Professional certification (ex: Certified Public Accountant)
• Data-oriented approach to problem solving.
• Expert understanding of budgeting process.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the executive presence to work with senior management, investors, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to engage with staff at all levels of the organization and exercise sound judgement.
• Understanding of advanced accounting, and regulatory issues.
Reporting: This position reports directly to the Group CEO.
Note to applicants: Ensure to include the position title in the subject box of the email.
Forward resumes to: HR@cablebahamas.com.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
OPPOSITION Leader Michael Pintard addresses the media surrounded by FNM ministers and senators, some wearing a tag saying ‘not Politician-1’.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
-year-old Duran Saunder s (right) pictured with a sibling.
Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Charlie Harper • Stateside
Of wars and history: where does Trump go from here?
THE IRAN War started 13 weeks ago. A decades long standoff between Iran and the US began with the Iranian revolution that overthrew the Shah’s royal regime in 1979. Meanwhile, aggressive US actions of varying scope and intensity against Cuba have continued since Fidel Castro’s communist revolution succeeded in 1959, but they have increased since the US seized Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and jailed him in January. Both situations are significant. Which should command more of our attention?
US president Donald Trump’s justifications and objectives for his Iran war have included, at various times, (1) regime change from a 47-year run of brutal, autocratic theocracy in Tehran; (2) dismantling of the long-running Iranian program designed to create enough enriched uranium to develop a nuclear bomb capability with which to threaten Israel (itself a long time nuclear power); (3) minimizing or even eliminating Iran’s ability to reliably support its radical Islamic proxies in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere; (4) inspiring and empowering Iran’s substantial middle- and upper middle-class societies to commit to an uprising leading to restoration of a free market economy and relatively democratic form of government in Iran, and finally, (5) sufficiently destabilizing and crushing Iran’s military forces to render them impotent to threaten peace in the Middle East for at least the intermediate future.
There is scant evidence that any of these objectives has been gained so far, despite the president’s continuing confidence that a solution on American terms is nearly at hand. In fact, one of the current most important US aims is not
even listed above – keeping open for world oil and gas shipping the narrow Strait of Hormuz that constitutes the mouth of the Persian Gulf and which the Iranians have shown in the current war that they are capable of effectively closing with the
threat of mines, drones, and other military means.
Trump has experienced little success so far in achieving his aims in this war. He clearly wasn’t prepared for this current ambiguity, but a similar situation actually occurred less than a generation ago.
Like his Republican predecessors during the first term of the George W Bush administration over 20 years ago, Trump and his closest advisers
Furthermore, both Trump and Bush surrounded themselves with various aides and assistants who also had no personal acquaintance with either armed combat or even active military service. Most prominent under Bush was his own vice-president Dick Cheney, whose hawkishness and eagerness to commit US forces overseas were defining characteristics of a significant career in government that spanned
Iran hogs the headlines, but Cuba does seem more likely than Iran to collapse under the choke hold applied by the US.
believed that a massive, overwhelming show of American military force would compel a long-established and well-organized Middle Eastern nation to capitulate.
Bush’s ‘shock and awe’ campaign of 23 years ago certainly presented to the world some awesome, muscular images of the application of American military power. Every day our television screens were filled with terrible fireworks. Buildings in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq were getting blown up at a dramatic rate, American air supremacy was quickly established, and US ground forces rapidly gained tactical superiority.
And yet, the Iraq war dragged on for eight and one-half years. There has never been a credible attempt to categorize the Iraq War as an American success story. Instead, it has long been vilified –perhaps most loudly and consequentially by Trump himself – as a misguided failure.
Like Trump with current Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Bush had a defense secretary in Donald Rumsfeld who had served in combat in the military and believed profoundly in American tactical and strategic military hegemony in his world. And like Bush, Trump had avoided the American military draft himself – Trump with a disqualifying health exemption, Bush via controversial service in a Texas Air National Guard unit.
to reach the House floor that might impinge on Trump’s freedom of action on Iran by limiting or even denying his budget requests.
Meanwhile, while Iran hogs the headlines, the US continues to exert heavy pressure on our immediate neighbor to the south. And Cuba does seem more likely than Iran to collapse under the choke hold applied by the US. News reports now reveal that many Cubans are resorting to cooking over open wood fires, since there is neither electric power nor natural gas supplies to support normal kitchen preparations. Starvation seems to be looming in parts of the country.
Discontent among Cubans has been mounting from power blackouts as well as shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. Hospitals are struggling to function normally and schools and government offices are having to close.
Protesters have repeatedly taken to the streets in the capital, Havana, an--in a demonstration last week--they blocked roads with burning rubbish and shouted anti-government slogans.
This month the US applied new sanctions on senior Cuban officials whom the US accused of committing human rights abuses or corruption, targeting officials in the energy, defense, financial, and security sectors of Cuba's economy.
And now, according to the BBC and other news outlets, in a move similar to an earlier indictment of Maduro that provided the legal basis for capturing the Venezuelan, the Trump administration has indicted Fidel Castro’s 94-year-old brother Raul, who is still an active politician.
The charges against Raul Castro date back to an incident 30 years ago. In February 1996, Cuban fighter jets shot down two small civilian planes owned by a group of Cuban exiles in Miami called “Brothers to the Rescue.” Four people on board the aircraft were killed, including three US citizens. At the time, Raúl Castro was Cuba's armed forces minister and one of the most powerful figures in his brother's regime.
over 40 years. Cheney received five different military deferments during the 1960s and eventually aged out of the military draft on his 26th birthday.
Trump’s secretary of state and national security adviser Marco Rubio has no prior military service. His vice-president J D Vance served honorably in the US Marine Corps in Iraq and elsewhere, in non-combatant roles.
Republican senator Lindsay Graham from South Carolina served for over 30 years in various active and reserve roles in the Air Force, but also with no direct combat experience.
Now, Trump and his team find themselves staring down the barrel of a fate similar to Bush’s. Like Bush before him, the president cannot find a quick, face-saving way out of a war he plunged into without much apparent forethought. The war clearly seemed like a good idea at the time, but there is now a widespread belief among some Americans that the real reason for this war was to create a distraction from political embarrassments at home in the US.
There is also speculation that at least some Republican senators are prepared to break with Trump over his demands for additional outlays of public funds to sustain this US military adventure. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, remains steadfast in supporting the president by refusing to allow legislation
Raúl has now been indicted by the US government on charges of conspiracy to kill American nationals, murder, and the destruction of US aircraft. If found guilty, he could face life in prison or even the death penalty. Calling the indictment "a political action, devoid of any legal foundation,” the Havana government said Cuba had acted in 1996 in "legitimate self-defense within its jurisdictional waters" in shooting down the planes.
Leading the current pressure campaign against Cuba is Miami native son and former US senator Marco Rubio, now serving as Trump’s secretary of state and national security adviser. The Financial Times reports that Rubio has been leading talks with the Cuban authorities since February with the objective of pushing Havana to open up its economy and release political prisoners.
One of the trickiest issues for Rubio is how to deal with his home constituency of Cuban Americans in South Florida, where it has long been an article of faith that the US should try to overthrow the Cuban regime and get rid of the Castro family. Now Rubio, who has long preached overthrow of the Castros in Havana, is reportedly seeking agreement with Cuban Communists, not their demise.
A Miami politician told the Times that “Rubio is like the dog who chased and caught the car. After all those years of talking about an overthrow, how is he going to sell this now?”
Simon • Front Porch
Which way now? FNM needs period of discernment and dialogue
FOLLOWING its second consecutive general election loss, the Free National Movement (FNM) needs a period of discernment and dialogue. What it does not need is a reactionary rush to judgement, recrimination, bloodletting, and divisiveneness, that is sometimes the hallmark of some in the party, especially after an election loss.
Now is the time for wise heads and mature deliberation, not spasms of vitriol and reflexive decisions made in the midst of the understandable deep disappointment and frustration of party supporters, who must be listened to in-depth in the weeks and months ahead as the party rebuilds.
Following the FNM’s loss in 2021, the party made a variety of assumptions about the electorate and why it lost. While some of those rea sons may have contributed to the defeats in 2021 and 2026, the party still does not fully grasp the structural internal and external reasons it failed to win.
and good judgment often ran low. The party must avoid the toxicity of some veterans, who are often prone to circular firing squads, personal and venomous attacks, and mean characterizations of colleagues.
At the upcoming convention, the FNM must consider leadership at every level. In the interim, party members should begin an initial assessment of what the party requires, while studying the biographies, records, and capacity for growth of those who want to lead.
Some of those who have run in several cycles must
The failure to win is the summit of a broader failure. The FNM can no longer assume that it has the base it once enjoyed. The party’s brand, identity, and soul are all in need of deep renewal. This newest cut hip may be the incentive the party needs to think fundamentally about its future. In this, the FNM has an advantage if it is willing to renew itself, both root and branch. With a stronger base and a second win, the PLP has little incentive to change. It will giddily rest on its proverbial laurels, believ ing that it has the capacity and know-how to win a third consecutive term.
How might the FNM proceed? It will require a diversity of voices, including young people and women. It cannot be mostly men of a certain age sitting together argu ing about and discussing the way forward based on their lim ited understanding and assumptions about the electorate and rea sons for the defeat. The party needs to hear from informed critics from the outside, who may have a keen vantage point for assessing the state of the party and its failures.
The party will need a convention within a given period of time. It does not need a snap convention in a febrile and frenzied atmosphere, as was the case after the 2021 loss, when emotions ran high
that must be guided by the broader needs of the party.
But initial assessments and reports of the loss are only the beginning of a process. After the convention, the party’s leadership and members must engage in a thorough process of discernment and dialogue, followed by strategic planning for party renewal, new membership, and immediate preparation for the next election.
“Discernment is the mental ability to judge situations clearly and intelligently. It involves acute perception and good judgment, allowing you to accurately separate truth from error.”
Moreover, the party should be ruthlessly honest in assessing the quality of candidates and their campaigns. Discernment requires a structured process.
While it must be vigorous, honest, open, and perhaps at times heated, it must be done with mutual respect for those who lent their time, talent, and treasure to the party. As
ground penetration, digital infrastructure, and social media. But even if the
have lost, though likely not as badly.
A more vexing challenge may be the new structural realities of the electorate, many of whom are angry, at best, or indifferent to politics and politicians.
There is an anti-establishment mood by many turned off by both major parties. The vote swing to the Coalition of Independents (COI) is no longer a warning sign.
In many ways, it’s a harbinger.
If the FNM continues to look and feel like an old establishment party incapable of reig-
our tones. FNMs should remember their shared values for the party and the country. The PLP has often been as divided as the FNM. Indeed, the PLP has endured some of the deepest divisions and disunity in our political history, including the near Christmas coup of 1962 that sought to topple Sir Lynden Pindling, and the 1965 departure of those who created the National Democratic Party (NDP). The deepest division was the split that gave birth to the FNM. Quite early in the PLP’s tenure in office there were mounting concerns about the increasing lack of collegiality and the growing cult of personality surrounding Sir Lynden. There was alarm over policy decisions at odds with the party’s progressive philosophy. There were originally more dissidents than the eight who finally left to form the Free PLP and then the FNM.
When the vote of no confidence came, some of the more insistent critics of Sir Lynden and the direction of the PLP, buck
the FNM proceeds, it should be honest about internal factors that influenced the party’s loss, including: leadership, funding, quality of candidates, public relations,
listening to each other. It often involves the suspension of quick and easy judgements. It requires active listening, the checking of egos, especially big male egos, suspending the need to win an argument, curiosity about other perspectives, and managing
the party chooses for leader, their primary task will be to be a leader who can heal wounds, listen actively, and unify the party.
Such unity will be needed for ongoing discernment and dialogue. It will be needed to rebuild a stronger base and identity, to be an aggressive and effective Opposition. It will be needed to win.
Gone Fishin!
Man faces attempted murder
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of a near-fatal shooting near East Bay Street earlier this year was remanded to prison this week.
Prosecutors allege Mikandy Paul, 24, attempted to shoot and kill Tavares Colebrook, 23, with a rifle while he was near the Fish
Fry on February 25. Colebrook reportedly suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and attempted to flee on foot before passing out from blood loss. He was successfully treated for his injuries in hospital.
Paul was not required to enter a plea to attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life charges before Acting Chief Magistrate
Ancella Evans.
He was informed that his matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment and of his right to apply for bail in the higher court. Paul was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until service of his voluntary bill of indictment on October 1. Inspector Deon Barr prosecuted the case.
Suspect jailed for carjacking
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of an armed carjacking on Saunders Beach earlier this month was remanded to prison yesterday.
Prosecutors allege Shadario Defrand, 21, while armed with a handgun, robbed Darrion Symonette of his silver 2008 Nissan Cube, light blue iPhone 13 Pro Max, black
iPhone 13, Bahamian passport and Apple AirPods at 3am on May 19.
Defrand was allegedly found with the light blue iPhone later that day. The stolen vehicle was reportedly recovered on St James Road at 8am on May 20.
Defrand was not required to enter a plea to armed robbery and receiving charges before acting Chief
Magistrate Ancella Evans.
He was informed that his matter would proceed to the Supreme Court through a voluntary bill of indictment and of his right to apply for bail in the higher court.
Defrand was remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services until service of his voluntary bill of indictment on October 1.
Inspector Deon Barr prosecuted the case.
RBDF officer faces gun
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A ROYAL Bahamas Defence Force officer was granted bail yesterday after she was accused of possessing an unlicensed firearm and ammunition in a home.
Prosecutors allege Officer Tanarje Hunt, 32, and Luchjiano Rolle, 27, were found
with a black and silver Taurus 9mm pistol and seven rounds of ammunition in a bedroom at a house on Silverado Close at 1.03am on May 22. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition before Senior Magistrate Algernon Allen Jr. Their bail was set at $8,500 with one or two sureties.
charge
They will be fitted with monitoring devices and must sign in at the Elizabeth Estates Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 6pm.
The pair must return for trial on September 14.
Sergeant 2257 Wilkinson prosecuted the case, while Levan Johnson and A Pickstock represented the accused.
Suspect in tenant rape granted $15k court bail
By PAVEL BAILEY Tribune Staff Reporter pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN accused of raping his female tenant on Hospital Lane last month was granted bail yesterday. Prosecutors allege Joey Sawyer, 48, confronted a 47-year-old woman about unpaid rent on April 11.
The confrontation allegedly escalated after the complainant said her boyfriend would pay him later and Sawyer snatched her phone, accusing her of recording him.
Sawyer allegedly choked,
stripped and raped the woman.
In granting Sawyer bail, Senior Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson found that he was not a flight risk because of his strong ties to the community. She also found that he was of good character because he had no previous convictions. Ian Cargill, Sawyer’s attorney, said the accused had eight children, two of whom are minors, and worked at the Fish Fry.
Sawyer’s bail was set at $15,000 with two or three sureties. He will be fitted with a monitoring
device and must sign in at the Nassau Street Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 6pm. He must not come within 100ft of the complainant or any witnesses in the matter and must not travel without the court’s express permission.
Justice Thompson warned Sawyer to comply with the terms and conditions of his bail or risk having it revoked.
Sawyer returns to the Magistrates Court for service of his voluntary bill of indictment on August 6.
BUDGET COMMUNICATION 2026
New cruise pier and school planned for GB
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
FINANCE Minister
Michael Halkitis yesterday said Grand Bahama is poised to benefit from surging tourism arrivals, reduced electricity costs and new infrastructure investments, including a cruise ship pier complex, airport management services and a new high school.
Delivering the 2026/2027 Budget Communication in the House of Assembly, Mr Halkitis said Grand Bahama recorded more than one million visitor arrivals in 2025, a 91.2 percent increase over the previous year, driven mainly by sea traffic after the July 2025 opening of Carnival Cruise Line’s Celebration Key destination.
He said the momentum continued into 2026, with approximately 438,000 visitors recorded as of March, nearly triple the number recorded during the same period last year.
Mr Halkitis presented the increase as evidence of growing confidence in Grand Bahama as a tourism destination, but Opposition Leader Michael Pintard said the
rise in cruise arrivals has not produced meaningful benefits across the island’s economy.
“The Minister of Finance talked about record increases in arrival. What he does not say is that you have an increase in cruise passengers who are coming in, but few of them are leaving Celebration Key, and even few of them are spending any money once they have exited the gate,” he said.
“So, apart from the direct benefit of employment in Grand Bahama for those people who are hired at the key, for the most part, the impact is negligible many of the citizens,” Mr Pintard stressed.
Mr Halkitis also announced that approval was granted for a new cruise ship pier complex and berthing facility at Billy Cay, Freeport Harbour, to be developed by Freeport Cruise Terminal Ltd and MSC Cruises S.A.
The project is expected to include retail outlets, entertainment facilities and transportation infrastructure, which the government says will strengthen Grand Bahama’s tourism product and broaden its visitor offerings.
He said MAG Grand Bahama Ltd was also approved to provide management services for Grand Bahama International Airport, including operational improvements, infrastructure support and training for Bahamian personnel.
The airport has remained a critical issue for Grand Bahama’s economy since it suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
Mr Pintard criticised the pace of progress, saying the government failed to advance the airport’s redevelopment after coming to office in 2021, despite plans left in place by the former administration. He blamed the delay on internal conflicts over the redevelopment.
He also pointed to the closure of the Grand Lucayan resort as evidence that major tourism concerns remain unresolved.
“The Grand Lucayan is now closed. Persons are out of work, and we’re not sure they have even settled all of their obligations to the employees,” he said.
On energy, Mr Halkitis confirmed that the government acquired all outstanding shares of
Grand Bahama Power Company, with the transaction taking effect on May 12, 2026.
He said Grand Bahama Power will adopt Bahamas Power and Light’s tariff structure, which is expected to reduce electricity bills by an estimated average of 37 percent for a typical household.
Mr Halkitis described the acquisition as “a major policy accomplishment”
that would ease the financial burden on residents, strengthen investor confidence and improve Grand Bahama’s competitiveness as an investment destination.
He said the acquisition would also strengthen the national electricity sector by bringing additional skilled Bahamian workers into the system. Mr Halkitis also addressed the government’s dispute with the Grand Bahama Port Authority over administrative cost recovery following a recent arbitration ruling. He said the tribunal confirmed that the government’s cost recovery rights remain enforceable, prompting officials to invoke review rights and
issue a formal demand for reimbursement of administrative costs incurred in the Port Area. The government also committed to continuing road paving works in Hudson Estates as part of wider infrastructure upgrades on Grand Bahama.
Mr Halkitis further announced that a new high school will be constructed on the island through funding from the Caribbean Development Bank. The project is expected to address longstanding education infrastructure needs.
Mr Pintard, however, accused the government of promoting an economic narrative that does not reflect the experiences of many Bahamians.
Pintard demands answers over $200k in election vouchers
lending must come from properly appropriated funds approved by parliament. If these loans were not drawn from such appropriations. The government must explain what legal basis it relied on and what we realize over and over, their answer has been silence.”
Using Bahamas Power and Light as an example, Mr Pintard said tens of millions of dollars had allegedly been advanced from the Treasury to the utility without sufficient explanation to the public.
He said he had written to Prime Minister Philip Davis and raised questions in the House of Assembly about the movement of public funds, but had not received
answers. Mr Pintard also cited warnings from the Fiscal Responsibility Council about fiscal risks linked to state-owned enterprises, missing information and liabilities not properly reflected in the national accounts.
He accused the government of relying on unpaid bills to bolster its surplus figures and said large infrastructure projects were being structured to conceal their full costs.
Despite his criticism, Mr Pintard identified some housing measures in the budget as positive, including VAT reductions for first-time homeowners and multipurpose properties.
However, he questioned the government’s expenditure on Housing Project Renaissance through the
Carmichael Village Project, saying current and former housing ministers had not explained how $40.2m of public funds was spent on the development. He said the matter should be addressed during the budget debate and questioned whether the project had produced homes matching the value of the public money allocated to it. Mr Pintard closed by rejecting the government’s economic assessment and insisting that public confidence depends on clear accounting for the use of public money. “We do not believe that this budget speaks to the real issues Bahamians are dealing with,” he said. “Transparency is not optional. It’s the price for public trust.”
PINTARD from page five
OPPOSITION Leader Michael Pintard speaks to the press yesterday after the Budget Communication in the House of Assembly.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr