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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021

$4.91 ‘Distinguish’ Nassau through five-year tax break extension By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Downtown Nassau Partnership’s (DNP) co-chair has hailed the government’s five-year tax break extension for giving investors certainty and helping to “distinguish” Nassau’s city from other areas. Charles Klonaris told Tribune Business that the extension of the City of Nassau Revitalisation Act for five years to end-June 2026, together with its import duty, Excise Tax, VAT and real property tax incentives, was “such a huge benefit” to reducing the payback period for when entrepreneurs will see a return on their property upgrades. “We’ve been working on that for some time, and it’s key they [the government] keep extending it,” he argued. “The government has been very accommodating with the revitalisation of the city. It’s so critical. It encourages investment. We welcome that. It’s such a huge benefit. “When we do something, whether we get the traffic or not, it’s still a very expensive proposition to renovate, upgrade or do any building. You need a minimum of five years to at least see the benefits of your investment. It [the Act] shortens the return period, which is really so critical. If you don’t have that, you will be looking at a minimum of ten to 12 years depending on how successful the traffic flow is.” Mr Klonaris said himself and his brothers would not have constructed their multi-million dollar plaza, Elizabeth on Bay, at the corner of Elizabeth and Bay Streets, without the various tax breaks offered by an Act that was intended to incentivise property owners to enhance, repair and upgrade their properties to improve the appearance of downtown Bay Street and surrounding areas. Some observers will argue that, especially east of East Street, the provision of tax breaks has not had the desired effect, but Mr Klonaris told this newspaper. “We have to distinguish downtown vis a vis other areas for development. “The real encouragement in this is giving us an advantage over other areas such as Cable Beach, out east and Lyford Cay. If someone wants to open a law firm or high-tech office space, it makes more sense to pay $20 per square foot rather than $40-$50 per square foot. Downtown can offer that; no one else can offer that rate. Why pay $40-$50 per square foot, especially if they are just starting out?” Mr Klonaris called for talks between downtown merchants and the cruise lines over how Nassau can be better promoted to the latter’s passengers with that sector set to resume sailing within weeks following a 15-month COVID-imposed halt. “Neither they nor we have done a proper job in marketing the city of Nassau,” he said. “There’s quite a lot to offer. If you are ready to open a business there’s no better place than downtown because of the logistics as well as the cost of doing business. We’re talking huge advantages for those businesses that want to start-up downtown.” The DNP co-chair added that it was also critical to solve downtown Nassau’s long-standing parking woes if locals and residents are to be enticed back to Bay Street, especially as the city starts to re-open with the return of the cruise ships.

$4.91

$5.01

Cargo port ‘starts to shrink the gap’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

ASSAU’S sole cargo port yesterday voiced optimism it has “started to shrink the gap” to pre-COVID business volumes with vehicle imports making up 20 percentage points during May alone. Dion Bethell, Arawak Port Development Company’s (APD) president and chief financial officer, told Tribune Business it “can sense within the past four to six weeks” that shipping business has picked up in line with the tourism industry’s post-COVID re-opening and that of the wider economy. Speaking after the BISXlisted operator of Nassau Container Port posted a 37

percent profits decline for the nine months to endMarch 2021, Mr Bethell said vehicle imports for that period had been down 50 percent year-over-year. However, following a spike in auto arrivals that began

at the end of April, this category was now down only 30 percent against prior year comparatives. APD’s performance is a good benchmark against which to measure that of the wider Bahamian economy,

ROYAL Caribbean is aiming to triple its Bahamas arrivals to 6m by 2030, a senior executive disclosed yesterday, adding that this nation must seize its opportunity to become a “permanent” home port base. Russell Benford, Royal Caribbean’s vice-president of government relations for the Americas, pledged to Tribune Business that the extra 4m passengers it plans to bring to this nation by 2030 will generate an additional $1bn in spending that stays with Bahamian companies - not the cruise line. While Royal Caribbean has projected a $1bn economic impact over a tenyear period for its planned Royal Beach Club on Paradise Island (see article in tomorrow’s Tribune Business), Mr Benford said the cruise industry’s projected

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• Targets bringing an additional 4m by 2030 • Urges nation to seize home port possibility • Says collaboration key to maximise spend

RUSSELL BENFORD post-COVID growth gives it little choice but to seek out new home ports outside the US. With Florida’s cruise ports at full capacity, and those in Texas and Louisiana rapidly approaching such status, he predicted that “somebody in the Caribbean will be the first” to achieve permanent home port status with the cruise lines.

And, with both Royal Caribbean and Crystal Cruises set to home port in The Bahamas this summer, Mr Benford said the outcome will determine if such operations “can be viable long-term for The Bahamas”. He added that the proposed Grand Lucayan acquisition, together with its Coco Cay private island and Nassau, would enable Royal Caribbean to offer sevenday cruises solely within The Bahamas. The Royal Caribbean executive revealed that the cruise line spent $70m during the COVID-19 lockdown upgrading its Perfect Day experience at Coco Cay in the Berry Islands, and estimated that by 2030 - with the Grand Lucayan, Paradise Island and the

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Grand Bahama Shipyard included - it will have invested around $1bn in this nation. “As we look at growing that passenger number from 2m to 6m, the cruise industry itself will probably double the number of ships in the next decade and run out of existing home port space,” Mr Benford explained. With Florida home ports “at capacity”, and Texas heading in the same direction, the cruise industry “is going to look at home porting operations in the Caribbean for the next decade”. This, he added, was why Royal Caribbean’s summer home porting in Nassau, which is scheduled to begin

given that 90 percent of all imports to New Providence cross its bulkheads, and Mr Bethell said it was on target to return to pre-COVID shipping volumes by 2022’s first calendar quarter if present trends hold. “At the end of April, for the month of May, we saw an increase in the amount of vehicles that are now being imported,” he disclosed. “That, for us, is one indicator things are starting to improve compared to what it was. We’ve seen quite a few vehicles coming in, but not at pre-COVID volumes.

Royal Caribbean to triple Bahamas arrivals to 6m By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Activist: Spanish Wells cruise call ‘very bad policy’ AN environmental activist is urging the government not to compound The Bahamas’ economic woes with “bad policy” by permitting Crystal Cruises to call on Spanish Wells as a home port destination. Sam Duncombe, reEarth’s president, told Tribune Business that employing Spanish Wells as an alternative destination to Harbour Island was “a really ill-conceived concept” as she queried why The Bahamas was “still pursuing” the cruise industry given the outstanding issues regarding its economic, environmental and other impacts. “I get that we’re in deep trouble, but this is not the time to be reactive with the kinds of projects you approve,” Mrs Duncombe charged. “That’s the equivalent of sending them to Harbour Island or Hope Town. Why not send them to Princess Cay? I just think it’s very short-sighted.” She spoke out after a petition opposing Crystal Cruises’ plan to use Spanish Wells as a port-of-call on its summer Bahamas ‘home porting’ itinerary, which will feature a series of seven-night voyages around this nation starting on July 3 and ending in November, garnered 1,047 signatures in just three days. The petition, featured on change.org, said: “We must stop Crystal Cruises from adding Spanish Wells, Bahamas, as a port of call and anchoring its ship at Egg Island. The Crystal Serenity ship carries between ship 900 to 1000 people. “Spanish Wells has a population of fewer than 2,000 people, it is only two miles long by a half-mile wide and is a quaint fishing town. It’s a quiet, safe and clean island. It is unlikely the Spanish Wells’ infrastructure can handle such a sudden increase in stress.” Continuing to make the case against Crystal, the petition added: “Over the last few years, Spanish Wells has created a strong and unique tourist brand and related products. Most who come to Spanish Wells

• APD makes up 20% pts on vehicle imports in May • Top executive ‘can sense’ revival in last six weeks • Eyes pre-COVID return by early 2022; profits off 37%

ARAWAK PORT

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Grand Lucayan’s sale ‘down to final papers’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A SENIOR Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines executive yesterday voiced optimism that its Grand Lucayan acquisition will finally “close this summer”, adding that negotiations were “down to a handful of documents”. Russell Benford, Royal Caribbean’s vice-president of government relations for the Americas, acknowledged to Tribune Business that many Bahamians are increasingly disbelieving that the resort’s redevelopment will ever happen but said the cruise line’s ambitions suffered a major hit when the entire industry was shutdown by COVID-19. While asserting that Royal Caribbean and its ITM Group partner were “close” to sealing the deal for Freeport’s former ‘anchor resort’ property, he also confirmed that talks with Hutchison Whampoa over the accompanying redevelopment of Freeport Harbour also have yet to complete. Mr Benford reaffirmed that Royal Caribbean/ITM,

• Royal Caribbean exec optimistic of ‘summer closing’ • But harbour talks with Hutchison ‘not completed’ • Project can’t proceed ‘as aggressively’ as planned

GRAND LUCAYAN and their Holistica joint venture, remain intent on completing both deals at the same time. He added that the government’s acquisition of Grand Bahama International Airport from Hutchison-controlled Freeport Harbour Company had also given the partners greater confidence to move forward given that the facility was the hotel’s airlift “lifeline”. “I think we’re close. I’ve been saying that for quite some time, I realise that,” Mr Benford told this

newspaper in a nod to the protracted negotiations. “I’m hopeful that we close this summer, and I think we’re down to a handful of documents that need to be reviewed and a couple of financial instruments that have to go through the legal process, but we’re getting there and are hopeful of a summer closing.” Tribune Business contacts, speaking on condition of anonymity, previously revealed at the time of the Grand Bahama

International Airport purchase that the government had been hoping to close the Grand Lucayan’s sale to Royal Caribbean/ITM by June 15. That timeline is only two weeks away, and appears unlikely to be realised. The government admitted as much in its 2021-2022 budget, allocating a $3m subsidy to Lucayan Renewal Holdings, the special purpose vehicle (SPV) that owns the resort, in a sign it fears it will be holding on to the property through September and the first quarter of its fiscal year at least. Acknowledging the frustration among many Bahamians that the Grand Lucayan sale has yet to complete, with many now adopting a “believe it when we see it attitude”, Mr Benford pointed out that the deal - which took place just weeks before the COVID19 lockdown - had been

derailed by the pandemic. With Royal Caribbean incurring billions of dollars in losses following the 15-month shutdown of the cruise industry, he explained that the cruise line remained committed to the project but will have to adopt a more phased approach to construction and redevelopment as cash flows allow. “I think the timelines have shifted a little bit,” Mr Benford said. “We are not able to be as aggressive as we’d like with reconstructing the project at once. We have to do it in phases and explore what we can do. It’s taken us a bit longer to negotiate with Hutchison... COVID19 was a tough time for all of us and to do business.” Besides the Grand Lucayan’s purchase from the government, the Royal Caribbean/ITM proposal also calls for the addition of new cruise berths at Freeport Harbour as well as the creation of a water-based adventure theme park for the thousands of passengers that the cruise line plans to bring to Freeport on an annual basis.

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THE TRIBUNE

GBPA TEAMS WITH BTVI ON CONSTRUCTION SEMINAR THE Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) teamed with the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) to hold a contractors’ workshop aimed at better educating those in the construction field. The virtual meeting, geared towards contractors, high school seniors, recent graduates and workers in the construction industry, attracted 63 participants. Dr Robert W Robertson, BTVI’s president, informed them of changes to some of the organisation’s courses. “Our programmes are much shorter than in the past, but it doesn’t mean we have compromised on

quality. The courses are shorter, flexible, blended, certified and free. Flexible and blended courses are the future of education, even after COVID-19. What it allows us to do is push product training to the Family Islands,” said Dr Robertson. “Almost all of our courses are certified. Most technical schools are moving towards globally-recognised certifications. We’re being aggressive. Certification is the ticket to the future, in terms of work. Certifications are critical. These have driven the growth of the organisation over the past five years.” Some of the certifications

CABLE DOUBLES FREE CHANNELS VIA NEW OUT ISLAND TV MOVE CABLE Bahamas yesterday said it has launched an upgraded TV service for Family Island customers

that doubles the number of free channels as well as giving access to premium content.

offered at BTVI are City and Guilds, Cisco, CompTIA and the National Centre for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). “BTVI is responsive to the situation we are in (globally). We will be of value to you going forth. BTVI is probably one of the best kept secrets in The Bahamas; it’s a real jewel. Our growth has been nothing short of phenomenal,” said Dr Robertson. Donovan Cox, the GBPA’s senior electrical inspector, added: “Our contractors ought always be a step ahead and duly informed. They ought to keep up-to-date in their

respective disciplines. BTVI has an arsenal of impressive opportunities. There is a whole variety of fields that they can give a level of service to the Grand Bahama community.” Veronica Collie, BTVI’s associate vice-president of the northern campus, thanked principals and guidance counsellors for getting the word out about the programme even as high school seniors ready for their national exams. Gayla Wallace, assistant manager of BTVI’s northern campus, spoke to the programme offerings and admission requirements. Yolande Samuels-Cole, its online

The BISX-listed “triple play” communications provider, in a statement, said its REV Home Sat TV services are replacing the free-to air services historically provided to consumers across the Family Islands. Customers will now receive 12 free channels

instead of the previous six off-air channels, and can also access premium channels including HBO, Starz and REV sport packages for a minimal monthly cost that was not disclosed. “We’re thrilled to be able to connect our customers with their favourite shows and movies using the Rev Home Sat,” said Dominic Petty, Cable Bahamas’ general manager for the northern Bahamas. “This new television solution offers exciting packages and allows customers to enjoy even more TV content.” The REV Home Sat uses satellite technology, which can be installed on a

learning co-ordinator, gave details about the CISCO DevNet associate programme, which is a joint venture between BTVI, the Government and CISCO Networking Academy. It provides 100 Bahamians with an interest in IT and software development with the chance to become certified CISCO software developers. Ms Samuels-Cole also spoke to the information and communication technology (ICT) programme, which is a joint effort between the Government and BTVI, and focuses on educating youth in the ever-evolving technology field, increasing their

employment opportunities and reducing the skills gap in The Bahamas. The programme recruits 10th graders, who participate over a three-year period (three summer semesters), with the anticipation of completing in 12th grade. The first cohort will graduate this year. Also present were the GBPA’s director of building and development services, Nakira Wilchcombe; BTVI’s board member, Don Forbes; Alexander Darville, BTVI’s dean of construction and workforce development; and Sherlock Prince, recruitment officer for BTVI’s northern campus.

home-by-home basis, to compensate for the fact that many Family Island communities are not connected to Cable Bahamas’ fibre network. The company said installation and equipment are provided free to customers in these communities. Cable Bahamas added that the introduction of this service has meant free to air channels have

been discontinued in some communities. It said that, to-date, more than 2,000 customers on 16 islands have been successfully upgraded. Franklyn Butler, pictured, Cable Bahamas’ chief executive, said: “I am delighted to see this new service come to life, which allows us to serve the entire Bahamas with lots of choice in entertainment for the consumer. “With ALIV’s worldclass LTE network for broadband and mobile services, coupled with this REV Home Sat, Cable Bahamas Group is truly..... providing services for all Bahamians everywhere.”

on John Gomez, newlyappointed chief executive for Cable Bahamas, REV and Aliv. “We are a very young company, and because of that we love investing in the youth of the nation as well,” Mr Gomez said. “We relish the role that we play in being able to provide an

avenue for them to be able to continue their careers and build their professional lives, so the partnership we have had with BTVI for the past four years has been a fruitful one. We look forward to continuing it and building upon it to make sure the youth of the nation are given an opportunity.”

BTVI extends its Aliv partnership THE Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) has entered a twoyear, $14,000 partnership with Aliv to help finance commencement ceremonies. And, in a further extension of a partnership that began in 2017, one student from BTVI’s Nassau and Freeport campuses will be the recipient of the the mobile operator’s Award of Excellence that includes $500 in cash to both. Aliv made the first cheque presentation of $7,500 during a call BTVI’s President paid

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 2, 2021, PAGE 3

TRAVEL VISA PURCHASES ‘MUCH HIGHER’ FOR MAY By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net A CABINET minister yesterday argued local COVID case numbers are the only obstacle to tourism’s revival as May’s health travel visa purchases were “substantially higher” than the prior month. Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister for tourism and aviation, told reporters that visitor numbers continue to trend upwards due to the ongoing US vaccination roll-out, increased travel confidence and the removal of border and other health restrictions. “I’m very encouraged,” he added. “Numbers are increasing; they are moving

upwards. You will have seen it at the airports, you would have seen it at the hotels.... more visitors are coming to The Bahamas. I see it on the health visa website. There was a significant increase in the number of persons purchasing a health visa in the month of May. “I haven’t quite finalised the numbers yet, but I can tell you they were substantially larger than they were in April. So we are moving in the right direction. The numbers are increasing, and the only thing that we have left to manage is the amount of COVID in the country and that is directly, of course, linked to vaccination.”

Economic reliance on New Providence rises By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas is becoming ever-more reliant on New Providence to generate three-quarters of its annual economic growth with the Family Islands’ combined contribution having reduced to 11 percent of GDP. The Department of Statistics, in their inaugural report on gross domestic product (GDP) contribution estimates by island for the years 2015-2020, said New Providence’s share of national economic output had risen from 70 percent at the start of that period to just under 75 percent by 2020. “Of the 2020 GDP of $9.908bn in nominal (current) dollars, New Providence (NP) represented $7.422bn (74.9 percent), Grand Bahama (GB) $1.437bn (14.5 percent) and the Family Islands (FI) the remaining $1.048bn (10.6 percent),” the Department of Statistics said. The figures come as little surprise, given New Providence’s population and economic concentration. Nassau and outlying communities continue to attract the bulk of investments and economic activity, while the Family Islands and their populations continue to shrink. A prominent realtor recently said many Family Island economies are hindered by a lack of infrastructure, with many requiring a first mover to kickstart development. David Morley said this had deterred himself and his late father from making significant investments in the southern Family Islands. The Department of Statistics report follows the prime minister’s recent announcement that the southern Bahamas will now

be designated a special economic zone, with import duty and VAT waived on building materials. VAT on real estate sales worth less than $500,000 will either be waived or discounted in a bid to spur economic activity on those islands. Mr Morley, though, said it would be difficult to ask someone to leave New Providence, where all the jobs and opportunities are, to go to a far-flung Family Island with no way of sustaining their quality of life or accessing necessities. The Department of Statistics report said Family Island GDP contributions for 2020 can be disaggregated into “Eleuthera, $269m (2.7 percent); Abaco, $243m (2.5 percent); Exuma, $137m (1.4 percent); Andros, $107m (1.1 percent); Long Island, $74m, (0.7 percent); Mayaguana, Acklins, Crooked Island and Inagua, $103m (1 percent); Bimini and the Berry Islands, $47m (0.5 percent); Cat Island, San Salvador and Rum Cay, $35m (0.4 percent); and the remaining Family Islands, $34m (0.3 percent).” Grand Bahama, meanwhile, saw its GDP contribution contract from a high of 17 percent in 2015 to now 14.5 percent in 2020. Noting that Grand Bahama “rebounded” from the devastation of Hurricane Matthew in 2016, with growth back on a steady pace in 2018, the report said the island was further setback in 2019 by Hurricane Dorian before reconstruction efforts were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Abaco’s GDP contribution shrank between 2015-2020 from 4.5 percent to now 2.5 percent of Bahamian GDP, with the decline again caused by the combination of Hurricane Dorian followed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr D’Aguilar said the Family Islands have “navigated [the pandemic] far better than the bigger properties, say here in New Providence”. He added: “The Family Islands were, as we’ve always said, designed for social distancing. “They are low density, boutique-type environments, and persons are looking to get away to remote parts of the planet. The Family Islands are associated with that getting away from crowds and lots of people. So they have always been the most resilient component of our tourism product.” Mr D’Aguilar also hailed the resumption of direct

British Airways flights to Nassau as giving the European tourism market, which generated around seven percent of pre-COVID visitors, a “mechanism” for getting to this nation. “We were indeed very delighted to see British Airways on the ground. The flight came in with 233 passengers out of 275, meaning a load factor of 85 percent,” Mr D’Aguilar said. “But what was so economically impactful about that flight was that it terminated in Nassau. So that meant every single passenger on that plane got off here in Nassau, and is either a returning resident or citizen, or visitor coming on vacation here.”

“As you know, we had no links with Europe. It was very, very difficult to get here from Europe and, finally, with the reestablishment of the British Airways non-stop direct flight from London Heathrow, persons in Europe and the United Kingdom now have a mechanism to return to The Bahamas,” he added. “So that was a very significant and impactful flight. The flights are going to be once a week. And, as the load factors or the demand dictates, we will move to a greater frequency.” Noting that the UK still has The Bahamas on its “amber list” of countries, meaning that persons returning from this nation will need

to quarantine at home for ten days and take a COVID19 test on day two and day eight, Mr D’Aguilar said: “The UK is a long way away, so we always have the barrier of distance to get over. Then obviously you have the requirement to quarantine when you return and that is another impediment to travel. “But I am of the view that there is a body of persons in the UK that just don’t care about that, and they want to come on vacation to The Bahamas and to the Caribbean in general. For tourism to rebound, you have to keep COVID down, and to keep COVID down you have to get vaccinations. I can make it no simpler than that.”

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PAGE 6, Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Cargo port ‘starts to shrink the gap’ FROM PAGE ONE “When you look yearover-year we were down 50 percent for the nine months to March, and are now down by 30 percent. That gap is starting to shrink. Year-over-year, we were also down about 20 percent on twenty foot equivalent unit (TEU) container volumes and relatively flat on tonnage. “It’s still uncertain when conditions will reach to pre-COVID levels, but the volumes are starting to pick back up. In terms of the volumes that the shipping carriers are bringing in, over the last four to six

weeks we can sense that there is some increase,” Mr Bethell continued. “I would presume a good much is related to the hotels and the government with their initiatives to drive the tourism machine. The wholesalers like Bahamas Food Services and others are starting to bring in additional volumes to supply the major hotel properties like Atlantis and Baha Mar.” APD’s import volume data shows just how much Bahamian economic activity dried up during April/ May and late summer/fall last year, which coincided with the peak of COVID lockdowns and associated

THE TRIBUNE public health restrictions. For example, TEU import volumes fell by almost 38 percent year-over-year in April 2020, as the number of imported containers dropped by more than 2,000 - from 5,815 in 2019 to 3,620. Fast forward to early 2021, and the Nassau Container Port’s monthly TEU volumes have been down by between 900-1,000 yearover-year for each of the three months in the calendar year’s first quarter. However, January and February were up against pre-COVID comparisons, while March 2020 was only partially affected by pandemic-related lockdowns. Thus APD’s April 2021 figures provide a better indication of where Bahamian aggregate demand stands, both compared to COVID lockdown and

pre-COVID figures, based on TEU container volumes. While April was 37.3 percent up on the prior year at 4,972 containers, it was still 14.5 percent down compared to the same month in 2019. “We’re confident it’s starting to pick up,” Mr Bethell told this newspaper of import activity. “It’s not trending down, it’s holding, and we don’t foresee it trending lower than it is now. We’re positive that the cruise home porting initiative, that that will be a big game changer and hopefully what drives and starts to give the tourists some confidence to travel. “The volumes that are starting to pick up, the activity, we feel that’s indicative of what we sense around town; that things are starting to look more positive, certainly compared to this time last year. When you look at our [COVID infection] numbers it’s concerning because we are consistently seeing numbers that are up there,

but we appreciate that the government is very committed to turning the economy around.” Mr Bethell said that if the Bahamian economy continues to re-open and maintain its present momentum, and the government’s recently-announced budget measures take effect, “these things will lend favourably to a recovery by the end of this year; the fourth quarter going into the first quarter of next year” for APD’s import volumes. When measured against APD’s own internal forecasts, he added that TEU volumes were “relatively flat” while vehicle volumes “are still down by onethird”. However, “on the bulk aggregate side that number is up by about 20 percent over budget, and that is driven primarily by the project cargo that comes in and tonnage in non-containerised cargo”. Such cargo, Mr Bethell explained, typically included heavy equipment and materials such as sheet

piles that are being used for the Nassau Cruise Port’s $250m transformation project. “That has picked up,” he added, “but it’s still performing under prior year comparatives.” The APD chief said no decision had been taken by the company’s board about the payment of shareholder dividends this year, with the last capital return having occurred in December. He added that the company remained “very prudent” in managing its expenses amid COVID-19’s ongoing economic fall-out. APD’s net income for the first nine months of its 2021 financial year, which closes at end-June, fell by more than one-third yearover-year from $7.905m pre-COVID to $4.984m - a drop of close to $3m. This was driven largely by a 17.7 percent revenue dropoff, as income fell from $25.517m to $20.988m. Total expenses dropped by 17.3 percent, shrinking from $12.262m to $10.14m.

Grand Lucayan’s sale ‘down to final papers’ FROM PAGE ONE That means the Holistica partners have to strike a deal with the Hutchison-controlled Freeport Harbour Company, as well as the government, and Mr Benford confirmed that talks with the Hong Kong-headquartered conglomerate were “not completed” yet. “We’re close,” he said. “Everything is moving in parallel to each other. The harbour is moving along with the hotel, and we’re trying to close at the same time for both those properties.” Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, told Tribune Business in late April that Hutchison Whampoa was “ratcheting up their game” to enable protracted negotiations for the Grand Lucayan’s sale to

finally conclude. He added that the Hong Kong-headquartered conglomerate “understands the urgency” to facilitate the hotel deal by reaching agreement with ITM Group/Royal Caribbean for Freeport Harbour’s redevelopment. “I’m advised that it’s imminent,” the minister said then of the harbour agreement. “The local company [Freeport Harbour Company] is almost completely done with its negotiations with ITM and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. It’s very close. I’m advised that it will then be to Hong Kong for the final blessing. “I’ve been advised they [Hutchison] understand the urgency that the government is applying, and are now ratcheting up their game to make it a reality.” Tribune Business has

N O T I C E WINDING BAY RETREAT LIMITED (In Voluntary Liquidation) Creditors having debts or claims against the abovenamed Company are required to send particulars thereof to the undersigned c/o P. O. Box SS-19084, Nassau, Bahamas on or before the 18th day of June, 2021. In default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made by the Liquidator. Dated the 2nd day of June, 2021. BERYN NEELEY LIQUIDATOR OF WINDING BAY RETREAT LIMITED

long reported that ITM/ Royal Caribbean, and their Holistica joint venture, will not close the Grand Lucayan’s purchase until they have sealed the harbour’s redevelopment. Closing on one before the other would give either Freeport Harbour Company, which is 50 percent owned and managed by Hutchison Whampoa, or the government the power and negotiating leverage to squeeze more concessions from ITM/Royal Caribbean knowing that the joint venture will be increasingly desperate to wrap up negotiations on the last component for its project. The Grand Bahama Port Authority’s (GBPA) Port Group Ltd affiliate owns the remaining 50 percent in Freeport Harbour Company, whose agreement is vital to enabling the expansion of cruise ship berths and development of a waterbased adventure park that will accompany a revived Grand Lucayan. Mr Benford, meanwhile, said Royal Caribbean and ITM “feel a bit more confident in moving forward” now that the government has acquired Grand Bahama International Airport and formally taken over its operations via the Airport Authority. While the airport was not a deal breaker for the Grand Lucayan, he added that airlift was “incredibly important” to the hotel’s prospects of success. “Now the Government of The Bahamas has ownership of the property, we feel more confident it will be redeveloped,” he added. “We don’t know how it will happen, but it’s clear it has to be rebuilt in some form or fashion.”

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 2, 2021, PAGE 7

Royal Caribbean to triple SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM LAUNCHES AT $2.4M COST Bahamas arrivals to 6m FROM PAGE ONE

in ten days’ time via the Adventure of the Seas, represents “a really good trial to see if home porting operations can be viable long-term from The Bahamas”. “If any Caribbean country has an opportunity to start up long-term home porting operations, The Bahamas is going to be very competitive with that,” Mr Benford told Tribune Business. “I think somebody in this region, the Caribbean, will be the first to have a permanent home port ship.” He added that The Bahamas’ had all the ingredients necessary to be a successful home port, the key attributes being its airlift connectivity and proximity to the US as well as sufficient hotel room capacity to accommodate cruise passengers who elected to spend several nights in this nation both before and after their cruise. Mr Benford, who said the $250m infrastructure upgrades at Prince George Wharf will also serve The Bahamas well in competing to become a permanent home port destination, said: “I think it all adds up to opportunity with respect to home porting. The two most important things are airlift, and you have a great state-of-the-art airport with affordable airlift from the US, and multiple hotel properties with capacity. “Add in the brand new infrastructure at the port, and The Bahamas is doing everything it can to position itself to be incredibly competitive in the cruise sphere.” With The Bahamas set to become increasingly important to Royal Caribbean, Mr Benford disclosed: “I think you’ll see our volumes.... we’re expecting to bring over 6m guests from the Royal Caribbean group to The Bahamas by 2030 or in the next ten years.

“We’re looking at tripling from the present 2m over a ten-year period, and tripling the number of people means tripling the spend. That will increase spending in The Bahamas by $1bn over ten years; revenue for Bahamian companies. “That’s not a $1bn increase in revenue for the Royal Caribbean group; that’s money that stays in The Bahamas. Those are the tours and people going to dinner and buying things and shopping. That’s the economic opportunity that’s there. The question is how do we maximise it, keep as much as possible, and connect real people and businesses to this. It takes a lot of work and we have to spend a lot of time collaborating.” Mr Benford acknowledged concerns among Bahamian businesses reliant on cruise ship passengers that they were only retaining a small portion of the industry’s economic impact, adding: “The real hard work is sitting around the table figuring out solutions. Everyone can identify the problem, but we need to sit around the table and figure out how to collaborate and get a better outcome for everybody.” The Royal Caribbean executive added that “at least for the first month” Adventure of the Seas’ Nassau home port voyages “if not sold out are very close to it”. He added that the 3,800-passenger vessel will be “a little less than 50 percent capacity” for its first sailings to ensure COVID19 related safety measures are adhered to. The cruise line has already obtained Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) permission to resume trial sailing from Florida later this month, and Mr Benford confirmed that paid-for cruises have already received the goahead for July 2021.

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL The Public is hereby advised that I, DANIEL COICOU of #28 Herbert Way, Joan’s Height P.O. Box SS-5001, New Providence, Bahamas intend to change my name to DANIEL COICOUS. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net A CABINET minister says the government’s “much anticipated” $2.4m social assistance management system, “ProMis”, has been deployed with effect from yesterday. Frankie Campbell, pictured, minister of social services, told reporters outside the Cabinet Office that the system will enable the most vulnerable in Bahamian society to access social welfare initiatives much more quickly and efficiently by cutting the waiting time for application approvals. He said: “ProMis is a platform that will position our clients one click away from food assistance, burial assistance, rental assistance and

all of the other assistance that we give at the department of social services.” Mr Campbell warned, however, that with technology “things happen”. While the system was not fully operational yesterday, all the Department of Social Services’ clients were entered on the platform and will have access to the digital wallet that the department has been testing for the delivery of benefits.

He added that the Department will be using four digital payment providers to administer these wallets on its clients’ behalf because the government wants to ensure “continuity”. If one provider has a challenge, then another can step in and fill that gap. Mr Campbell said he anticipates that ProMis will be launched in the various Family Islands by the end of July, and said: “The reason we’re not going fully into the Family Islands is because we want to ensure all of our agents in the Family Islands have had the benefit of face-to-face training. “They’ve done some online training. We do have the capacity now, but we want to ensure that there

NOTICE

are no impediments in terms of human resources being prepared to give the benefits.” Mr Campbell also addressed the Department of Social Services taking over the payment of unemployment benefits with effect from September 2021, saying: “This situation has been fluid from the beginning. We would have set dates, and on arrival at those dates we would have seen the necessity to review and we did so. That is always a moving target based on the need if it continues to exist. “As it relates to transitioning any additional services to the ministry and Department of Social Services, we will adapt, we will overcome and we will continue to serve our clients.”

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that KASLENA KERSAINT, of East Street, New Providence, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2nd day of June 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that GAVIN JOHN MILTON BERNARD, of #3 Kool Air Subdivision, New Providence, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2nd day of June 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that THEODORE TANIS, of Eight Mile Rock, Russell Town, Freeport, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 2nd day of June 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that JULENOR PIERRE of Main Street, Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, P.O. Box N-4334, Nassau, 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, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

TUESDAY, 1 JUNE 2021

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CHANGE

1951.19

-0.01

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

0.00 -141.27

-6.75

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

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 5.20 33.05 1.50 2.90 1.78 6.00 6.96 3.60 6.00 4.01 6.16 12.00 2.75 7.50 10.71 9.01 14.60 4.25 8.97 16.00

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

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

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

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

LAST CLOSE 5.49 32.12 1.50 2.61 1.44 6.00 6.96 3.53 4.27 2.89 5.95 9.75 2.46 7.35 11.40 9.01 14.00 3.99 8.19 15.50

CLOSE 5.49 32.12 1.50 2.61 1.44 6.00 6.96 3.53 4.27 2.89 5.95 9.75 2.50 7.35 11.34 9.01 14.00 3.99 8.19 15.50

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGRS650227 BSBGR1271398 BSBGRS870288

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.88 100.00 100.86

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

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

BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

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

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 100.88 100.00 100.66

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.88 100.00 100.66

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

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing)

NOTICE In the Estate of KENNETH WALLACE a.k.a. KENNETH JOSEPH WALLACE a.k.a. KENNETH J. WALLACE a.k.a. CHAS EDWARD WALLACE late of Saunders Road in the Western District of the Island of New Providence, one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, deceased NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demand against the above estate are required to send the same duly certified in writing to the undersigned on or before the 26th July, 2021 after which date the Administratrix will proceed to distribute the assets having regard only to the claims of which she shall then have had notice. AND NOTICE is hereby given that all persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to make full settlement on or before the date hereinbefore mentioned.

Leslie Vernon Rolle 19 Clarke Lane off Mackey Street Attorney for the Administratrix New Providence, Bahamas (My. 26, J. 2, 9)

Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BGRS FL BSBGR650227 BGRS FX BGR127139 BGRS FL BSBGR870288

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.00 (0.06) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

VOLUME

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

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

VOLUME

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

P/E 23.0 34.5 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.9 -8.1 30.5 15.7 13.3 13.5 24.5 15.7 17.6 12.4 17.2 19.7 8.7 24.6

YIELD 3.10% 3.92% 1.33% 1.15% 0.00% 0.00% 3.74% 0.00% 0.00% 4.15% 3.70% 7.38% 17.36% 0.82% 2.89% 2.66% 3.86% 3.01% 2.44% 3.94%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

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

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

MATURITY

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 4.66% 5.00% 4.33%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 6-Sep-2022 15-Jan-2039 26-Apr-2028

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.43 4.44 2.16 202.18 190.86 1.69 1.81 1.78 1.16 8.58 10.26 7.35 14.59 12.84 10.31 10.00 10.43 14.89

52WK LOW 2.11 3.30 1.68 164.74 116.70 1.67 1.73 1.75 1.03 6.41 7.62 5.66 8.65 10.54 9.57 9.88 8.45 11.20

FUND CFAL Bond Fund CFAL Balanced Fund CFAL Money Market Fund CFAL Global Bond Fund CFAL Global Equity Fund Leno Financial Conservative Fund Leno Financial Aggressive Fund Leno Financial Balanced Fund Leno Financial Global Bond Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Secured Balanced Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Targeted Equity Fund Royal Fidelity Bahamas Opportunities Fund - Prime Income Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Equities Sub Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - High Yield Fund Royal Fidelity Int'l Fund - Alternative Strategies Fund Colonial Bahamas Fund Class D Colonial Bahamas Fund Class E Colonial Bahamas Fund Class F

NAV 2.43 4.44 2.16 202.18 190.86 1.69 1.75 1.76 1.03 8.58 10.14 7.35 14.59 12.64 9.99 N/A 10.43 14.89

YTD% 12 MTH% 1.47% 4.26% 0.20% 0.87% 0.95% 2.82% 0.14% 5.02% 3.25% 31.13% 0.91% 0.68% -2.55% -3.02% -0.27% -0.27% -2.20% -7.62% 1.14% 4.22% 1.09% 3.04% 1.01% 4.65% 4.93% 42.27% -1.56% 0.80% -0.60% -4.90% N/A N/A 3.00% 25.60% 7.90% 48.70%

NAV Date

30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 30-Apr-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 28-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

MARKET TERMS

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

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price

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

Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity

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

Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity

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

Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price

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

Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week

Change - Change in closing price from day to day

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

Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today

NAV - Net Asset Value

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

N/M - Not Meaningful

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

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

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 2, 2021, PAGE 9

Activist: Spanish Wells cruise call ‘very bad policy’ FROM PAGE ONE

rent houses, take excursions and make very significant contributions to the local economy. “Recently, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) disclosed in findings published by a local newspaper that it takes 28 cruise tourists to spend as much as a single land-based stayover tourist. Experience informs us that people choose to visit Spanish Wells exactly because it is not a mass tourist destination. A high-volume, low-spend model of tourism is adverse to the Spanish

Wells brand and would pose significant economic, social and environmental risks to the small community.” Turning to the anchoring location, the petition said: “Worse still, Crystal plans to anchor its ship at Egg Island, an uninhabited and undeveloped island near Spanish Wells. The island is an important part of Spanish Wells’ heritage and the surrounding waters are revered by locals and visitors alike. “Egg Island’s natural beauty has been enjoyed by generations and is of great ecological significance to not only the communities of North Eleuthera and Spanish Wells but to The Bahamas as a whole. Egg Island boasts several healthy ecosystems including mangroves, coral reefs, salt ponds, rocky shoreline, and beach.

“Egg Island is known for having a sustainable grouper spawning aggregation, of which there are few left in The Bahamas. Endangered sea turtles are well known to nest on Egg Island beach, endangered shorebirds nest there, and the juvenile conch are maturing in safety,” the petition continued. “This fragile environment would be put at unnecessary risk by the numerous undesirable impacts of cruise ship operation, including pollution and direct damage from the anchorage. “Sadly, the community was not consulted by Crystal Cruises or by the government. We, as concerned residents and visitors from around the world, must fight to stop this and we must act now. There is no upside to losing what has taken generations to build

here. The peace, safety, sense of real community will all be in great peril if Spanish Wells becomes a cruise stop. “This is not in the best interest of Spanish Wells. Our existing, sustainable model of tourism is far superior to what has been proposed behind our backs. Let the Bahamian government and Crystal hear our voices.” Mrs Duncombe, in her own letter to the prime minister, said: “As we emerge slowly from the worst pandemic in a century, and the nation’s economic security remains in peril, I understand and appreciate government’s efforts to seize upon the fastest means to place this nation back on her feet. “However, given the unprecedented burdens shouldered by your government, I feel compelled to

emphasise what would ordinarily be self-evident. Blind haste and desperation make for bad decisions and bad policy..... As your government must know, Spanish Wells has spent decades meticulously building its own unique, enviable and sustainable model of tourism.” Backing the concerns voiced in the petition, Mrs Duncombe wrote: “Do you understand the potential blight the Crystal deal represents to their unique brand? Many Spanish Wells residents have invested their life savings to leverage the island’s unique style of escapist tourism. “Spanish Wells visitors come to the island over and over again exactly because it is not a cruise port of call, does not embrace mass tourism, and does not need or

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 73° F/23° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Cloudy, a stray t‑storm; breezy

An evening thunder‑ storm or two

Clouds and sun, a shower; breezy

A t‑storm around in the afternoon

A thunderstorm in the afternoon

Breezy in the a.m., then a t‑storm

High: 84°

Low: 76°

High: 85° Low: 75°

High: 86° Low: 76°

High: 87° Low: 75°

AccuWeather RealFeel

89° F

76° F

93°-79° F

94°-80° F

96°-79° F

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

almanac

ABACO

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

8‑16 knots

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 77° F/25° C

8‑16 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 77° F/25° C

E S

WEST PALM BEACH

uV inDex toDay

THURSDAY

| Go to AccuWeather.com

TONIGHT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 75° F/24° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 74° F/23° C

MIAMI

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 77° F/25° C

6‑12 knots

KEY WEST

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 76° F/24° C

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 77° F/25° C

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

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.) 0.2 0.5

Today

2:18 a.m. 3:00 p.m.

2.7 2.4

8:51 a.m. 9:08 p.m.

Thursday

3:16 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

2.5 2.4

9:45 a.m. 0.2 10:11 p.m. 0.6

Friday

4:11 a.m. 4:53 p.m.

2.4 2.5

10:35 a.m. 0.2 11:09 p.m. 0.6

Saturday

5:02 a.m. 5:40 p.m.

2.3 2.6

11:19 a.m. 0.2 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Sunday

5:49 a.m. 6:23 p.m.

2.3 2.7

12:00 a.m. 0.5 12:01 p.m. 0.1

Monday

6:33 a.m. 7:03 p.m.

2.2 2.8

12:47 a.m. 0.4 12:40 p.m. 0.1

Tuesday

7:14 a.m. 7:42 p.m.

2.2 2.8

1:29 a.m. 1:18 p.m.

0.3 0.0

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:20 a.m. 7:56 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

1:49 a.m. 1:27 p.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Jun. 2

Jun. 10

Jun. 17

Jun. 24

CAT ISLAND

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

8‑16 knots

8‑16 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 81° F/27° C Low .................................................... 75° F/24° C Normal high ....................................... 86° F/30° C Normal low ........................................ 73° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 88° F/31° C Last year’s low ................................... 73° F/23° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.02” Year to date ................................................. 3.50” Normal year to date ..................................... 8.62”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

want a sudden increase in visitors. Within the space of a few hours, a petition opposing this scheme garnered hundreds of signatures from residents and visitors alike, and there is no end in sight. “The vast majority of Spanish Wells people don’t need or want the pocket change that cruise passengers spend. They are fully aware that it takes 28 cruise passengers to spend as much as one of their stayover guests,” she added. “Do you have any idea how much money the island’s second home owners spend within the community every year and that they will very likely stay away if the picturesque island’s soul bears the unmistakable taint and stink a cruise port of call will bring?”

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

8‑16 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS

are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

RAGGED ISLAND High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 78° F/26° C

10‑20 knots

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

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS SE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 10‑20 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots

WAVES 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 3‑5 Feet 4‑8 Feet 4‑7 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 3‑6 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 8 Miles 6 Miles 6 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 9 Miles 9 Miles 6 Miles 8 Miles 9 Miles 9 Miles 6 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 5 Miles 6 Miles 9 Miles 8 Miles 8 Miles 4 Miles 7 Miles 9 Miles 9 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 79° F 79° F 83° F 83° F 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 80° F 85° F 85° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 81° F 82° F 82° F 80° F 80° F