business@tribunemedia.net
TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2017
$4.15
$4.20
Port Lucaya: ‘95% won’t survive further 2 months’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net TENANTS in Freeport’s Port Lucaya Marketplace are planning a march to highlight their plight, one operator saying yesterday: “I can’t see 95 per cent of us surviving another two months.” Troy Cartwright, who is leading efforts to organise the march, told Tribune Business that he and other retail/restaurant operators were in “crisis” after the Memories and Grand Lucayan closures caused a 95 per cent consumer traffic fall-off. He explained that this had resulted in revenues at his business, Nikki’s Trinkets, collapsing from $15,000-$18,000 per month prior to Hurricane Matthew to just $50 every two days “if I’m lucky”. Besides being unable to retain staff and purchase inventory, Mr Cartwright said the sales loss had left him - and many others struggling to meet their rent
Tenants plan march to highlight plight Revenues down to $50 every two days Seek to ‘expose Hutchison as bad guy’ and electricity bills. Pledging to “redouble” efforts to form a march, he said the initiative was not intended to be anti-government - but rather “to expose Hutchison Whampoa as the bad guy”. Many Freeport residents and businesses view the Hong Kong-based conglomerate as the principal cause of Freeport’s latest woe, due to its failure to repair and re-open the hotels following Matthew - a failure that saw Memories and Sunwing abandon Grand Bahama. Mr Cartwright said that while the Minnis adminis-
GRAND LUCAYAN tration’s plans for reviving Grand Bahama’s economy were welcomed, he warned that many businesses may not survive to see them “materialise”. “We are in incredibly bad shape,” he told Tribune Business of Port Lucaya Marketplace. “We’ve lost 95 per cent of our traffic. Before the storm, I was clearing $15,000-$18,000 per month. Right now, I’m lucky to make $50 every 48 hours.” Mr Cartwright’s financial situation is typical of many tenants previously inter-
viewed by Tribune Business, some of whom have already closed their stores. The Breaker’s Cay (Grand Lucayan) and Memories closures have deprived Grand Bahama of more than 1,000 hotel rooms, while also costing Port Lucaya Marketplace tenants a significant portion of their customer base. With access to the Grand Lucayan beach still closed, visiting cruise ships have directed their passengers away from the Lucaya area to ‘beach break, excursion See PG B3
Govt ‘minded to Govt ‘will not rest’ until Grand aid’ manufacturers Lucaya solution achieved over tariff slashes By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Government will today give “a definitive response” to opponents of its Budget tariff cuts, the Deputy Prime Minister saying it was “minded” to assist Bahamian manufacturers. K P Turnquest yesterday pledged it would ensure local manufacturers remain competitive against rival imports, with any cuts likely to cause “hardship” under review. “We are considering their request, and we are minded to do something in respect of that,” Mr Turnquest said of the cries from Bahamian drink, paint and battery manufacturers. “Obviously, the Government of the Bahamas is very much interested, as stated in our plans, in wanting to support local manufacturing as it does create opportunities See PG B4
‘Definitive position’ on cuts push back today DPM promises to keep sector competitive But producers must compete with no protection
DEPUTY Prime Minister Peter Turnquest.
CommAnding oCeAnfront estAte
CynArA
oLd fort BAy
1.5 elevated acres | 234 feet of water frontage 6 Br | 7.5 Baths | 5,800 sf | Main house & cottage
Asking Us$13,900,000. WEB: 30370 Mark.Hussey@SothebysRealty.com 242.424.9193
SIRbahamas.com t 242 362 4211
Member of The Bahamas MLS
THE Government yesterday said it was seeking “the best redevelopment deal” possible for the Grand Lucayan resort and associated amenities, promising it “will not rest” until this is achieved. Senator Kwasi Thompson, minister of state for See PG B2
Seeking ‘best redevelopment deal’ possible And ‘painfully aware’ of ongoing suffering Sale details not completed before election
$4.27
$4.27
GOVT ‘ON HOOK’ FOR $50M MATTHEW VAT REFUND BILL By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Government could be “on the hook” for a $50 million-plus Value-Added Tax (VAT) refund bill as a result of Hurricane Matthew insurance claims, an industry executive said yesterday. Anton Saunders, RoyalStar Assurance’s managing director, estimated that industry-wide gross losses from last October’s storm could total $800 million. He suggested that the ‘refund’ bill would be 7 per cent of this sum, which is $56 million, and added that the industry and Government will “have to come to a happy medium” on how this will be addressed. “The insurance industry and the Government have
Insurers seek ‘happy medium’ resolution Storm’s gross claims forecast to be $800m RoyalStar sees top ratings confirmed to determine the way forward,” Mr Saunders told Tribune Business. “The Government owes the insurance industry refunds [on the Matthew claims], and we have to come to a happy medium on how that will be dealt with.” Mr Saunders said that based on the $112 million worth of gross claims unveiled by J. S. Johnson in See PG B4
Davis slams tax cuts for ‘those most able to pay’ By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net THE Opposition’s leader yesterday questioned why the Government was providing Budget tax breaks to wealthy individuals and businesses given its claim that “the cupboard is bare”. Philip Davis used his Budget debate contribution to assert that the duty and Excise tax cuts were targeted at “those who can most afford to pay”, and that the Budget “brings no relief to the poor”. He argued that in contrast to its “cupboard is bare” claim, the Minnis administration was foregoing “much-needed revenue” on equipment and products such as washing machine See PG B2
Queries revenue foregone ‘if cupbwoard bare’ Targets washing machine, paint supply links Budget ‘washes, cleans, presses you’
OPPOSITION LEADER PHILIP DAVIS