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VOLUME:115 No.149, JUNE 27TH, 2018

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER: $1

ALICIA WALLACE: HOW YOU CAN PREPARE FOR VAT

‘I’ll sue to save shanty homes’

Fred Smith vows IN THE court action over ‘sickening’ move SWING

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE government’s efforts to eradicate shanty town communities have come under fire, with prominent attorney and human rights activist Fred Smith yesterday threatening a lawsuit to block any attempts to raze homes in these areas.

Last night, Mr Smith insisted he would do all in his power to stop the government’s “indiscriminate and arbitrary” push to “destroy the lives

of thousands of legal residents”.

“This is sickening destruction of the worst kind,” Mr Smith, QC, told The Tribune. “The government has taken to these communities with letters in hand to tell persons with nowhere left to go that their homes, many of which have been occupied for decades, will be torn down if they can’t give legal documents to say they have a right to be there.

“This is like Fred Mitchell’s immigration policy SEE PAGE SIX

FOR SUMMER

SOME labourers at The Pointe development were reclassified by the Department of Immigration, Brent Symonette said yesterday, adding developer China Construction America is now paying the increased fees relating to semi-skilled and skilled labourers.

He explained this to the media yesterday after it was reported that Attorney General Carl Bethel addressed the issue in the

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE design of a protection system needs to be foremost in any plans being pursued by Bahamas Power & Light executives, according to Bahamas Electrical Workers Union President Paul Maynard.

Speaking with The Tribune a day after an island-wide power outage, Mr Maynard said the lack of a protection system that can quickly address electrical faults, combined with antiquated equipment, has rendered the utility provider unable to fend off system failures in a modern way.

This comes as a foreign engineer who specialises in system instability is expected to be on the island next week to assess BPL’s problems.

In a statement yesterday, BPL said electrical services in New SEE PAGE THREE

NEW MANAGER CHOSEN FOR LANDFILL SITE

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

CHANGE IN CLASSIFICATION FOR POINTE WORKERS

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net

‘NEW DESIGN NEEDED TO STOP BPL POWER CUTS’

A NEW management firm for the New Providence Landfill has been selected, Environment and Housing Minister Romauld Ferreira announced yesterday.

However, it could be awhile before pertinent details are made public.

The minister yesterday declined to reveal the selected firm or when this company would enter into a contractual agreement. He could not tell reporters how much the contract would be worth, saying the cost has yet to be determined.

Senate on Monday.

During the sitting, Mr Bethel said he observed foreigners doing jobs they were not needed for.

Mr Symonette, minister of immigration, said: “I noticed this morning that I think the attorney general had made comments on the question on seeing people laying blocks.

“With regard to The Pointe, there have been applications processed in the initial phase. They were for labourers.”

SEE PAGE SIX

SEE PAGE THREE

‘GET FINANCES IN ORDER’ TO AFFORD LOW-COST LAND LOTS

By KHRISNA RUSSELL Deputy Chief Reporter krussell@tribunemedia.net SCHOOL is out, Summer is in. A young student takes part in a golf summer course while out of school for the break. See page 11 for more summer camp pictures.

Photo: Terrel W Carey/Tribune Staff

FISCAL BILL ‘TO HELP BRING BACK TRUST’

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Deputy Prime Minister yesterday admitted there is a “trust deficit” between the Government

and Bahamian people that he hopes to close with the Fiscal Responsibility Bill’s passage.

Peter Turnquest told Tribune Business that poor fiscal management, broken promises and a

lack of transparency and accountability by previous governments had created a divide that the proposed legislation will help bridge when it becomes law “as soon as possible”.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

MANY Bahamians are unable to qualify for the government’s low-cost housing lots despite efforts to offer them at less than $30,000, Environment and Housing Minister Romauld Ferreira said yesterday.

In view of this, the minister urged Bahamians to put themselves in the position to be able to take advantage of what he called a “once in a lifetime” opportunity.

SEE PAGE SEVEN

PAGE 2, Wednesday, June 27, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

SPLASHING OUT THIS SUMMER

THE children of Bimini can now enjoy the stunning marine environment that surrounds them with increased safety and confidence thanks to a groundbreaking partnership led by Save The Bays.

The environmental advocacy group partnered with SwimTayka and Waterkeepers Bahamas to offer free swim and lifeguard training to young Biminites, who responded enthusiastically and in considerable numbers to the opportunity to increase their self-assurance in and around the water.

“All Bahamians should enjoy the ocean, which is a sacred gift that has been bestowed upon our people,” said Joseph Darville, chairman of STB. “At the same time, we want to ensure that people, and especially children, can swim, play and get to know

their precious marine environment in conditions that are as safe as possible.

“So many times in the past, enjoyment of the water has been marred by tragedies that could so easily have been prevented had the proper training and life-skills been in place.”

International group SwimTayka sends qualified instructors into developing communities around the world to not only to teach both children and adults how to swim, a skill that could one day save their life, but also to educate them about caring for the open water and how to preserve it for future generations. They also teach skills that open the door to future jobs as lifeguards and swimming instructors.

The group sent qualified volunteer swimming instructors from around the world to lead the free

swimming classes for the children of Bimini. The programme included instruction in basic water safety, first aid and environmental education, while important classes were also led by SwimTayka’s lead drowning prevention volunteer.

Nathalie Vallieres Martin, SwimTayka board member, said: “This week has been an incredibly enriching experience, not only for the kids but for us as volunteers as well. The kids have learnt a life skill, and they will be able to contribute to the island’s drowning prevention message. We are so grateful to our partner, Save The Bays.”

The event was hosted

by Rashema Ingraham, the Coastal Waterkeeper for Bimini and executive director of Waterkeeper Bahamas, which is part of a global network of

organisations that aim to make as much of the world’s water as possible fishable, drinkable and swimmable.

Ms Ingraham said: “Most of our efforts centre on monitoring water quality levels and regular reporting. We recognise however that the human element is central to all of our work and that the point of swimmable water is that the community has the skills and opportunity to take advantage of it.”

She said the great response from the people of Bimini has encouraged them to seek to conduct similar exercises in other communities around the Bahamas, and that she hopes that SwimTayka will continue to partner with STB and Waterkeeper Bahamas to make this a reality.

Adult swim classes will start in Bimini next week.

COLLIN Davis of Bimini Biological Field Station and Sharklab identifies features of a juvenile lemon shark to campers during their visit.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 27, 2018, PAGE 3

Halkitis denies claims over PLP travel budget

By MORGAN ADDERLEY Tribune Staff Reporter madderley@tribunemedia.net MICHAEL Halkitis, former State Minister for Finance, denies Financial Secretary Marlon Johnson’s remarks that the Christie administration understated its travel budget.

In a statement released yesterday, Mr Halkitis said Mr Johnson’s remarks were “materially incorrect” and not reflective of the budgeting done under his tenure as state minister.

On Monday, Mr Johnson told The Nassau Guardian that while the travel budget for the current government was increased, these figures are simply accurate

MICHAEL HALKITIS representations of expenses that were “not properly budgeted and accounted for” under the last Progressive Liberal Party government.

Mr Johnson said the

Christie administration had travel “centralised,” which allowed for “indiscriminate spending.”

“It was not properly budgeted for and accounted for,” he told The Guardian.

“So a lot of what seems like increases – and this is the point the minister made and there are some examples of them in the annex of some of the major ones – are just proper accounting for known commitments because the net impact of that is in years past the budget was effectively understated.”

Mr Halkitis opened his statement by quoting these remarks.

He then said: “This is materially incorrect and does not accurately reflect

the budgeting done when I was minister.

“All expenses for travel by the Bahamas government were estimated and budgeted for in accordance with known, understood and lawful procedures. To suggest otherwise is inaccurate.”

Mr Halkitis claimed that the current government is trying to paint the PLP in a negative light, calling these remarks “political propaganda.”

“The FNM budgeting exercise and narrative are simply an exercise in moving facts and figures around to suit the narrative that they wish to portray of some kind of misfeasance and blame the PLP,” he said.

“That is not the role of

the financial secretary. It is regrettable that not only is the information inaccurate but it is also putting once again in the mouths of a public servant, political propaganda that bears no or little relationship to the truth.”

On May 29, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold told reporters that the Minnis administration’s promised “travel spreadsheets” are expected to be released at the end of the year.

He added that the delay is to ensure that the reports are thorough, and include information such as delegation size, expenses, and location.

While in opposition, the Minnis-led Free National Movement criticised the

former PLP administration for what it referred to as “wasteful expenditure” for travel allocations.

Throughout that term, the FNM criticised the PLP for both the frequency of trips and the size of the delegations.

When elected in May 2017, the Minnis administration promised to curtail government spending on travel and give the public a full accounting of every trip executed.

Those accounts, as proposed, would include details of the trip’s location, duration and purpose.

To date, the expenses of only one trip taken

by Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis have been disclosed.

of interest in a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the pre-qualification of a firm to manage and operate the landfill.

The Minnis administration, upon taking office last May, cancelled the landfill tender process initiated by the former Christie administration just weeks before that government was voted out.

That RFP attracted two bids, one of which was from the 10-strong

Bahamian consortium, Waste Resources Development Group, and its financial partner, Providence Advisors.

Renew Bahamas, the last firm to manage the landfill, withdrew services in October 2016 amid several disagreements with the former government.

The Department of Environmental Health Services subsequently took over operations.

NEW MANAGER CHOSEN FOR LANDFILL SITE from page one

He could only confirm the firm was Bahamian operated and the new agreement, once entered into, would be good for more than five years.

He indicated that most of the details were dependent on Cabinet conclusions.

“We submitted all of the paper work to Cabinet for deliberation and it was decided upon,” Mr Ferreira said before yesterday morning’s Cabinet meeting.

“We are just concluding the final paper work and then thereafter we’ll pursue the contractual agreement and announce the name of the entity.

“The cost has not been determined yet because the government hasn’t yet entered into a contract,” he also said.

He said the arrangement had not yet been entered into because the selection process had just been completed.

Asked if there was a

timeline for completion, he said this too was based on Cabinet deliberations.

Once this happens, Mr Ferreira said the government would then enter into contractual negotiations to see how the best agreement could be reached.

Previously, the minister said of the seven bidders who qualified for the request for proposals, four firms responded and paid the required registration fee.

These included Bahamas WTP Ltd; Bahamas Waste; Providence Advisors and the Waste Resources Development Group; and APAPA International (Nassau). APAPA International’s submission was received after the closing date of April 9 at 4pm, resulting in its bid being summarily rejected by the Tenders Board.

Seventeen bidders initially submitted expressions of interest to the government for the landfill.

“Government wants to see generational change.

A WORKER in a protective mask at a dump fire last year.

Let’s be real here this has been a long-time issue that’s been going on at the New Providence Sanitary Landfill so we want to see the deconstruction, remediation and proper operation and management of the New Providence Sanitary Landfill to the extent that fire incidents minimised if not at all,” he said yesterday.

During his contribution to the 2018-2019 budget

debate earlier this month, the minister said the government allocated just over $1.3m towards entering into an agreement with the selected bidder.

“It is our heartfelt desire that the improvements soon to be implemented will address once and for all the ongoing concerns that have made the landfill a serious national priority,” he said at the time.

Last fall, the government issued an expression

‘NEW DESIGN NEEDED TO STOP BPL POWER CUTS’ from page one

Providence and Paradise Island were affected during a period of inclement weather on Monday.

BPL noted that while investigations into the cause of the event were still continuing, it believes the cable connections supplying a primary transformer at the Clifton Pier power station failed, initiating the outage at 6.50 pm.

The statement continued: “The proximity of this problem to the power station and instability in the network as a result of lightning strikes on other transmission lines in western New Providence ultimately led to a total system collapse and resulting in an island wide outage.”

Meanwhile, detailing the circumstances that led to Monday’s blackout, Mr Maynard likened

BPL’s current system to an “old man trying to guard a jump shot,” insisting that any lightning strike, once it made contact, worked its way down the connector, affecting the breaker system before completely shutting down the generator.

“He’s so old, by the time he moves to block the shot, you’ve already made your move to get a better shot off,” Mr Maynard said. “That’s what we have here, before the system can determine that it has been hit, the (lighting) strike has already shut it down.”

He continued: “What needs to happen before anything else, there needs to be a protection system designed for what it is we have, or what it is we are trying to do here. I know it is going to be expensive, but that has to be the first step in the plan.

“This has been going

on for years and years and years. The last time we dealt with the system protection was 1991 - we need to get on this now and design something specifically for what we are doing.”

Last month, BPL chairwoman Darnell Osborne indicated a foreign expert would be contracted to gauge the company’s electrical service system for potential instabilities.

Referring to the move yesterday, Mr Maynard said the expert must make the establishment of protection system a “high priority.”

“I heard that a consultant is coming next week, he must be able to see and say what needs to be done with a protection system. That is important and it needs to be top of the list,” he said.

“So, I’ll wait and see what he comes with, and then speak from there,” he added.

When contacted

yesterday, Mrs Osborne confirmed that plans are in place to have an expert in the country at some point next week.

When asked how high of a priority is a protection system, Mrs Osborne responded: “Very high.”

She also said the expert has already started to review various systems at the company from a document standpoint, with his arrival next week signaling the start of physical inspections.

“That’s to just begin the work of reviewing, he had started to review some items from abroad, but (needs) to get on the ground and really dig into the system’s protection,” she said.

BPL’s decision to bring in

a foreign expert was shifted to an immediate focus following another massive system failure last month, which BPL said was also blamed on “inclement weather.”

At the time, Mrs Osbourne said the timeline for this analysis and its cost will be contingent on where

the investigation takes the specialist.

On Monday night, Mrs Osbourne said lightning caused the latest blackout.

She told The Tribune: “We had a little fire, the system shut down. With the lightning strike and weather issues, these are things out of our control.”

MAN IN HOSPITAL AFTER SHOOTING A MAN is in hospital after he was shot on Monday.

The victim was standing with a group of men on Antiqua Street in Elizabeth Estates when a silver Toyota vehicle pulled up.

Occupants of this vehicle opened fire in the direction of the men, injuring one of them, before speeding off.

The victim was transported

to hospital and is listed in serious but stable condition.

Investigations are ongoing.

• POLICE on the island of Exuma are investigating two armed robberies which occurred on Monday.

In the first incident, shortly after 4pm, two men, one armed with a knife, entered a liquor store in Mt Thompson, Exuma, held

an employee at bay and robbed the establishment of cash before fleeing on foot.

A few minutes later, two men, one armed with a knife, entered a convenience store in the same area, held an employee up and robbed the store of cash before running from the store and escaping.

Investigations are ongoing.

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PAGE 4, Wednesday, June 27, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

LEON E. H. DUPUCH,

SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH,

jrolle@tribunemedia.net

Publisher/Editor 1903-1914 Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .

Publisher/Editor 1919-1972 Contributing Editor 1972-1991

EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON,

C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B. Publisher/Editor 1972-

Published daily Monday to Friday

Shirley & Deveaux Streets, Nassau, Bahamas N3207 TELEPHONES

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Bahamians have been politically asleep for too long FROM the questions we are being asked about recent political events we realise that much is missing from the education of Bahamian students as to the history of their country and the political system under which they live.

“Have we lost our freedom of speech?” some have asked, and “are our representatives now being told how to vote in parliament?” others want to know.

The agitation is the result of the recent Budget debate in which the controversial VAT tax was increased from 7.5 percent to 12 percent without first having had a discussion with the Bahamian people. The next question about freedom of speech arose because three of the four government parliamentarians, who in addition to their seat in parliament, held governmentappointed positions, lost those positions because of their “no” vote.

The comment by Golden Isles MP Vaughn Miller indicates that either he doesn’t fully understand his political position or having understood it was willing to suffer the consequences by voting against his government on the Budget. Following his termination as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Social Services as a result of his “no” vote, he told a Tribune reporter that he voted against the VAT increase because he believed the people should have been consulted.

Travis Robinson, the popular MP for Bain and Grants Town, who also voted against the government in the VAT debate, lost a $45,000 annual salary, a government car and cell phone when he was fired as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation. However, as an MP he still makes a salary of $28,000 a year. Many of his Bain and Grants Town constituents, who fully support him, told our reporter that Mr Robinson owes his success to them, not to the party. Therefore, his “no” vote against the party was justified.

Yes, and no. Yes as an ordinary MP, but “no” in special circumstances when the “whip” — the disciplinary arm of the party — is put on and solidarity is expected of all government members.

The Budget was one of those occasions.

If these gentleman had understood the system of which they were now a part, firing would not have been necessary. Like the gentlemen that they are they would have quietly resigned.

This is the correct procedure under the Westminster system of government, a system that has gone through periods of trial and error over the centuries, and if fully understood makes sense in the end.

The Budget is a government’s financial statement for the year outlining the nation’s finances and the proposed taxation, in our case VAT. According to Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis his administration deliberated on the need for the VAT increase to pay off the crippling debt inherited from the Christie administration, considered the need for a 15 percent increase, but decided against 15 percent because, although needed, it would have been “too much pain” for Bahamians to bear. His government settled on the 12 percent increase.

Under the Westminster system of government — the system inherited by the Bahamas — the Budget is a state secret until the Chancellor — in the case of the Bahamas, Finance Minister Peter Turnquest – delivers it in his speech to parliament.

There was a celebrated case in England of the consequences of breach of that secrecy. In 1947 Chancellor Hugh Dalton was forced to resign when on his way to the Commons he told a reporter a few of the key details of his proposed Budget. The reporter rushed it to print before Dalton had a chance to deliver it in parliament. That ended Dalton’s career as Chancellor.

One reason for the Budget secrecy is to prevent “insider trading”, in other words a person with the knowledge of future taxes could adjust his own affairs to his own advantage ahead of the rest of the population.

“You don’t have the right of free speech that every MP generally has, as parliamentary secretary,” Attorney General Carl Bethel explained in the Senate. “Your voice is your own as a member of Parliament. You are elected

by your constituents to represent them on the floor of the House of Assembly and say whatever the Lord lay on your breast to say, but your vote is mortgaged to the governing party. The party on whose ticket you (were) elected. If the whip is on, you must vote according to the whip.

“If the government,” he said, “determines that there is a question, that is a question that is properly a question of conscience and says, ‘The whip is not on, everybody may vote the way they wish to, vote according to their conscience.’

As Mr Bethel rightly said: “If you don’t have a system of rules, you have chaos.” These rules prevent that chaos.

The Westminster system is a system of unwritten laws and constitutional conventions.

A major consequence of a Budget defeat could be the fall of a government, because the finances would not be there to continue governing. Imagine being thrown back to the PLP, the creators of the financial chaos from which this government is struggling to save the country.

Over the weekend, Finance Minister Peter Turnquest who was attending the Galilee College’s 2018 graduation had to face VAT hecklers. He tried to explain that the situation was being misrepresented by the party’s detractors, and asked his audience if they had listened to his Budget presentation in parliament.

He told his listeners that the country has a $7bn debt, but is only making $2bn a year. Every year, he said, we earn $2.5bn so we have a deficit every year of over $600m. And every year the debt keeps growing. “This year,” he said, “we are going to spend $381m on interest, and to bring that into context, that is 14 cents of every tax dollar that you put into the Treasury that goes to pay for interest.”

“We care ‘bout dat?” a woman from the church pew shouted. “These poor li’l children” another moaned.

No, Mr Turnquest, the people do not understand this language. They have to be told the brutal facts of our dilemma in language that they can grasp. Tell them how the PLP didn’t pay National Insurance contributions for Government workers for years. Tell them what happened at National Insurance after the businessman the Ingraham government brought in to sort out the problems from the previous Christie government was removed. Despite the good job that he was doing he was dispensed with when the Christie government was returned to power. Why? Tell the people what has happened to their insurance since then. And tell them how the Central Bank said the PLP government spent $234m in the run up to the election – with $90m in contracts for health clinics days before the election – but couldn’t repair the PMH roof after Hurricane Matthew destroyed it in 2016.

And, tell them about a contract at the Public Hospitals Authority when millions were spent with nothing yet to show for it — only misinformation and confusion. No qualified lawyer could have possibly vetted and approved that contract. Apparently, it was approved by the former Board during Mr. Frank Smith’s tenure, and, signed off by the PLP Government based on the claim that it had been recommended to the PLP government by a well known and highly respected foreign firm.

The Tribune, incredulous that such a respected firm would lend its name to such a contract, decided to call the firm for verification. A spokesman for the firm denied ever recommending the contract to the government. In our opinion this is one contract that not only needs thorough investigation, but the PHA should engage a firm to provide it with options on the way forward. It is a disgrace.

As we have said before in this column, the time for protest is over. The Bahamian people have been fooled for too long. Instead of creating political unrest for something that can only be changed through unity and hard work, they should now unite — if only for the sake of “these poor li’l children.”

The VAT increase is what we have to pay for being politically asleep at the wheel for too long.

Secretaries should not be voting pawns EDITOR, The Tribune.

“A COWARD dies a thousand deaths; the brave but one.” Congratulations. Congratulations to the courageous four who put their conscience before their pocketbooks!

The person who appears to be the Prime Minister’s hatchet man, Carl Bethel, let the cat out of the bag when he publicly threatened the dissenters in Parliament that if they did not vote with the Government they would be fired! It was said that the Westminster System demanded it!

Well, they seem to rely on the Westminster System when it’s convenient but ignore it when it’s not. Had it been relied on consistently over the years, many politicians would have either resigned or not run again.

But let us look at the Westminster System and how it applied to the Parliamentary Secretaries in the most recent case of voting in the House of Assembly.

It is true that Parliamentary Secretaries are obliged to vote with the Government or offer their resignations.

This is true under the Westminster System. But what is a Parliamentary Secretary and what role does he/she play in the Government?

In England, a Parliamentary Secretary acts almost as a Deputy Cabinet Minister.

The position was created to help organise a huge Ministry, involving thousands of people. In The Bahamas,

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net the Parliamentary Secretary is essentially a hired hand used to guarantee votes for the Government in the House of Assembly.

Most Parliamentary Secretaries in The Bahamas do nothing other than collect extra money for the position. But they are important to the dictatorial way in which the Bahamian Government has operated for many years.

I remember in the early eighties Sir Lynden Pindling appointed two Parliamentary Secretaries. At the time, both Sir Kendal Isaacs and Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, along with the other members of the FNM in the House of Assembly, were vehemently opposed to it.

We maintained then that it was only a manoeuvre to put almost dictatorial power into the hands of the Prime Minister. Over the years, the respective Prime Ministers, both PLPs and FNMs, appear to have used this method of controlling parliamentarians. It has become a dictatorship.

Here’s how it works. Let’s say there are twenty-five members in the House, ten in Opposition, and fifteen in Government.

The Prime Minister appoints ten of the fifteen as Cabinet Ministers and five as Parliamentary Secretaries.

The other ten are Opposition. The Cabinet members

get paid as Ministers and vote in Cabinet. The Parliamentary Secretaries get paid but don’t vote in Cabinet, but, when the motion goes to the House, they must vote with the Cabinet.

For example, if six Cabinet Ministers are in favour of a motion to increase taxes, and four oppose it, the motion carries. In this example, if the five Parliamentary Secretaries oppose the motion, they can’t vote their objection.

The motion now comes before the House for passing. Ten Cabinet Ministers MUST vote for it. Five Parliamentary Sectaries MUST vote for it. Ten Opposition members vote against it.

The motion carries.

Note, only six of the fifteen approved it! Had the Parliamentary Sectaries been allowed to vote their consciences, the motion would not have carried. They simply said “yes, sir boss”, or “how high do you want me to jump ... on the way up”!

But the Government cries, “vote with us or we’ll fire you”! Dictatorship?

In my opinion, all Parliamentary Secretaries should resign their positions, and all Members of Parliament who serve as the Chairmen of any Government Boards should resign as Chairmen.

I suggest they become beholden to the people who voted for them. Stop being voting pawns!

PIERRE V L DUPUCH Former M.P. Nassau, June 24, 2018

MPs’ attire EDITOR, The Tribune.

I AM once again forced to be obliged from my observation of our present day MPs, who in my opinion, have no regard, respect or just ignorant and don’t know any better on proper attire when attending the Honourable House of Assembly. Gentlemen, you are leaders in society, where the youth of our country are looking up to you for

guardians and leadership, your deportment plays a big part in that.

How can you justify going to the hallowed halls of our ancient Parliament in a tan suit as was the case today 18/06/2018 of the member for Pinewood, the Honorable “Reuben Rahming” who at CARICOM rested his hat on the table. Our forefathers must be turning over in their graves looking down at the malaise of what have been

brought on us, where these so-called Honourable men have thrown standards out the door, but again, do they know what standards are?

Dark coloured suits are the required attire, not light colours, or tan, it’s inappropriate! If you know better, then you do better, please stop this embarrassment in our society.

KELLY D BURROWS Freeport, GB June 18, 2018.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 27, 2018, PAGE 5

REPAIR crews in action tackling water pumps and standpipes Over-the-Hill.

Govt repairing pumps ahead of storm season

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net THE government is repairing water pumps in Over-the-Hill communities as the hurricane season heats up as part of its wider plans to improve living conditions there.

Seventy-seven standpipes are being repaired in Centreville and Bain and Grants Town.

The repairs are being performed by three companies given the job after a request for proposal process was initiated by the Ministry of Works.

Kemie Jones, project manager for the initiative, said yesterday 15 people have been directly employed and hundreds will benefit once the repairs are completed.

He said: “Looking at the white paper (for Overthe-Hill rejuvenation), as indicated in the data there, there are like 4,400 homes, only about 2,000 are on the government system, meaning either you’re using government pumps or groundwater. Groundwater under the area according to Water & Sewerage and the Pan-American Health Organisation, is not good. While we work on a

strategy to assist people in getting pipe water to their home, the first step would be to make the experience of going to the standpipes a dignified one. A lot of the pumps were damaged or broken or leaking and had issues going, so one thing we tried to do out of our budget was to fix the damaged pipes so people wouldn’t have to walk so far to get water.”

Water and Sewerage Corporation executive chairman Adrian Gibson previously revealed to The Tribune that a project to connect two-thirds of Over-the-Hill residential dwellings to a centralised sewerage system will cost $74.659m.

Mr Gibson said a lowlying water table and high tides frequently caused back-up and other problems for people in the area with septic tanks and soakaways.

“These conditions are not ideal, and can precipitate the outbreak of waterborne diseases,” he said. “Infants and the elderly are especially susceptible.

The introduction of a centralised sewerage system will require considerable street trenching, but it will be part of a holistic approach taken to develop sewerage

TEAMS at work, above and below, as part of the clean-up exercise.

systems in this area and address current infrastructure needs.”

The government has budgeted $5m for its Overthe-Hill initiative in the next fiscal year.

A major component of the initiative is tax exemptions that will be offered to residents and businesses within the “empowerment zone”.

As he tabled the white paper for the initiative in April, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said: “We know that the physical environs of Over-the-Hill is not where it should be.

While there are many gems in the community, there are also many rough stones.

“Over the past months, the people have witnessed a massive cleanup effort in the community. We plan to make this more consistent. We need to increase existing waste collection efforts in the community.

We are planning to restore public spaces and recreational facilities. Two other key aspects of this component include: working on improving housing in the Over-the-Hill community and a ‘Water for all Strategy’ to eliminate the need for standpipes and outside toilets by 2025.”

PAGE 6, Wednesday, June 27, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

MISS BAHAMAS GETS A GLIMPSE INSIDE ALIV HQ

RECENTLY crowned Miss World Bahamas Brinique Gibson made a courtesy call to chief ALIV officer Damian Blackburn at the company’s headquarters on Monday morning.

Ms Gibson, along with Miss Bahamas Organisation vice president Jerome Sawyer, were greeted by several executives including chief ALIV commercial officer Gravette Brown, chief ALIV guardian Jay Naylor, chief ALIV solutions architect Dwayne Davis, chief ALIV money maestro Barry Williams as well as other ALIV staff. She was also given a complete tour of ALIV’s headquarters by ALIV media champion Sasha Lightbourne and was presented with a gift bag.

FROM left: chief ALIV officer Damian Blackburn, Miss World Bahamas Brinique Gibson, ALIV money maestro Barry Williams and Miss Bahamas Organisation vice president Jerome Sawyer.

‘I’ll sue to save shanty homes’ from page one of treating people on the streets as outlaws because they don’t have papers.

The government cannot be judge, jury and executioner at the same time. If these homeowners have broken the law, take them to court and prove it. People are innocent until proven guilty. What law have they broken to have their homes bulldozed? The government may as well bulldoze 90 percent of the homes Over-the-Hill.

“I’ve taken the day to go to these communities and speak with the residents.

What I saw was government personnel walking through these communities and handing out notices without ascertaining any of the important factors.

These are the homes of human beings, not rodents or livestock.

“Trust me,” he said, “I will do what needs to be done to stop this. If need be, I will bring a lawsuit against the government to stop them from tearing down homes, people’s kingdoms.

It is not right or legal.”

Mr Smith said the government, in its haste to score cheap political points, failed to provide any recourse to those that could be adversely affected.

He said a large percentage of the homes being threatened by the government’s clampdown on shanty town communities

FRED SMITH QC, left, has pledged to take legal action if shanty town homes are bulldozed. are those of poor, legal residents struggling to make a life in The Bahamas.

“Many of them are still investing all they have in getting their legal documents in order. They are there because this is all they can afford. These are homes with toilets, with gas tanks, with working facilities. The narrative the government is pushing is that these are homes that are not up to par, some are not, but many are similar to the homes in Bain and Grants Town and all the other inner city communities; I don’t see

any government officials walking through those communities with letter in hand.

“Why are we targeting these communities? Simple, they are poor, black, migrant, mostly Haitian ethnic communities,” he said. “Why are we threatening these residents with destruction and eviction? Take power, water, sanitation, paint and hope to them, just like the Minnis Over-The-Hill economic free zones.”

Mr Smith said the government has failed to, in its attempt to eradicate shanty towns, provide due process.

“Some are renting here.

Some, who are illegal and waiting to go through the process, are too afraid to come forward,” he said.

“All the government did in these communities was threaten and promise doom, destruction, demolition and eradication as if these people are subhuman vermin with no human rights deserving only of eradication from the face of the earth.”

On Monday, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes confirmed the start of the government’s three-part

legal notice process for shanty town residents across the country, insisting the July 31 eviction deadline will be adhered to.

Mr Foulkes, who spearheads the government’s Shanty Town Action Task Force, confirmed officers sanctioned by the body had commenced the delivery of a request for shanty town residents to show legal documentation of their right to the lands they now occupy.

Despite government pronouncements, Mr Smith said the task force never showed will to “work with residents.”

“I was a member of the board when it was started, I was invited to be a part of it. All that was discussed was destruction. Once that was made clear, I resigned,” he told The Tribune.

“There was never talk about working to properly regulate these communities,” Mr Smith said. “There was never a conversation had that was built around going in and improving what needed to be addressed; none.

“I kept in contact with the minister. I have implored him and many ministers to address this matter from a standpoint of helping these communities to be regulated. These persons don’t have the means to go anywhere else. When you remove them from these communities, where do they go?

“When you go in and make these people homeless, you are creating the circumstances to breed crime. We don’t need that now,” Mr Smith added.

If shanty town residents cannot prove their legal right to reside in their homes, residents will be removed and the structures torn down.

Mr Foulkes said upon completion of this process, the government would have completely removed all debris, unsanctioned homes, derelict vehicles, outdoor toilets and abandoned animals from the properties – rendering the lots vacant.

CHANGE IN CLASSIFICATION FOR POINTE WORKERS from page one

“The Ministry of Labour

met with China State Construction and we sorted that issue out and the labourers have been reclassified

in the appropriate work class section and paying the increased fees that relate to semi-skilled or skilled

labourers.”

The labour component at the $200m development has drawn anger from the

Bahamian Contractors Association, which has repeatedly called for more Bahamians to be included in the work.

In May, BCA President Leonard Sands called for the renegotiation of The Pointe deal as a result of issues the developer seemed to have with adhering to the agreed workforce ratio.

The heads of agreement between China Construction America and the government states 70 percent of the workers are supposed to be Bahamian and 30 percent should be foreign.

The Department of Labour found in May a disproportionate number of foreign workers to Bahamian workers at the downtown project.

At the time, there were 73 foreign workers and 24 Bahamians working on the site.

Despite this, Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes said the developers were not in

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

breach of the agreement.

The revelation followed Mr Foulkes’ meeting with Daniel Liu, president of The Pointe, his vice-president and their legal counsel.

While acknowledging the disproportionate work force, Pointe officials said at this present stage of construction, representing the second phase of development, specialised post-tension concrete structure workers are needed to complete this phase in a very short time frame, the minister explained.

These developments were made public after Tribune photographers previously monitored who went on to the construction site and with the exception of three or four Bahamians and a guard at the gates of the development, everyone else appeared to be Chinese.

In both January and February, this newspaper observed workers on the site and it was a similar story. Dozens of Chinese builders walked on to the site every day from a building, which lodges the workers opposite the development, and virtually no Bahamians were anywhere to be seen.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 27, 2018, PAGE 7

‘Get finances in order’ to afford low-cost land lots

from page one

He spoke of the initiative yesterday outside of Cabinet.

He said: “Of course this is a new exciting housing initiative where we want to make land available for young people and not so young people. But we want to reduce the cost of home ownership to the average Bahamian. That’s what it’s really about, home ownership being a basic human right.

“Yes, people have already begun to apply for service lots,” Mr Ferreira continued.

“We will not run out of them. There will be enough for everybody so I encourage all Bahamians to get their finances in order now.

“Take it easy with the consumer loans. You’d be surprised to know that even though we are projecting a cost of $25,000 for one of these lots, a number of people can’t qualify for that.

“And so, we are asking people to work with us, meet us halfway. Try to put your financial house in order.

“So we are saying to the Bahamian public put yourself in the position where you can take advantage of this situation. It’s actually very important that you are able to take advantage of this situation because this is a once in a life time opportunity and you want to be in a position to take advantage of it.”

Twenty lots are being offered in the Sunset Close extension just behind the Carmichael Road Post Office. There are others at Carmichael Village – Carmichael Road West and in the Lionel Davis Development in Fox Hill.

ROMAULD FERREIRA, Minister of Environment and Housing.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

LESSONS IN LIFE FOR STUDENTS ON SUMMER JOB SCHEME

By ANDREW COAKLEY

AS some 200 college students were preparing to be dispatched to various companies and businesses in Grand Bahama to take part in the government’s Summer Youth Employment Programme, Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of the Prime Minister Kwasi Thompson offered them some practical advice on how to make a lasting impression.

During the launch of the programme on Friday at Calvary Temple Church, Senator Thompson encouraged the college students to always remember that the opportunity they are getting is a privilege.

“There are hundreds of kids out there who wish they could be sitting where you are seated right now,” Mr Thompson told the students before they were given their respective job assignments.

“You have been chosen.

Make no mistake about it - there have been many people who have applied for this opportunity. There have been over 1,500 applicants in Grand Bahama.

Out of that number you are the 200 college students who have been chosen to be in this year’s Summer Youth Employment Programme.

“We anticipate that we should also be able to accommodate another

three to four hundred students, who will be taking part in the high school version of the summer job programme.”

Mr Thompson warned the new employees to show up for work and to do so on time. He said while the advice might seem simple and even somewhat frivolous, he noted that there are many people who are hired for jobs, but who hardly show up and sometimes when they do show up, they refuse to work.

“One of the things you are obligated to do is just show up and be on time,” said Mr Thompson. “In fact, be early. If you are expected to be there nine in the morning, be there at eight-thirty. It will make a huge difference in the eyes of the employer if he meets you on the job.

“Also, be willing to work late. Don’t be one of those people who, when quarter to five comes, you are already packing up. Take a cue from your employer or your supervisor and try not to leave before them. Work hard, do the job well, and don’t spend most of your time on your cellphone.

“And finally, remember to have manners. Manners and respect will still take you around the world.

Remember, those same people who you are going to work for now in this summer programme, may be the same people some

of you may have to go back to see for a job when you come out of college, so leave a good impression.”

Mr Thompson reminded the students that the summer job programme was an opportunity that was afforded them by the government. This, he said, is evidence that the government is indeed interested in the lives of the country’s young people.

“Do not listen to the noise in the market, because the evidence is in this room today,” said Mr Thompson.

“As much as people will say that governments don’t care about certain things, today is evidence of what we do care about and each one of you here today is what we care about.

“You have been provided this opportunity as a result of the government’s initiative to ensure that our young people are trained, that they receive opportunity and that they are helped.”

Mr Thompson told the college students that there are some good things taking place in Grand Bahama of which they can take advantage as young people. He told them of the programme at Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, which will allow Bahamian students to enrol for free.

He encouraged them to go online and take a look at the degree programmes available at BTVI and see where

they can take advantage of this opportunity to earn a degree. Mr Thompson also told the students that such an opportunity is also open to them at the University of The Bahamas, which will be free to Bahamian students.

This offer will become available to young Bahamians as of next year.

As far as opportunities in Freeport are concerned, he encouraged the students to prepare themselves for the

job opportunities that are coming on stream in Grand Bahama. He told them about the Grand Bahama Bay Resort development that is expected to take place in West End. “We are well on our way to making Freeport the tech hub of the region, so that will mean even more opportunities coming on stream for you young people,” said Mr Thompson. “There are companies like GIBC

Digital opening their doors here in Grand Bahama and they have already begun hiring Grand Bahamians.

“So, don’t let anyone tell you that there are no opportunities out there for Bahamians. The reality is that we want to give you opportunities, we want to see you succeed and we want to make it easy for you to succeed, because when you succeed, we succeed,” said Minister Thompson.

PAGE 8, Wednesday, June 27, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

How you can prepare for the arrival of VAT

By Alicia Wallace

VALUE Added Tax will be increased to twelve percent in a matter of days, and many of us are still trying to figure out how to make it work. Adjustments have to be made, some on a daily basis, but this does not mean we have to be uncomfortable. It means we have to plan, and we have to look at what we have.

Some people do not like to look at their money.

Sure, they cash cheques, make withdrawals, and make cash transactions, but they do not like to count the money they have and face what it means for their lives and lifestyles. They avoid it, at almost any cost.

When is the last time you

checked your account balances? Do you know how much cash you have in your wallet and stashed in other locations?

Some of it could be laziness, but the reluctance to check balances is most often linked to fear and discomfort with facing the reality real numbers force upon us.

If you know you have two hundred dollars for the next month, you may be forced to make some decisions about what and where you will be eating, how you will get around, and which invitations you can accept.

If you do not know there is only two hundred dollars left in your wallet, you can go for sushi three times in

DOES your wallet measure up to the introduction of VAT? If not, then it’s time to plan. ten days, grocery shop without a plan, and pick up that layaway without stress. Not

knowing is false freedom, and it can feel good. Until the consequences creep up.

How are you approaching the twelve percent VAT and its impact on your purchasing power? Do you plan to operate as usual until you run out of money, or are you making a plan?

and there are even options for people living in apartments with no ability to Saving money is difficult plant in the ground. under any circumstances.

A few years ago, I bought No one really wants to a hanging garden from set money aside for shorta friend who put them term or long-term savings together for clients. The instead of spending it on twelve plants included immediate desires. Many of green pepper, onion, Baha- us are living hand-to-mouth mian spinach, and rosemary. with little or no room to I hung it on a fence, save. Where saving is a poswatered it as instructed, and sibility, it definitely requires watched my food grow. The lifestyle changes. next year, I sourced my own If you can afford to buy It may be helpful to view seeds and a hot beverage the increase in VAT as a seedlings and every day on the Any time you pay cut. It has the same set about it way to work, you effect. You will not be able again. There get a five dollar can save. If you to buy the same items in the is really no bill in change, can drive to and same quantity as before. satisfaction from work every you put it in a Once you come to this like eating day, you can realization, having a plan food you separate section save. It may not will probably feel more have grown of your wallet be convenient, important. yourself, and it may cramp or a different It is a good idea to spend VAT-free. your style, but some time on a budget. We all know pocket, then you can do it.

No, budgeting is not fun people who deposit it to a Make your for most people, but it can garden. Talk morning bevercontainer or significantly reduce stress. to them, ask age at home, put Start with your income, for a little account. Do that café money then assess your necessities something to this for a year, in a jar every including your mortgage get started, day, and deposit and see how or rent and payments on and get to it monthly. Cardebt. Keep in mind that work. much you save. pool with your every monthly bill is not family members, a necessity. Yes, this is a friends, and coworkers. It direct attack on cable telcould be part of a go-green evision, Netflix, and other initiative at the office, or On the same day the 60 subscriptions. These are a way to catch up with the percent increase in VAT luxuries and they belong in cousins you never find the was announced, bartera separate column so you time to meet. This may not ing became a serious topic can identify them easily be something you do all the among groups of friends if and when you need to time, but it is an option for and acquaintances.

Barmake adjustments to your reducing spending on gas. tering is not over.

Many spending.

There are a number of people barter all the time saving strategies that come without realising it.

Civil society organisa- up with a quick online tions often exchange meals search. A popular one is for hours of service. People never spending five dollar do not mind spending an bills. Any time you get a hour or two at a booth or five dollar bill in change, What can you spend packing welcome bags if you put it in a separate less on? If you usually buy they get lunch and a net- section of your wallet or lunch, figure out how many working opportunity in a different pocket, then deposit it to a container or days you need to take lunch exchange.

People in the beauty account. Do this for a year, to work instead. You cannot negotiate necessities, but industry exchange services and see how much you how can you reduce the among themselves — a save. If you are inclined cost? Maybe it is time to massage for makeup appli- to open a savings account, move into a less expensive cation, for example. No check out the credit unions. apartment or get a room- money is exchanged, but They offer far better intermate. We all need groceries two parties exchange prod- est rates and service than and sometimes we need to ucts and services of equal commercial banks, and the asue accounts are definitely get that hard-to-find ingre- value.

This is bartering, and it is worth consideration. dient, but we do not need to buy everything from the time to be more intentional about it. What do you need, most expensive store.

One of the ways we can and what you can provide begin to work around VAT, in exchange?

We are all paying the Check out the barter- same VAT, but we all have eat better, and live more sustainably is growing our ing groups on Facebook, different income levels. the conversation No matter how much we own food. We may not be start able to produce everything within your own networks, would like to think we are for ourselves, but we can at and reduce the amount of all in the same boat, we are least grow fruit, vegetables, money you spend on ser- not. Women and approxiand herbs. It does not have vices when you can trade mately twelve percent of to take up a lot of space, skills. people in The Bahamas living below the poverty line are disproportionately affected. Some can not even begin to think about budgets or saving. Look out for them.

This unfortunate increase is coming, but maybe a better sense of community and willingness to help one another can come with it.

Can you help someone start a business? Maybe you have raw material to help them get started, a space they can work from, or money they can pay back in service. Check in with your loved ones. Make strategies for dealing with the VAT increase a community effort. Grow food YOUR FOR THE FAMILY together. Exchange goods and services. Start a savings challenge. Let’s get WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/JOYFM1019 creative.

SACRIFICE TO SAVE

CHANGING THE MINDSET

Funeral Service For MR. WILTON ALEXANDER BROWN II, 48 of Hollywood Sub-division, off Cowpen Road, will be held on Thursday, June 28th, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. at Robinson Morris A.M.E Church, Ridgeland Park West. Officiating will be Pastor Howard F. Williamson, assisted by Rev. Thelma Williamson and Rev. George Clarke. Interment will follow in Lakeview Memorial Gardens, John F. Kennedy Drive and Gladstone Road.

Left to cherish his memories are his Children: Wilton Alexander III, Alex Moncur, Alex Akeem, Rihanna and Keandro Moncur; Brothers: James, Elder Leslie, Godfrey, Darren, Eddie and Ricky Brown, Sgt. 2319 Ricardo (Collette Mullings) Neely and Tony Higgs; Mother-in-law: Advilda Evans; Sisters: Judy Brown, Evang. Sandra Knowles, Cpl. 384 Deborah Seymour, Elsie Alcide, Portia Farrington Pastor Charmaine Cox and Cheryl & Andrea Brown; Sisters-inLaw: Marcia, Jacqueline, Andra, Mother Elllen Mott, Sherry Rahming, Loretta Chatrie, Patricia Brown, Glassie and Felicia Evans; Brothers-in-Law: Deacon Randolph Knowles, Bishop Bryant Cox, Stephen Seymour, Charles Farrington, Rev. Tyrone Mott, Larry Rahming, Raymond Chartrie, and Wilshare and Ron Evans; Nieces: Wenderia, Shenique Lewis, Leandra, Nikita, Dentrina, Rantica, Sanchea Knowles, Ashenique Lewis, Keithra, Paige, Shavanti, Brenesha, Lavanda, Lashan, Lesley, Dania, Shericka Rahming, Rymesha Chatrie, Jessie, Sheneice, Lashan, Ashley, Carlisa, Tasha, Shavetter, Metina, Wilshaea, Danielle Rolle Latoya Wallace, Michelle, Nariah, Jada Jayden, Asia, Zahara, Faith, Tamara, Nakera, Rickell, Dessiree, Rachea; Nephews: Jermaine, Donovan, Dentry, Jamario, Omar, Lavardo, Laron, Urie, Travis, Randolph Jr., Randin, Rantico, Sandino, Deangelo, Gerard, Nathaniel, Calreno Brown, Maguel Brown, Shakeil Brown, Bryant Jr., Brynaeo, Bryeon, Quin, Tyrone, Mott Jr. Carlton, Travis Levit, Kentray, Wilshawn, Reco, Javon, Darvio, Mario, Raymond Jr., Christon, Ron, Dante Hall, Unique, Ramon, Jermaine Jr., Jada, Uri Jr. Makai, Deangelo Jr. Damari, Dakai, Dominique Jr. Devin, Antonio, Dentri JKavano, Dodrrey Jr., Enrico, Renaldo; Nephews in Law: Domique, Prosper; Nieces in Law: WPC 33 Antius Butler; Uncles: Min. Fred Wallace, Michael Brown, Ethney Janet Wallace, Kingsley Wallace, Dereck, Denis Doral Miller, Tony Rolle; Aunts: Abigale Rolle, Beryl Rolle Mildred Miller, Keva Walker, Judy & Angela Miller; Cousins/Other Relatives and friends: Dr. Kevin & Karen Moss and Family, Dr. Convil Brown and Family, Attorney Ingrid Brooks, Karen Burton, Dwayne, Leon, Donna, Dwight, Michelle Storr, Marsha Melony, Joy Melony, Mispha Strachan, Chris Clarke, Dave Rolle & Family, Jolly Lorna & Calvin Homps, Latasha Stubbs, Darnett, Amy Munnings & Family, Eunice Thompson Eunice, Marsha Smith & Family, Vanria Smith & family, Vandette & Phillippa, Nishka Johnson & family, Ms. Smith, Nikia, Peter and Monique Rolle & Family, Dina & Family, Stephanie Bowe & Family, Rudolph Brown & Family, William & Patrice Brown & Family, Angie, Stephanie, Linda, Cathy, Renold Brown & Family, Catherine, Dynel, Sonia, Robert Taylor & Family, Pastor Cynthia Mother Pratt & Family, Rubin Holbert, Janet, Marylyn Gaynel & family, Jeffery Sherman & Family, Melony, Caroliyn, Patrice, Keith, Patrice, Trevor, Jenifer & the entire Sherman Family, Linda Rolle & the entire Rolle & Munnings Family, Freeport & Grand Cay Family, Coral Edwards, the Freeport Family, the Bluff Family, High Rock & Ground Cay Family, the Bimini Family, the Conch Sound Family, the North Andros Family, Rodney Moncur & the Black Village Crew, the Miller Family, the Sands Family, Bain Town Family, Chris & Terry Tsavoussis and the management and staff Wendys, Michelle Storr of USA, Larry Rahming, Rev. Tyrone Mott, Rev. Howard Williamson & the Robinson Norris Chapel AME Church Family, The Taxi Union Family, Urban Renewal Band Family, The Surrey Drivers Family, Paradise Island Taxi Family, Bishop Stephen Seymour & family, Member of Parliament for the South Beach Constituency Minister Jeff Lloyd, Hollywood Sub. Division Family, Darron Rolle & family, Cleo Whyms, Mr. & Mrs. Ferguson & family, Sandy’s Limited, Marathon Mall, the Stubbs family, Rev. Hanna & Church Family of Refuge Tabernacle and the Word Alive Church Family, Mt. Pisag Trinity Church family Conch Sound, The Valley Boys Crew, Roselyn Johnson, Hazel Andrews, Daniel Joseph & Family, other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.

Viewing will be held in the Perpetual Suite at Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium Ltd., Robinson and Soldier Roads on Wednesday (TODAY) from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and at the church on Thursday from 12:30 p.m. until service time.

LET’S MAKE A DEAL

NEGOTIATING AND ELIMINATING EXPENSES

COMMUNITY

CHOICE

PAGE 10, Wednesday, June 27, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

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THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, June 27, 2018, PAGE 11

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SCHOOL is out and students are taking part in a host of summer camps during the summer break.

Pictured are students taking part in golf lessons and dance classes.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/ Tribune Staff

PAGE 12, Wednesday, June 27, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

A supporter to be SURE of

BAHAMAS Striping donated five new HP desktop computers to Programme SURE on Monday. From left, computer teacher Dion Johnson; Fredericka Sturrup, senior vice president of HR and training; BSGC’s president Atario Mitchell; Principal Angela Hunt; Dr Allen Albury, BSGC’s managing director and United Data Technologies Ltd president Quincy Rolle.

Photo: Precision Media FOR some time, dozens of at-risk students at Programme SURE, an intervention institution for disruptive teen boys, have pecked away on outdated computers which took forever to boot and were likely to crash mid-way into a lesson.

With Bahamas Striping Group of Company’s (BSGC) donation of five, brand new HP desktops to the school on Monday, Principal Angela Hunt is more than half way to her goal of upgrading the school’s computer lab, according to a press release.

“The latest donation brings the total number of new devices to nine,” said Ms Hunt, who took office last August and almost immediately commenced an appeal to corporate citizens to assist the school in updating students’ technological

resources which were more than 10 years old.

“I made it my mission to try to refurbish the entire lab. I wasn’t that successful, until recently,” she said. “Now, we need only six more devices to complete the lab’s total refurbishment.”

With no idea as to where the new computers will come from, Ms Hunt still holds out hope for more donations before the start of the new school year.

Student enrolment hovers around 37, ranging in ages from 13 to 17. Teens are referred to the Gladstone Road Agricultural Complex either by their schools or the courts. Without Programme SURE these students would likely be on the streets, said Ms Hunt, even though some have not committed any crimes.

“Sometimes it’s just

minor infractions,” she said.

“They have anger management issues or they could be caught with a weapon, which automatically sends you to Programme SURE.” Still, Bahamas Striping is a firm believer in second chances, said Fredericka Sturrup, senior vice president of human resources and operations.

“Whenever we get the opportunity to hire someone who wouldn’t ordinarily get a second chance that’s what we do,” she noted during the brief hand-over event on Monday.

Pointing to the company’s training and hiring practices, Ms Sturrup said the group of companies has a history of partnering with at-risk young men whether it’s in New Providence, the Family Islands or Turks and Caicos, on a per project basis. “That’s a part of

our company’s culture,” she said.

Bahamas Striping’s President Atario Mitchell knows what it’s like to lose focus during crucial teen years.

“As a high school student I took life as a joke.

It wasn’t until I enrolled at the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute that I got serious,” he said.

“It was there I realised the importance of education. I did better in two years at BTVI than I did during the whole six years at high school. I really focused on my work and graduated at the top of my class so I understand the idea of a second chance.”

In commemorating its eighth anniversary, BSGC chose to donate computers to non-profit organisations demonstrating need.

The whole idea behind this particular donation of

computers is to not have young men at a technological disadvantage, said Dominic Sturrup, BSCGC’s senior vice president of business development.

“Although we live in a technologically driven world not all students have access to a desktop computer with Microsoft Office applications at home so they need to have it here,” he said.

“We wanted to do our part to ensure that happened.”

Bahamas Striping enlisted the help of United Data Technologies Ltd to provide purchasing advice and some technological support going forward.

“We at Programme SURE really appreciate the effort Bahamas Striping made and the fact they reached out to us,” said Ms Hunt. “This makes life so much better for the computer teacher and

the students. Students no longer have to fight over the four new ones.”

Computer class sizes range from seven to 10 students, said instructor Dion Johnson, although the lab is built to accommodate 15.

“As a teacher I work with what I have. The students will never see there’s a problem within the lesson because I adapted to our computer situation, but now our students have a better opportunity to cover more ground within a lesson and can complete their work more efficiently,” he said.

“I’m proud to see this all Bahamian company giving back to our youths. It lets our students know people on the outside do care about their education and their success. That goes a long way. When you sow a seed, you’re able to reap the fruit.”