Thursday, July 23, 2026
‘Urgent needs’ for $300m sewerage improvements
BY NEIL HARTNELL TRIBUNE Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas has “urgent needs” for up to $300m worth of investments to upgrade failing sewerage and wastewater sanitation systems nationwide, it has been revealed, amid fears that waste systems are “fragmented and environmentally unsustainable”.
The concerns, and scale of fnancing required, are unveiled in an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report attached to a $500,000 project that aims to produce separate 25-year “master plans” to govern both the treatment, management and infrastructure development for both solid waste (landflls) and wastewater.
New Providence alone needs $200m sanitation upgrades Solid and wastewater systems ‘fragmented, unsustainable’ IDB project to prepare 25-year master plans for each sector
The project, which has just been approved for implementation, is designed to close “The Bahamas’ infrastructure gaps” in both areas by shifting “from fragmented interventions to a more comprehensive and strategic approach” guided by the two plans that are intended to act as road maps for
‘Emperor has no clothes’: $64m de cit sparks battle
File pics of, and Michael Pintard
Neil Hartnell Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.
net
The Government yesterday asserted its fscal progress is again being “under-estimated” as the Opposition argued that Fitch’s projection of a “$287m” hole in its 2026-2027 Budget forecasts exposes that “the emperor has no clothes”.
Dr Duane Sands, the Free National Movement’s (FNM) chairman, told Tribune Business that the credit rating’s assessment and forecast that the Government will incur
a $64m defcit for the current fscal year, as opposed to the Davis administration’s predicted $223.1m surplus, is “more consistent with the realities on the ground” such as the recent temporary suspension of health insurance cover for the security services by Colina.
And, with Fitch projecting the Government’s $1.024bn borrowing for 2026-2027 “may ultimately be higher than forecast” and global oil prices again hitting over $94 per barrel at press time last night, he warned that these impacts could result in reduced spending on critical public services
Ingraham: Green Turtle Cay project needs ‘deeper dive’
BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
HUBERT Ingraham yesterday urged regulators to require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and further public consultation over a controversial Green Turtle Cay project, asserting that it needs “a deeper dive” given that the proposal appears “excessive” for the intended location.
The former prime minister, who for decades represented North Abaco and Green Turtle Cay in the House of Assembly, told Tribune Business that “the least that ought to happen” is an EIA be conducted and “made public”
so that residents and other stakeholders can provide comment and feedback before Reginald Curry’s Gillam Bay development is cleared to succeed. Speaking after it emerged that all fve members of the Green Turtle Cay District
Gov’t cuts unpaid Doctors Hospital bills almost $20m
BY FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
UNPAID medical bills owed by the Government to Doctors Hospital have decreased by more than $20m since the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening its balance sheet as increased patient volumes and expanding clinical services produced stronger 2027 frst quarter results.
improved services, sustainable investment and greater environmental protection.
Noting that required sanitation and sewerage improvements have been pegged as approaching $300m alone, the IDB report said: “In The Bahamas, wastewater services are severely underdeveloped, with only about 10 percent of the population
- health, education and social welfare system. However, the Government cited the positives in Fitch’s assessment of its annual borrowing plan. The rating agency conceded that The Bahamas’ fscal recovery and consolidation process has outperformed international and market expectations in recent years, and hailed the “strong governance” that is “underpinning recent progress on structural fscal consolidation”.
in New Providence and 17.7 percent in Grand Bahama connected to piped sewerage systems, leaving the overwhelming majority dependent on aging and often poorly functioning septic tanks that contribute to groundwater contamination.
“The country faces frequent failures of wastewater lift stations, leading to service disruptions, sewer overfows and signifcant public health and environmental risks. Infrastructure is deteriorated due to decades of insufcient maintenance and under-investment, while regulatory and governance frameworks remain fragmented and outdated, limiting accountability and the ability to enforce standards.
“External observers have under-estimated the strength and efectiveness of the Government’s fscal approach in the past,” Senator Latrae Rahming, the Prime Minister’s communications director, said in response to this newspaper’s inquiries.
“We remain confdent in our fscal strategy, and in achieving the outcomes foreshadowed in our budgetary projections, supported by the Government’s ongoing
Neal Watson accuses rival of ‘bullying’ tactics to ‘hog’ cruise business
But Bimini Blue hits back by charging dock agreement was violated And asserts Biminin Scuba lacked authorisation to use alternative slip
BY NEIL HARTNELL TRIBUNE Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A BIMINI dive and water tours operator yesterday revealed it fears losing up to 40 percent of monthly revenues, and having to terminate staf, amid a dispute with a rival over dock access that is critical for picking up tourists. Neal Watson, principal of Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Centre, accused Bimini Blue Adventures of employing “bullying” tactics in a bid to “hog” all the island’s cruise passenger-related water activities business by both restricting access to its own docking facilities as well as slips located 100 yards away in the Fisherman’s Village area.
He told Tribune Business that he was forced to cancel yesterday’s afternoon tour schedule for Royal Caribbean passengers, and will likely have to do this again “in the future”, after dock masters and management intervened to prevent him from operating from the Fisherman’s Village docks. This was despite Bimini Scuba Centre having been given written authorisation to use one of the slips by its private owner. Mr Watson asserted that Bimini Blue Adventures is using anti-competitive and unfair practices to “hurt” its business, which he alleged started after Bimini Scuba Centre secured tour contracts with Royal Caribbean and its high-end Celebrity Cruises afliate. This brought it into direct competition with its
Dennis Deveaux, the BISX-listed healthcare provider’s chief executive, said receivables owed by the Government, which once peaked at $29m, have now fallen to well below $10m, refecting what he described as a healthier working relationship and more consistent payments.
"We have seen meaningful improvements in our receivable position with the Government coming out of COVID. At one point, our receivables with the Government stood at $29m. Through our fnancial statements, we will disclose that that number is now well below $10m and, if you exclude the Kidney Centre,
HUBERT INGRAHAM
SENATOR LATRAE RAHMING DR DUANE SANDS
Employee silence can be key warning signal
WBy
DEIDRE BASTIAN
hat does it mean when an employee goes silent? Silence is feedback, and a non-reply is surely a response. These warning signs are not loud. They show up quietly and are very subtle, which should call for managers to be in tune to hear what it actually means. Likewise, with employees who never challenge leadership, does it equate to loyalty, a display of conditioning, or is it the frst visible sign of a deeper organisational trauma? Employee loyalty is only meaningful if it includes truth, and a culture where staf can disagree or raise concerns. Sometimes it is not the engaged employees who managers should be concerned about, Instead, it is those who stop challenging ideas or providing uncomfortable truths. Realistically, over time, employees do not need to be told to stay quiet. The system teaches them and, once the lesson is internalised, it becomes culture. As it relates to an employee's departure, they rarely quit out of nowhere, as some steps are quietly calculated with less engagement. These are the employees who lead informal brainstorms and
Tourism minister hosted to cruise industry dinner
THE Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) recently hosted a dinner with Glenys Hanna-Martin, minister of tourism, on July 13, 2026, at Grayclif Restaurant.
Mrs Hanna-Martin was accompanied by Lorraine Armbrister, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Tourism; Randy Rolle, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism; Latia Duncombe, director-general of tourism; and Robert D.L. Sands II, director of cruise and maritime facilitation, Ministry of Tourism.
Pictured frst row from left: Latia Duncombe, director general of Tourism; Glenys
Hanna-Martin, minister of tourism; Michelle Page, chief executive, FCCA; Lorraine Armbrister, permanent secretary, Ministry of Tourism. Second row: Randy Rolle, parliamentary secretary, Ministry of Tourism; Marie Mckenzie, senior vice-president, FCCA, government and destination afairs; Adam Ceserano, FCCA president. Third row, from left: Rick Sasso, chairman of MSC Cruise Americas; Philcher Grant, director of government relations/ Bahamas, Carnival Corporation; Raymond Jones, CTL Bahamas president Bahamas. Fourth row, from left: Russell Bedford, Royal
ofered candid feedback during team debriefs. However, after too often being shut down, ignored or sidelined, they discontinue speaking up. Not because they do not care, but sometimes caring out loud may have started to feel unrewarding. And so they silently adapt. That shift does not happen overnight. It happens subtly, and usually after months or years of trying to make things better in a culture that ultimately punished them for it. Being quiet is not the same as being calm. Employees will still smile in meetings, but feel a growing sense of dissonance with the company’s values. They may do what is asked of them, but nothing more. It is the acceptance that settles in when an employee realises their voice has no real place. Meanwhile, their intent is not to stir drama
but to meet deadlines and remain reliable. By the same token, leaders often interpret this as staf burnt-out, but here is the psychology of employee silence, or an cquiescent silence: “Why bother?” This perception comes at a cost, not just to the employee but to the company. By the time an employee complains or resigns, they may have already mentally checked out. Meanwhile, some managers will not realise there is a leak until the damage has already been done and, over time, what is left is not a team; it is a compliance unit.
You cannot measure psychological safety by volume, and you cannot assume its loyalty just because no one is pushing back. In fact, if no one is pushing back, the healthiest response is not
Caribbean’s vice-president of government relations for the Caribbean; Robert D. L Sands II, Ministry of Tourism's director of cruise
80% of vulnerable Bahamian corals struck by killer disease
AROUND 80 percent of vulnerable stony coral species in Bahamian waters have already been impacted by a destructive killer disease that threatens tourism and fsheries - as well as environmental - impacts.
The Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF), in a statement, raised renewed alarm over Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), which has already devastated reef-building coral populations in this nation and continues to threaten reef ecosystems throughout the wider Caribbean.
First detected in Florida in 2014, the disease has since spread rapidly across the region and carries a mortality rate of 60 to 100 percent in susceptible coral species. In The Bahamas, around 80 percent of the 30 known susceptible stony coral species have already been impacted, which the Fund said underscores the urgent need for continued monitoring, research and co-ordinated response eforts.
Last month, BPAF directors joined marine scientists, government agencies and
and maritime facilitation; and Juan Kuryla, senior vice-president, port development, Norwegian Cruise Line
Researchers administer treatment to coral affected by SCTLD as part of ongoing reef conservation efforts.
Photos:Perry Institute for Marine Science SOUND - See Page B4
Antibiotic paste applied to a SCTLD lesion helping to slow disease progression.
Green Turtle Cay council rejects contentious project
BY ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
LOCAL government has unanimously rejected plans for a controversial Green Turtle Cay development, setting the stage for the developer’s potential appeal to Nassau while members intensify eforts to persuade the Prime Minister to reverse the Crown Land grant and permanently preserve the site.
All fve members of the Green Turtle Cay District Council voted against the Gillam Bay proposal by developer Reginald Curry, citing overwhelming community opposition and concerns over the longterm preservation of one of the Cay’s last undeveloped public coastal areas.
The decision follows growing resistance to a project which has already secured a certifcate of environmental clearance (CEC) from the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) for nine 1,900-squarefoot villas, a clubhouse with restaurant and bar, administrative ofces and back-of-house facilities.
Elvardi Butler, deputy chief councillor, confrmed
the Board’s unanimous position.“We did have a meeting to vote on the plans whether we’re going to pass it or not,” Mr Butler told Tribune Business. “We all denied it. All fve of us.” However, he acknowledged the Board’s decision may not be the fnal word.
“Yes, he [Mr Curry] has an 18-day period that he can go through Nassau,” Mr Butler said, referring to the developer’s right to appeal. “And if we don’t have something substantial to say why we’re rejecting this project… Nassau has the ability to override us and say we have nothing substantial to say why this person should not proceed.”
Kirk Cornish, the North Abaco MP, had previously advised residents that any rejection by the local Board must be legally justifed because the developer has legal avenues to challenge the decision. Rather than focusing solely on environmental issues, Mr Butler said the Board believes the Crown Land should remain available for future generations.
“At this point, we’re not just looking at the environmental state, even though it will have an environmental efect,” he said. “We’re just looking at the part that
we’re trying to preserve that piece of property. It’s owned by government, and if government wishes, they could somehow take the property back and leave it for the future of Green Turtle Cay and The Bahamas. That’s what our cry is right now.”
The Board has now formally requested a meeting with Prime Minister Philip Davis KC. Council member Giselle McIntosh said reversing the Crown Land grant remains the Board’s primary objective.
“The reason we opposed it is because of the opposition from the community,” she said. “We feel like we were elected to represent the community, and that’s what we intend to do.
“We’ve reached out to the Prime Minister to get a meeting with him so that we can discuss what can be done. He’s ultimately the only person that can reverse the grant. And that is what we are proposing, so that Gillam Bay can then be deemed a national park or a preserve forever.”
Ms McIntosh argued the project raises issues extending beyond environmental concerns. “It is just an area that does not need to be developed,” she said. “There’s so many diferent
Livery drivers: ‘We’re done’ responding
BY ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas Livery Drivers Union (BLDU) yesterday said it will no longer engage in a public war with its taxi cab rivals, adding that it will continue operating “business as normal” despite the latter’s threats to withdraw services and escalate their long-running dispute.
Taurian Austin, the BLDU’s president, dismissed the latest accusations from the taxi union, noting that livery drivers
to the taxi union
have made their position clear and will not be drawn into further exchanges.
“We are done, done, done, done responding to taxis and these accusations from taxis,” Mr Austin said.
“We will not continue. Whenever Tyrone [Butler] opens his mouth or does something, he wants us to respond. I think we’ve responded enough to tell you our stand that we’re not interested in what taxis are saying. We’re not interested in what they are doing. We will continue to move forward and work as we usually do.”
Mr Austin said his union has no intention of allowing the the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union (BTCU) dispute to distract its members from serving customers.
“We are done in the back and forth discussions with taxis,” he added. “We will continue to operate the way we have been doing for the past 20-plus years in the space that has been provided for us. I will continue to conduct business as normal. We will not lower ourselves to keep going in this back and forth with the taxi union.”
Mr Austin’s comments come as the BTCU
reasons why. Environmentally, the fact that it’s a sand bar, the way that it needs to be built is a tremendous undertaking, more so than I think the DEPP realised.” She also questioned whether the development conditions can realistically be met. “One of the restrictions on the CEC was that they can’t excavate,” Ms McIntosh said. “Well, it’s kind of near impossible to build something to that magnitude without excavation. Then we’ve got the waste management. We’ve got the strain on the infrastructure that’s already strained on Green Turtle - the dump, the electricity. There are just a million reasons why.”
She also criticised what she described as a lack of transparency surrounding Crown Land. “I think really the fact that it was Crown Land, number one, was not really put to the public,” Ms McIntosh said. “Had we known that they were considering giving that out as Crown land, we would have had that foresight to be able to stop it before it was even given to anybody.”
Instead, she said, Board members only became aware of the proposal after it arrived before them for consideration. “We didn’t
intensifes pressure on the Government over what it alleges is illegal competition from livery operators at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) and some hotels.
Mr Butler, the union president, has warned that operators are prepared to withdraw their services and “cause whatever chaos in the tourism industry” if authorities fail to enforce transportation laws that the union argues reserve the right to solicit passengers at the airport and hotels exclusively for taxi drivers.
The taxi union has also placed the matter under the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which has warned that continued confict between transportation providers
know about the development until it was sitting on our desk,” she said.
Council member Wade Cash echoed concerns about both the site’s environmental characteristics and its importance to residents.
“When I was a kid, that was just a sand bar that the water fowed over the top,” he said. “It is a very popular place. We feel, as a community, and the Board, of course, that that should be kept for the people of Green Turtle. That was never meant for development.”
Mr Cash questioned the site’s long-term stability. “They’re saying that it’s all fne out there, but that sand came there that was washed there over the years,” he said. “It’s not a stable place for any building to go on. It can be washed away just as fast as it came there.”
He added that preserving the area is also important to Green Turtle Cay’s tourism product. “Our tourists go out there,” he said. “They love the place. Every evening in the summer, you can count probably 25, 30 boats out there just anchored and having a good time right on the beach there. And all that will stop if that should happen.”
Mr Cash also suggested the Government identify an alternative location for the investment. “I would hope that the Government would grant him another piece of Crown Land somewhere else,” he said. “Not there. We’re just strictly against
risks damaging The Bahamas’ tourism product.
Mr Butler has argued that repeated meetings with government ofcials have failed to produce meaningful action, and said the union was prepared to escalate demonstrations and industrial action, including parking its vehicles and suspending service.
The dispute intensifed earlier this month when taxi drivers temporarily blocked access to LPIA’s
it. Number one, it’s a bird sanctuary out there.” When asked whether most residents oppose the project, Mr Cash replied: “100 percent. I’m sure you’ll get the chosen few that are in favour.” Mr Butler added: “I know the developer personally. At this point with this much backlash, if it was me, I would have just backed of. But I understand he has a vision.” However, he argued the issue is about preserving a unique public asset. Mr Butler described Gillam Bay as the community’s last remaining publicly enjoyed coastal area, despite Bahamian law guaranteeing public access to beaches.
“All the rest of the properties that were sold were private,” he said. “We use the beach but we always feel like we are intruding on someone’s property. Even though we’re supposed to have access to these properties, when the developer comes in, somehow they push us out.”
Mr Butler said he appreciates the project’s vision but believes community sentiment should carry signifcant weight. “I see the vision he has,” he said. “I love it. But being me, I would just say: ‘This is my community. One hundred people live here, and 90 don’t want it. I’ll just leave it alone and fnd someplace else to put it’.”
international departures terminal in protest over what they described as the Government’s failure to prevent livery operators from illegally soliciting passengers without prior bookings. Following that demonstration, transport minister Leon Lundy pledged reforms. However, the taxi cab union has maintained that progress has been insufcient.
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Doctors Hospital eyes Caribbean expansion
BY FAY SIMMONS
DOCTORS Hospital yesterday said it is using new regional partnerships, an in-house air ambulance and expanding clinical relationships to position itself as a healthcare provider not only for The Bahamas but, eventually, for the wider Caribbean.
Dennis Deveaux, the BISX-listed healthcare provider’s chief executive, said the strategy took a signifcant step forward this week when Doctors Hospital completed its frst medical evacuation from the Turks and Caicos Islands, transporting a critically ill patient to New Providence for treatment.
"We are proud to report that just yesterday night, we received our frst medical evacuation from the Turks and Caicos Islands, bringing a very ill senior citizen from that community into The
Bahamas to receive life-saving care,” he said. The strategic expansion comes as private healthcare providers increasingly compete for complex procedures, medical tourism and cross-border referrals in the Caribbean, where many smaller island nations rely on overseas treatment for specialised care. For Mr Deveaux, however, the evacuation represented more than a single patient transfer. "We share a common history, we share a common DNA, and we think that the services that Doctors Hospital provides really need to be increasingly more accessible, not only to Bahamians, but to our broader diaspora,” he added.
To support that vision, Doctors Hospital has established its own medical air ambulance service, allowing it to retrieve patients throughout The Bahamas and from neighbouring jurisdictions.
"We actually stood up a Doctors Hospital in-house medical air ambulance, and we physically, with our own contracted plane and our contracted team of healthcare providers, went and picked the patient up, brought the patient back to New Providence and admitted the patient to hospital very seamlessly,” Mr Deveaux said.
He said the service is expected to become increasingly important as Doctors Hospital expands its footprint beyond New Providence, including the opening of its Grand Bahama hospital.
"A patient in Abaco being picked up might go to Grand Bahama for care. Certainly, a patient in Exuma might come to New Providence. But we now have the capability through medical air evacuation to go and get our patients wherever they are in The Bahamas, outside of The Bahamas, including into the
US,” the Doctors Hospital chief said.
Beyond transporting patients, Mr Deveaux said Doctors Hospital is deepening its relationship with the Turks and Caicos Islands through several initiatives.
"Our relationship with TCI has a couple of dimensions. The frst one is receiving patients from their travel abroad programme. The second one is helping them in-country stand up the same kind of capacity that we have stood up, particularly in what they refer to as the polyclinic space,” he added.
Mr Deveaux said Doctors Hospital also stands ready to assist following recent changes in the management of the Turks and Caicos Islands' public hospital system.
"We are obviously lending our support with the recent end to their relationship with InterHealth Canada for their fagship facility, and we stand ready
to support as we are called upon by TCI,” he explained.
Doctors Hospital is also continuing to strengthen ties with Health City Cayman, where the two organisations are exploring opportunities to work together.
"Our relationship with Health City in the Cayman Islands continues to progress well. They have a very small stake in Doctors Hospital, less than 5 percent, and we continue to explore areas of collaboration, particularly in procurement with respect to pharmaceutical drugs,” Mr Deveaux said.
While regional opportunities are growing, Mr Deveaux stressed that Doctors Hospital's immediate priority remains completing projects already underway in The Bahamas, including its Grand Bahama hospital and the modernisation of its Nassau campus.
"We frstly need to ensure that we serve the people of
The Bahamas and address the gaps that we recognise are within our own delivery model,” he explained. Even so, he acknowledged the hospital has already begun receiving interest from elsewhere in the region.
"Beyond the Turks and Caicos Islands, we have been invited to look at other markets, but we're not going to get ahead of ourselves. We've got to open our hospital in Grand Bahama, do that well, and improve the facility here in Nassau,” Mr Deveaux said. Looking further ahead, he said the company sees regional healthcare as part of its longer-term strategy.
"Those conversations will likely move into our 2030 outlook as we start to think about the Caribbean, the diaspora of people in the Caribbean with a common set of healthcare problems, and how we could start to think about Doctors Hospital in a pan-Caribbean way,” Mr Deveaux added.
Coral destruction threat to tourism, sheries
PROTECT - from page B2
conservation practitioners from The Bahamas, Florida and the wider Caribbean at the ‘Partnering for resilient reefs” SCTLD workshop in Miami, hosted by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Foundation. During the workshop, BPAF shared observations, discussed policy considerations and contributed to regional discussions on strengthening the collective response to the disease.
“Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease is one of the
greatest threats facing our reefs today, and addressing it will require strong partnerships and sustained investment,” said Karen Panton, the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund’s executive director. “BPAF is committed to working alongside our partners to help protect these critical ecosystems.” Coral reefs are among The Bahamas’ most valuable natural assets. They provide habitats for thousands of marine species, protect coastlines from storms and erosion, sustain commercial and recreational fsheries, and support a tourism industry that contributes signifcantly to the economy.
Since SCTLD was frst identifed in Bahamian waters, the disease has spread across multiple islands, causing extensive mortality among several coral species. Scientists continue to study exactly how the disease spreads, but evidence suggests transmission may occur through water
Employers
movement, direct coral-tocoral contact and human activities that transfer pathogens between reef systems. BPAF has been supporting eforts to address SCTLD since the disease emerged in The Bahamas. Following Hurricane Dorian, BPAF said it provided support for initiatives that included eforts to combat the spread of SCTLD as part of broader ecosystem restoration activities. BPAF has also supported dedicated grant opportunities focused on coral disease research, monitoring and reef restoration. “Healthy coral reefs are essential to our environment, economy and way of life,” said Ms Panton. “By investing in research and conservation initiatives, we can strengthen the resilience of our reefs and help ensure they continue to beneft future generations.” BPAF said it is now calling for increased investment in coral disease surveillance, research and intervention strategies, while encouraging stronger collaboration from local and international partners to accelerate response eforts.
must not silence quality workers
SOUND - from page B2
self-congratulation. It is concern.
The damage of silent loyalty is slow, but devastating. It erodes critical thinking. It turns your most emotionally intelligent people into disengaged professionals by just trying to survive. In due course, it is healthy for managers to diminish measuring a team’s health by the absence of problems and recognise that silence is not proof of alignment.
Ultimately, silence is never proof of stability or safety, as sometimes it is the
frst stage of an employee sticking a foot out the door seeking greener pastures. It is also a warning that loyal employees who stop speaking may have also stopped caring. Until we meet again, live life for memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.
• NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deeprojects1@gmail.com
About columnist: Deidre M. Bastian is a brand marketing analyst/graphic designer, international award-winning author and certifed life coach.
Glenys Hanna-Martin, minister of tourism; Ginger Moxey, minister for Grand Bahama; and Leon Lundy, minister of transport, together with Randy Rolle, parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, met with the Grand Bahama Transportation Services Association on Thursday, July 16.
Photos:Kemuel Stubbs/BIS
Hospital unveils $44m healthcare investments
BY FAY SIMMONS TRIBUNE Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
DOCTORS Hospital will begin a $7m renovation of its 50-year-old fagship Collins Avenue hospital within weeks as part of a broader expansion that includes a new Grand Bahama hospital and a Village Road advanced imaging centre - collectively representing up to $44m in healthcare investment.
Dennis Deveaux, the BISX-listed healthcare provider’s chief executive, said one of the company's highest priorities this year is the long-awaited renovation of its Collins Avenue and Shirley Street hospital, where construction is expected to begin within weeks.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, he said the programme is designed to modernise ageing infrastructure, improve the patient experience and expand access to specialised services as demand for private healthcare continues to grow.
"One of the most important investments that we've earmarked this year is to commence the full renovation of our main hospital on Collins Avenue and Shirley Street,” Mr Deveaux said. He added that the work follows the completion of roof repairs aimed at addressing water intrusion at the Collins Avenue hospital, and the company will now shift to major infrastructure improvements before aesthetic upgrades begin. "This project actually had as a preamble the repair of the facility's roof to mitigate water intrusion. It's a 50-year-old facility, and we've successfully done that. Now we move into the second phase, which involves critical upgrades to the infrastructure, the HVAC, the windows, and then we will move aggressively into an aesthetic upgrade,”Mr Deveaux said.
He acknowledged that while Doctors Hospital has built a reputation for quality care, patients have increasingly questioned when the physical facility would receive the same level of attention.
"Folks are accustomed to receiving excellent emergency care and excellent care on our inpatient wards by the fabulous team of nurses that lead that care generally, but we have had a lingering question of: 'When are we going to update the facility?' We expect to commence that project in the coming weeks with a signature investment back into healthcare delivery in the country,” Mr Deveaux said.
The hospital expects the renovation of patient areas to span between 12 and 18 months, with around $7m allocated to the project during the current fscal year.
While work begins in New Providence, Doctors Hospital is also nearing completion of its new Grand Bahama hospital, which Mr Deveaux said is entering its fnal construction phase before commissioning and regulatory approvals.
"We believe that we have fve to seven weeks of construction remaining, and we start to hand over that facility for the commissioning sequences. Then we hand
that over for licensure by the local regulators as well as the national regulators in healthcare in the country,” he explained.
The hospital, which has been named in honour of philanthropist Kent Rockwell, represents what Mr Deveaux described as "a signifcant investment, a seminal investment in healthcare delivery in Grand Bahama”.
At the same time, Doctors Hospital is preparing to launch a new outpatient advanced imaging centre on Village Road at the site of a former bowling alley.
"We also foreshadow the opening of an outpatient advanced imaging centre on Village Road. If you're familiar with where the old bowling alley is, we actually plan to stand up, in the same time horizon, a new centre for advanced imaging,” Mr Deveaux said.
Together, the Grand Bahama hospital and Village Road facility account for roughly $37m in investment.
"The investment for the Grand Bahama hospital is between $25m and $30m, and the investment for the
Waste disposal is among Bahamas ‘most pressing environmental health challenges’
INVESTMENT - from page B1
“A wastewater master plan is therefore essential to guide investments, reduce pollution, rehabilitate critical infrastructure, expand sewerage coverage, protect vulnerable aquifers and build resilience against climate-related fooding and storm surges.”
Achieving this will not come cheap, the IDB assessment warned, with New Providence alone requiring up to $200m - or two-thirdsof the projected outlay. “Key assessments from the IDB, Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of The Bahamas highlight urgent needs, including $150200m to modernise Nassau’s aging sewerage network, for example Clifton Pier wastewater plant upgrades, $50m for Grand Bahama’s sanitation systems, and $30m-$50m to expand decentralised solutions
in the Family Islands,” it disclosed.
“In addition, inadequate wastewater services may disproportionately afect women and other vulnerable groups due to their primary roles in household water management and care-giving responsibilities. Service disruptions, environmental contamination and public health risks can increase unpaid care burdens and negatively afect quality of life, particularly in underserved communities.”
Turning to The Bahamas’ solid waste management systems and infrastructure, the IDB report seemed to ignore the reduction in complaints from residents close to the New Providence Ecology Park, formerly the Tonique Williams Highway landfll, over fres, noxious fumes and other nuisances since it was handed over to private management under the former Minnis administration.
But, pointing to the wider problems elsewhere,
the analysis added: “The country’s current urban solid waste sector is underfunded, fragmented and environmentally unsustainable, with most islands lacking engineered landflls and relying instead on open dumps, periodic burning and poorly managed disposal sites that pose major health and ecological risks.
“There are nine disposal sites and only three of them are sanitary landflls - New Providence, Grand Bahama and Great Abaco. Four are non-sanitary landflls and one is an open dump site. In Grand Bahama, the Pine Ridge sanitary landfll is partly owned by the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA). The central government, via the Department of Environmental Health Services (DEHS), is responsible for the other eight disposal sites.
“Recycling is minimal due to high transport costs and the country’s archipelagic geography, while hazardous
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A company is looking for an experienced Senior Accountant to oversee accounting operations.
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• Supervise all activities and staf in the accounting department including accounts payable and receivable.
• Review, analyse and provide monthly and annual consolidated fnancial reports to senior management.
• Develop fnancial reviews and provide investment and proftability advice.
• Prepare and fle Quarterly VAT returns and coordinate and respond to requests
from the Department of Inland Revenue, ensuring timely submission of tax
flings and supporting documents.
• Assist external auditors to facilitate smooth audit processes.
• Drive efciency improvements and cost reductions across the business.
• Management stakeholder relationships.
• Oversee payroll processing.
• Collaborate with management and executive teams to share reports and
analysis fndings.
• Prepare annual budgets.
• Establish and maintain internal control guidelines, policies, and procedures for
budget accounting, cash and credit management, and administration.
• Act as liaison agent with banks when required.
• Prepare insurance-related fnancial analyses when needed.
QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS
• CPA designation
• Minimum 5 years of supervisory experience in accounting/fnance
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or fnance
• Profciency QuickBooks and Inventory experience required
• Strong background in internal controls
• Knowledge of Bahamian laws and fscal policies
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills
• Profciency in MS Ofce
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and meet reporting deadlines
• Strong communication skills and attention to detail
Email resume to chinainvestment1969@hotmail.com
DOCTORS HOSPITAL
Village Road advanced imaging centre is just over $7m. Combined, both projects are approximately $37m of reinvestment back into raising the standard of care and improving healthcare delivery nationally,” Mr Deveaux said. Despite ongoing shortages across the healthcare sector, Mr Deveaux said stafng plans remain on track for both facilities.
"For the Grand Bahama Hospital, we are looking at a strategy that is going to depend in part on resources from New Providence moving into that community to buttress where we do see gaps, and that's going to be in particular in our nursing area,” he added. Mr Deveaux said recruitment needs at the Village Road facility are considerably smaller.
"For the Village Road advanced imaging centre,
those gaps are not prominent enough where we would see an issue with opening. There's one or two gaps in terms of readiness to open, and we'll close those before the facility opens,” he added.
Mr Deveaux said the projects refect Doctors Hospital's confdence in both the demand for private healthcare and the sustainability of its expansion strategy.
"The good news is that we've demonstrated that our expansion is viable and sustainable, and so we are going to continue to invest in healthcare capacity. We think ultimately that improves the health and wellness of our country, and we are intent on investing and fulflling that need, but in a way that is sustainable fnancially and accessible for the people of The Bahamas,” Mr Deveaux said.
waste remains largely unregulated and improperly handled. Landfll fres… continue to endanger communities, and smaller Family Islands have inadequate collection and disposal services. Financing constraints, the absence of household user fees and limited data on waste generation further weaken the system’s performance.”
To cure these ills, the IDB said the Ministry of Finance has asked it to prepare strategic master plans for both sectors, describing them as being The Bahamas’ “most pressing environmental health challenges”.
“Addressing The Bahamas’ infrastructure gaps requires a shift from fragmented interventions to a more comprehensive and strategic approach to sector planning,” the multilateral lender said.
“In this context, the operation proposes the development of two priority national level planning instruments that together will provide a coherent framework for sustainable investment, improved service delivery and stronger environmental protection.
“The frst is a wastewater master plan integrating sewerage and treatment, which will establish a unifed framework to expand sewerage coverage and reduce reliance on septic systems, while rehabilitating and upgrading aging conveyance infrastructure, including lift stations,” the IDB added.
“The plan will also guide the expansion and modernisation of wastewater treatment capacity to improve efuent quality and reduce pollution afecting groundwater and marine ecosystems.
“By protecting vulnerable aquifers and public health, and by strengthening resilience to climate-related risks such as fooding and storm surges, the plan will support more sustainable service delivery. At the same time, it will help prioritise investments and improve long-term fnancial sustainability.
“By integrating sewerage and treatment into a single planning instrument, the master plan will ensure that system expansion is aligned with adequate treatment capacity, thereby avoiding inefciencies and minimising environmental risks.”
As for the proposed urban solid waste master plan, the IDB said it will “defne a national strategy to transition from open dumping to environmentally sound waste disposal systems, such as sanitary landflls.
“It will support the modernisation of waste collection, transport and disposal infrastructure, while strengthening regulatory frameworks and institutional co-ordination. The plan will also promote waste reduction, recycling and circular economy approaches, alongside improved management of hazardous waste streams,” the Bank added.
“Furthermore, it will aim to enhance service coverage and operational performance across all islands, while establishing sustainable fnancing mechanisms and improved data systems to support informed decision-making and longterm sector sustainability… This operation has been prioritised for preparation and approval, given its critical importance for public health, environmental sustainability and climate resilience in The Bahamas.
“There is also strong synergy in developing both wastewater and solid waste master plans in The Bahamas, as both sectors address interconnected environmental and public health challenges, particularly in a fragile island context. Integrated planning allows for co-ordinated investments, shared infrastructure solution and improved management of land and marine pollution - reducing risks to groundwater, coastal ecosystems and tourism.”
Bimini tour operator accuses rival of anti-competitive move
rival, which had previously enjoyed the same business.
He added that the Fisherman’s Village docks are directly connected to, and afliated with, Bimini Blue Adventures through their ownership and control by the original Resorts World Bimini developer, RAV Bahamas, and its principal, Gerardo Capo. Mr Watson said Bimini Blue Adventures’ president, Arthur Hernandez, is Mr Capo’s son-in-law, and this newspaper found online postings describing him as the Capo Group’s vice-president and one of RAV Bahamas’ directors for Resorts World Bimini.
However, Mr Hernandez countered by giving Tribune Business a sharply diferent version of events.
He accused Mr Watson and Bimini Scuba Centre of violating the two sides’ previous agreement that they would only have access to use the former’s dock on days when the Virgin Voyages cruise line made scheduled calls.
Vehemently rejecting the claims of anti-competitive behaviour, he alleged that Mr Watson and his company have unduly exploited this deal by using Bimini Blue Adventures’ own dock on days when Virgin’s vessels did not call on Bimini, resulting in his company’s business “dropping drastically”.
And he explained that, unless Bimini Scuba Centre obtained “management approval” stating otherwise, commercial operations such as Mr Watson’s are forbidden from using the docks at Fisherman’s Village - hence yesterday’s intervention by the dock masters and security.
Mr Hernandez and Bimini Blue Adventures, in a July 18, 2026, letter to Bimini Scuba Centre that has been obtained by Tribune Business, demanded that the latter, its employees and agents “immediately cease and desist from using any docking facilities owned, leased, operated or otherwise controlled by Bimini Blue Adventures”. With “efect immediately”, the only exception to this was “scheduled Virgin Voyages operating days, and solely for the purpose of facilitating approved Virgin Voyages excursion operations”. Bimini Blue Adventures further warned: “Any use of the dock outside of Virgin Voyages operating days must receive prior written authorisation from Bimini Blue Adventures.
“Any unauthorised use of the dock after receipt of this notice may be considered trespassing, and may result in Bimini Blue Adventures taking the necessary steps to restrict access and protect its property and operational interests.” It added that the letter was sent “to clearly establish
the permitted conditions of access, and to avoid any further misunderstanding” regarding the dock’s use.
Mr Watson yesterday said the letter referred to Bimini Blue Adventures’ own foating dock, and that this facility may have been “sub-leased” by Virgin Voyages, for whom Bimini Scuba Centre provides tour and other water activities to its passengers, for use on the days when its vessels call on the island.
However, he argued that the two sides’ diferences - and the consequences for his business and its 30-strong staf - have escalated after Bimini Scuba Centre was yesterday blocked from using alternative dock slips to embark and ofoad its Royal Caribbean passengers. Mr Watson also questioned how Bimini Blue Adventures is seemingly foreign-owned and able to operate in a sector exclusively reserved for 100 percent Bahamian ownership by the National Investment Policy.
“Today was Royal Caribbean, and we have a contract for them,” he explained. “There was another alternative set of docks 100 yards down the road at Fisherman’s Village. We were renting a slip there, would walk the people there and pick them up.
“There is one dock at Fisherman’s Village that is privately-owned - not owned by Resorts World or
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Capo. I got a text message giving me permission to use that slip, bit they brought security down there, the dock masters, and said it was not allowed. They said they would not allow me back. The son-in-law is now preventing me from renting a slip to have use of, and how is the son-in-law - who is not a Bahamianinvolved in water sports?
“I had to cancel the afternoon tours and may have to cancel tours in the future. They said I cannot be there without written permission and said they would call the call the police. They are doing everything they can to hurt my business. I was born here, grew up here. This is a second generation dive and water tours business. The whole point of putting in that cruise pier was to beneft people like me, who are Bahamian, from here, so we can do these tours,” Mr Watson added.
“I have 30 people working for me here. I’ve never done anything to these guys. I don’t understand why they are being bullies. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s not fair.” Mr Hernandez, though, denied that he or Bimini Blue Adventures are being obstructive to Bimini Scuba Centre and denying them access to passengers.
“If he wants to come here and pick up the passengers via taxi, he can continue to do that,” Mr Hernandez said of Mr Watson. “He can come in and pick up passengers via taxi and take them to his operation. I’m not denying him that. He can do that on non-Virgin ship days.”
Mr Watson said he secured the Virgin Voyages contract just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. He recalled that Bimini Blue Adventures was also formed around this
time, and Resorts World Bimini’s website appears to try and direct tourists to use the company for water sports and related marine activities.
“Finally, after years, we got in with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises,” Mr Watson added, saying this occurred several months ago in April/May 2026. “It took a couple of months to set up,” he added. “We had maybe done eight to nine ships under the radar. We were using the same place where we were instructed to pick people up for Virgin. Celebrity and Royal Caribbean reached out to me. I didn’t go hard for this.”
Mr Watson said this was when tension with Bimini Blue Adventures frst seemed to surface. “They are doing all they can to shut that down,” he told Tribune Business. “They are trying to hog it all themselves. It’s greedy, and they are not Bahamian. It’s just not right. They want it all for themselves. It’s wild. I don’t get it. How are they doing it? We are a real entity. We do real tourism. My father started in 1975. We are the real thing.” Asked about the impact loss of dock access, or restricted access, will have for Bimini Scuba Centre, Mr Watson said: “We’ll have to lay people of. I’ll have to fre people. I bought a whole new boat just because I got this [Royal Caribbean] contract. This time of year, it could cost 30-40 percent of my monthly revenues. It’s a massive number. I will for sure have to let people go.
“All I want to do is rent a slip, pick people up and drop them of. That’s all I am trying to do. There’s plenty of opportunity. They [Bimini Blue Adventures] have contracts now with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. There’s a million
NOW HIRING
tours they can ofer. I don’t know why the need mine.
“Bimini Blue, if you don’t want me to use [your dock] I understand that, but to tell me I cannot rent a slip for a fee-based arrangement at a facility where there are a lot of empty slips, just to pick up and drop-of, it’s really going out of your way to hurt someone,” he added.
“Just let me rent a slip. There are so many empty slips over there. I’m going to try and fgure out what I’m going to do. Unless I can fnd a way around it, I don’t know what I’m going to do. Instead of three to four days a week with ships, we will be down to one day a week.”
Mr Hernandez, though, told Tribune Business that Mr Watson and Bimini Scuba Centre had been abusing the arrangement to use Bimini Blue Adventures’ dock. And he argued that they did not have the necessary approvals and permits to use Fisherman’s Village for commercial operations.
“I don’t have a dispute with Neal Watson. I don’t know why he’s saying we have a dispute,” Mr Hernandez said. “I own a dock here in Bimini. It’s my dock, and Neal Watson has access to this dock on the days Virgin Voyages cruise ship comes in. On the days Virgin Voyages ships come in, he has full access to the dock.
“On the days with non-Virgin or no cruise ships, he doesn’t have access to the dock because he doesn’t own it. He took advantage of the situation. He was coming in on Virgin days and coming in whenever he wanted. I didn’t realise this until I saw my bookings had dropped drastically. I tried to fgure out what was happening, and he was coming in whenever he wanted and that was not the agreement we had.”
As for Fisherman’s Village, Mr Hernandez said: “Here’s the thing. You cannot operate a commercial operation out of those docks without management approval, even if the dock is owned by an individual home owner. That home owner doesn’t have the lease that dock for commercial operations, and Neal Watson is a commercial operation.”
Mr Watson, meanwhile, said he has reached out to Randy Rolle, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, and also Bimini’s MP, for assistance and is waiting to hear back.
A company is looking for an experienced O ce Assistant to perform various accounting duties in the Accounts Department.
Job Summary
e O ce Assistant’s responsibilities include keeping nancial records updated, preparing and reconciling daily reports, payables, receivables, inventory, and payroll duties.
Key Responsibilities
Assist with the preparation of end-of-day reconciliations.
Reconcile petty cash.
Enter or change prices for inventory in company’s so ware.
Prepare quarterly accounting for gi certi cates.
Occasionally assist with monthly bank account reconciliations.
Assist with receptionist duties as needed.
Manage and monitor lease/rental of company owned properties.
Documents management: le and scan documents.
Maintain xed assets register and process depreciation expenses.
Assist with payroll as needed.
Maintain prepaid expense schedules and process expense entries.
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Skills and Quali cations
• A Bachelor of Arts or Science Degree in Accounting or Finance from an accredited institution.
• At least three (3) years of working experience in accounting.
• Profciency in QuickBooks is required.
• Inventory experience is required.
• Profciency in Microsof Ofce.
• Excellent organizational skills with ability to establish priorities.
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If you meet the above requirements, please forward your resume to chinainvestment1969@hotmail.com.
Gov’t: We’ve been ‘under-estimated’ before, still con dent in projections
FORECAST - from page B1
revenue enhancement, expenditure management and debt reduction measures.” Michael Halkitis, minister of fnance, could not be reached for comment by message or call before press time last night.”
However, Michael Pintard, the Opposition’s leader, in a statement asserted that Fitch’s defcit and borrowing forecasts, which difer from the Davis administration’s own, expose “a $287m hole in the Government’s fscal fantasy”.
While Fitch efectively hedged its bets by forecasting The Bahamas will instead achieve a frst annual Budget surplus in the 2027-2028 fscal year, its prediction for the current period - if it comes truewould leave a major $287.1m hole in the Government’s fnances.
For the Davis administration’s predicted $223.1m surplus, equal to 1.2 percent of Bahamian gross domestic product (GDP) or economic output, is forecasting that the Government’s tax and total revenue income will exceed its spending during the 2026-2027 fscal year. But, if Fitch’s projection turns out to be accurate, this will represent a negative swing equal to 1.6 percent of GDP, as a $64m defcit would represent by how much expenditure will
exceed the Government’s income.
Should the rating agency prove correct, the Government will not have a surplus to increase its cash balances by the forecast $223.1m and provide a further “bufer” to debt repayments. It would likely force the Davis administration to borrow beyond the $1.024bn targeted to fnance debt rollovers and refnancing in the 2026-2027 fscal year.
“The latest assessment from Fitch Ratings confrms what the Opposition has been telling the Bahamian people for months: The Davis Administration’s fscal projections are built on wishful thinking, not reality,”
Mr Pintard argued.
“The Government’s 2026-2027 Budget projects a surplus of $223.1m. Fitch Ratings projects a defcit of $64m for that same fscal year. That is a swing of $287m, an almost $300m hole in the Government’s own story, told by their own numbers.”
Mr Pintard added: “This news comes against a backdrop of mounting arrears so severe that the Government’s own health insurer had to suspend services after reportedly being owed well over $100m. Meanwhile, public corporations like Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) and the Bahamas Public Parks and Beaches Authority continue to receive tens of millions of
House votes for Department of War renaming as part of an annual defense bill
By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
THE House on Wednesday passed a defense policy bill that incorporates President Donald Trump’s request for a historic $1.15 trillion in spending for national security and that would designate the Department of Defense as the Department of War. IT also would provide for a pay raise next year ranging from 5% to 7% for service members, depending upon their rank.
The National Defense Authorization Act is generally one of the more bipartisan bills that Congress takes up on an annual basis. That’s not the case this year. The vote was 216-212.
Democrats took issue with steep spending increases for the Pentagon as Republicans attempted to cut numerous non-defense programs through other bills. They also opposed some of the conservative social policy riders that were included.
For example, the bill includes a prohibition on gender-related medical care under the military health program known as TRICARE. It also eases hurdles for service members to carry a privately owned frearm on base, following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s lead on the issue.
Republican leaders’ decision to attach Trump’s elections overhaul bill to the defense bill upon its passing also amplifed the partisan divide. Speaker
Mike Johnson is working to accommodate Republican lawmakers who are angry that the Senate won’t pass the SAVE America Act and are insisting that it be included in must-pass bills until the Senate relents.
Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, emphasized that he knows there were areas of disagreement, but he emphasized that Wednesday’s vote was a step in a long process. He promised to work in a bipartisan manner on a fnal product that can pass both chambers and be signed into law.
Rogers said the United States needs to reverse decades of underinvestment and neglect in the nation’s armed forces and defense industrial base.
“This bill will do that and much more,” he said. “It will build the ready, capable and lethal fghting force we need to deter China and other adversaries.”
Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democratic lawmaker on the Armed Services Committee, said the defense spending the administration has asked for this year is approaching $1.6 trillion when including separate eforts to pay for the war in Iran and boost weapons stockpiles.
“The American people are struggling to pay their bills and we’re going to put $1.6 trillion into the defense budget. It’s not a reasonable thing to ask,” Smith said.
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dollars with little public accounting of where it goes.
“The sad part? When these hidden loans, undeclared liabilities and mounting arrears eventually come due, they won’t be paid by the politicians. They will be paid by hardworking Bahamian taxpayers through higher debt, higher taxes, fewer opportunities and fewer public services.
“Every dollar spent servicing undisclosed debt is a dollar that cannot go toward the legitimate arrears owed to Bahamian small businesses. Every dollar diverted to cover a fscal shortfall is a dollar that cannot go toward public servants, better public services or real relief for families struggling with the cost of living.”
Dr Sands echoed these concerns yesterday, suggesting that the Government’s will likely be to “shoot the messenger” and question “who the hell are these Fitch people” even though it has previously praised the credit rating agency.
“Fitch has basically said the emperor is not wearing any clothes,” he told Tribune Business. “This, unfortunately, does not help with their narrative. The Fitch assessment is more consistent with the realities on the ground. When we have a mixed bag, let’s call it what it is.
“As we noted, as we have seen, the evidence has
pointed to the failure to pay insurance premiums, the failure to pay National Health Insurance doctors, the tremendous amount of payables that have not been executed. Fitch has basically said to them: ‘We don’t buy it and, notwithstanding all the things you put in the Budget communication, it’s all hogwash’.
“There’s no question that Fitch’s assessment is more in line with what the numbers on the ground show, whether the quantum’s $287m, $500m.. We can quibble about that. There’s no surplus that’s going to happen in the Bahamian economy any time soon. The Government of The Bahamas has forecast a Budget surplus: It ain’t going to happen.”
Asked whether Fitch’s defcit projection is premature, given that the fscal numbers for 2025-2026 - a year in which The Bahamas was forecast to produce its frst-ever Budget surplus of $75.5m - have yet to be released, Dr Sands replied that - even if the late payments to Colina, and temporary insurance coverage suspension were an isolated issue - the fact there were allegedly $100m in premium arrears means “that single issue alone changes the whole dynamic”.
He added that “tens, hundreds even thousands” of Bahamian companies are owed substantial sums by
the Government for goods and services provided as shown by the $242m arrears and invoices due at the 2025 calendar year-end.
Dr Sands also voiced fears that the Government’s 20262027 fscal projections will run up against international “headwinds” sparked by the revived Middle East confict, with crude oil prices last night trading at over $94 per barrel on the Brent crude index having hit $95 earlier in the day. He added that this will generate infationary pressures and price increases by forcing shipping and fuel costs higher, with these impacts, pressures on traveller incomes and greater transportation costs potentially dampening Bahamian tourism demand.
“I think it’s not unreasonable to say, as we look at the tea leave, that Fitch has probably done a more realistic assessment of what is likely to happen than the Ministry of Finance in the Budget,” Dr Sands asserted.
“There’s going to be consequences internationally if we cannot get oil to fow through the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere. It’s not unreasonable for
crude oil prices to hit $100m per barrel again, and gas at the pump in Nassau to hit $8-$9 per gallon. That has a knock-on efect on everything.
“I’m hoping our fnancial people have moved beyond the idea of telling us a sweet, sweet story to being prudent and reasonable.” Dr Sands said Bahamians will likely continue to feel “pain” at the food store check-out, gas pump and in BPL bills, and warned that failing to hit fscal targets - especially on revenue - could force the Government to scale back spending on public services vital to the Bahamian people’s welfare. Mr Pintard added: “It’s a crying shame that the Government has yet to provide a full and honest accounting of all outstanding liabilities, contingent obligations, arrears and public sector commitments. Bahamians deserve to know the true state of their country’s fnances, and they deserve real action to grow our economy. They don’t deserve cover-ups disguised as progress.”
One letter stands for another. In this example, A is used for the three L’s, X for the 2 O’s, etc. Single letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of words are all hints. Each day the code letters are different.
DENNIS THE MENACE
BISX-listed provider hits revenue, pro t targets
I think it’s below $4m,” he revealed.
For a private healthcare provider that relies on timely reimbursement for services delivered through government programmes, improved collections have signifcantly strengthened liquidity. While acknowledging that cash fow challenges remain within the public sector, Mr Deveaux said the relationship continues to improve.
“Overall, we view the relationship as quite positive, notwithstanding the liquidity challenges that often exist with the Government. We have all of the
right conversations happening at all of the right levels, and there are regular drawdowns of the accounts receivables balance with the Government. Overall, we judge it to be healthy,” Mr Deveaux said. The improved balance sheet comes as Doctors Hospital reported continued growth in patient activity during the frst quarter that covers the three months to end-April 2026.
Kendra Sturrup, its chief fnancial ofcer, said net revenues increased 8.8 percent year-over-year and have continued tracking at approximately 8 percent through June.
“As it relates to our frst quarter fnancial results, we have been able to realise an increase in our net revenues of approximately 8.8 percent, which we have seen has been sustained throughout this current period at about 8 percent,” she said.
Ms Sturrup said growth was driven by stronger clinical activity, particularly following the return of the hospital’s cardiac catheterisation laboratory, together with increased inpatient admissions and patient days.
“This represents that our clinical programmes, such as our cath lab, as well as our increased patient days, have been able to realise
Ex-PM says Gillam Bay proposal appears ‘excessive’ for location
Council have voted against the project (see article on Page 3B), Mr Ingraham said he was “surprised” that the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) had not mandated an EIA be produced - especially as the site is “virgin land” - but he acknowledged that the law and regulations allow the agency to drop this requirement of they deem it unnecessary.
Asserting that “nothing beats local input on a decision”, Mr Ingraham told this newspaper: “The community of Green Turtle Cay is very much opposed to the project, and I’m told that the local government authority has rejected it. Second, it appears to me that the least that ought to happen is an EIA that is made public so that people can comment on it.
“They should have done an EIA so that the community could comment on it. It’s all accreted land from
what I understand. The development being proposed would be substantial for a new green area. That’s all sand, much of which accreted in my lifetime. This is also an area where the Green Turtle Cay community have been picknicking for umpteen years. The least they ought to do is have an EIA so people can make representations.”
Mr Curry has received a certifcate of environmental clearance (CEC) from DEPP to proceed with his proposal to construct construct nine 1,900-square foot villas, a single-storey clubhouse with a restaurant and bar, an administrative ofce and a back-of-house facility at Gillam Bay.
But many on Green Turtle Cay, alleging they only became fully aware of the project at last Thursday’s Town Hall meeting, voiced frustration over the perceived lack of transparency and Nassau seemingly dictating, and imposing its vision, of development on Family Island communities
without locals and those afected having any say.
However, DEPP ofcials ofcials told Green Turtle Cay residents that the agency determined the project did not meet the legal threshold for triggering an EIA because it involves construction on pilings as opposed to excavation, mining and marine works.
“I’m surprised in the sense that this is a new virgin piece of land, but I’m aware the director [Dr Rhianna Neeley-Murphy] has the authority to dispense with an EIA if they feel it is not necessary,” Mr Ingraham said of the decision not to require an EIA. “I would have thought this would go out for a deeper dive, then a decision would be made with public comment.
“I would urge the authorities to acquire an EIA that would go out to be made public, and public consultation to be had, and the local government authority in Green Turtle Cay to be able to put forward their point of view.
proftable results for the operations,” she added.
The stronger operating performance translated into a sharp increase in profitability. “Our net income has increased from approximately $1.6m to about $4.8m. Our revenues for the frst quarter also resulted in $36m in net patient revenues,” said Ms Sturrup. She said emergency room visits, inpatient admissions and intensive care use all contributed to the stronger fnancial performance. At the same time, Ms Sturrup said the hospital continues to focus on balancing growth with afordability by ofering payment options to patients requiring treatment.
“We do address the issue of access and afordability, and we are continuing to challenge our models so that patients have the opportunity to access our services and receive immediate treatment. We have worked very intimately with our patients and their families to ensure that we give care options as well as price options,” Ms Sturrup said.
Looking ahead, she said Doctors Hospital expects the momentum to continue throughout the remainder of the fscal year that ends at the close of January 2027.
“For this fscal year, we have projected eight to 10 percent in terms of an increase in revenue. As
at the end of quarter one, we’ve been able to realise 8.8 percent and, up to June of this year, we’re just at 8 percent,” Ms Sturrup said, She added that those gains have also supported proftability. “Those targets also trickle down into our net income and our margins, and we have been able to secure an 11 percent proft margin in comparison to our budget,” the Doctors Hospital fnance chief said. As the hospital continues expanding clinical services and investing in infrastructure, she said management remains confdent it can achieve its fnancial targets while continuing to improve patient care. “We are well within our capacity and sustaining the targets that we have set for ourselves for this fscal period,” Ms Sturrup said.
“They are very good people in Green Turtle Cay. They will make their concerns know, they will agitate and contribute to the discussion and if, at the end of the day, they cannot be successful they will accept that. But they think, on the face of it, and so do I, that the development proposed is excessive for that particular site.”
Mr Ingraham said he did not know whether “this was a deliberate decision on the part of Nassau” not to request an EIA or consult residents before last Thursday, but he added that both steps must now be taken “before any further development on this site. That’s what the community would like to see. I’ve been with them all my political life. They still call me all the time”.
An online petition launched on change.org, urging the Davis administration to maintain “the current construction pause” until all permits and compliance requirements are met, and a “legal review” conducted, had within hours gained 943 signatures by the time Tribune Business went to press.
The petition, in calling for “an independent review of the environmental assessment and approval process” and for “meaningful time and weight” to be given to Green Turtle residents’ concerns, said: “This petition is led by a collective of Bahamian citizens who believe Gillam Bay is a national treasure worthy of protection.
“It refects the voices of Bahamians who care deeply about preserving our country’s natural heritage, and who want decisions afecting our islands for generations to come to be
made with transparency, accountability and respect for the law…. Once an irreplaceable coastal ecosystem is destroyed, it cannot simply be rebuilt. The decisions made today will shape Green Turtle Cay for generations to come.
“We are asking that any development proceed only if and after every legal requirement has been met, environmental impacts have been independently and transparently evaluated, and the people who will live with these decisions have been meaningfully heard. Responsible development and environmental stewardship ca - and should - go hand in hand.”
The Gillam Bay petition on change.org states:
“A proposed large-scale development threatens to permanently alter this sensitive environment, and with it, one of the beauty spots that draws tourists here in the frst place.
Many local Bahamian citizens, longtime visitors and second home owners have expressed that this development would fundamentally change the character of Green Turtle Cay and could infuence whether they return in the future.
“Plans for this development were frst signalled in 2022, when a road bringing water and electricity was extended to the developer’s existing business on No Name Cay. Since then, the scope has grown considerably. The broader Green Turtle Cay community frst learned the full scope of the proposal during a town meeting held on July 16, 2026…
“This is to be developed on approximately three acres of Crown Land, which the developer has been granted permission
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to build on 40 percent [of]. Community members have raised questions regarding the process through which development rights for the site were granted, and have requested greater transparency surrounding those decisions,” the petition added.
“The sequence of events raises important questions about compliance with the established approval process and should concern anyone who values transparency, accountability and the rule of law, regardless of their position on the development itself. And if procedural defciencies are identifed after irreversible work has commenced, the consequences may be signifcant for the community, the developer, the environment and public confdence in the regulatory process….
“We recognise the importance of investment and economic opportunity in The Bahamas. But development should never come at the expense of transparency, local consideration and our environment. Sustainable development requires that environmental protection, community interests and economic growth exist together - not that one be sacrifced for another.
“Many local Bahamian citizens, residents and stakeholders alike have serious, justifable concerns about whether every statutory requirement, environmental review and public consultation has been properly completed before this project proceeds. These questions deserve clear, transparent answers, and decisions of this signifcance should be made only after all legal processes have been fully satisfed.”
IN THE ESTATE OF SHERIE VIANNA LOCKHART a.k.a. SHERIE V. LOCKHART-RUTHERFORD late of #19 Concord Drive, High Point Estates in the Western District of the Island of New Providence, one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of e Bahamas, deceased.
Notice is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demand against the above Estate are required to send their names, addresses and the particulars of their debts or claims duly certi ed in writing to the undersigned on or before the 26th August, A. D. 2026, a er which date the Executrix will proceed to distribute the assets having regard only to the proved debts or claims of which notice have been given.
And Notice is hereby given that all persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to make full settlement on or before the date herein before mentioned.
EDWARD B. TURNER & CO. #24 Leonie Place
Flax Terrace o# Malcolm Road Nassau, Bahamas
Attorney for the Executrix of the Estate of the late Sherie Vianna Lockhart a.k.a. Sherie V. Lockhart-Rutherford
GILLAM BAY DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Millions have signed up for Trump Accounts, but some families are still waiting for baby’s $1,000
By MORIAH BALINGIT
AP Education Writer
WASHINGTON (AP)
— At a rally Wednesday, President Donald Trump touted the $1,000 babies can receive when their parents open Trump Accounts in their names, seed money that Trump says will help give them “a really fair shot at the American dream.”
“Think of that. The government is fnally giving money back to our children,” Trump said to the crowd gathered at a Georgia high school
Some parents who opened accounts earlier this month for their babies say they’re still waiting for their money. The accounts went live July 4, two days before Trump rang the opening bells for the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq from the Oval Ofce.
At the rally Wednesday, Rick Jackson, Georgia’s GOP nominee for governor, said he would push for state lawmakers to match the $1,000 in seed money from the federal government. Jackson, a wealthy businessman and CEO of a healthcare company, said he believes Georgia lawmakers will support that, but “if they don’t, I will personally donate it myself.”
Boosters of the program say it’s a chance to give more Americans a stake in the stock market. They hope it will stem the rising popularity of democratic socialists, who seek to raise taxes on corporations and wealthy people to ease the cost of things like food and healthcare for low-income and middle-class Americans.
Some parents were told it could take 4 weeks for the deposit
For babies born since Trump took ofce last year, $1,000 from the U.S. Treasury is supposed to kick of the accounts. While some parents report receiving the money, others said in interviews and on social media they’re still waiting for their $1,000.
Masaki and Kristina McLellan, new parents from Bergen County, New Jersey, said in an interview they were wary of signing up for the accounts because they worried it was a promotional stunt
The tax-advantaged accounts can be opened for any child under the age of 18, and more than 7 million accounts are already active, Trump said Wednesday. Babies born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028 get $1,000 in seed money from the U.S. Treasury. Most of those families receive their $1,000 in one or two days, the Treasury Department said. After the Trump Accounts are set up, parents, relatives, friends and employers can contribute to them. Some billionaires have also pledged philanthropic contributions to the accounts. The money is turned over to private frms that invest it in index funds, a type of mutual fund that tracks the performance of the stock market. The money can’t be accessed until the child turns 18, and only then for specifc purposes, such as going to school, opening a business or buying a home.
House votes for Department of War renaming as part of an annual defense bill
By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
THE House on Wednesday passed a defense policy bill that incorporates President Donald Trump’s request for a historic $1.15 trillion in spending for national security and that would designate the Department of Defense as the Department of War. It also would provide for a pay raise next year ranging from 5% to 7% for service members, depending upon their rank.
The National Defense Authorization Act is generally one of the more bipartisan bills that Congress takes up on an annual basis. That’s not the case this year. The vote was 216-212.
Democrats took issue with steep spending increases for the Pentagon as Republicans attempted to cut numerous non-defense programs through other bills. They also opposed some of the conservative social policy riders that were included.
For example, the bill includes a prohibition on gender-related medical care under the military health program known as TRICARE. It also eases hurdles for service members to
carry a privately owned frearm on base, following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s lead on the issue. Republican leaders’ decision to attach Trump’s elections overhaul bill to the defense bill upon its passing also amplifed the partisan divide. Speaker Mike Johnson is working to accommodate Republican lawmakers who are angry that the Senate won’t pass the SAVE America Act and are insisting that it be included in must-pass bills until the Senate relents.
The House bill is testing a normally bipartisan process
Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, emphasized that he knows there were areas of disagreement, but he emphasized that Wednesday’s vote was a step in a long process. He promised to work in a bipartisan manner on a fnal product that can pass both chambers and be signed into law.
Rogers said the United States needs to reverse decades of underinvestment and neglect in the nation’s armed forces and defense industrial base.
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for the president. But the $1,000 incentive persuaded the couple, whose daughter Maya was born in late March, to start an account anyway.
Masaki McLellan said he applied for the account July 6. At frst, the application was rejected, but the account was activated after he called the Trump Account hotline. He was told he’d see the money in the account in 10 days. Now, he says, he’s been told it will take up to four weeks.
Kristina McLellan said she was disappointed it was taking so long to fund her daughter’s account. But the infant has multiple other investments already compounding for her. Maya’s parents have already started
a 529 college savings plan and a custodial brokerage account for her. The Trump Account is the third investment account in the little girl’s name.
“We defnitely want to give her options for her future and make sure she can choose what she wants to do,” said McLellan, a studio director for a local news station, who returns from maternity leave next week.
The Treasury Department emphasized the McLellans’ case is unusual and said only a sliver of those who apply need customer support.
Treasury says most parents wait only 1 or 2 days
“This bill will do that and much more,” he said. “It will build the ready, capable and lethal fghting force we need to deter China and other adversaries.”
Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democratic lawmaker on the Armed Services Committee, said the defense spending the administration has asked for this year is approaching $1.6 trillion when including separate eforts to pay for the war in Iran and boost weapons stockpiles.
“The American people are struggling to pay their bills and we’re going to put $1.6 trillion into the defense budget. It’s not a reasonable thing to ask,” Smith said.
Smith also expressed concern about the war with
In the Estate of HUBERT FREDERICK ALBURY aka. HUBERT F. ALBURY late of No. 30, Murphyville Road, Palmdale, in the Eastern District of the Island of New Providence, one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of e Bahamas, deceased.
NOTICE is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demand against the above Estate, are requested to send their names, addresses and particulars of the same certi ed in writing to the undersigned on or before the 6th day of September, A.D. 2026 and if required, to prove such debts or claims, or in default be excluded from any distribution; AND NOTICE is hereby given that a er the above date the assets will be distributed; having regard only to the proved debts or claims, of which the Executor shall 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 aforesaid date.
Dated the 23rd day of July, A.D. 2026
Edgar O. Moxey & Associates No. 16, West Court - O 9th Terr., Centerville
P.O.Box N-3447 Nassau N.P., Bahamas Phone:326-8146
Attorneys for the Executor
(D. 23, 30 & 6th)
The Treasury Department said that the lag between opening an account and receiving the seed funding constitutes “standard processing time, like receiving a tax refund,” and that the overwhelming majority of parents are waiting only one to two days. But the department likes to give parents a conservative estimate for how long it might take for the money to be transferred, such as the estimate of up to four weeks given to the McLellans.
“Trump Accounts level the playing feld by allowing every parent to invest in their children’s future, not just wealthy families with trust funds,” the department said.
does. But if we’re going to do this, we’re going to need some Republicans to stand up to the president of the United States and say, ‘No. No, we’re not going to get you $1.6 trillion. No, we’re not just going to give you a blank check for a war that is totally out of control.”
The White House backs parts of the legislation
The spending increases authorized in the bill would not take efect until Congress follows up with a separate defense appropriations bill. The Senate has not yet approved its version of the defense measure. It’s possible a fnal product won’t be ready until after the midterm elections.
Iran and that in supporting the defense bill, lawmakers are “de facto supporting this war with no end in sight.”
“We are in an incredibly, incredibly dangerous time,” Smith said. “I want to maintain the bipartisan nature of this bill. I do. And I know that the chairman
The White House applauded the spending levels authorized in the House bill and the Department of War designation that it says recognizes the “willingness to fght and win wars on behalf of our nation.”
The president issued an executive order last year
The government also unveiled an initiative last month that permits child welfare agencies to open accounts on behalf of foster youth.
“With roughly 1 million sign-ups per month before launch, Trump Accounts have become the most popular and successful government-backed savings product in U.S. history,” the Treasury Department said.
On Wednesday, Trump called the accounts “the most consequential” part of his signature tax and spending cuts bill, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Trump faces pressure over his handling of the economy
Trump’s stop in Georgia comes as he and fellow Republicans face pressure in the midterm elections for their handling of the economy. Only 33% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s economic leadership, among the lower ratings of his second term, according to a June survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Afairs Research. Trump pledged to lower costs, but his tarifs and the war in Iran have instead helped to increase prices.
Trump Accounts are similar to baby bonds, championed by Democratic-led cities and states meant to shrink the wealth gap between low- and high-income children. But unlike most baby bonds, which generally target kids from disadvantaged backgrounds, Trump Accounts are available to families of all incomes.
renaming the Defense Department, but it’s up to Congress to make the change ofcial. The Congressional Budget Ofce has projected that the renaming could cost taxpayers as much as $125 million. The White House’s statement also said that the administration has a number of concerns with certain provisions in the bill and would work with Congress before a fnal bill is presented to the president. Among those concerns was a section of the bill it said would limit or undermine the president’s ability to name military installations and property.
In 2023, during a national reckoning on issues of race in America, seven Army bases’ names were changed because they honored Confederate leaders. Last year, those bases reverted to their original names, but with diferent namesakes who share Confederate surnames. The Army found other service members with the same last names to honor.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, center, invites a family on stage to speak about Trump Accounts at Wheeler High School, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Marietta, Ga.
Photo:Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
SPEAKER of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., leaves the chamber as members debate a series of measures including a continuing resolution to fund the government and a spending package for the Iran war, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Photo:J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Earnings at Musk’s car company fall as research spending cuts into pro t from selling cars
By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer
TESLA said Wednesday that its profts fell last quarter as the car company run by Elon Musk shoveled more money into research and development, cutting into profts from a sharp increase in vehicle sales.
The Austin, Texas, company reported second-quarter net income of $1.11 billion, or 32 cents per share. Excluding certain items, earnings were 33 cents per share, well short of the 53 cents per share forecast by Wall Street analysts, according to FactSet.
Revenue rose 26% to $28.24 billion, beating
analysts’ forecast of $26.42 billion.
While the core car business had a solid quarter, Tesla is now focused on building out the infrastructure and AI software that underpins its robotaxis and robotics businesses, which Musk has said are the future of the company. And doing so requires a lot more spending.
Research and development spending surged about 49% from a year earlier to $2.37 billion — higher than its been going back at least four quarters.
“We’re investing a lot in growing the core business and really preparing for the future,” Musk said during a conference call with Wall Street analysts, promising that the spending will yield “incredible returns.”
CFO Vaibhav Taneja told analysts that the company expects capital expenditures will increase further in the second half of this year, driving full-year spending to more than $25 billion.
Taneja also forecast that spending on capital expenditures will continue growing for the next “2 to 3 years,” as the company seeks to expand its feet of robotaxis, add AI compute infrastructure and build more production capacity for its Optimus humanoid robot, among several other products.
Tesla shares fell 4.1% in after-hours trading shortly. The stock ended the regular trading session 1.3% lower and is down just under 17% this year.
Earlier this month, Tesla reported that it delivered 480,216 cars in the second quarter, a 25% increase from the same period last year and its second straight quarterly gain. The sales also exceeded analysts’ expectations, according to a FactSet survey.
Tesla’s improving sales this year mark a big turnaround from a year ago, when many Europeans refused to buy the company’s cars because of Musk’s embrace of far-right political candidates in elections there. The vast majority of the company’s vehicle deliveries last quarter were comprised of its Model Y crossover SUV and Model 3 sedan. Tesla rolled out less expensive versions of both models last year in hopes
of boosting sales. It also cut the cost of leasing and loans in Europe.
Sales were also helped by a surge of EV buying in general in Europe as gas and diesel prices have risen due to the Iran war.
Just a few months ago, Tesla reported sales had fallen in 2025 for a second year in a row and it had to yield its crown as the world’s largest EV maker to China’s BYD.
Tesla’s EV sales accounted for most of the company’s overall revenue, but the company got a boost from its energy generation and battery storage business, which posted revenue of $3.14 billion, a 13% gain compared to the second quarter last year.
The company also benefted from increased subscriptions for its driver assistance feature, available in the U.S., called Full Self-Driving (Supervised). The number of FSD subscribers has now reached nearly 1.5 million globally.
Tesla said it has now rolled out its robotaxi service to seven major metro areas in the U.S., and that it it expects production on its Optimus humanoid robot to begin later this year.
The company has also been investing in building new battery factories and in the infrastructure needed to produce its Tesla Semi and Cybercab.
The company noted that it has begun production of the Cybercab at a factory in Texas, and that the Tesla Semi is on track for production this year at a factory in Nevada.
Tesla executives didn’t ofer more specifcs on how many robotaxis or Cybercabs will be on the road, nor how soon.
Musk noted that the company needs more time to test the Cybercab chassis and doesn’t want to rush the expansion of robotaxis, saying he prefers to take a cautious approach.
“We’re working on what we believe is the most ambitious buildout of advanced infrastructure manufacturing capacity ever in history,” he said. “Our goals are very ambitious for robotaxi, but we do need to be cautious about causing any accidents or causing any harm to anyone.”
NOTICE
3LT INVESTMENT LTD.
Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration number 206572 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 21st day of July A.D. 2026.
Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is MR. LEONARDO CARVALHO CARNEIRO LEAO whose address is Mateus Grou, 235 AP 222, CEP: 05415-050, Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 20th day of August A.D. 2026 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the beneft of any distribution made before such claim is proved.
Dated this 21st day of July A.D. 2026. LEONARDO CARVALHO CARNEIRO LEAO LIQUIDATOR
N O T I C E CANAM OFFSHORE LIMITED
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Shareholders of CANAM OFFSHORE LIMITED is hereby called to be held at the Registered Offce of the Company, Ocean Centre, Montagu Foreshore, East Bay Street in the City of Nassau on the 24th day of August, 2026 at 10:00 o’clock in the forenoon. The object and purpose of said meeting is to have laid before the Shareholders of the Company the accounts of the Liquidator, Brian Selvadurai, showing the manner in which the winding up of the Company has been conducted and also to hear any explanation that may be given by said Liquidator.
Dated the 21st day of July, 2026.
Brian Selvadurai Liquidator of
CANAM OFFSHORE LIMITED
A TESLA vehicle is seen at a Tesla facility Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Portland, Ore. Photo:Jenny Kane/AP
US military says it’s carrying out strikes on Iran as both sides threaten civilian infrastructure
By JON GAMBRELL, COLLIN BINKLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press
THE U.S. military announced Wednesday that it was conducting a 12th night of strikes against Iran as both sides increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure.
U.S. Central Command said the attacks were designed to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters,” as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuz and restore the fow of international shipping.
President Donald Trump warned earlier Wednesday that the U.S. will destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the strait.
“From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,” Trump wrote on social media.
The continued American airstrikes are occurring even as diplomatic eforts show little public sign of progress and ofcials on both sides have dug in on the dispute over the crucial waterway for global energy that remains largely closed. The unpopular war
threatens further worldwide economic disruption and is sending fuel prices up ahead of midterm U.S. elections this fall.
Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said his country would adopt an “eye for an eye” defense doctrine.
“Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response,” he posted Wednesday on X.
The U.S. carried out a previous wave of strikes on Iran overnight into Wednesday, and air defenses opened fre over the capital, Tehran. Iran launched a missile attack on a Jordanian city on Israel’s doorstep, and alerts were issued in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Iran has responded to U.S. attacks by targeting energy infrastructure and desalination plants that provide drinking water in parched neighboring Gulf countries.
International law generally prohibits such attacks unless the infrastructure is being used for military purposes.
The costs of war are mounting
The closure of the strait, through which a ffth of the world’s traded oil and gas passed during peacetime, has jolted the world economy with efects far beyond the Middle East. A new threat by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to target Saudi shipping in the
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I KAREEM NATHANIEL EDWARDS of Central Pines, Abaco, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
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NOTICE is hereby given that I KABLE WINCHESTER LOVE of #23 Rockwell Estate, New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
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NOTICE is hereby given that I JHEANEALE PATRICIA MARSHALL of #13 West Place Drive, New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 16th day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
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NOTICE is hereby given that I, XUEQUAN SU of Eastern Road, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
Red Sea puts another trade chokepoint at risk.
Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday for the arrival of the remains of four U.S. service members. A day earlier Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated in a fery Senate hearing that the U.S. had spent $37.5 billion on the war so far.
Benchmark Brent crude oil rose to more than $93 a barrel in trading. That’s up from less than $72 early this month, which is roughly where it was before the war.
Gasoline prices are also climbing.
Iran says it has the right to manage trafc and potentially charge fees in the strait, which was open to all and toll-free before the war.
It has attacked ships using a route through the strait that is overseen by U.S. forces and intended to be outside Tehran’s control.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who has led negotiations with the U.S., appeared to brush of Trump’s threats.
“We have repeatedly said that the situation of
the strait will not return to prewar conditions,” he wrote on social media.
Attacks shake Iran and Jordan
Jordan’s military said it intercepted four Iranian missiles over Aqaba, while two others fell in “uninhabited areas.” Plumes of smoke could be seen overhead in videos flmed by people in the nearby Israeli city of Eilat. Jordan said it also intercepted four Iranian drones.
Iran has avoided striking Israel since hostilities resumed last month, apparently hoping to keep it from reentering the war. But the attack on Aqaba, within sight of Israel’s Eilat, raised concerns over a further widening of the confict after an agreement to halt hostilities collapsed.
Another missile alert sounded in Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia warned residents of the Persian Gulf city of Dammam to seek shelter. Saudi authorities later said the danger had passed, without elaborating.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I BRITNEY THELUSMA of Coconut Grove, Poinciana Avenue, New Providence, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported explosions across several provinces. Iran’s Health Ministry said earlier that U.S. strikes over the past 11 days have killed 53 people, including six women and three children, and wounded nearly 600 people.
Diplomatic eforts show no signs of progress
Before the latest strikes, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a key mediator in the confict, seeking to revive diplomacy. But it was unclear what new arrangement might be reached to end the war, which lately has become a battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeinivand said “diplomacy isn’t called of” and that messages were still being exchanged, without elaborating, according to IRNA.
An Arab diplomat said Gulf states are increasingly pessimistic about fnding an of-ramp for escalating hostilities and are particularly
concerned about the latest round of threats.
The diplomat said countries in the region, in addition to Pakistan and Turkey, are continuing to push for de-escalation. But, he said the chances for any improvement currently appear bleak. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
At a regional summit in the Philippines, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced Iran’s actions in the strait.
“If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and if you don’t pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region,” he said.
Rubio said the U.S. remains open to negotiations with Iran, “but right now they don’t seem to be serious about that” so instead the focus is on protecting shipping.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that I ISAIAH LYNDEN JOSEPH of P.O. Box N-7147 SC Bootle Highway, Abaco, Bahamas, applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 23rd day of July, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
Oil prices rise another 3%, while Wall Street drifts in mixed trading
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
U.S. stock indexes barely budged on Wednesday after oil prices climbed another 3% as fghting continues in the war with Iran.
The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1%, coming of its best day in three weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 6 points, or less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%.
Despite the modest moves for indexes, stocks had some big swings underneath the surface. Philip Morris International rallied 3.3% after the seller of Marlboro cigarettes reported stronger proft and revenue for the latest quarter than expected. Its shipments of smoke-free products rose 7.5%.
AT&T climbed 3.5% after reporting a stronger proft than analysts expected. CEO John Stankey also said the telecom is accelerating plans to send roughly $10 billion to its shareholders this year through the buybacks of its stock.
Super Micro Computer soared 19.8% after the seller of AI servers said it expects to report stronger proft margins for the latest quarter than it had earlier forecast. It, though, also said that revenue will likely come in at the low end of its forecasted range of $11 billion to $12.5 billion.
On the losing side of the market was GE Vernova, which fell 8.7% after reporting a weaker proft for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Alphabet sank 1.5% ahead of its earnings report, which arrived after trading ended for the day.
Anticipation was high, and not just because the parent company of Google is one of the largest stocks on Wall Street. It’s also one of the biggest spenders on artifcial-intelligence technology.
Investors are looking for signs that the deluge of dollars going into processors, computer memory and other building blocks of the AI boom are producing enough profts to make the investments worth it. If
Alphabet and other “hyperscalers” say that isn’t the case, stocks of chip companies and other AI winners would look very expensive following their monumental moves higher.
Such worries have kept AI stocks at the center of Wall Street’s swings for weeks, and they helped drag
Trump’s tari threat could impact Canadian economy but may be negotiation tactic, experts say
BY JIM MORRIS Associated Press
THE U.S. threat of 50% tarifs on Canadian goods will have a ripple efect on the country’s economy but also could be a negotiation tactic by the U.S. administration, experts say.
The new tarifs, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, are scheduled to come into efect Aug. 19. They cover a wide range of goods, including honey, liquor, cement, dairy products, some wood products, hockey sticks, essential oils, perfumes, candles, dog leashes and wigs.
They exclude energy products, potash, fsh and critical minerals, but would include goods previously protected from import taxes by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. That 2020 trade pact was not renewed by
the U.S., triggering a new set of negotiations that could run until 2036.
Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz said the tarifs create uncertainty. “We’re living in a time when uncertainty is the new norm,” Lantz said Wednesday following a meeting of the country’s premiers and territorial leaders in the province’s capital, Charlottetown.
Randall Bartlett, deputy chief economist with Desjardins, one of Canada’s largest fnancial institutions, said the tarifs will impact about $28 billion Canadian ($19.8 billion) worth of annual Canadian exports to the United States. That’s about 5% of what the U.S. imports from Canada each year.
They have the potential to shave two to three tenths of a percent of growth in 2026 and 2027 in Canada,
Bartlett said, although he said he didn’t expect a recession.
“We’re expecting it to keep more investment on the sidelines (and) probably suppress hiring. That weighs on consumer activity and residential investment as well,” Bartlett said.
Fen Osler Hampson, a professor of international afairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, said the products hit by the tarifs are items U.S. consumers can decide not to purchase if prices rise.
Losing U.S. customers could lead to layofs for companies that employ 10 to 200 workers that are the “backbone of the Canadian economy.”
“That does have ripple efects in an economy because if people are out of a job, they’re not going to be spending,” said Hampson, who is co-chair of the
before. It’s still up 236% for the year so far. All told, the S&P 500 fell 10.24 points to 7,498.96. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 6.06 to 52,218.58, and the Nasdaq composite sank 146.30 to 25,690.90.
Stocks broadly also felt pressure from continuing climbs for oil prices, which raise costs for most businesses and erode their profts.
The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose 3.4% to $94.07 and briefy topped $95 in the morning to touch its highest level in nearly six weeks. That’s up from less than $72 early this month, which is roughly where it was before the war with Iran.
the market up and down Wednesday.
Micron Technology swung between a loss of 3.6% and a gain of 1.2% before fnishing with a drop of 1.2%. That’s after it jumped 14.4% in the frst two days of this week to reclaim nearly all its 13.3% plunge from the week
Rising oil prices are threatening a reacceleration of infation. That in turn could push the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates, which would slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.
Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations.
Dennis Barby, president and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said the tarifs would infict serious damage on manufacturers, workers and consumers on both sides of the border.
“These tarifs will raise costs, disrupt production, and make North America less competitive at a
time when we should be strengthening our shared industrial base,” Barby said in a release.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said it’s frustrating the U.S. is proposing tarifs on some Canadian goods while also looking to invest in Canadian mines to secure metals and minerals.
“You can’t have a country on one hand attacking one group of families and
The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.65% from 4.63% late Tuesday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran began. It’s already helped bring longterm U.S. mortgage rates to their highest levels in nearly a year. Oil prices have climbed as fghting in the Middle East keeps oil tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz to exit the Persian Gulf. Normally, a ffth of all oil and natural gas traded passes through the narrow strait.
The auto club AAA said Wednesday that the average price for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. jumped again overnight to $4.06. That’s still below highs of around $4.56 per gallon in May, but it had been below $3 before the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February. In stock markets abroad, indexes climbed in Europe following a mixed session in Asia.
London’s FTSE 100 rose 1.2%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1% for two of the world’s bigger moves.
workers while hoping to have access to the resources in Canada that the rest of the world wants,” said Eby, who added that Canada should limit access to the resources the U.S. wants if its stance remains.
Experts Bartlett and Hampson said the tarifs could be a negotiation tactic, and may not come into efect. Still, Canadian trade negotiators should be cautious moving forward, they said.
Hampson warned against retaliatory tarifs or reducing oil or electricity shipment to the U.S.
“You don’t want to poke the bear,” he said. “You get into that kind of war, we’re going to lose. We’re the smaller economy. They can absorb a hit much more than we can.”
Hampson said the tarifs could refect the tense relationship between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, which has soured since Carney criticized his counterpart at the World Economic Forum in Davos. On Tuesday, Carney said he and Trump have agreed to intensify trade talks.
CURRENCY traders walk by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics Co. stock price at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Photo:Ahn Young-joon/AP
PRESIDENT Donald Trump speaks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, at a working lunch with leaders of G7 and the Middle East in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Photo:Evelyn Hockstein/AP
US-Canada
By ED WHITE Associated Press
THE strained relationship between the U.S. and Canada is spoiling the celebration of an extraordinary project between the two countries: a new six-lane bridge named for a famous Canadian who played hockey for the Detroit Red Wings.
After years of planning and billions of dollars in construction, the Gordie Howe International Bridge is ready for business, rising high over the Detroit River and connecting Michigan to Ontario.
But a ceremony planned for Friday, with dignitaries from both countries meeting in the middle, has been scratched after President Donald Trump this week announced 50% tarifs on most Canadian goods entering the U.S.
A spokesperson for the Canadian minister of infrastructure said joint festivities now would be “inappropriate,” though a separate event in Windsor, Ontario, is scheduled. The bridge still is expected to open to car and truck traffc on Monday, followed by pedestrian and bike crossings starting Aug. 5.
Bridge is expected to help trucks on major trade route
More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., making America its largest trade partner. Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck trafc on the U.S.-Canada border, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Those goods, especially auto parts, are worth billions of dollars. For decades, the only route for large commercial trucks between Detroit and Ontario has been the Ambassador Bridge, which is privately owned by the Moroun family’s Detroit International Bridge Co.
Facing a threat to its monopoly on lucrative tolls, the company repeatedly fled legal challenges against the Howe bridge, and even backed a 2012 Michigan referendum, but lost at each turn. Construction on the Howe bridge began in 2018, with Canada covering the cost.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said discussions about an additional bridge began after 9/11 when ofcials considered what would
happen if the Ambassador Bridge were attacked. More trade was another reason. In the U.S., the bridge efort was led by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder before he left ofce in 2019.
A Canadian agency will run the bridge
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, created by Canada, will operate the bridge. A recent agreement says Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years. Michigan will also get a share, but not until Canada’s costs are recovered, likely decades in the future.
“This will be the most technologically advanced bridge the moment that it opens, and it will give the most amount of certainty possible to the trucking industry,” Dilkens told CTV News in Canada this week, adding that “there’s a lot of excitement on both sides of the border.”
The bridge has been caught in the TrumpCanada crossfre
But any joy has been watered down, at least in the short term, by tension between the U.S. and Canada.
This week, Trump invoked a section of the Tarif Act of 1930 to impose 50% tarifs on certain Canadian products. The U.S. president accused Canada of unfairly discriminating against American autos, alcohol and dairy products.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford fears a trade war. Negotiations are expected before the tarifs take efect in 30 days.
“Canada’s been very, very tough on us over the years, for many years, and no other president’s done anything about it. ... Without us, there’s no way they can survive,” Trump said in defense of tarifs.
Trump also knocked Canada over wildfres, which have sent dangerous smoke to the Midwest and East Coast, saying they were the result of forest mismanagement. Ford, the leader of Ontario, said blame from U.S. ofcials is a “shame.”
“Maybe they should pay us some damages or something,” said Trump, who, shortly after the start of his second term, even said Canada should become a U.S. state.
Need backup power? Automakers
want you to look no further than their vehicles in your driveway
By ALEXA ST. JOHN Associated Press
WINTER Storm Uri, the multiday freeze that slammed Texas in February 2021 and pummeled the state’s power grid, has been on Kenneth Kovar’s mind ever since. Though the resident of New Braunfels, northeast of San Antonio, didn’t lose power at the time, he wasn’t able to run his septic tank — it is independent from local systems. He had to fll his toilets with water from his backyard pool.
So when Kovar, 64, bought a Ford F-150 last fall, his hope was to be better prepared for any new crisis.
“I was interested in trying to fnd some sort of power backup situation,” he said.
Now, Kovar has a setup from Ford that allows drivers of certain F-150 models to plug their vehicle directly into their electric meter to power parts of their home during an outage.
It is the latest example of automakers broadly adapting their electrifcation technologies to the home energy business, especially as demand on the grid increases and sales of electric vehicles slow. Car companies are looking to leverage their multibillion dollar EV investments to tap into a promising market in vehicle, home and grid technology, both for backup power and for supporting electrical grid resiliency.
“They’re trying to look for other businesses that they might sell into,” said Parth Vaishnav, assistant professor of sustainable systems at the University of Michigan.
Ford’s latest connects F-150 drivers to their meter
Drivers of the F-150 PowerBoost hybrid and F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks can now plug in a one-foot long adapter to a 240-volt outlet onboard. That adapter — which Ford made with company Global Power Products — makes the vehicle compatible to plug into a longer, separate cable. That cable connects to a transfer switch installed directly on one’s electric meter.
Through the adapter and cable series, homeowners can connect their vehicle essentially right to their home’s breaker box. The homeowner simply turns
A ONE-foot long adapter is shown connected to a 240-volt outlet onboard a Ford F-150 King Ranch, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Southgate, Mich. The adapter makes the vehicle compatible to plug into a longer, separate cable that connects to a transfer switch installed directly on one’s electric meter.
on and of which breaker switches they want for which devices they want powered.
“The way we think about it, especially for customers who already have a compatible vehicle is, you already own the power source, it’s in your driveway,” said Amanda Roraf, Ford’s grid and energy services business acceleration lead.
The Lightning might provide power for two to three days, depending on what home devices are being used, and the PowerBoost Hybrid, up to fve days on a single tank of gas.
The automaker says its solution is a less expensive way to supply backup power.
Conventional, diesel-powered portable generators and full-home standby setups require expensive installation, costing several thousands of dollars. This solution, which also requires professional installation at the meter, starts around $1,100.
The setup only applies to about 200,000 vehicles so
far, and it is also exclusively for outages. Ford also ofers its Home Integration System for bidirectionality, sending power both from the vehicle to the home and from the home to the vehicle, while also being able to feed the grid.
Other automakers are boosting their energy solutions
Over 630,000 U.S. vehicles already have this functionality, estimates say, and automakers are rapidly expanding their available options with the goal of full vehicle-to-grid support in the long run.
South Korean auto brand Kia and Wallbox, an EV charging company, have teamed up so that drivers of eligible compatible vehicles can have home power backup during outages or during periods of high demand, to cut their utility use. They can send power back to the grid.
Tesla’s technology is similar — allowing drivers of equipped vehicles to connect to their home using additional Tesla hardware. The Cybertruck provides full vehicle-to-home capability, where other Tesla models can only connect to and power specifc devices or appliances.
General Motors is also in the energy space.
A recent partnership with WeaveGrid, for instance, allows homeowners who drive certain GM EVs — and have the automaker’s home system and a proper grid interconnection — to enroll in some grid reliability utility programs. Once an outage is detected, GM’s vehicle-to-home tech has the capability to disconnect one’s home from the grid and start supplying power from their GM EV.
“If you can imagine the future as we go forward, it’s having the ability — now that we have this single platform — that allows our customer to experience our system,” said Wade Shefer, vice president of GM energy, “but also can have the full control of the energy.”
The capability is an important lifeline amid EV sales slowdown
Not only is this business critical amid growing grid demand and increasing power outages, experts say automakers need to pivot with the EV market less active under current U.S. federal policy. Pure EV sales in the U.S. year-over-year are down 23.8%, according to a July Cox Automotive report on the frst half of 2026. This demonstrates what an asset that EV and hybrid ownership can be. The tech is not without challenges.
Photo:Paul Sancya/AP
