07272021 BUSINESS AND FEATURES

business@tribunemedia.net

TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2021

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THE GRAND LUCAYAN RESORT

DR DONOVAN MOXEY

JOHN ROLLE

Unpaid tax, utility bills to factor into credit track record

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Central Bank’s governor yesterday warned that unpaid tax liabilities and utility bills will factor into Bahamians’ credit scores once the nation’s first Credit Bureau begins issuing reports to lenders.

John Rolle, speaking after the regulator designated Bahamas Power & Light (BPL), the Water & Sewerage Corporation, Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC), Cable Bahamas and Aliv as providers of information to the credit bureau, said utility bill - as well as loan - repayment “track records” will ultimately factor into assessments of Bahamians’ creditworthiness.

“People should understand that the information sources that go into credit assessments are quite broad in other countries,” he told Tribune Business, “in terms of areas where people have unpaid liabilities. People need to be mindful there will be a continued review of information sources that matter.

“We have studied what would be relevant in terms of the tax register. The [Credit Bureau] Act references tax liabilities. We continue to review registers that relate to certain tax liabilities to determine what would be the best approach and type of information.”

Mr Rolle said Bahamians must “understand that if somebody is assessing you for creditworthiness and looking at your credibility, whatever track record you have out there, it’s going to predict the risk profile you have from lenders. To the extent people are generally current with those obligations, they benefit from having that type of information included in their scoring profile”.

The Central Bank governor added that the Credit Bureau had already begun to collect borrower information from financial institutions, although he conceded there might be “an isolated institution” that had yet to make its first data submission. Money lenders that fall under the Securities Commission, as

SEE PAGE 6

BPL chair asserts Shell negotiations ‘making progress’

Lucayan seeks $3m over water ‘damage’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

T

HE government-owned Grand Lucayan yesterday said it is seeking almost $3m in compensation from the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) for “the exorbitant loss and damage” caused by poor quality water.

Michael Scott QC, chairman of Lucayan Renewal Holdings, the special purpose vehicle (SPV) that owns the resort, said it planned “to mount a claim” against the GBPA and its Grand Bahama Utility

• Moves to claim against GBPA for ‘devastating’ costs • Chair slams high salinity levels as ‘anatomy of failure’ • Paid $1.2m to GB Utility under govt’s ownership

MICHAEL SCOTT QC

Company (GBUC) affiliate over “devastating” repair and equipment replacement costs incurred since the government acquired the hotel almost three years ago.

His July 26, 2021, letter to Philcher Grant, the GBPA’s director of group corporate affairs and government relations, repeated assertions that damage to the Grand Lucayan’s air conditioning (A/C) chillers and internal plumbing had been caused by a Grand Bahama Utility

THE Bahamas will enjoy “the equivalent of cruise ship home porting” if the government follows through on pledges to develop a fully-fledged yacht registry, Tribune Business was told yesterday.

Peter Maury, the Association of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president, said this nation’s maritime industry would receive a significant boost if this nation can establish itself as a “flag” state for the mega yachts and charter business it was able to attract during the COVID-19 pandemic’s peak.

Besides tax and fee income for the government, he added that enticing these vessels to adopt The Bahamas flag would also encourage them to select this nation as their “home base”, bringing with them

SEE PAGE 4

Tourism ‘90% unaffected’ by COVID-19 tightening

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM industry executives yesterday voiced optimism that the industry’s recovery will not be impacted by the government’s tightening of COVID restrictions, with one asserting it will be “90 percent unaffected”.

Magnus Alnebeck, general manager of Grand Bahama’s Pelican Bay resort, told Tribune Business in a messaged reply: “Honestly I don’t think it will affect tourism unless we are putting in restrictions that really impact tourists. Very few tourists leave their hotels or rental houses after 10pm, but there are obviously exceptions, so let’s say that 90 percent of tourism will be unaffected.”

He was backed by Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) president, who stressed that it was more important that this nation

• BHTA chief: Must show serious on health • Reiterates vaccination key to end pandemic • But ‘definitely a step backward’ for Briland

ROBERT SANDS reduce domestic COVID-19 case numbers, save lives and ease the pressure on an overwhelmed healthcare system than worry about any immediate impact on an industry that is the primary growth, job and foreign exchange earnings creator.

Speaking as it was revealed that a further 133 new COVID-19 cases were detected on Monday, Mr

Sands said it was vital that The Bahamas demonstrate to potential travellers that it treats pandemic-related safety and security with the utmost priority.

“I don’t think it will have any impact,” Mr Sands said of the measures unveiled by the government on Friday.

“I think the important thing is the demonstration we’re taking safety seriously. We have to get this COVID-19 situation under control and these are minimum measures to help control the spread in the islands of The Bahamas.

“I think most people will agree that the measures put in place are positive from the point of view that the country is taking this whole COVID-19 safety and security issue very seriously.

Nothing that has been done

Marinas seek ‘home port’ equivalent over yachting

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Company water supply that was “more than five times’ the safe or acceptable level of salinity”.

Noting that this was based on test results and analysis of water samples by NALCO Labs, Mr Scott blasted “an anatomy of failure” over what he described as “the abysmal and unsatisfactory waterworks in Freeport”. He also questioned why there had

• ABM chief eyes ‘flag’ status and registry • PM and tourism minister voice interest • Charter fee portal gets $2m in five months the dockage, fuel, groceries and electricity consumption that goes with maintaining their conditions and operations.

Describing the sector’s spending as more “street level” than that of hotel and cruise ship guests, with funds going directly into “Bahamian pockets”, Mr Maury said the prime minister and Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, had already spoken to the ABM about doing what was necessary to develop a modern yacht registry.

He added that The Bahamas’ Maritime Act would need to be amended and upgraded to achieve these ambitions, with “private charter yachts” better

defined and the limitations imposed by being a “red ensign” state eased, but asserted that the economic benefits were worth it.

Mr Maury said Bay Street Marina, which he operates, had incurred a $58,000 electricity bill last month as a result of all the power that was consumed by vessels berthed at its docks.

He added that the ABM’s SeaZPass online portal for collecting four percent yacht charter fees on the government’s behalf had garnered $2m in five months, while one 120-foot vessel present in The Bahamas for eight months had informed him that it had consumed almost $1m worth of local goods and services.

“The government has made huge steps in home porting, so hopefully we will get something for the marinas,” Mr Maury told Tribune Business. “We’re trying to get The Bahamas’ flag for private limited yacht charters. Those boats currently carry the Jamaican flag, and we eventually hope to get to that because it will be good for the country.

“These boats would flag in The Bahamas, and this would basically be their home base. It would be the equivalent of home porting for the cruise ships. They’d be flagged under the Bahamas, and a lot of money and products they consume

SEE PAGE 5

should have any impact on the tourism industry at this point.

“What will have an impact on the tourism industry is if we don’t get this COVID19 situation under control.

We have to monitor these trends. The fact we’ve put in place some concrete measures, it should stem this particular spike and we hope that actually does come true.

It’s not going to have an impact on us just yet. We’ve taken the corrective action.”

Bahamian hotels, in particular, are unaffected by the restaurant-related restrictions imposed on their off-property counterparts, which the latter have argued are discriminatory. While the one-hour extension of the

SEE PAGE 5

BAHAMAS Power & Light (BPL) has made “significant progress” in negotiations with Shell North America for the latter to supply New Providence’s baseload electricity needs, its chairman said yesterday.

Dr Donovan Moxey, while not providing any details, said talks on a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the multinational energy giant had reached a stage where BPL was “pretty comfortable” with progress made to-date.

He added: “The PPA, we’re still in negotiations with Shell. We made some significant progress with them and we’re continuing to make progress with them. We’re working towards getting a PPA arrangement in place and so from our standpoint, which we have said all along, is we’re negotiating the best possible deal for the Bahamian people.

“If, at the end of the day, we don’t determine that it’s the best possible deal then we have to look at other options. But at the end of the day we’re pretty comfortable with how things are progressing. It’s not final yet, but again this is another form of remit that we’ve never done in this country, a PPA. On top of that is what we call a baseload PPA, where we’re having a third party really take care of our base load generation.”

Dr Moxey added that there were a lot of “intricacies” and “complexities” involved in the Shell North America talks. The latter has remained at the table even though its exclusivity expired late last year, giving BPL and the government “a free hand” to negotiate the best electricity prices for New Providence with any supplier that can meet their terms.

The Shell North America deal would see the energy giant acquire from BPL some 225 megawatts (MW) of generation assets that have been built, or are due to shortly be constructed, at Clifton Pier. A liquefied natural gas (LNG)

SEE PAGE 6

PAGE 2, Tuesday, July 27, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

GB POWER LAUNCHES SERVICE QUALITY SURVEY

Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We are honoured to now call at the Resorts World Bimini cruise port, and know our guests are going to love the beautiful island.

“We look forward to offering Bimini the benefits and fun of cruising, while remaining committed to our highest responsibilities and top priorities of the health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew and the many communities we serve and visit.”

Carnival returned to

guest operations earlier this month with Carnival Vista and Carnival Breeze from Galveston, Texas, and Carnival Horizon from Miami.

Sailings on Carnival Miracle will begin on July 27, followed by the inaugural sailing of Carnival’s newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, on July 31.

Carnival will resume sailing from the west coast with Carnival Panorama sailing from Long Beach beginning in August. Additional ships will resume service in August as well.

THE Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) has launched a customer survey in bid to obtain client feedback on service quality across all areas of its business.

The survey, which is accessible through the company’s website at www. gb-power.com/speakup, was said by the utility to be anonymous, brief and user-friendly. It is designed to engage customers on areas such as quality of service, reliability and billing.

The results, which will help direct GB Power’s customer service improvement plans, will be shared with customers after the survey closes.

“The Grand Bahama Power team strives for continuous improvement every day,” said Nikita Mullings, GB Power’s chief operating officer. “Customer service is at the very heart of any responsible business, including ours, so we want to hear directly from those we serve on how we’re doing – the good, bad and

BTC TEAMS WITH ZNS ON OLYMPIC COVERAGE

is giving back to The Bahamas in a really big way.

The country’s pioneer in telecommunications, partnering with the pioneer in television broadcast services, makes this a very special moment for both of us in serving The Bahamas,” Mr Foster added.

“BTC has a rich history of support for sports, and over the years we’ve heavily invested in track and field and swimming to ensure that athletes were afforded the opportunity to compete and represent the country. BTC has also provided major endorsement contracts to a number of athletes including our first gold medalist, Tonique Williams.

“The company has also endorsed the Golden Girls, the Golden Knights and Shaunae Miller to name a few. We believe in supporting our athletes by providing them with the assistance needed to help to fuel their passion so

that they can realise their dreams.”

Bahamians with Flow TV can tune into channels 113 or 115 and the FlowTV mobile app. All other viewers can watch the Olympics on ZNS. Kayleaser DeveauxIsaacs, ZNS’ general manager, said: “The chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors and the executives of The Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas (BCB) are very pleased to be partnering with BTC on the free-to-air television broadcast coverage of the 2020 Olympics.

“Both entities have a strong relationship presently, as in the past, and as proud Bahamian entities we are very happy to be bringing the Olympics once again to the Bahamian people.

We hope to foster greater relations as legacy companies, and BCB will continue to highlight the great achievements of Bahamians locally and internationally in its programming.”

RESORTS World and Tourism officials greet the Carnival Horizon during their sailing to Bimini.

CARNIVAL VESSEL CALLS ON BIMINI ONE of the first three Carnival cruise ships to depart from the US since it resumed post-COVID sailing called at Bimini on Friday.

The island is among the featured ports on the Carnival Horizon’s six-day Caribbean cruise that departed from Miami on July 18.

“The introduction of Carnival Horizon to Bimini marks a tremendous step forward for our company and the local community,” said Christine

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) says it has teamed with ZNS as the title sponsor for the latter’s “free to air” rights to broadcast the Tokyo Summer Olympics.

Andre Foster, BTC’s chief executive, said: “We could not be more proud of this partnership with the national broadcaster to deliver ‘free to air’ coverage of the 2020 Olympics to every resident of The Bahamas, ensuring everyone has access to all the excitement of the games, with or without a television subscription service.

“Across the archipelago, all a household needs is a television in the home tuned into the ZNS off-air channels and they will be able to catch all the Olympic action. BTC, as a carrier

ANDRE FOSTER of the national broadcaster channels on our Flow TV platform will also receive ZNS Olympic coverage on our digital IPTV platform, at no additional cost to FlowTV subscribers.

“Our sponsorship helps to provide every Bahamian home with access to the Olympics, and this is just one example of how BTC

GRAND BAHAMA POWER COMPANY how we can be better.

“The questions will be direct, and we hope that customers will be honest and constructive in their responses. The feedback we receive, which we’ll share publicly, will guide Grand Bahama Power’s improvement strategy so we hope to hear from a wide swathe of customers.”

Domonique Pinder, who oversees customer service as GB Power’s vice-president of administration, encouraged the public’s participation. “The survey asks pointed questions such as customers’ views on the knowledge and

responsiveness of the GB Power team, frequency and duration of outages, and accuracy with billing, among others,” she added.

“If we are to improve and strengthen our service, we need to understand our customers’ perspectives. Their participation is key to our strategy going forward.”

An invitation to participate will be sent to GB Power customers via e-mail, and a link to the anonymous survey is also available on the company’s Facebook page. It will be open to customers’ participation for until the end of August.

EY BAHAMAS UNVEILS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT EY Bahamas (Ernst & Young) has selected Marcelas Wilkinson as the recipient of its 2021 Jamaine McFall Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship is valued at up to $30,000 per year for a maximum of five years until the recipient has completed the minimum educational requirements to qualify as a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). It enables students, who have shown academic excellence, to have the opportunity to gain higher education and build careers in the professional services industry.

The award also includes a summer internship to gain practical experience and an offer of full-time employment at EY Bahamas upon

MARCELAS Wilkinson (EY Bahamas Jamaine McFall Memorial Scholarship winner). successful completion of the university programme.

Marcelas recently completed his undergraduate degree in accounting at St Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina. This fall he will continue his studies at the graduate level at the University of Florida. He said: “I am thankful to God and to EY for granting me the EY Bahamas Jamaine McFall Memorial Scholarship.

SEE PAGE 4

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 27, 2021, PAGE 3

BPL CHIEF HAILS $15M STORAGE ‘GAME CHANGER’

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net BAHAMAS Power & Light’s (BPL) chief executive yesterday hailed its planned $15m battery storage facility as a “game changer” for energy costs, efficiency and supply reliability.

Whitney Heastie said the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) that will be built at BPL’s Blue Hills power station will enable the state-owned utility to transfer New Providence’s energy load demand to Clifton Pier power station, whose engines use cheaper fuel.

He added that the 25-27 megawatt (MW) facility, to be built by Finnish energy conglomerate, Wartsila, will thus reduce the strain for Blue Hills power station’s gas turbines, and said: “This 25 MW battery energy storage system is going to be a game changer for BPL.” The move will significantly reduce or eliminate the need for BPL to have spinning reserves, or what is classified as generation capacity that is online but

TRAVEL AGENCIES IN SUMMER REBOUND

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

TRAVEL agencies yesterday said COVID-19’s persistence is making them cautious about business prospects for the remainder of 2021 despite a recent pick-up in activity.

Michelle Swaby, travel director with Premier Travel, told Tribune Business that business was reviving as Bahamian students head back to school overseas - a typical tend in the summer months.

She said: “Bookings are picking up here and there because you have a lot of students going off to school, per se. As in reference to other travel, everybody is into this modern technology

not loaded, as the BESS system will respond within ten minutes to compensate for any generation or transmission outages on New Providence.

As a result, Mr Heastie said BPL will be equipped with more “cost effective” energy back-up and become “more efficient” once the battery energy storage system is completed and is online come July 2022. It will be housed at the 40 MW Aggreko site at the Blue Hills power station.

BPL’s chief executive added: “Often we’re having to run engines at the Blue Hills power station just to hold a voltage that supports the eastern and the

southern end of the island.

But with the battery energy storage system, we are now able to not have to run those less efficient engines at Blue Hills power station.

“We can then transfer our load from the Blue Hills power station, where we’re running gas turbines, to the Clifton Pier power station where we have the more efficient engines that are burning the much cheaper fuel.”

Dr Donovan Moxey, BPL’s chairman, added: “Whenever there’s an outage or loss of generation, typically we have a drop and we tend to lose persons with respect to being on the grid.

That’s why people’s electricity goes off.

“With this battery technology we will now be able to hold those particular generation loads, or the loads that are required for generation, until we can get another asset in place. So our customers should not feel any issues with the loss of generation within our network.”

Wartsila, which is also supplying the 225 MW of new generation capacity

at your fingertips unless they find problems. Then they’re coming into the travel agency.”

Despite the seasonal rebound associated with back-to-school travel, Ms Swaby said the travel market remained depressed amid ongoing COVID uncertainty and restrictions. She said: “It’s kind of slow ever since COVID-19. It’s just been kind of slow. It’s not the same.”

Forecasting a lull in business once the back-to-school rush ends in late August, Ms Swaby said there would like be a pick-up again in the fall. “At the end of October, Bahamians are getting ready to go away for Thanksgiving and then Christmas, so it usually picks back up around there,” she added.

Andrea Pratt, general manager at Going Places, said she, too, has seen an uptick

in bookings. She added: “I guess this is a combination of persons going back to school and I guess vacation and, now that the borders are being relaxed, persons who would have been here now want to go back home.”

Reluctant to make predictions for the remainder of 2021, Ms Pratt added that the company is “just playing it by ear, day by day. It’s not where you could predict in the future any more, so we just go day by day”.

“We are seeing probably only 45 percent of our 2019 numbers,” she added. “We just have to see what happens with the COVID-19 as that’s the only way we would be able to see how Thanksgiving would look, but so far so good. It has been a good pick up despite the pandemic.”

WHITNEY HEASTIE

for New Providence’s new power plant, was chosen to implement the BESS project after a selection process that involved the Ministry of Finance and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). It is already on-site preparing to begin construction in around two months’ time.

Describing the benefits from the BESS system, BPL said the energy storage it provides will “respond within milliseconds” should a generation asset go down unexpectedly by discharging 25 MW of power into the grid for at least 30 minutes.

Besides helping to keep the lights on, BPL said the main advantages provided

by BESS and its spinning reserve will be grid stability; decreased fuel consumption; reduced emissions; decreased run-time hours of engines; additional capacity; and operational and maintenance savings.

Wärtsilä has been hired to build a system that maintains 25MW and 27MW hours, with 14000MWh annual throughput. The system will use 24 inverters, six inverter transformers

and 24 Gridsolv Quantums (Battery Enclosures) at the beginning of its life.

Then, in the fifth year, the system is augmented by eight racks and two inverters plus one transformer on the AC side. In addition to the BESS, the project includes the the engineering services and associated equipment required to integrate the existing Wärtsilä engines and the new BESS into the controls platform.

Dr Moxey said BPL was seeking to increase its margins, and better manage costs, through improvements in efficiencies such as the BESS system. The utility was seeking to ensure its “margin stays as wide as it possibly can over the long term” given that its rates will soon be regulated by the Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority (URCA), and “Bahamians will benefit from having lower rates or not having to have to go to URCA for us to raise the rates”.

“That’s one of the reasons why, too, we’re also wanting to engage in a PPA (power purchase agreement) deal. Because within

Commission issues regulatory warning THE Securities Commission has issued a warning about an entity displaying a “false and fraudulent” certificate of registration that suggests it has been properly licensed with the regulator.

Denying that this is the case, the Securities Commission said in a statement that Ray-E Securities Investment Company would be operating illegally if it is engaged in the securities/investment advisory business or any other capital markets activities.

“Via its websites, https:// www.ray1987.com/ and https://www.ray-e1.com, Ray-E offers securities

trading, investment management and brokerage service,” the Bahamian regulator said. “The websites display a Certificate of Registration, No. SIAF256, purportedly issued by the commission. It is not a legitimate or legal certificate and it was not issued by the commission. It is a false and fraudulent document.

“The commission hereby advises the public that this entity and its agents/representatives are not registered with/licensed by the commission. Additionally, this entity has not made the requisite applications to be registered/licensed by the

a PPA arrangement, you actually fix generation costs for a long time,” Dr Moxey said in reference to continued negotiations with Shell North America for the latter to provide base load generation in New Providence.

“So when we talk about cost control, that’s all a part of our strategy in making sure that we keep rates as low as we possibly can, and then keep them low for as long as we possibly can, through really becoming more efficient in how we run the organisation, and more cost effective with respect to how we spend the maintenance dollars, which again leads to exactly what we’ve been talking about today with respect to the use of that battery technology and not having to use and burn money on engines and maintain those engines.”

Dr Moxey added: “The other thing that this particular initiative addresses is really grid stability in order for us to be able to better support renewable energy, in particular roof-top solar within New Providence.

commission. Therefore, any registrable/licensable activity conducted, in or from The Bahamas, by this entity and its agents/representatives is in violation of one or more of the Acts.

“If this entity or its agents/ representatives claim to be legally authorised or licensed to engage in any aspect of the securities industry in or from The Bahamas, they have committed an offence and are liable for criminal prosecution and/or regulatory sanctions under the relevant laws of The Bahamas.”

The Securities Commission warned persons conducting business with Ray-E that they are engaging in transactions with a company that is “not authorised or regulated” to operate in The Bahamas, and “appears to be in criminal violation of several laws”.

PAGE 4, Tuesday, July 27, 2021

EY BAHAMAS UNVEILS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT FROM PAGE TWO

“Throughout my childhood I’ve encountered great adversities both large and small, but I’ve never let those barriers deter me from my aspirations of not only becoming a CPA but a valuable role model to my younger peers.

“My resilience and determination can be accredited to both my mother and grandmother. My collegiate journey to this point has been filled with knowledge obtained from professors, speakers, organisations and seasoned professionals in the accounting and finance fields, and to whom I am sincerely grateful for shaping me into the young man I am today.”

Tiffany Norris-Pilcher, EY Bahamas wealth and asset management partner, and regional emerging markets platform leader, said: “This is a great opportunity to be able to develop and recruit talent like Marcelas. I am looking forward to his contributions at the firm to continue our values in building a better working world and continue his positive footprint in the local community.”

To learn more about EY scholarships and how to apply, visit ey.com/Bahamas.

To advertise in The Tribune, contact 502-2394

Lucayan seeks $3m over water ‘damage’

FROM PAGE ONE

been so few complaints, given that the impact to the Grand Lucayan’s plumbing and A/C systems indicated residents and other businesses were likely to be equally impacted.

Hitting back at assertions

by Ian Rolle, the GBPA’s president, that his concerns were “disingenuous”, the Grand Lucayan chairman told Ms Grant: “The object of this letter to you is to mount a claim for compensation for the exorbitant loss and damage sustained by the hotel as a result of the distribution of salty running water in the internal plumbing system.”

He added that the resort’s claim went “beyond systems damage” to include “consequential loss resulting from business interruption”, as every time the A/C network shut down, the Grand Lucayan has to transfer its guests across the street to the Pelican Bay property.

“The seminal cause of this infrastructural corrosion and degradation is the high chloride content of the water supplied by Grand Bahama Utility Company,” Mr Scott continued.

“Operationally, the Grand Lucayan resort has been severely disadvantaged since the passage of Hurricane Dorian nearly two years ago. The saline and chloride content in the water provided by Grand Bahama Utility Company has been tested by chemists, NALCO Labs, and determined to contain more than five times’ the safe or

acceptable level of salinity in the water allocation.

“As a result, the remedial cost has been devastating.

Our costs include business interruption, repair and replacement of equipment, and monies paid for essentially unusable water since September 11, 2018, have been almost $3m. In point of fact, the precise cost of $2.967m.”

The claim thus dates back some two-and-three-quarter years to when the government first acquired the Grand Lucayan, and is not just confined to the postHurricane Dorian period when storm surges had resulted in salt water contamination of the wellfields relied upon by the Grand Bahama Utility Company.

The compensation demand also comes amid the government’s protracted effort to sell the Grand Lucayan to the ITM/ Royal Caribbean joint venture. Talks are still ongoing some 17 months after the sales agreement was first signed, the deal having been disrupted by the COVID pandemic, with no indication as to when it will close.

The laboratory tests and analysis of the Grand Lucayan’s water supply samples found that the level of total dissolved solids (TDS) it contained was relatively high, and sufficient to produce what it described as “hard water” conditions.

“Hard water has the effect of leaving deposits and film on heating and plumbing fixtures, and on the inside of hot water pipes and boilers, air condition chillers and cooling towers

THE TRIBUNE plates, thus reducing efficiency and effectiveness of these equipment,” the report found, adding that a filtration system would be unable to cope with the amount of TDS that was detected.

Mr Scott said he and his fellow Lucayan Renewal Holdings directors “embrace the view that all of this loss and damage could have been avoided had GB Utility supplied a reasonably safe potable distribution of water through its systems network so that the plumbing infrastructure of the hotel could have avoided this acute degradation”.

Arguing that the Grand Lucayan was “entitled to expect a water allocation which was commercially reliable” given the price it was paying, Mr Scott argued that the GBPA and its water affiliate had breached their “contractual and public duty of care” given the former’s quasi-governmental status.

GBPA officials could not be reached for comment before press time last night, but Mr Scott offered to send its owners - the Hayward and St George families - and senior management executives a copy of the NALCO Labs report.

“It’s incredible that no one has actually complained about this,” he told Tribune Business. “The Port Authority is a quasi-governmental authority, and they owe the public a duty of care. Nobody is standing up and speaking out about this.

“We’ve had chillers constantly breaking down, and revere osmosis plants giving up. I’m tired of it. Every time it happens we have to shut the hotel and walk people across the street [to the Pelican Bay].” Mr Scott said the Grand Lucayan had paid $1.2m for water since the government acquired the resort from Hutchison Whampoa, with the monthly average standing at around $40,000.

“Our chemical analysts said it’s basically cheaper

for us to go and pipe the sea, get salt water and run it through a reverse osmosis plant as opposed to the thousands of dollars we are paying,” he added.

The Grand Lucayan chair argued that if the GBPA and its shareholders are “serious about creating a first-class infrastructure” they would have invested in a commercially viable reverse osmosis system to replace the wellfields much earlier than they did.

“People have got to say enough is enough,” Mr Scott said. “It’s time for them [the GBPA] to take this seriously and stop skirting the issue. If they are charging fees for these services, they have to make the necessary capital expenditure. Quite frankly, the shareholders of the GBPA have to stop treating this like an overseas colony to extract licence and service charges from.

They actually have to put something back.”

Ian Rolle, the GBPA’s president, in responding to Mr Scott’s first blast, last week said Grand Bahama Utility Company was not liable for any damages to personal property because it had been impacted by an “Act of God”.

That was Hurricane Dorian, whose storm surge inundated Grand Bahama Utility Company’s wellfields in September 2019. Mr Rolle’s statement, though, did not deny or address Mr Scott’s concerns directly, although he pointed to the utility’s provision of 1,000 gallons of water daily to the Grand Lucayan at no cost.

“While the Grand Bahama Utility Company (GBUC) remains sensitive to the significant damage caused by Hurricane Dorian on Grand Bahama, the impact to the water table and salt intrusion was a direct result of the storm.

Therefore, we are not liable for any direct or consequential damages to personal property as it relates to this Act of God,” he said.

“We have taken measures to lessen the impact to the Grand Lucayan and other impacted customers by providing a 25 percent discount on water bills. Additionally, Grand Bahama Utility Company on a daily basis provides 1,000 gallons of potable water at no additional cost to the Grand Lucayan.”

Mr Rolle’s statement focused heavily on the measures that Grand Bahama Utility Company is taking to rectify the situation. “We have provided comprehensive updates on the progression of our $5m reverse osmosis system that is slated to be commissioned at the end of August 2021, barring no shipping delays,” he added.

“We understand and take very seriously the concerns of residents as it relates to water potability. We also continue to significantly progress our safety plan to have full island-wide potability by the end of August 2021.

“A key factor for this is the commissioning of our three million gallon reverse osmosis plant, which represents a $5m investment.

This investment will not only restore water potability to the remaining 30 percent of customers across Grand Bahama, but will also ensure that Grand Bahamians will never again be without potable water for a prolonged period.”

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 27, 2021, PAGE 5

Tourism ‘90% unaffected’ by COVID-19 tightening FROM PAGE ONE

Mr Sands said, adding that The Bahamas is “not an outlier” since multiple other countries are grappling with COVID-19 infection spikes and seeking ways to contain the impact from new variants of the virus.

The Bahamas also presently remains at “Level 3” status with the US Centres for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), and has not been downgraded to a “Level 4” or “very high” level of COVID-19 cases despite the latest spike. Mr Sands argued that “we’re not quite there yet” in terms of a downgrade, but reiterated that the pace of domestic vaccinations has to be The Bahamas’ single priority.

“I’ve always said to you that the quicker we can get to ‘herd immunity’ and the more we get vaccinated, the

more secure the health of our country and economy will be,” the BHTA president told this newspaper.

“The way we do that is by having the vaccines available. I also think that the availability of options may improve the numbers.”

Mr Sands was referring to the possibility that The Bahamas may be able to access more COVID-19 vaccination brands beyond the AstraZeneca variety that has been provided to it so far. Ed Fields, deputy chair of the government’s vaccination committee, last week said a 57,000 dose vaccine shipment due from the COVAX facility in the next quarter will possibly contain Pfizer vaccines.

Meanwhile, Harbour Island - which has led The Bahamas’ tourism recovery,

Marinas seek ‘home port’ equivalent over yachting

had been brought home by the COVID-19 pandemic when many other tourism niches were shut down.

“The same boats seen in my marina are seen in Exuma, Eleuthera and the southern islands,” he added.

“It’s a great opportunity, and a lot of people have seen that now as a result of last year when everything else was slow. Private yachts shone through.

“The hotels and cruise lines are coming online, and we’ll move to the back of the room but we shouldn’t because there’s a great opportunity for The Bahamas in maritime.... It’s an economy all of its own like Airbnb. Our guests are more of a street level guest. They go into the food stores, gas stations, liquor stores, the restaurants.

“This is a direct business.

It goes into the pockets of Bahamians while cruise guests stay largely on the ship and only do some shopping. The yachts we have here hire deck hands, laundry persons. It’s a direct street level economy as it goes right into Bahamian pockets, and is not like a hotel or cruise ships where it gets filtered.”

curfew to an earlier 10pm start will restrict visitors more to their properties, the high level of vaccinations among guests will also minimise the impact of having to take a PCR test.

The latter is now a requirement for non-vaccinated persons travelling from New Providence, Grand Bahama and North and South Eleuthera, including Harbour Island, but Graeme Davis, Baha Mar’s president, last week said 76 percent of the mega resort’s guests are fully inoculated.

“The health and welfare of the country are both important, and the re-opening of the economy has to be done in tandem with health and safety of this nature,”

FROM PAGE ONE would be spent in-country.

“The prime minister and minister of tourism have spoken extensively with us about it, and if we can get it, great. They have to make some changes to the legislation, which they have put someone in charge of. If we can do that we will get these boats to spend time and money in this country and it will be better for The Bahamas.”

The Bahamas has a yacht registry, but it has not been extensively promoted or marketed. Mr Maury said he would “not know if there were half a dozen ships on it”, even though such a facility could be an asset to The Bahamas’ post-COVID revival due to its links with the maritime industry, proposed aircraft registry and the high net worth individuals that the financial services and real estate industries seek to attract.

The ABM chief said

developing a yacht charter flag could generate opportunities for brokers, shipping agents and onshore service providers in supplying these vessels, as well as creating work for Bahamian attorneys and insurers.

“Our legislation currently is outdated and needs to be updated,” he added.

“Jamaica and the Marshall Islands updated theirs and get the majority of these boats. The prime minister and minister of tourism asked us about this, and we said: ‘Yes, 100 percent this needs to be changed’.

“In the Maritime Act we have to define private yacht charters. We’re a red ensign state and have to make some changes to that to be competitive. It’s a lot more restrictive as to what we can do.”

Pointing out that yachting is a $75bn global industry, Mr Maury said 150-foot vessels often spend between $200,000-$250,000 per month “just to operate” and the industry’s significance

Americaribe Bahamas LTD is seeking to fill the following positions, which will be based in Nassau

SENIOR SITE ENGINEER

The Senior Site Engineer main responsibility is to support the Superintendent in the completion of all various site aspects of the construction and to manage the Subcontractors as well as self-perform works.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES • Coordination of construction activities among all trades throughout process • Assist in maintaining & enforcing Safety requirements and housekeeping rules in the area of work • Thorough understanding of construction documents (drawings, Spec, subcontractor scope of work) • Coordinate inspections of various trades with Local Municipality & Private provider agency • Interact with Ownership & Design Team on finish details & conflict resolution • Coordination of drawings to complete different areas of construction • Management of RFI’s and submittals • Prepare and track construction schedule (progress), phasing, means & method in accordance with project programme.

• Management of Subcontractors (Meeting, schedule, progress, payment) • Understand quality expectations on work performed & enforce standards among subs • Procurement of various packages: bid tab, selection, contract • Implement and ensure LEAN management on the project.

• Organise and animate weekly meetings with consultant, designers, project manager.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS • Candidate must have a Master degrees (5 years of studies) in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture or related field.

• Candidate must have at least three years of experience performing the duties described above • Experience working, in this role, in the construction of 5 Star Hotels and Condominiums a plus • Working knowledge of Microsoft office a must • Working knowledge of Project Management System such as Procore, Snag R a plus • Working knowledge of MS project or equivalent • Able to read and understand design drawings and schematics • Experience in several construction trades a plus • Working knowledge of LEAN management Please email resumes to

recruitment@americaribe.us for consideration

helping to drive room nights sold on Eleuthera to 85 percent of pre-COVID levels - is now among the destinations subject to tighter COVID restrictions. Besides the 10pm curfew start, nonvaccinated travellers will have to take a PCR test when leaving the island.

Benjamin Simmons, proprietor of The Other Side and Ocean View resort properties, told Tribune Business that while the impact on Harbour Island’s tourism industry was hard to gauge the restrictions were “definitely a step backwards”.

“I don’t think the news has really hit home; we’ve not had much of a response yet,”

he revealed. “It will definitely be an inconvenience, and this is definitely a step backwards, but they’ve got a lot of cases. It’s definitely going to raise some eyebrows, but it’s hard to tell.

“We haven’t been as crazy as before. The August bookings were not as heavy.

We’ve definitely settled down, and are going to close in the third week of this month at the back end of the season. It’s definitely a step backwards for sure, and I’m pushing our staff to get vaccinated. If you need proof in the pudding, look at the case numbers.”

Joseph Dargavage, the Association of The

Bahamas’ Marinas (ABM) vice-president, and partner at Romora Bay Resort & Marina, backed the government’s move to tighten restrictions and bring case numbers under control.

“We are blessed with a busy season already, and if there’s a need for more restrictive protocols to continue with the growth of tourism we’re absolutely fine with that,” he said. “Bottom line is we have to do what we have to do. The season has been better than expected for both resort and marina, and we are very happy to be playing our part in the return of tourism.”

PAGE 6, Tuesday, July 27, 2021

THE TRIBUNE

Unpaid tax, utility bills to factor into credit track record FROM PAGE ONE

well as insurers that extend credit, also have to submit client details to it.

The creation of a Bahamian credit bureau has been over a decade in the making, with the initiative first unveiled by the Central Bank in 2010. It has long been viewed as a vital “missing link” in The Bahamas’ credit architecture, with its absence depriving lenders of a centralised information repository they can draw on to better understand a borrower’s credit profile and risk of non-repayment.

Among those required to supply information to the credit bureau by the Credit Reporting Act will be commercial banks, insurance companies, credit unions, financial and corporate services providers, the Bahamas Mortgage Corporation and Bahamas

Development Bank. Others likely to be added in the future are auto dealers and furniture stores that extend credit to customers, and even the government’s revenue agencies.

The credit bureau will then compile and organise this information in a credit report provided to lenders, which will help them assess the risk provided by each loan applicant and reject those with poor histories.

Meanwhile, the Central Bank announced yesterday that it has finished redeeming one-cent coins - which are no longer legal tender - after collecting 55.74m pennies valued at $557,400 through an exercise that began on October 1, 2020, and lasted until end-June 2021.

“The 118-day redemption exercise was facilitated

by Central Bank representatives at various locations in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Exuma,

Eleuthera, Long Island, Abaco and Andros,” the Central Bank said. “Other Family Island redemptions were facilitated through arrangements with island administrator offices.

During the exercise, 8,440 persons redeemed approximately 55.74 million pennies valued at $557,400.

“The Central Bank acknowledges that a sizeable amount of the coins that were not redeemed by the public are unlikely to be in anyone’s possession inside The Bahamas. Over the last half century, more than 700 million one-cent coins were issued to the public.

“Although some are still held by locals, others have been either lost or permanently taken out of the country by travellers, whether intentional or not.

The bank will share more analysis on these particulars in due course.”

BPL HEADQUARTERS

BPL chair asserts Shell negotiations ‘making progress’ FROM PAGE ONE

regasification terminal is to be located nearby to provide fuel to the plant, which would have sold electricity

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL

The Public is hereby advised that I, SHERRY CHERYL HANNA of #226 Hudson Estates, P.O. Box F-42900, Nassau, Bahamas intend to change my name to CHERYL CHARECE HANNA. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

The Public is hereby advised that I, ANTONE ORMOND BROWN of #3 Allen Close, Firetrail Subdivision, Nassau, Bahamas intend to change my name to OMAR JERMAINE COLLINS. If there are any objections to this change of name by Deed Poll, you may write such objections to the Chief Passport Officer, P.O.Box N-742, Nassau, Bahamas no later than thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this notice.

NOTICE

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that SHONNA MICHEL of Tropical Gardens, Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 20th day of July, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE is hereby given that DIEUFORT JOSEPH, of #19, Peardale Nassau, The 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 27th day of July 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

MARKET REPORT www.bisxbahamas.com

MONDAY, 26 JULY 2021

BISX ALL SHARE INDEX:

CLOSE

CHANGE

1956.33

-11.74

%CHANGE

YTD

YTD%

-0.60 -136.13

-6.51

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

BISX LISTED & TRADED SECURITIES 52WK HI 6.50 33.95 1.62 2.90 1.78 6.00 7.00 3.60 5.27 3.80 6.16 12.00 2.71 7.76 10.71 9.55 14.31 4.10 8.97 16.00

52WK LOW 3.20 22.65 1.46 1.62 1.43 5.00 6.00 2.76 4.25 2.47 5.00 9.75 2.10 5.30 9.50 8.35 13.00 3.42 8.00 15.20

PREFERENCE SHARES 1.00

1.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00

1.00 10.00 1.00

1.00 10.00 0.90

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

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

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

BFHP CAB6 CAB8 CAB9 CAB10 CHLA FBBA FCLB

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

52WK LOW 100.00 100.00

115.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 104.00 100.49 100.95 100.53 100.30 100.62 100.70

104.79 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.25 100.00 100.95 100.29 100.05 100.62 100.46

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

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

CLOSE 6.20 39.95 1.60 2.45 1.44 6.00 6.97 3.36 5.27 2.65 5.95 9.80 2.52 7.75 11.28 9.55 14.00 3.99 8.30 15.50

CHANGE 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 (0.09) 0.00 0.00 0.06 0.00 (0.03) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

1.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1000.00 1.00 10.00 1.00

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

SYMBOL FBB22 BFHB

LAST SALE 100.00 100.00

CLOSE 100.00 100.00

CHANGE 0.00 0.00

BAH29 BG0107 BG0207 BG0130 BG0230 BG0307 BG0330 BG0407 BSBGRS710237 BSBGRS880378 BSBGRS630211 BSBGRS700238 BSBGRS700246 BSBGRS770249 BSBGRS790262

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 100.00 100.19 100.27 100.05 100.62 100.72

107.31 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 102.00 100.03 100.19 100.27 100.05 100.62 100.72

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT STOCK - (percentage pricing) Bahamas Note 6.95 (2029) BGS: 2014-12-7Y BGS: 2015-1-7Y BGS: 2014-12-30Y BGS: 2015-1-30Y BGS: 2015-6-7Y BGS: 2015-6-30Y BGS: 2015-10-7Y BGRS FL BGRS71023 BGRS FL BGRS88037 BGRS FL BGRS63021 BGRS FL BGRS70023 BGRS FL BGRS70024 BGRS FL BGRS77024 BGRS FL BGRS79026

LAST CLOSE 6.20 39.95 1.60 2.45 1.44 6.00 6.97 3.36 5.27 2.74 5.95 9.80 2.46 7.75 11.31 9.55 14.00 3.99 8.30 15.50

VOLUME

3,000

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

VOLUME

30 900

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

P/E 25.9 42.9 N/M N/M N/M N/M 18.9 -7.7 37.6 14.4 13.3 13.6 24.7 16.6 17.5 13.1 17.2 19.7 8.8 24.6

YIELD 2.74% 3.15% 1.25% 1.22% 0.00% 0.00% 3.73% 0.00% 0.00% 4.53% 3.70% 7.35% 17.22% 0.77% 2.91% 2.51% 3.86% 3.01% 2.41% 3.94%

0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000

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

INTEREST Prime + 1.75% 6.25%

MATURITY 19-Oct-2022 30-Sep-2025

6.95% 4.50% 4.50% 6.25% 6.25% 4.50% 6.25% 4.25% 4.53% 4.42% 4.81% 4.53% 4.56% 4.50% 4.53%

20-Nov-2029 15-Dec-2021 30-Jul-2022 15-Dec-2044 30-Jul-2045 26-Jun-2022 26-Jun-2045 15-Oct-2022 22-Oct-2023 26-Jul-2037 12-Dec-2021 29-Jul-2023 29-Jul-2024 4-May-2024 28-Mar-2026

MUTUAL FUNDS 52WK HI 2.43 4.47 2.17 202.18 190.86 1.69 1.81 1.78 1.12 8.75 10.46 7.40 15.99 12.72 10.39 10.00 10.43 14.89

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

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

NAV 2.43 4.47 2.17 202.18 190.86 1.69 1.75 1.76 1.03 8.75 10.46 7.40 15.99 12.72 10.39 N/A 10.43 14.89

YTD% 12 MTH% 1.85% 4.26% 0.77% 1.44% 1.14% 2.84% 0.14% 5.02% 3.25% 31.13% 1.04% 0.20% -2.27% -3.15% -0.08% -0.57% -1.94% -3.33% 3.13% 5.76% 4.29% 7.07% 1.70% 3.85% 14.99% 38.64% -1.20% -0.36% 3.43% 0.76% N/A N/A 3.00% 25.60% 7.90% 48.70%

NAV Date 31-May-2021 31-May-2021 28-May-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-May-2021 31-May-2021 31-May-2021 31-May-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 30-Jun-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021 31-Mar-2021

MARKET TERMS BISX ALL SHARE INDEX - 19 Dec 02 = 1,000.00 52wk-Hi - Highest closing price in last 52 weeks 52wk-Low - Lowest closing price in last 52 weeks Previous Close - Previous day's weighted price for daily volume Today's Close - Current day's weighted price for daily volume Change - Change in closing price from day to day Daily Vol. - Number of total shares traded today DIV $ - Dividends per share paid in the last 12 months P/E - Closing price divided by the last 12 month earnings

YIELD - last 12 month dividends divided by closing price Bid $ - Buying price of Colina and Fidelity Ask $ - Selling price of Colina and fidelity Last Price - Last traded over-the-counter price Weekly Vol. - Trading volume of the prior week EPS $ - A company's reported earnings per share for the last 12 mths NAV - Net Asset Value N/M - Not Meaningful

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

to BPL via a 20-25-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

Several sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, previously told Tribune Business that the government felt Shell was charging BPL too high a price for the energy provided by the new power plant and wanted the rates to be lower. It was also said to believe that the talks with the energy giant were dragging out too long and wanted to explore other options.

BPL’s chairman, meanwhile, said progress on the utility’s $535m refinancing via a Rate Reduction Bond (RRB) placement now awaits parliamentary approval of legislative changes to make the issue more attractive to investors. This is unlikely to happen before September, as that is when Parliament reconvenes.

Dr Moxey said: “What I think everybody should appreciate is that this is probably the third bite at

this apple for us. We’ve been hampered by a number of items or issues that are really beyond our control, and so what we’ve done now is we’ve essentially completed all of the legislative amendments that the lawyers deemed necessary to make that particular legislation fit for purpose.

“What people should understand is that this is the very first time that this kind of rate reduction bond is being offered in The Bahamas, and I believe in any Caribbean country. Given how our legal system is structured, if you look at North America and Canada, rate reduction bonds are done all the time and their legal structure supports that. This has never been done for us.

“So we have taken our time with the lawyers to get this done, and we are very comfortable with the amendments that need to be made are in place.”

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that MANUSHEKA MERA, of Andros, San Andros, The 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 27th day of July 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that MR. KEVIN LEE PRICE of the Western District of the Island of 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 20th day of July, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that MICHELAINE AUGUSTIN of Washington Street, Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 20th day of July, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE NOTICE is hereby given that TAMEKIA ANN-MARIE ARMBRISTER of Southwind Gardens, P.O. Box SB-52798, Nassau, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 20th day of July, 2021 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

PAGE 8, Tuesday, July 27, 2021

T

O help those who are unable to afford menstrual hygiene products, a Bahamian college student has set up a new nonprofit organisation called Flow Sisters.

Tenniya Martin told Tribune Health that Flow Sisters’ main goal is helping to combat the phenomenon known as “period poverty”, which is a global sanitation issue, and to uphold the dignity of women and girls in need.

“We collect donations in the form of funds and products and distribute them to the homeless or the less fortunate who are in need.

We also educate the public about period poverty and women’s health via our Instagram page (FlowSisters),” said Tenniya.

Tenniya said she created this organisation because she was fed up with women constantly being denied basic human rights. Women and girls, she said, face various difficulties in dealing with their period, and sanitation which should not be an issue.

“Pads and different supplies are inaccessible or unreasonably expensive.

This is being denied basic human rights. Menstrual products are a basic necessity. Toilet paper, paper towels and soap are free and widely and available in public restrooms, yet pads and tampons are not. Pads and tampons are just as much of a hygienic need. This is why I took on the initiative to create this organisation, to help put an end to this crisis,” she said.

Born and raised in Nassau, Tenniya is currently a college sophomore at the Auburn University in Alabama, majoring in Animal Science Pre-Veterinary Medicine. She is also a former Bahamian national swimmer and record holder, along with being a CARIFTAgold medallist, and a former Bahamian national soccer player for the U15 and U17 teams. Tenniya has also just recently made the roster for the current Bahamian women’s national team to head to Turks and Caicos at the end of this month to compete.

“My grandfather is undoubtedly one of the most influential people in

THE TRIBUNE

Medal-winning athlete battles ‘period poverty’, seeks to uphold women’s dignity with new nonprofit

BY ALESHA CADET | TRIBUNE FEATURES WRITER | ACADET@TRIBUNEMEDIA.NET

NEW nonprofit Flow Sisters works to combat “period poverty”.

my life. He has achieved a huge amount in his life. He has also always been such a hard worker. Due to his incredible hard work, he found success amongst raising amazing children and being incredibly present in his grandkids’ lives. His life experiences have given him wisdom that only some are privileged to have. His kind

and thoughtful heart has made him one of the most influential people in my life,” said Tenniya.

She is looking forward to Flow Sisters making a positive impact on communities for a very long time. Tenniya is hoping to grow and improve the organization so that more people in need can benefit from it.

“I started in March of 2021, and it has already grown so much. Human rights are rights that every human being has by virtue of his or her human dignity.

Menstruation is naturally related to human dignity.

When women do not have access to safe and effective means of managing their menstrual hygiene, they are

not able to manage their menstruation with dignity,” she said.

“Many women and girls are struggling to achieve sufficient menstrual hygiene because of the lack of access to the resources and a lack of income. The two main groups that are affected by period poverty are students and homeless women and

girls. The absence of information and affordability have caused many young ladies to utilise one tampon for each day or just one pad for several days. When feminine hygiene products are not free or accessible, women are forced to utilise alternatives such as sacks or even paper. This can lead to infections, cervical cancer, or even toxic shock syndrome. Flow Sisters is providing to help put an end to these horrible outcomes,” she said.

She said Flow Sisters is important to her because she knows she is making a change by helping combat the problem of period poverty and showing people that it is not impossible to help others.

“I took the lead in paving a path for period justice.

For the remainder of the year, I will still be collecting donations and distributing them. I will host numerous functions and fundraisers at my university to receive donations. I also hope to get more involved with the Family Islands and donate products to those in need on these islands as well,” said Tenniya.

For information on how to donate to Flow Sisters, e-mail Tenniya at tenniyadior@gmail.com.

Drop-off donations can also be made at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium after making arrangements with the general manager of the National Sports Authority, Quinton Brennen; call 242-824-2832.

ARE YOU GETTING BENT OUT OF SHAPE?

BY HANNAH FOSTER-MIDDLETON BSC (HONS) PHYSIOTHERAPY, MCSP, SRP | GENESIS PHYSIOTHERAPY

THERE’S more than one meaning to our column heading this week, but in this instance, I am using the phrase literally and want to talk to you about poor posture and its harmful effect on the body. More and more people are working from home under less-thanideal conditions. Some are also having to oversee their children’s home-schooling, so we may have both parents and children adopting less than ideal posture as they sit and work at a computer, iPad or laptop.

We also have teachers in a similar predicament, now having to teach their classes online, which is likely to mean far more sitting in front of a screen than previously. This is the perfect time with the imminent school Summer break for teachers, parents and children to address the adverse effects of bad posture and change their habits.

Poor posture, correctly called postural dysfunction, is a description of the spine being in an unnatural position, meaning not straight but with the curves emphasised. Prolonged poor positioning puts stress on the muscles, joints and vertebrae which can result in various painful conditions. Perhaps the most common is low back pain but research shows that complaints of neck, shoulder and arm pain are becoming more frequent.

HANNAH FOSTERMIDDLETON

Postural dysfunction also has an impact on feet and knees for those who have added a fitness regime, particularly running or jogging. A variety of painful symptoms may present as body aches or pain in the upper or lower back, the neck, shoulder and arms, as well as the hips, knees and ankles. Muscle fatigue can also cause headaches due to poor posture and the resulting tension involving the neck and shoulders.

Poor posture: Slouching, rounded shoulders,

hunchback, tilting head forward, bent knees.

Good posture: Balanced upright posture, with a straight line from the ear to the shoulder to the hip.

Poor posture. Shoulder blades excessively back, arching of the lower back, locked knees, pot belly.

Multiple causes of postural dysfunction may include: • Lack of education or awareness of correct posture • Sedentary lifestyle • Occupational demands

• Poor ergonomic workstations • Decreased fitness • Joint stiffness • Muscle weakness • Muscle tightness • Poor core stability Physiotherapy treatment may significantly help to minimise, if not eliminate, postural dysfunction. Most patients will experience decreased pain once their posture is corrected.

Therapy may include: assessment and diagnosis of postural habits; postural education and

training; manual therapy and soft tissue massage; dry needling; Postural taping; electrotherapy; joint mobilisation; activity modification advice; advice regarding ergonomic workstations; Pilates exercises and corrective exercises and movements to improve flexibility, strength and posture.

Do any of the above problems or symptoms apply to you? Do you habitually slump on the couch to watch TV or prop yourself up in bed on a soft pillow,

rounding your back to read or use your cell phone? If you have children, do they lie on the floor to watch TV, text their friends or do their homework? All of these actions put your spine out of alignment and create unconscious bad habits which cause you pain. Suffering is unnecessary and solutions are available. If you are concerned, make an appointment so that we can discuss the best treatment for your particular problem. Don’t get bent out of shape – good posture boosts your confidence and can make you look and feel better. Who doesn’t want that?

• For questions and comments, call Hannah Foster-Middleton at Genesis at 356 4806, e-mail genesisphysiotherapy@ gmail.com or visit www. physiotherapybahamas. com

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 27, 2021, PAGE 9

Low testosterone levels in men linked to more severe COVID-19 cases A FOURTH COVID19 surge in reported cases, hospitalisations and deaths has our small nation’s healthcare system on the brink of disaster. The more contagious Delta variant and vaccination hesitancy among young adults, in particular, has led to an increase in younger COVID-19 patients being admitted to hospital with severe cases of the virus, when compared to the three previous pandemic surges.

The Bahamas is running out of available hospital beds and the intensive care units are at full capacity.

Frontline workers are overwhelmed, understaffed and physically and emotionally fatigued. Hospital resources are stretched thin. Emergency rooms now have a constant daily barrage of very ill COVID-19 patients and sadly the healthcare system is struggling to contend with non-COVID related emergency patients.

This current surge of cases is more deadly than the previous waves. Variants of the virus such as the Delta variant are far more contagious and transmissible. Outlandish. unsubstantiated conspiracy theories related to COVID19 have an astonishingly high number of Bahamians and residents refusing to take the vaccine.

COVID-19 associated with low testosterone in Men Men have been dying at higher rates from COVID19 than women and it has been speculated that

the hormone differences between the sexes may play a role.

At the July 2021 European Association of Urology congress (EAU21), investigators reported a case control study that determined that low testosterone in men was strongly linked to more severe COVID-19 symptoms and even higher incidences of death. The case control study was led by Professor Andrea Salonia of the San Raffaele University Hospital in Milan, Italy.

The scientific study determined that nearly 90 percent of men hospitalised for severe symptoms had low testosterone levels, or hypogonadism. The study compared the testosterone levels of 286 men hospitalised for COVID-19 with 281 healthy male blood donors. 89.2 percent (257) of the men admitted to hospital for COVID-19 had low testosterone levels, whereas only 14.9 percent (42) of the healthy male control group had low testosterone.

Low testosterone was

‘BIGGEST LOSER’ WINNERS NAMED BY THE NATIONAL INSURANCE BOARD FOLLOWING thorough blood pressure, glucose, weight and body mass index (BMI) health screenings before and after eight weeks of wellness activities, the National Insurance Board (NIB) has officially named its ‘Biggest Loser’ competition winners.

Winners were selected based on who, by percentage, lost the most weight.

Additionally, eligible participants had to attend at least one health and wellness session per week.

Out of 88 New Providence-based participants, Lequel Pratt (3.83 percent lost), Shovonia McKinney (2.70 percent lost), and Bonnette Knowles (2.59 percent lost) exercised their way to the top.

The first, second and third place champions received gift cards in the amounts of $300, $200, and $150, respectively, in addition to a trophy, medal, and certificate of participation.

Moreover, winner Lequel

Pratt was awarded with a one-month membership to Outdoor Fitness Bahamas.

The Biggest Loser Challenge was launched during April, 2021 as part of the NIB’s overall employee wellness programme under the theme “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise” to promote healthier lifestyles with focus on mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Biggest Loser Challenge featured aerobics, weight and resistance training, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), core, and CrossFit fitness programmes, with Grand Bahama and Andros-based employees also hosting and engaging in initiatives on those islands.

LaShandra Simmons, Karen Campbell, and Shandi Missick - who lost 16, six, and five pounds respectively - competed in Grand Bahama.

Andros participants

strongly linked to a worse prognosis for men infected by the COVID-19 virus, with a greater likelihood of more severe symptoms, higher hospitalisation rate, greater risk for needing intubation and mechanical ventilation and a 33 percent increased risk of death from COVID-19.

Investigators in this study did not have access to testosterone levels in the men prior to contracting COVID-19, so it is not clear whether low testosterone was a pre-existing condition in these men or whether the COVID-19 virus led to the low testosterone levels.

A previous scientific study examined 90 men who were admitted to the Barnes Jewish Hospital in St Louis, Missouri, between March and May 2020, with 31 of these men presenting with severe COVID-19 disease, a further 35 of these men developed severe disease within three days of hospital admission and 24 of the men in the study had mild COVID-19 disease.

The study found that the

median testosterone levels at the time of admission was significantly lower for the men with severe COVID19 disease (48 ng/dl) and for the men who developed severe COVID-19 disease one to three days into their hospital admission when compared to the COVID19 positive men who had mild disease (testosterone median level of 151 ng/dl).

The median testosterone level at day three of hospitalisation of the men with ICU admission was 17 ng/ ml, compared to a testosterone of 104 ng/ml of men who did not require ICU admission; 12 ng/ml for men who required a ventilator and 60 ng/ml for men who did not require a ventilator.

The median testosterone level for men who died from COVID-19 in this study was 15 ng/ml versus 60 ng/ml for men who survived.

The Missouri study found that men with severe COVID-19 disease had 65 to 85 percent lower testosterone levels compared to the men with a mild case.

The severity of the disease did not correlate with testosterone levels for 62 women who presented with COVID-19 at the same hospital.

Testosterone is known as the male hormone, but women do have low levels of testosterone, just as men have low levels of oestrogen.

Testosterone is a known natural suppressor in the body for inflammation. The novel coronavirus causes a widespread nonspecific

Lilymae Fowler, Miesha Johnson-Hinsey and Vanria Hanna-Woodside took part in health screenings and walked regularly to successfully complete CHALLENGE winner Lequel that island’s Pratt.

Biggest Loser Challenge.

NIB also announced the Central Benefits Department as winners of the departmental prize. They earned this by having the most participants attend the various activities incorporated in the wellness initiative.

The Central Benefits Department is responsible for pension payments each month. During the coronavirus pandemic, they were responsible for managing both the governmentSHOVONIA funded programme McKinney who for self-employed won second individuals and place. the governmentfunded extension programme, which is still ongoing.

Overall, NIB’s Employee Wellness initiative can boast of happy employees who have lost pounds, cut inches and now look forward to not only joining the challenge again, but also

inflammatory response within the body, as the body’s defences have not been exposed to the COVID-19 virus before.

Low testosterone levels can lead to a more severe inflammatory response to the virus. There is a well-established inverse relationship between testosterone levels and inflammatory markers in men with COVID. The lower the testosterone levels, the higher the levels of inflammatory factors such as interleukin 6, C-reactive protein, hepatocyte growth factors, amongst others. The primary cause of death from COVID is often due to a ‘cytokine storm’, an overactive immune response to the virus. Testosterone has a potential role in modulating the sex-specific immune response.

Testosterone can suppress the activity of inflammatory factors and complexes and thus reduce the immune response in men to the virus.

Multiple comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity and coronary artery disease have been shown to result in more severe COVID-19 symptoms and poorer outcomes. Low testosterone in men is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, heart failure, chronic renal failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and HIV. Multiple studies for example have shown that low testosterone increases the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus by three- to four-fold in men.

The association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and low testosterone is bi-directional and a vicious cycle.

Worldwide, and locally, men have more severe COVID-19 cases than women, with a higher rate of hospitalisations, a higher incidence of ICU admissions and a higher likelihood of death compared to women.

Men are also more likely to not take the COVID-19 vaccine.

As this fourth COVID wave surges on and creates devastation in every corner and aspect of our society, the only hope of suppressing it is to achieve vaccination in more than 70 percent of our population and continuing to adhere to social distancing, wearing a protective mask and proper hand hygiene.

• Dr Greggory Pinto is a board-certified Bahamian urologist and laparoscopic surgeon. He has trained in Germany, South Africa and France, and is a member of the European Association of Urology. He can be contacted at OakTree Medical Center, #2 Fifth Terrace & Mount Royal Avenue. Telephone: (242) 322-1145 (6) (7); e-mail: welcome@urologycarebahamas.com, or visit the website:www.urologycarebahamas.com.

implementing what was learned in their daily lives.

The NIB employee wellness initiative was chaired

by Sonovia Campell and co-chaired by Freeda Blatch-Fullerton. Committee members included Joy Dean, Dellarese Wright, Everette Sweeting, Joey Pennerman, Nurse Ruth Pickstock, Jemma Hepburn, Cherez Brown, Luchiano Seymour, Christopher Wright, Nadia Vanderpool, Clarice Lewis, and Stacie Basden. Honorable mention is also given to Edward Thompson, Louvin Sands, Tonique Williams, Nurse Sheryl Charlow, and the Talent Management and NIB’s Central Capacity DevelopBenefits Deptment won ment, Facilities, the departmental Public Relations, prize.

Security Services and Fleet Management Departments.

Lowe’s Wholesale, Thompson Trading, Fun Foods (Lickety Split), Aquapure, Super Value, Asa H Pritchard, Salad Masters, Nassau Agency, Starbucks, Flirty Girl, BahamaHealth/Family Guardian, Star Insurance, and Ports International all sponsored NIB’s Biggest Loser Challenge.

IGNORING MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS PUT ESSENTIAL WORKERS AT RISK - TRAINED PEERS CAN HELP TROUBLESHOOT OWING to a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, one psychologist is urging essential workers to prioritize their mental health.

“There is a concept of shared trauma that can be applied to essential workers. They are a group of persons overlooked because of their position in society, their titles and functions, and the assumptions we make about their mental wellness,” said Dr Valerie Knowles, a clinical psychologist with 30-plus years of experience.

“Everybody is concerned about whether we have enough doses of vaccines left, but who is asking if there are enough essential workers remaining to push through this latest wave.”

While the economy has reopened, the workplace of an essential service provider never closed. Day in and day out they have patrolled streets, stocked shelves, reported the news, taken care of the sick, guarded prisoners and emptied the trash among

DR VALERIE KNOWLES other jobs. Most essential workers may have made it through the deadliest pandemic in generations, but the potential toll on their mental health should not be taken for granted, said Dr Knowles, who has worked in diverse settings ranging from primary schools to prison.

Some essential workers, she noted, must cope with public expectations of perfection and when they fall short, face harsh criticism from society and superiors.

“Coupled with the pressure of unrealistic expectations, distinct organisational challenges can compound stress reactions,” said the mental

health expert, who pointed to the impact of shift work on some families.

“Being always ready to get up and go ‘at the drop of a hat’ at any hour of the night, can destabilise relationships,” she advised.

“Working in environments where continuous heightened alertness is required could also become problematic.”

Given the stigma attached to mental health issues in Bahamian society, many persons who may need help could be reluctant to seek it.

“They fear appearing weak to the public or their boss if word got out.

Bahamian society tells us to heal ourselves, struggle in silence or just suck it up and move on,” said Dr Knowles. “It is especially important for employers in the public and private sectors to acknowledge the mental health sacrifices essential workers make every day and do their part to help employees navigate COVID-19 related stress and adopt coping

mechanisms to combat elevated, prolonged workrelated pressure.”

The psychologist identified “built-in triggers” that could alert individuals to mental health tipping points. She stressed these indicators were not signs of mental illness but signalled a need to take a break.

They include emotional numbness, heightened irritability, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, increased risk taking, lack of concentration, personal negligence, “covering up rather than clearing up” negligence and out of character violations of the ethics and standards of the work organisation.

“Patterns of these behaviours can indicate that action is needed to mentally restore balance.

There is no need to wait until sleep deprivation sets in, relationships are fractured, judgment is severely impaired, and all sense of personal respect, competence and integrity are compromised,” said Dr Knowles.

To those who

suggest quitting or taking an extended vacation, Dr Knowles said both options just may not be immediately feasible for some essential workers.

“One of the easiest coping mechanisms to destress and restore balance is to share a traumatic experience with another team member. As simple as it sounds, it’s important to do this even when work schedules become hectic.

Not thoroughly sharing feelings after bearing witness to a traumatic event can cause bigger problems to arise. Emotions become unknowingly pent up,” the psychologist noted.

“For instance, regularly watching persons die, writhing in pain, seeing families in distress, viewing mangled bodies or watching persons spend their best lives in a state of incarceration could affect responsivity.”

Dr Knowles suggested the use of trained peer helpers, individuals who understand how to guide conversations and create opportunities to thoroughly

air issues and explore healthy solutions before a situation escalates.

The concept is ideal for those who work within an environment that stigmatises those who seek mental help.

“A ‘trained peer helper’ is not a formal job title. This peer-support training can be built into the training and orientation for all functioning heads of divisions and team administrators. Managers usually know the most well liked, discreet individuals on their teams. Increasing the capacity of these persons to support team wellness can be a boost for the organisation,” the psychologist explained.

“There can be peertrained helpers throughout the organisation, that have no reporting obligations to anybody. They commit to assisting the team to recognise and respond to mental distress signals in a proactive, empowering intervention before the situation gets risky. It pays to troubleshoot and lighten the load of essential workers before full distress sets in.”

PAGE 10, Tuesday, July 27, 2021

VIOLA DAVIS (AP Photo/ Chris Pizzello, Pool, File)

VIOLA DAVIS MEMOIR ‘FINDING ME’ SCHEDULED FOR NEXT APRIL NEW YORK (AP) — Oscar winner Viola Davis is working on a memoir that she says will be “straight, no chaser.”

HarperOne will release Davis’ “Finding Me” on April 19, 2022. Davis traces her rise from growing up in poverty and family violence in Rhode Island to becoming one of the world’s most acclaimed actors. She won an Oscar for her starring role in the 2016 film adaptation of August Wilson’s drama “Fences,” an Emmy for “How to Get Away with Murder,” and Tonys for “Fences” and “King Hedley II.” “I believe that our stories, and the courage to share them, is the most powerful empathetic tool we have,” she said in a statement. “This is my story ... straight no chaser.”

Davis’ other credits include the films “The Help,” last year’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and the upcoming “The Suicide Squad.” She is also planning to portray Michelle Obama for the Showtime series “First Ladies,” which she will help produce.

“Finding Me” will released in partnership with Ebony Magazine Publishing.

“Viola Davis is a powerful truth teller — through her work on stage and screen, as well as in her life,” HarperOne president and publisher Judith Curr said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to working with her on a book that powerfully reveals the risk and danger for a Black woman living in the fullness of her talents and gifts — and the reward and freedom that comes with it.”

REVIEW: A FAKE ROMANCE EVOLVES IN JASMINE GUILLORY’S LATEST

By ALICIA RANCILIO ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) JASMINE Guillory has built a universe with her six romance novels, where each story stands by itself but a character in one book can pop up in another.

They’re fun Easter eggs for her loyal readers.

In her new book, ‘While We Were Dating,” Guillory brings back Ben Stephens, the fun-loving playboy brother of Theo, the central male character in her third book “The Wedding Party.”

Ben’s landed his big break at work as an advertising executive where he’s tasked to lead an account featuring famous actress Anna Gardiner.

Sparks immediately fly between the two, but neither is looking for a relationship. Anna’s Hollywood star is fading, and Ben is not serious boyfriend material.

A flirty friendship develops but when Gardiner needs some good press, the pair begin a relationship for the cameras. Over time they realise there’s more to this coupledom of convenience, but is it enough to actually make the relationship work?

This beach read has some bite as there are also themes of mental health struggles, body image, cultural differences and race, present throughout the novel.

THE TRIBUNE

Popular toy receives backlash for ‘gender stereotyping’

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedia.net WE have all heard the term “mommy’s little helper” and we have all seen the tiny brooms, irons and pots and pans designed to encourage little girls to keep a tidy little home.

But as an Australian toy maker recently discovered, many consumers are against the term because they feel it stereotypically implies that women should be the primary caretakers of the house.

A brother and sister team are behind the ride-on toy called “Mommy’s Tiny Helper” which has a dust collector inside that allows toddlers to sweep up whatever they spill as they scoot around the house.

Dennis Mitrevski created the toy back in 2019 and marketed it in the United States. Recently, he and his sister Sam Minniti tried to launch it back home in Australia where it was immediately criticised for enforcing gender stereotypes.

Several Australian moms expressed their disapproval on social media.

“Yeah, that’s a no from me. It’s 2021, it isn’t Mommy’s job to clean the floor,”

one woman wrote in a Facebook group.

‘You’ll get absolutely slaughtered if you put a product to market called ‘Mommy’s Tiny Helper’,” said another.

One mother was critical but tried to offer some positive feedback, suggesting changing the name to just “Tiny Helper”, not only because fathers clean as well, but also because some children don’t have mothers.

Ms Minniti said she and her brother were disappointed with the response they received.

“It never dawned on me that the name could cause offence, which is why I tested the name out on a few of the Perth mum’s groups I’m a member of, and now I’m really worried about the negative feedback we’ve received,” she said.

Ms Minnitisaid since their research revealed that “there’s something like 489,000 stay-at-home mums compared to 80,000 stay-athome dads”, she’s especially surprised at the reaction of women.

‘I’m a mum and there’s plenty of women out there who would love a little bit of help around the home. We really didn’t mean to offend anyone, “she noted.

Tribune Woman spoke to

several mothers to get their opinion on the name and also the marketing of cleaning toys to little girls.

“I think it’s a bit overreaction,” said Tiffany of the whole debacle.

“I mean, I say to my daughter all the time are you mommy’s little helper; she follows me around as I clean and does little chores.

My husband also cleans our house and so I don’t feel oppressed in my home. I think sometimes people just miss the point being so politically correct all the time.

Let’s focus on the product.

I think it’s a great idea and a fun way to encourage them to clean. I definitely would want to buy it.”

Sannie said that she sees why the product name would seem to exclude fathers and other parental figures. “‘Tiny Helper’, I guess, would be less offensive, but from my perspective I know that if little girls have mothers they want to be just like mommy and so if they see Mommy cleaning of course they want to do that.

“I mean, sometimes they

feel the same way about Dad, but my experience is yeah, they copy Mommy more.”

Jeanie added that her only hope is that the product is marketed to boys as well.

“I just hope that all of these toys are marketed to little boys and girls. That is my concern.

“I’d be more upset if it was called ‘Little housewife’, or something like that. I just want moms to buy those types of products for their sons as well. I don’t care what they call it,” she said.

HOW SARAH BAARTMAN’S HIPS WENT FROM A SYMBOL OF EXPLOITATION TO A SOURCE OF EMPOWERMENT FOR BLACK WOMEN

By ROKESHIA RENNÉ ASHLEY Assistant Professor of Communication, Florida International University (THE CONVERSATION) – In “BLACK EFFECT,” a track from Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s 2018 collaborative album “EVERYTHING IS LOVE,” Beyoncé describes a quintessential Black female form: “Stunt with your curls, your lips, Sarah Baartman hips Gotta hop into my jeans like I hop into my whip, yeah.”

The celebration of Sarah Baartman’s features marks a departure from her historical image.

Saartjie “Sarah” Baartman was an African woman who, in the early 1800s, was something of an international sensation of objectification. She was paraded around Europe, where spectators jeered at her large buttocks.

With celebrities like Beyoncé recognising Baartman’s contributions to the ideal Black female body – and with the curvaceous posteriors of Black women lauded on TV and celebrated on social media – I wanted to understand how this ideal is viewed by the very people it most directly effects: Black women.

So I interviewed 30 Black women from various cities in South Africa and the mid-Atlantic US and asked them about Baartman. Would her image represent a reviled past or a canvas of resilience? Were they proud to bear a similar buttocks or ashamed to share a similar stature?

Hips and history Baartman, a Khoisan woman from South Africa, left her native land in the early 1800s for Europe; it’s unclear whether she went willingly or was forced to do so. Showmen exhibited her throughout Europe, where, in an embarrassing and dehumanising spectacle, she was forced to sing and dance before crowds of white onlookers.

Often naked in these exhibitions, Baartman was sometimes suspended in a cage on stage while being poked, prodded and groped. Her body was characterised as grotesque, lascivious and obscene because of her protruding buttocks, which was due to a condition called steatopygia that occurs naturally among people in

SARAH Baartman was an international sensation of objectification. British Library

arid parts of southern Africa. She also had elongated labia, a physical feature derogatorily referred to as a “Hottentot apron.”

Both became symbolic markers of racial difference, and many other women from this part of Africa were trafficked to Europe for white entertainment. Because they diverged so drastically from dominant ideas of white feminine beauty, Baartman’s features were exoticised. Her voluptuous and curvaceous body – mocked and shamed in the West – was also described in advertisements as the “most correct and perfect specimen of her race.”

The Baartman ideal Of course, Black women’s bodies vary; there is no monolithic – nor ideal – type.

Nonetheless, there is a strong legacy of the curvaceous ideal, more so than in other races.

It persists to this day.

In my interviews, Black women revealed how they felt about Baartman’s story, how they compared her to their own body image and what her legacy represents.

One American participant, Ashley, seemed to recognise how entrenched the Baartman ideal has become. “(Baartman) was the platform for stereotypes,” she said. “She set the trend for Black women (to) have these figures and … now these stereotypes are carrying through pop culture.”

Mieke, a South African woman,

described being proud of her proportions and the way they’re connected to Baartman, saying, “I’m proud of my body because of the resemblance I feel it has with hers.”

Exploitation or empowerment?

Today, the Baartman body can be advantageous, especially on social media, where Black women have the opportunity to produce content that’s socially and culturally relevant to them and their audiences – and where users can make money off their posts.

On various platforms, women leverage their looks to obtain paid advertisements or receive free gifts, services or merchandise from various beauty and apparel companies. They’re also more likely to gain more followers – and perhaps attract more wealthy suitors, depending on their ambitions – by hewing more closely to the contemporary Baartman ideal.

So you could argue that Black women are taking control of their objectification and commodification to earn money. They’re also protesting the ideals of white mainstream beauty, seizing Baartman’s exploitation and mockery and recasting her as a source of pride and empowerment on places like #BlackTwitter, Instagram and OnlyFans.

On the other hand, it cannot be denied that Baartman’s image is rooted in a legacy that is engulfed by slavery, unwillful submission and colonialism. The white gaze

that fetishised Baartman’s body as exotic and overtly sexual was the same one that promulgated the stereotype that Black women were sexually promiscuous, lascivious and hypersexual.

While Baartman may not have been able to keep the cash people paid to ogle at her, Black women today can strive for her body type and make money off it. Once subjected to the mockery of an insidious white gaze, Baartman’s physique is now profitable – as long as these women are comfortable with being objectified.

But is selling this body type always a form of empowerment?

Would someone who wasn’t already exploited do it?

This may explain why Black women today are conflicted when they think about Baartman.

Lesedi, from South Africa, highlighted this tension.

“I feel you do find girls like me who are not proud of what they see when they look in the mirror and they just feel like, ‘I need to drop this off,’” she said. However, she added that “you find other girls that are just so happy about it that they twerk. … I guess Sarah Baartman definitely does have an influence, but it’s either positive or negative whether you’re proud to have a bum.”

• This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com

THE TRIBUNE

Tuesday, July 27, 2021, PAGE 11

Christabelle nails a career in carpentry FROM PAGE B12 be needed, which is why it’s a great career choice for anyone, she added.

“The support has been overwhelming. Both men and women find it inspiring and have reached out to me for commissioned pieces,” she said.

The carpenter said she has been inspired by similar local businesses like Caso Kitchens and SMG Construction, whose work she considers modern and beautiful.

Internationally, she looks to MaraMade Designs as inspiration, simply because it’s a Caribbean brand based in Jamaica that is owned

and operated by a woman, Mara Harding.

Offering tips to other young women who aspire to start a business but are unsure of where to start, Christabelle advises to embark on learning a new skill or deciding on your first small project at home.

For the remainder of the year, Christabelle said she is looking forward to providing private lessons to teach young girls and women tool safety and use, and hosting more DIY workshop events, public and private, where participants get to build and customise a project.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 93° F/34° C Low: 77° F/25° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

A morning thunder‑ storm in spots

Partly cloudy

Sunshine and patchy clouds

Mostly sunny and beautiful

Mostly sunny and pleasant

A morning t‑storm; partly sunny

High: 90°

Low: 79°

High: 90° Low: 80°

High: 89° Low: 80°

High: 89° Low: 80°

High: 90° Low: 79°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

102° F

87° F

102°-87° F

100°-86° F

100°-85° F

101°-87° F

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 81° F/27° C

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

N

almanac

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High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

S

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

4‑8 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

E

W S

E

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WEST PALM BEACH

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| Go to AccuWeather.com

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

MIAMI

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

KEY WEST

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 82° F/28° C

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 79° F/26° C

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tiDes For nassau High Today

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

11:07 a.m.

11:27 p.m.

2.9 3.2

5:08 a.m.

5:14 p.m.

0.1 0.3

Wednesday 11:56 a.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

2.8 ‑‑‑‑‑

5:52 a.m.

6:05 p.m.

0.2 0.5

Thursday

12:12 a.m.

12:46 p.m.

3.0 2.8

6:36 a.m.

6:57 p.m.

0.4 0.8

Friday

12:58 a.m.

1:37 p.m.

2.7 2.7

7:21 a.m.

7:52 p.m.

0.6 1.0

Saturday

1:47 a.m.

2:29 p.m.

2.5 2.7

8:07 a.m.

8:49 p.m.

0.7 1.1

Sunday

2:38 a.m.

3:23 p.m.

2.3 2.7

8:55 a.m.

9:48 p.m.

0.8 1.2

Monday

3:32 a.m.

4:17 p.m.

2.2 2.7

9:45 a.m. 0.8 10:46 p.m. 1.1

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:35 a.m.

7:57 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

10:51 p.m.

9:59 a.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Jul. 31

Aug. 8

Aug. 15

Aug. 22

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

E

W S

LONG ISLAND

tracking map

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

L

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

CAT ISLAND

E

W

4‑8 knots

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 73° F/23° C Normal high ....................................... 88° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 75° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 88° F/31° C Last year’s low ................................... 70° F/21° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.47” Year to date ............................................... 11.23” Normal year to date ................................... 18.82”

uV inDex toDay

4‑8 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N E

W

N E

W

S

S

6‑12 knots

7‑14 knots

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

Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday: Today: Wednesday:

WINDS SE at 4‑8 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots S at 6‑12 Knots SSW at 4‑8 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots E at 7‑14 Knots ENE at 8‑16 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SSE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots E at 8‑16 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots

WAVES 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑6 Feet 3‑5 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 2‑4 Feet 0‑1 Feet 1‑2 Feet

VISIBILITY 6 Miles 7 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 6 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 6 Miles 6 Miles 6 Miles 6 Miles 5 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 7 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 85° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 85° F 86° F 85° F 84° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 86° F 87° F 85° F 84° F 86° F 84° F 83° F 83° F 85° F 86° F 86° F 85° F 86° F 86° F

PAGE 12

a s l i a n e l l e b a t s i r h C y r t n e p r a c n i r e e car

TUESDAY, JULY 27, 2021 CHRISTABELLE Izevbizua gets to work as the owner of the Bellewood By Design company.

By ALESHA CADET Tribune Features Reporter acadet@tribunemedia.net

CARPENTRY is usually not a profession associated with women, but Christabelle Izevbizua has been interested in woodwork and building things since she was in junior high school. And now, she has taken that years-long passion and created her own business platform, inclusive of workshops for aspiring young carpenters.

“I was a tomboy who didn’t want to take any ‘girly’ electives.

I’ve been hooked ever since. I’m 31 in August, but a kid at heart,” she told Tribune Woman.

The mother-of-one studied woodwork and carpentry all throughout high school at Kingsway Academy and then graduated from BTVI with a certificate in Carpentry in 2019.

During the pandemic last October, she turned her hobby into a full-blown operation called Bellewood by Design and was able to partner with big companies like CBS Bahamas.

While Christabelle has been back to her usual ‘9 to 5’ job since June, she is still working on her business after hours, on days off and on the weekends. She offers custom builds, furniture ‘flips’, restorations, and bathtub refinishing. Christabelle also likes to share her journey behind the scenes with her customers, from her woodwork and DIY tips to her all-around carpentry knowledge.

Bellewood By Design, she said, is unique in that it is led by a woman, and she is looking to hire an all-female team in future.

“During the pandemic, I was given an opportunity to work on a project where a comfortable environment was created for me to

test my skills. They believed in me so much that if I messed up, it would be OK, but being a perfectionist, I figured it out along the way.

“My overall goal is to increase awareness and empower women. I want young girls in the Caribbean to know that the trades industry is an option as a career, and very doable, while inspiring women to pick up a tool, even if it’s just for little changes around the house,” said Christabelle.

Trades like carpentry, electrical, HVAC technology and plumbing will always SEE PAGE B11

FEMALE ATHLETES CHALLENGE ‘SEXIST’ UNIFORM REGULATIONS

By CARA HUNT Tribune Features Writer cbrennen@tribunemedi.anet

WHILE sports like beach volleyball, beach handball and gymnastics are extremely popular, many of the female athletes competing in them hope the focus will remain on their performance rather than their skimpy regulation attire.

Just last week, the Norwegian beach handball team was fined for wearing shorts rather than the regulation bikini bottoms.

The European Handball Association fined the women’s team 1,500 euros, or about $1,768, for “improper clothing” because the ladies wore thigh-length elastic shorts during their bronze medal match against Spain.

Tonje Lerstad and Julie Aspelund Berg, two members of the team, told British media that the bikini bottoms requirement for women was “sexist.”

“If the guys can do the sport with a T-shirt and shorts,” said Tonje, “then we should be able to do the exact same sport with the exact same outfit.”

Male players are allowed to play in tank tops and shorts no longer than inches above the knee, while women are required to wear midriff-baring tops and bikini bottoms “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg” and a maximum side width of four inches, according to International Handball Federation regulations.)

“From our federation, there has been a lot of support and I think every other federation as well except

TIMES are a-changing: The Norwegian beach handball (above) team and the German Olympic gymnastic team (right) take a stance against the ‘sexualisation’ of uniforms.

(Photos/Norwegian Handball Federation and AP Photo by Gregory Bull) the ones who are making the rules,” said Tonje. “So, we’re so thankful for the support.”

Julie said, “Hopefully, we would make a statement now and maybe they will change the rules.”

The team has received support from the Norwegians men’s team and the country’s culture ministers who called the rules “completely ridiculous”.

Additional support has come from all over the world. Pop star Pink even offered to pay the team’s fine.

The American singer tweeted: “I’m very proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team for protesting the very sexist rules about their uniform.

The European handball federation should be fined for sexism. Good on ya, ladies, I’ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up.”

Although beach handball

is currently not an Olympic sport, uniform regulations at the world’s premier sporting event currently taking place in Toyko have also been challenged.

The German female gymnastic team chose not to wear the usual leotard, opting instead to wear long unitards.

The team, comprised of Sarah Voss, Pauline

Schäfer, Elisabeth Seitz and Kim Bui, wore them on the first day of team competition last week.

“We sat together today and said, OK, we want to have a big competition,” 21-year-old Sarah Voss said.

“As you are growing up as a woman, it is quite difficult to get used to your new body in a way.

“We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable, and we show everyone that they can wear whatever they want and look amazing, feel amazing, whether it is in a long leotard or a short one.”

And although not sexist, the decision to ban a swim cap designed specifically for Black swimmers’ hair also came under fire.

The British company Soul Cap created the caps to accommodate those athletes who wear afros, weaves, extensions, dreadlocks, or have thick and curly hair. They are also a better option to protect Black hair from the pool chemicals as well.

However, the International Swim Federation FINA banned them on the basis that they don’t follow the natural form of the head.

After the ban, Soul Cap posted the following statement on Instagram: “For younger swimmers, feeling included and seeing yourself in a sport at a young age is crucial. FINA’s recent dismissal could discourage many younger athletes from pursuing the sport as they progress through local, county and national competitive swimming.

“We feel there’s always room for improvement,

but there’s only so much grassroots and small brands can do – we need the top to be receptive to positive change.”

Tribune Woman spoke with readers to get their take on the controversy.

“I think that is definitely sexist,” Lynette said of the handball regulation outfits.

“Once the clothing allows you to compete without any special advantage, does it really matter what they wear?

The athletes themselves have a right to reflect their own views when it comes to how much skin they wish to show.”

“I don’t think anyone has the right to demand to see someone’s backside just for the sport’s ratings. It’s this continued sexualisation of women that does it for me,” said Dana.

“And with the swim cap thing, it’s just a lack of understanding by white executives of the basic differences between white swimmers and Black swimmers and they don’t seem to even want to educate themselves.”

Tiana noted that she was pleased to see the handball and gymnastics ladies stand up for themselves.

“Choice is everything.

There are female athletes who may prefer to compete in leotards or bikinis, but making it standard attire is unfair. I am glad these girls spoke out so that this conversation can be held,” she said.

Hanna added that the needs of athletes should be considered: “Why would you deny the best in the world to be tied by unnecessary rules?”