PM pledge to ‘break open’ $2bn construction impact
By NEIL HARTNELL
THE Prime Minister’s pledge to implement construction sector regulation by early September will “break open” the industry’s path to a $2bn annual economic impact, it was argued yesterday.
Leonard Sands, the Bahamian Contractors Association’s (BCA) president, told Tribune Business he is confident the profession will soon be able to “go toe-to-toe” with overseas rivals for work on major foreign direct investment (FDI) projects now it appears the industry’s near-decade long wait for self-regulation is over.
Confirming that himself and other BCA executives met Philip
• Near-decade wait for industry regulation close to end
• Contractors can now ‘go toeto-toe’ with foreign rivals
• Bahamian consumers to get ‘better product for money’
to perform. It would also enforce the Construction Contractors Act, which was passed into law almost a decade ago in 2016, imposing penalties and sanctions on those found guilty of misconduct and defective work.
the Board before month’s end or early September at latest. Mr Sands said the BCA submitted recommendations for those it wants appointed to the Board to the Government yesterday.
Davis KC last Friday to discuss forming the long-awaited Construction Contractors Board to regulate the industry, he added that its appointment will give Bahamian homeowners increased protection against shoddy workmanship, unqualified contractors and being over-charged on building projects.
The Board’s role is to oversee the licensing and registration of Bahamian contractors and construction trades persons according to their abilities and the scale of projects and work they are able
Island Pay in ‘bad time’ as clients
allege refund delays
By NEIL HARTNELL
CUSTOMERS yesterday complained they have suffered delays and challenges in recovering their funds from a Bahamian digital payments provider which admitted it is currently enduring “a bad time”.
Andrew Allen and his brother, William Allen junior, blamed Island Pay’s struggles on “an extremely disruptive and unhealthy relationship” with its third-party technology provider after the company announced that its “legacy” platform “has been shut down” and clients can no longer use it to access their electronic wallets and the funds contained in them.
The digital payments provider, in a newspaper advertisement issued yesterday, asked hundreds of
clients to visit its Sandyport offices and bring their Know Your Customer (KYC) verification documents and bank account details so that it can transfer the monies due and owing to them.
However, several customers told Tribune Business that since complying with this request, and providing Island Pay with their KYC identification and bank account details, they have heard nothing for several weeks and their funds have yet to be returned.
Island Pay’s notice, which said the refunds were part of a “five-month platform migration” raised more questions than answers. The Allens, who last December told Tribune Business they had become Island Pay’s chairman and managing director, vehemently denied to Tribune Business last night that the notice was a ‘stalling tactic’
or attempt to play for time over client payouts. They pledged that they are seeking to resolve all outstanding customer refunds this week, and sought to blame Island Pay’s woes on a dispute with their third-party technology provider for which they provided no details. The brothers added that they were due to meet with Island Pay staff today, and would be prepared to say more after that. But one Island Pay customer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they only found out they could not access their electronic wallet - and the funds it contained - by chance when they went to check it. They added that, after finally tracking down a representative of the digital payments provider and learning what was happening, they provided all the KYC and bank account
reality, he questioned whether a further raise will be necessary to fund extended maternity leave. And, with the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill debated in the House of Assembly last week paving the way for the scheme to be financed by both employers and the self-employed, Mr Goudie said companies which are already “very stressed” by the ever-increasing cost of doing business in The Bahamas are likely to face yet another financial burden.
However, the Act itself has never been enforced due to the failure to appoint the Board. This has left construction as the last major Bahamian profession without self-regulatory powers, but Mr Sands said the Prime Minister - who, as minister of works in the last Christie administration was responsible for bringing the Act to Parliament - is now focusing on fully enacting such legislation.
The BCA chief said he and other Association executives were informed by the Prime Minister that he wants to appoint
• Payments firm blames technology provider
• ‘Five-month migration’ plan raises questions
• Customers complain they finished processs
details but have yet to be paid.
“We’ve been through the process they initiated. We weren’t told anything about they were having an issue with the platform or any concerns,” they said. “It was only when I checked about two months ago that I realised I did not have access to my account.
“I immediately started calling. None of the numbers I tried go through to anyone, no human being. I went to the website, no human being. It became
“We met last Friday,” he added of the meeting with Mr Davis. “It was a request on their behalf to meet with us to discuss the appointment of the Construction Contractors Board. He indicated that it’s his intention to have the Board appointed this month. He
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
SUPER Value’s president said company-wide Emancipation Day sales increased by 12 percent despite the closure of four stores, adding: “We cannot say we have any regrets.”
Debra Symonette told Tribune Business that the decision to close the 13-store supermarket chain’s East Street, Wulff Road, Seagrapes Shopping Centre and Robinson Road outlets “didn’t hurt us” from a top-line perspective as it moves to now analyse the savings on labour costs and other expenses.
But she added that, based on the results to-date, it is “highly likely” that Super Value will resort to further store closures on holidays in a bid to reduce the ‘double time’ overtime that must be paid to staff along with electricity and other costs.
“We actually looked at it today,” Ms Symonette told this newspaper of the four-store Emancipation Day closure outcome. “The sales were up in the stores that were in proximity to the ones that closes so it appears customers went to the nearest locations that were open. Overall, we had a good number for sales.
The sales increased overall; it was something like 12 percent for the whole company.”
That compared to Emancipation Day 2024, and Super Value’s president asserted: “The closure didn’t hurt us. We will definitely have saved on cost with the salaries and electricity as we have to pay double time for holidays.
“The managers did go in for a while [at the closed locations] just to check on the stores and anybody who came by they were able to advise them to go to the nearest ones that were open. I would say we were satisfied. We cannot say we have any regrets over closing those stores because we didn’t seem to lose anything. We’re up.
“It was definitely a savings to us. We didn’t have all those employees working throughout the day on a holiday at double time and we saved on other areas as well like the electricity. The only thing we were a little concerned about were those customers who said they couldn’t go to another store because they didn’t have transportation. That’s the only thing we regret.” Ms Symonette said these customers did not represent TALKS on extending maternity leave are not targeting 18 weeks, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce’s labour division chief disclosed yesterday, adding that a final decision is some way off. Peter Goudie, who represents the private sector on the National Tripartite Council, the body that resolves all labour-related matters in The Bahamas, told Tribune Business that discussions were focused on increasing maternity leave from the current 12 weeks to 14 weeks initially, then to 16 weeks. However, he warned that talks are only in the “initial stages” and “there’s a lot that’s got to be considered” before any reforms are introduced. Among the key issues to be decided are who pays for any extended maternity leave, and how much, Mr Goudie added, suggesting that the financial burden would not be borne by employers but, rather, the already-struggling National Insurance Board (NIB). With NIB contribution rates already being increased to ensure predictions that its $1.4bn reserve fund will be exhausted come 2029 do not become
As a result, he warned that the ever-increasing expense burden could drive more Bahamian businesses “from the formal
into the informal economy” where operators frequently pay no VAT, Business Licence fees, NIB contributions or any other taxes to the Government.
FIU receives over 600 reports for year-to-date
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business
THE Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)
Board’s licensees there has been a steady increase in such reports
by the agency since 2022, demonstrating improved internal controls and reporting training. “The numbers have been going up every year. In 2022, we had at least over 700 STRs. In 2023 the number went up and, in 2024, the number is more than that. Up to date right now, we have surpassed 600 STRs in 2025,” said Ms Creary. Speaking specifically on the gaming industry, she added that 85 STRs have been received from casinos between 2022 and 2025, while two STRs were received from web shop gaming houses during the same time period. For the local gaming sector, she noted that the
client risk is medium-tohigh, due to patrons being locals who usually stake small amounts of cash unlike casinos that cater to international citizens with high net worths.
“When we look at the domestic sector, the clientbased risk is considered to be medium-high because we’re dealing mostly with locals. There have been
LEONARD SANDS
Bahamas launches its sustainable island bid
THE Bahamas has launched its participation in the Sustainable Island Challenge to underscore its desire to build a tourism industry that is globally competitive, inclusive and climate smart, The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation, in collaboration with the Innovate 242 innovation hub and United Nations (UN) tourism, officially launched The Bahamas Sustainable Island Challenge at the 70th UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Americas. The latter event was held from July 31 to August 2, 2025, in Lima, Peru.
Led by Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, the Bahamian delegation formally introduced the Challenge on the international stage. Developed under a co-operation agreement between the ministry and UN Tourism, the Bahamas Sustainable Island Challenge invites start-ups and entrepreneurs to develop solutions aligned with national and global sustainability goals. Key areas of focus include ocean and marine conservation, community-based tourism and digital transformation. The initiative will last for several months, ending with a ‘pitch’ competition and awards ceremony as part of UN Tourism Tech
Adventures: The Bahamas. This will take place in this country; “The Bahamas Sustainable Island Challenge is more than a competition; it’s an invitation to our brightest minds to help build a more resilient, more innovative and more inclusive tourism economy,” said Mr Cooper.
“Through this initiative, we are giving Bahamians the tools and the global platform to lead in the areas that matter most: Protecting our environment, strengthening our communities, growing entrepreneurs and preparing for the future. This also supports the international advocacy of our Prime Minister Philip Davis
on the critical issue of climate change mitigation.” Ginger Moxey, minister for Grand Bahama, said: “Grand Bahama is proud to serve as the innovation hub for this national initiative. We are uniquely positioned to demonstrate how technology, creativity and local collaboration can fuel sustainable growth and economic recovery, not just here, but across all our islands.”
Latia Duncombe, director-general of tourism, added: “This initiative allows us to tap into the talent and creativity of our people. By supporting ideas that merge sustainability and innovation, we’re helping to future proof our tourism sector while creating real pathways for entrepreneurship, investment and international recognition.”
Natalia Bayone, executive director of UN Tourism, said: “With this challenge, UN Tourism and The Bahamas are joining forces to invest in the country’s greatest asset, its entrepreneurs. We are
creating a platform to scale innovative, island-based solutions that are climateadapted, marine-friendly and community-driven.
“From smart eco-tourism models to digital tools for crisis ready visitor management, we are seeking bold ideas that will shape the future of island destinations. Tourism accounts for over 50 percent of The Bahamas’ GDP, and with a record 11 million international visitors in 2024, the country is at a pivotal moment.
“Innovation is no longer optional; it’s a necessity. By connecting local talent with global visibility, this partnership is not only supporting sustainable growth but unlocking a new generation of high-impact tourism start-ups for The Bahamas.”
The Challenge is hosted on UN Tourism’s global innovation platform, with selected participants gaining access to mentorship, technical support and visibility among international investors and tourism leaders.
Ministry partners with ADO to launch Agrarian Awards
THE Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources has teamed with the Agricultural Development Organisation (ADO) to launch the 2025 Agrarian Awards.
The awards will be held on October 18, 2025, at Atlantis under the theme ‘Planting with heart and soil’. This year’s ceremony will recognise contributions across the Bahamian agricultural sector and present more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
The Agrarian Awards are designed to reward excellence and innovation in Bahamian agriculture. From farmers and processors to schools and backyard gardeners, the event is intended to highlight those making a difference towards advancing national food security, agricultural development and sustainability.
Among the featured categories are:
* Minister’s Choice Lifetime Achievement award
* Emerald Pioneer award
* Male Farmer of the Year
* Female Farmer of the Year
* Prime Minister’s Youth Farmer of The Year
* Commercial Farm of the Year
Businesses
CHILDCARE - from page B1
Noting that extended maternity leave will impact micro, small and mediumsized (MSME) businesses the most, as they simply lack the staff to fully cover for absentees, Mr Goudie told Tribune Business: “We’re not looking at 18 weeks. We’re maybe looking at 14 weeks, and eventually 16 weeks. Eighteen weeks isn’t standard at all, but we are looking at 14 initially, and then 16.”
This contradicts Sharon Martin, the Tripartite Council’s chair, who last week said 18 weeks “is at least standard”, but Mr Goudie said he was confident in his numbers and would not “get into an argument”. He added: “We’re also looking at paternity leave, but all this has got to be discussed with NIB because they’re the ones who are going to be paying for this.
“Effectively, it’s not going to be the employers who are going to be paying for it. It’s going to be NIB. The point is that NIB is struggling. We have to look at who is paying for what because NIB contributions will have to be increased to pay for this, and we have NHI talking about increasing funding. Who’s going to pay for that?
* Governor General’s Community Farm of the Year
* School Farm of the Year
* People’s Choice: Backyard Farmer of the Year
* Agri-Processor of the Year
Pericles Maillis has been named as the recipient of the Minister’s Choice Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decadeslong service to agricultural innovation and sustainable farming. Meanwhile, the Emerald Pioneer Award will go to Forrester Bowe. Jomo Campbell, minister of agriculture and marine resources, said: “The Agrarian Awards is about more than recognition – it’s about empowerment. It’s about
“The employers are going to have to pay for that, and so are the employees,” Mr Goudie added. “They keep coming up with this wonderful stuff, and it is wonderful stuff, but somebody has got to pay for it and somebody has got to pay NIB contributions. If you’re going to increase maternity leave, and introduce paternity leave, I have no problem with it but somebody has got to pay for it.
“It’s up for discussion, and then we have to consult with employers, consult with NIB. There’s whole bunch of things to be considered here. I know Pia Glover-Rolle [minister of labour and the public service] wants us to do this, but geez, we have to figure out who’s going to pay for it, when and the rest of it. There’s a lot that’s got to be considered before we introduce it.”
Asked what employers are most concerned about, Mr Goudie replied: “Cost. Period. We’re talking about cost because NIB contributions are going to have to go up, NHI is going to look for contributions. We’re worried about costs. I don’t care what BPL says: Their rates have increased and the cost of doing business is increasing, not decreasing.
“We’re very stressed. The question is how many can afford it. I’ll throw you one other nugget out there. If we keep increasing the cost of doing business, we start driving the formal economy into the informal economy and, if we do that, then less people are paying into NIB and everything else.
“If you keep doing it you are going to drive the formal economy into the informal economy and we are going to reduce the tax contributions. It’s simple. It’s really simple.” Businesses yesterday also warned that extending maternity leave beyond the current 12 weeks may prompt some employers to hire women who are past child-bearing age.
Small business proprietors, in particular, voiced concern over the cost of temporary hires to fill the void as well as training and paying for at least one-third of that time off. Robert Nabb, Chappies Pharmacy & Drug Store’s proprietor, said while he does see a need for maternity leave to be extended, as a small business owner he knows the strain that would bring.
“Larger businesses might be able to absorb the manpower, the shortage kind of thing, but in a small business where you’re hiring less than ten people and you have someone going out on maternity that puts a strain on the business in that you have to then maybe hire someone temporarily,” Mr
TOP Award Recipients - Forrester Bowe (left) and Pericles Maillis.
saying to every farmer, processor and agri-innovator across our islands: We see you, we value you and we believe that agriculture is a pillar of our nation’s future. Planting with heart and soil means growing with intention, and that’s exactly what this celebration is about.”
“This celebration affirms that agriculture is not behind us, but rather it is ahead of us,” said ADO executive chairman, Philip Smith. “Our farmers deserve more than our gratitude; they deserve visibility, respect and investment. ADO is proud to honour those planting the future today.” Nominations are now open and will end at midnight on September 1. To nominate an individual, school or community group, Bahamians are encouraged to visit adobahamas.org where
Nabb added. “They’re not sure how the operation operates, and what it does.
“I think in our case it would make us less likely to hire younger people. Because, obviously, older people are less likely to be going on maternity leave. Someone in their mid to late-thirties are pretty much finished with that stage of their life.
“Whereas someone in their twenties, you can’t expect them not to start a family. And so the small businesses, you’re going to be a little less likely to hire younger people because you’re concerned about maternity leave and extended maternity leave on a frequent basis.”
Cheryl Cambridge, owner of Cheryl’s Bahamas Taxi & Tours, added that The Bahamas cannot handle extended maternity leave, suggesting even 12 weeks is too much. She, too, added that companies would probably hire women who do not want children or those of an age where it is less likely they will become pregnant.
Ms Cambridge said she cannot afford to pay employees on extended maternity leave, and hiring a temporary worker could very well lead to a permanent position for that person, putting the new mother’s job at risk if they “end up working better than the person that went on maternity leave”.
Noting that she is both a mother and a grandmother, Ms Cambridge stood firm on her belief that maternity leave may not be the best idea for The Bahamas. However, she acknowledged that some women who experience health-related issues due to pregnancies could benefit from an extension.
“I think 20 weeks would be ridiculous,” Mr Nabb added. “I think 18 weeks would also be a strain on a small business. Sixteen weeks is four months. In a business like ours, to have someone out for four months, we probably can make it but we would have to hire someone on a temporary situation.
“And to train them and to teach them the things they need to know, by the time they have grasped that, the person is ready to come back. So it is a challenge. It will be very challenging for especially small businesses.”
Mr Nabb added that larger companies have begun sub-contracting workers, such as janitorial services, as a way to avoid labour concerns Taking the opposite approach, Peter Roker, operator of Roker’s Gas Station, added: “At some point in our lives, in our society, we have to come to grips with what’s important.” Mr Roker supports extended maternity leave, and said 95 percent of mothers, including new
forms and instructions are available.
To nominate for the People’s Choice Backyard Farmer of the Year, send a photo or video to AgrarianAwards@gmail.com and your farm will be posted to its Facebook page. To vote for the People’s Choice Backyard Farm of the Year, Bahamians must like and follow the Ministry’s page. Whoever has the most followers will win the $2,500 prize. Sponsors for the Agrarian Awards include Royal Caribbean; Royal Bank of Canada; the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI); Super Value, Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD); Tourism Development Corporation; Caribbean Bottling; Bahamasair; and Aliv.
mothers, must work out of necessity, but he sees the value in providing them with ample time to bond and nurture their newborn.
“A big, big, big factor is nowadays, through necessity, most mothers work. I think that extra time, say another six or eight weeks, would allow them to bring that child to a higher level of independence, and therefore, I think it’s worth doing it,” Mr Roker said. “I really think it’s a good idea. I would say at least 20 weeks.” He added that “the cost of something is the cost of something”, said but society must “understand what’s more important”. Mr Roker said even if he must hire another employee to fill the gap, he may very well end up with a worker he would like to keep along with the new mother.
“Another thing I don’t think anyone is really looking at is it is immensely important for that child to be breastfed,” he said. “In my opinion, breastfeeding is not only a good idea, but it might be the most essential thing in raising a child because the mother has all of the things in her, all of the things that ward off disease and difficulties, and also the bonding.... The bonding becomes so important because of the closeness of that child to the mother, not only to get the milk, but to feel that warmth.”
MINISTER JOMO CAMPBELL, centre, speaking at press conference
ELEUTHERA’S EMANCIPATION MARRED BY POWER OUTAGES
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business
BAHAMAS Power & Light (BPL) says it is “laser-focused” on improving reliability on Harbour Island and mainland Eleuthera after the Emancipation Day holiday was marred by multiple long outages.
The state-owned utility provider, in a statement, confirmed that South Eleuthera suffered due to generation challenges at the Rock Sound power station on Monday August, 4.
“Early Monday morning, one of the rental units at the station tripped offline as a result of high operating temperatures and cooling system related issues,” BPL said.
“This caused an outage impacting approximately 1,516 customers on the south feeder - areas between Greencastle settlement and Bannerman Town. Our operations and maintenance team promptly responded and successfully returned the unit to service, restoring supply to the affected areas.
“Later in the day, approximately 3.10pm, generation issues persisted as the rental unit overheated
due to the higher-than-normal system load over the holiday weekend. When electricity demand exceeds typical levels, units are placed under additional strain, increasing heat output and sometimes triggering automatic shutdowns to protect the equipment,” BPL added.
“This occurred a series of times throughout the evening. To stabilise supply and maintain service for as many customers as possible, BPL implemented a series of scheduled loadshedding rotations in South Eleuthera on Monday evening starting about 9.50pm until about 12.50am.
“BPL acknowledges that customers in Eleuthera have faced persistent challenges in recent months, and we are committed to addressing them. As part of our grid revitalisation strategy, BPL has been steadily strengthening transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure across the island, which has already led to a significant reduction in T&D-related outages.
“We have also taken a laser-focused approach to improving generation reliability, particularly in Harbour Island, where we recently exceeded the island’s generation needs
through strategic upgrades and better load balancing. With these improvements in place, our teams are now prioritsing enhanced generation capacity and reliability along mainland Eleuthera.”
Philippa Kelly, the FNM’s candidate for central and south Eleuthera in the upcoming general election, said residents were unable to cook and sleep, adding that for some conditions have posed a health risk. She called for action because “reliable power isn’t a luxury”.
“This Emancipation Day
should have been a time of celebration, but for many families in Eleuthera, it was a day of heat, frustration and darkness,” Ms Kelly said in a voice note. “Once again, the power was off for hours. Meanwhile, we have been forced to pay electricity bills that have more than doubled under this PLP Government.
“People are sweating in their homes, unable to cook, unable to sleep, and for many it’s becoming a health risk. Most people here don’t have generators, and while the Government issues press releases, we are left in the dark, literally.
“Eleutherans are tired of excuses. We’re demanding action because reliable
power isn’t a luxury. It is a basic necessity. We want reliable power, lower bills and a plan that actually works.” Ms Kelly shared one Eleutheran’s account of the power woes on the island. The resident pleaded for BPL to “do better with us, please” as she noted that constant power outages have been an issues for about four years.
“Listen, here in South Eleuthera, honestly, this is so bad with the power outage here in South Eleuthera. Yesterday morning, which was on Monday morning, we got up in the heat. Electricity was off. Getting ready for work in the heat. Going to work, putting in your eight hours and coming back home, you’re coming back home and going home to the heat. You can’t even cook. You can’t even rest,” they said.
“And listen here, when you knock off, lights off all night. Last night, power was off from 2pm and, as a matter of fact, yesterday morning. I left for work at 10am. BPL was still off. Yesterday, two o’clock when it come back on, it went back off. When I reach home at six o’clock, BPL was still off until exactly 12am that morning, which is ridiculous.
BIMINI CASINO BACK TO PRE-COVID VOLUMES
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business
RESORTS World Bimi-
ni’s compliance officer yesterday said the hotel’s casino has seen a “significant increase” in activity since the COVID-19 pandemic to now start rivalling 2019 numbers.
Larone Fawkes, also the property’s money laundering reporting officer, told Tribune Business that casino guest numbers are back to pre-pandemic figures as visitors have steadily increased over the last few years.
“We have experienced a significant increase,
post-COVID. There has been a good amount of activity since the pandemic and now I’d say things are back to normal. You know, in our business you can never get enough, but yeah, we’ve seen a significant increase,” said Mr Fawkes. Resorts World is one of the three casino licensees in The Bahamas and participated in the Gaming Board’s annual anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-financing of terrorism (CFT) training held yesterday.
Mr Fawkes said the Gaming Board is among the “more respected regulators” for the sector internationally, and
licensees have “very high”
internal controls so there is little concern about deficiencies heading into the country’s evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global standard-setter for combating money laundering and financial crime.
“The Bahamas Gaming Board is one of the more respected regulators for gaming worldwide. Their demands affect your internal controls, the regulations affect your internal controls, which are very high,” said Mr Fawkes.
“With regard to terrorist financing, we are advised by the Gaming Board based on United Nations
Casino client risk higher than web shop patrons
two STRs filed from the gaming houses between the years of 2022 to 2025,” said Ms Creary. “Casino’s client risk base is high. That’s without a question. That’s not going to change mostly because we are dealing with clients who have a high net worth in most cases. We are also dealing with clients that are not local. They are international individuals. So
this puts their risk context a little bit higher. We have had 85 STRs filed in the casino sector between 2022 and 2025.”
Ms Creary said demonstrating effectiveness will be key factor in successfully completing the upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation as many jurisdictions have demonstrated they are compliant through legislation. She added that ensuring licensees are implementing
Job Description:
• General Handyman for Vacation Property
adequate staff training, and are aware of the industry’s inherent risks, will also improve The Bahamas’ chances of successfully completing the evaluation.
“This fifth round is going to focus on effectiveness, not technical compliance, because we’ve all got that. We could, if we want that legislation passed tonight… we can get that, but when it comes to effectiveness, we’re going to have an issue because effectiveness we
Security Council reports on terrorists and we have to make sure that our database reflects that. That’s the extent of the kind of regulations that you’re dealing with”
Mr Fawkes said while Bahamian casinos may submit less suspicious transaction reports (STRs) than other countries, this is mainly due to the absence of income tax reporting. He explained that many foreign casino STRs are triggered by tax avoidance while Bahamian licensees report “actual” suspicious transactions.
“If you’re comparing it to, say, the United States, then pro-rated, it looks
can’t show that overnight,” said Ms Creary.
“We have six months to implement what we have to implement, and start showing the effectiveness from that point, and that is where our concern lies. So yet again, we’ve got to make sure we hold people accountable but, on top of that, a part of making sure that we mitigate its risk is training, making sure that everyone has the understanding, and making sure that we are all singing from the same hymnal.
“We have to make sure that we all know what is going on within this space in order to make it through this mutual evaluation.”
“No rest for work. Can’t do nothing at home. And I am talking about this is so bad in South Eleuthera. This is so frustrating. This is so mind disturbing, like, where all of this is coming from? Every year. It’s the same thing every year, and nothing can be fixed. The same problem, power outage, everyday. Power outage, power outage,” they continued.
“We’re going through this for the past four years now. Every summer, we going through the same thing. And I feel like this is just so bad for the people in South Eleuthera. This is ridiculous. Like we have to put up with this every year. We don’t have a choice but to put up with it. It’s like nobody we can go to, nobody we could go to and talk about this situation.
“Everybody’s telling us the same thing. Every year is going to get better, and every year is worse, worse, worse. Come on, Lord. Do better with South Eleuthera, man. We paying our electricity bill just like everybody else, and we want good service just like everybody else. Please look out for the people in South Eleuthera. Do better with us, please.”
Margarita Hill, Royalty’s Sweet Treats owner,
low. One of the reasons is they have currency transfer, CTRs, so if they’ve wagered over $10,000 a report has to go out, which is demanded by the IRS. We don’t have that kind of reporting in The Bahamas because we don’t have an income tax base, so that’s what’s driving those high numbers,” said Mr Fawkes.
told Tribune Business the constant outages have impacted her bakery. She also questioned why her bill has increased dramatically despite not using any more power than normal.
“They were cutting off electricity for hours,” Ms Hill said. “It doesn’t make sense. How could my bill increase if it’s off? How could it go higher? What would cause it to go higher? What are they doing? Are they guesstimating the bills? What are they doing? Are they reading the bills, actually reading our meters, or are they just guesstimating these bills?
“That’s another challenge. See, it’s one thing I have no electricity for hours on days. And then there’s another thing, when you get the bill and it’s double what it was the month before.”
BPL added that the Narrows Feeder in Harbour Island had to be opened following a trip of the rental generation units.
“Additionally, we are aware of power-related issues impacting customers on mainland Eleuthera, specifically on the south feeder. Our teams are currently investigating this matter, and updates will be provided as soon as more information becomes available,” it said.
“Our reporting is based on actual suspicious transactions. So comparatively, we feel that we’re doing okay. One may say it should be increased, but that’s where the training comes in on the front line, because in order for the report to be reported, it has to be initiated from the front line.”
to assist in required repairs.
GENERAL TASKS:
• You will be expected to be versatile with multiple duties and responsibilities, including but not limited to:
• Carpentry: installing cabinets, doors, countertops and flooring including tiles, carpets
or other hardwood and laminate coverings.
• Roofing: identifying and repairing the source
of leaks, removing dirt and debris from guttering, replacing shingles and improving insulation to prevent heat loss.
• Plumbing: while you don’t have the expertise to fix complex issues, you can resolve basic problems such as installing new taps, sinks and toilets, and repairing leaks.
• Decorating: painting walls and ceilings, touching up skirting boards and door frames, sanding floors and other wooden surfaces.
EMAIL: hr@palmcay.com
Payment provider says many already refunded
DIGITAL - from page B1
very suspicious. The only contact was information that was on the website.”
The source said it was only when they tracked down an Island Pay representative that they learned of the technology platform woes, the ‘migration’ plan and refunds.
But, after visiting Island Pay’s Sandyport offices and providing the KYC and bank account details, they added it has “been more than two weeks” and they have still to be refunded the contents of their electronic wallet. “They’re not telling people; they’re not giving clients notice,” the source said. “There’s no communication with individuals.
“I’m getting the distinct impression that unless clients actually use the account and become aware there is a problem, and can’t access their funds, only then will they contact you.” Other contacts questioned why Island Pay was only starting a “five-month migration” to a new platform now, as such moves are usually planned and executed well in advance to ensure a smooth and seamless transition.
“Any migration that takes five months must be running on the back of a donkey,” one source said, challenging why Island Pay in effect is requiring clients to submit the same KYC details they used to open their electronic wallet
account again to receive their funds.
It was last night unclear whether the situation has attracted the regulatory attention of the Central Bank as its governor, John Rolle, could not be reached by phone and did not respond to messages seeking comment before press time last night.
However, Andrew Allen told Tribune Business last night that Island Pay is “looking to resolve this this week” when it comes to the return of client funds from its legacy platform. The company’s principals are due to meet staff today, and he added that his family have in effect been carrying the digital payments provider financially and
New two-year ‘grandfather’ timeline plan for contractors
BUILDING - from page B1
said the latest, if he does not get it done this month, will be the first week in September.
“He said it’s imminent, and that’s why they made the allocation of $50,000 for the Construction Contractors Board in this year’s Budget. We had a good meeting. He discussed some of the reasons why this has taken so long.”
Mr Sands said the Prime Minister told the BCA executives he had “never forgotten” about the need to appoint the Board, and end the nine-year wait to enforce industry self-regulation, but explained that the Government had to “deal with the most pressing matters first” and tackle priorities such as reviving the economy post-COVID-19, critical infrastructure works and getting Grand Bahama back on track.
“Now he’s got a good handle on that, he’s switching his attention to legislation he passed but did not complete,” Mr Sands added. “We’re quite excited about where we find ourselves. We are very pleased with the meeting with the Prime Minister; very, very pleased. It was very light, very jovial and he was very excited to make this thing happen.”
The BCA chief explained that the licensing and selfregulatory system ushered in by the Board’s approval should eventually result in increased business for Bahamian contractors as developers - both local and foreign - will know which companies and individuals can perform certain jobs competently based on the scale and type of work they are certified for.
“I would go on record as saying this is going to really break open the industry in a way we cannot even
comprehend,” Mr Sands told Tribune Business “We’ve said before that there are hundreds of millions, possibly billions of dollars, of investment that want to come to The Bahamas but because we don’t have licensed contractors it stays offshore.
“I think with licensed contractors becoming a reality, I think the construction industry in this country can surpass $2bn a year. I think that is not unrealistic - in excess of $2bn. We’re right now, I think, at $1.1bn to $1.2bn.” Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) data showed the combined value of total construction starts hit $212.105m for the 2023 fullyear, with new construction permits at $915.566m.
Mr Sands reiterated that construction industry output, which the BNSI said expanded by 19 percent or $146m in 2024 to $768m, will increase further
“paying the obligations as quickly as we can”.
Asserting that all clients remaining to be paid have been identified, and “quite a few” already have been refunded, Andrew Allen said ownership and management are seeking to make Island Pay “ship shape moving forward”.
“A company wants to get ahead of news in the marketplace,” he said. “This has come at a bad time.... This is not a new thing. We’ve resolved a lot of it already. We rely on external providers, technology vendors, and we are going to deal with that through our own platform.
“We cannot rely on third party providers. We’ve been trying this for some time. We’ve had an extremely disruptive and unhealthy relationship with our partners.” William Allen Jnr pledged: “We are getting the customers their money. There may be some confusion with names that might hold it up when you have
because the new contractor licensing regime will give investors confidence that Bahamian firms can perform the work. As a result, local contractors will be placed on a competitive ‘level playing field’ with foreign rivals in battling for FDI project work.
“Now we’re going to go toe-to-toe with everyone,” the BCA president said. “No longer will someone have an unfair advantage over a Bahamian contractor. It gives them a real fighting chance to fairly and properly participate in the work that happens in this country; not just some of it but all of it.
“I think consumers are also finally going to get a better product for the money they spend. They are going to have the benefit of having more trained individuals offering contractor services, and hopefully persons who should not be engaged in offering construction services to the public will have a more difficult time to do so.”
The Construction Contractors Board will provide Bahamians with a more accessible avenue for
a lot of things happening.
One or two customers may have extended waits.” Andrew Allen had last year unveiled ambitions to rapidly expand Island Pay’s network of self-pay kiosks and automated teller machines (ATM) to up to 120 locations via a roll-out set to begin in early 2025. Revealing that Exuma was the first island in Island Pay’s sights, he told this newspaper it was also in negotiations with the National Insurance Board (NIB) to resume the role it fulfilled during the COVID-19 pandemic when it facilitated thousands of electronic payments of unemployment benefits on the social security system’s behalf.
And, while seeking to meet the demand for financial and payment services on islands “abandoned” by commercial banks and their branches, Island Pay’s chairman said it was already looking ahead to potential expansion beyond
redressing grievances with contractors, but Mr Sands acknowledged: “Enforcement is going to be the key thing. We’re finally going to have a body that’s going to enforce the rules of the industry. We’ll have a Board in place to do that. I think it’s going to be selfregulation to the benefit of everyone.”
The BCA president said the construction industry is the last major profession in The Bahamas yet to be brought under self-regulation. He added that the Board will have the power to fine and discipline rogue contractors, and even bring them before the courts, comparing its regulatory authority as the construction sector’s equivalent of the Bahamas Bar Council or Medical Council.
The BCA has the ability to submit the names of six Board members, with a further three appointed by the minister responsible for the construction industry on its advice. The final member of the ten-person Board will be the director of public works.
However, Mr Sands said self-regulation will take
The Bahamas’ borders with potential moves into the Caribbean and Latin American regions come 2026.
“Payments in the Family Islands are already being facilitated by ourselves,” Andrew Allen told Tribune Business then. “We intend to be huge. We intend to roll-out at least 100-120 ATMs throughout the islands and be in all major islands. We intend to saturate the islands where the banks have pulled out. We’re looking to begin the roll-out in the Family Islands in January.”
“The plan is to roll-out immediately, beginning with Exuma, and to saturate Exuma, Long Island, Andros, Inagua, Eleuthera this coming year, every month of the year, and to make sure, now we have stabilised ourselves and are under new leadership, to consummate the various relationships that were always in the works.”
time to implement due to the ‘grandfathering in’ period for existing contractors and trades persons to become licensed and registered under the new system introduced by the Board. The initial “grandfathering” period expired two years after the Act was passed in 2016, which would have been 2018. This now has to be reset, with the two-year period set to start in 2026 and run until 2028, the BCA president added.
“The Prime Minister did indicate that has to go back before Parliament for them to amend the timeline for grandfathering existing contractors,” Mr Sands added.
“It would have ended in 2018. It now has to start from 2026 through to 2028.
“That’s going to be the new two-year period. The effective date will be when they announce the Board. It will be two years, 2026 through to 2028. That’s not a big thing. The Prime Minister reached out to have this meeting and share this information. I certainly believe it will happen in the timeline he said it will.”
to be repeated
‘Highly likely’ holiday closing
ANALYSIS - from page B1
a “significant” number, and said Super Value’s analysis of the cost savings from the four-store closure will determine whether it repeats the move on future holidays.
“After we finish analysis of the expenses we saved on, we can definitely make a decision on that, but looking at it so far it seems highly likely we will do the same thing again,” she told Tribune Business. “We’ve got some time to look at it and decide. So far so good. We’re just looking at expenses now and seeing how much we saved. If we got both the increase in sales and the savings, that’s a good thing.” The four stores selected for closure were considered to be in relative close proximity to other Super Value
locations so as to minimise inconvenience to Bahamian shoppers. Ms Symonette previously said rising Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) bills and costs “played a significant role” in the closure decision involving the four stores.
“Any time we see those costs go up that’s a hit for for us,” she added. “We cannot help but use electricity because it’s not like
we can turn off the lights when there are customers in the store or turn-off the refrigeration.
“The air conditioning, the lights, the refrigeration, they all play a great role in running up the bill. Even when the customers are gone that refrigeration has to keep running to keep the food fresh. The air conditioning you can turn off at times but then you have to run them for a while to get it to where you need it to be at a certain point.”
Super Value recently told Tribune Business that energy costs “seem out of hand” after its electricity bill increased by almost
$200,000 in just two months. Ms Symonette had told Tribune Business that, following a 29.3 percent month-over-month jump in its electricity costs from April to May 2025, the company sustained a further 24 percent month-over-month rise in energy costs via its bill for June. This had resulted in a near-40 percent increase in power bills expenses for the 2025 half-year, with a $194,184 rise in electricity costs in just two months.
While the Nassau Street location had enjoyed a 2 percent decrease in electricity costs, Super Value’s stores at Golden Gates,
NOTICE TRAPIA LTD.
Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration Number 206466 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 01st day of August, A.D. 2025. Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is Mrs. SANDRA PAULA RODRIGUES DE SOUZA, whose address is RUA ADERBAL MAIA PAIVA, S/N – Q254 L 422 58046527 - BRAZIL. Any Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 02nd day of September A.D. 2025 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is proved.
Dated this 01st day of August A.D. 2025.
SANDRA PAULA RODRIGUES DE SOUZA Liquidator
Robinson Road, Prince Charles Drive and East Street had seen their bills surge by between 64 percent and 75 percent. The Government recently tabled in the House of Assembly an Order that appears to both give legal effect to BPL’s new base tariff rates that were unveiled in summer 2024 and pave the way to reinstate the fuel hedging that was previously abandoned. The Electricity (Tariff Rate for Electricity Services) Order 2025 implements the base tariffs set out in BPL’s Equity Rate Adjustment, including the 14.9 percent increase for the first 900,000 KWh consumed by the utility’s largest customers - the likes of hotels and food stores. This tariff is being increased from 8.7 cents per KWh to 10 cents, while the rate for “all remaining units” is to jump by 45.2 percent - from 6.2 cents per KWh to 9 cents. All other BPL customer classes, including households and commercial, as well as temporary supply, will see their base rates either decrease or remain constant.
Mexican ranchers struggle to adapt as a tiny parasite ravages their cattle exports to the US
By FERNANDO LLANO and FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ
Associated Press
THE United States' suspension of live cattle imports from Mexico hit at the worst possible time for rancher Martín Ibarra Vargas, who after two years of severe drought had hoped to put his family on better footing selling his calves across the northern border.
Like his father and grandfather before him, Ibarra Vargas has raised cattle on the parched soil of Sonora, the state in northwestern Mexico that shares a long border with the United States, particularly Arizona. His family has faced punishing droughts before but has never before had to contend with the economic hit of a new scourge: the New World Screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite.
U.S. agriculture officials halted live cattle crossing the border in July – the third suspension of the past eight months — due to concerns about the flesh-eating maggot which has been found in southern Mexico and is creeping north.
The screwworm is a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly that can invade the tissues of any warmblooded animal, including humans. The parasite enters animals' skin, causing severe damage and lesions that can be fatal. Infected animals are a serious threat to herds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture calls it a "devastating pest" and said in June that it poses a threat
to "our livestock industry, our economy, and our food supply chain." It has embarked on other steps to keep it out of the United States, which eradicated it decades ago. As part of its strategy the U.S. is preparing to breed billions of sterile flies and release them in Mexico and southern Texas. The aim is for the sterile males to mate with females in the wild who then produce no offspring.
The U.S. ban on live cattle also applies to horses and bison imports. It hit a ranching sector already weakened by drought and specifically a cattle export business that generated $1.2 billion for Mexico last year.
This year, Mexican ranchers have exported fewer than 200,000 head of cattle, which is less than half what they historically send in the same period.
For Ibarra Vargas, considered a comparatively small rancher by Sonora's beef-centric standards, the inability to send his calves across the border has made him rethink everything.
The repeated bans on Mexican cows by U.S. authorities has pushed his family to branch into beekeeping, raising sheep and selling cow's milk. What he earns is just a fraction of what he earned by exporting live cattle, but he is trying to hold on through the lean times.
IN REJECTING THE JOBS REPORT, TRUMP FOLLOWS HIS OWN PLAYBOOK OF DISCREDITING UNFAVORABLE DATA
By JOSH BOAK Associated Press
WHEN the coronavirus surged during President Donald Trump's first term, he called for a simple fix: Limit the amount of testing so the deadly outbreak looked less severe. When he lost the 2020 election, he had a ready-made reason: The vote count was fraudulent.
And on Friday, when the July jobs report revisions showed a distressed economy, Trump had an answer: He fired the official in charge of the data and called the report of a sharp slowdown in hiring "phony."
Trump has a go-to playbook if the numbers reveal uncomfortable realities, and that's to discredit or conceal the figures and to attack the messenger — all
of which can hurt the president's efforts to convince the world that America is getting stronger.
"Our democratic system and the strength of our private economy depend on the honest flow of information about our economy, our government and our society," said Douglas Elmendorf, a Harvard University professor who was formerly director of the Congressional Budget Office. "The Trump administration is trying to suppress honest analysis."
The Republican president's strategy carries significant risks for his own administration and a broader economy that depends on politics-free data. His denouncements threaten to lower trust in government and erode public accountability, and any manipulation of federal
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that JULIUS OLAJIDE OGUNLEYE of P.O. Box
SP-61333, #3 Sea View Drive, East Street South, Nassau, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization, as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 6th day of August 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
NOTICE
of Treasure Cay, Farm Road, Abaco, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration/ Naturalization, as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 6th day of August 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
data could result in policy choices made on faulty numbers, causing larger problems for both the president and the country.
The White House disputes any claims that Trump wants to hide numbers that undermine his preferred narratives. It emphasized that Goldman Sachs found that the twomonth revisions on the
"Tiempos de vacas flacas" — times of the lean cows — as he calls them.
"At least it lets us continue" ranching, the 57-year-old said with a white cowboy hat perched on his head.
Reinvent to survive
Even as ranchers in Sonora intensify their efforts to make sure the parasitic fly never makes it into their state, they've had to seek new markets.
In the past two months, they've sold more than 35,000 mature cows within Mexico at a significant loss.
"We couldn't wait any longer," said Juan Carlos Ochoa, president of the Sonora Regional Cattle Union. Those sales, he said,
jobs report were the largest since 1968, outside of a recession, and that should be a source of concern regarding the integrity of the data. Trump's aides say their fundamental focus is ensuring the data accurately describes reality.
Trump has a long history of dismissing data when it reflects poorly on him and extolling or even fabricating more favorable numbers, a pattern that includes his net worth, his family business, election results and government figures:
PUBLIC NOTICE
INTENT TO CHANGE NAME BY DEED POLL
The public is hereby advised that I, VASCOE LAMONT JOHNSON of #47 Sea Beach Blvd., Sea Beach Estates, New Providence, Bahamas intend to change my name to VASCOE ALEXANDER WOODS. If there are any objections to the 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 the publication of this notice.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that ILIANA CEDENO MOLINA of P.O. Box SP-61333, Atlantic Drive, Cable Beach, Nassau, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization, as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 6th day of August 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
came at a "35% lower price difference compared with the export value of a cow."
That's hard to stomach when beef prices in the U.S. are rising.
The U.S. first suspended cattle imports last November. Since then, more than 2,258 cases of screwworm have been identified in Mexico. Treatment requires a mix of manually removing the maggots, healing the lesions on the cows and using anti-parasite medicine.
Some ranchers have also started retail beef sales through luxury butcher shops referred to as "meat boutiques."
There are other foreign markets, for example Japan, but selling vacuum sealed steaks across the Pacific is a dramatically different business than driving calves to U.S. feedlots. The switch is not easy.
An uncertain future
With his calves mooing as they ran from one end of a small corral to the other waiting to be fed, Ibarra Vargas said he still hasn't figured out how he will survive an extended period of not being able to send them to the U.S.
The recent two-year drought reduced his cattle stocks and forced him to take on debt to save the small family ranch that has survived for three generations.
Juan Carlos Anaya, director of Agricultural Markets Consulting Group, attributed a 2% drop in Mexico's cattle inventory last year to the drought.
— Judge Arthur Engoron ruled in a lawsuit brought by the state of New York that Trump and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing loans.
By LORNE COOK Associated Press
NATO has started coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine after the Netherlands said it would provide air defense equipment, ammunition and other military aid worth 500 million euros ($578 million).
Sweden also announced Tuesday it would contribute $275 million to a joint effort along with its Nordic neighbors Denmark and Norway to provide $500 million worth of air defenses, antitank weapons, ammunition and spare parts.
Two deliveries of equipment, most of it bought in the United States, are expected this month, although the Nordic package is expected to arrive in September. The equipment is supplied based on Ukraine's priority needs on the battlefield. NATO allies then locate the weapons and ammunition and send them on.
"Packages will be prepared rapidly and issued on a regular basis," NATO said Monday.
Air defense systems are in greatest need. The United Nations has said that Russia's relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians.
Russia's bigger army is also making slow but costly progress along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Currently, it is waging an operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a logistical hub whose fall could allow it to drive deeper into Ukraine. European allies and Canada are buying most of the equipment they plan to send from the United States, which has greater stocks of ready military materiel, as well as more effective weapons.
The Trump administration is not giving any arms to Ukraine.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that SHEMEKA YANEKE MCLENNON of Haslemere Road, Marathon Road, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 6th day of August, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
NOTICE
NOTICE is hereby given that NADINE DARDIGNAC of 8th Street, Coconut Grove, 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 6th day of August, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
A CALF is evaluated by a veterinary during a veterinary inspection in Hermosillo, Sonora State, Mexico, Monday, July 28, 2025.
Photo:Fernando Llano/AP
GOP CONGRESSMAN FACES
HEATED TOWN HALL WHERE HUNDREDS BOO HIM FOR SUPPORTING TRUMP’S BIG BILL
By THOMAS BEAUMONT
Associated Press
REP. Mike Flood has gotten an earful during a public meeting in Lincoln aimed at discussing his support for the massive tax breaks and spending cuts bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Flood, a second-term Republican who represents the GOP-leaning district that includes the University of Nebraska, on Monday braved the ire of a college town audience dominated by hundreds of people intent on expressing their displeasure chiefly with cuts to Medicaid benefits and tax reductions tilted toward the wealthy.
He described the law as less than perfect but stood firm on its Medicaid and tax provisions, fueling a 90-minute barrage of jeers and chants in a scenario House Republican leaders have advised GOP members to avoid.
"More than anything I truly believe this bill protects Medicaid for the future," Flood said, setting off a shower of boos from the audience of roughly 700 in the University
of Nebraska's Kimball Recital Hall. "We protected Medicaid."
How voters receive the law, passed with no Democratic support in the narrowly GOP-controlled House and Senate, could go a long way to determine whether Republicans keep power in next year's midterm elections.
Flood was resolute on his position but engaged with the audience at times. During his repeated discussions of Medicaid, he asked if people in the audience thought able-bodied Americans should be required to work. When many shouted their opposition, he replied, "I don't think a majority of Nebraskans agree with that."
Dozens formed a line to the microphone to speak to Flood, most asking pointed questions about the law, but many others questioning moves by the Trump administration on immigration enforcement, education spending and layoffs within the federal bureaucracy.
Some came prepared to confront him.
"You said in Seward you were not a fascist," one man stood in line to say. "Your complicity suggests otherwise."
A $2.5 BILLION PLEDGE MAKES WOMEN’S HEALTH A PRIORITY IN GATES FOUNDATION SPEND-DOWN
By ALEX DANIELS Associated Press
INNOVATIONS on the horizon in women's health show what's possible with more investment. With the help of ultrasound equipment powered by artificial intelligence, frontline health care workers may be able to track the progress of developing embryos with a minimum of training. And birth control injections that last six months could give women more control over reproduction.
Those are just two potential breakthroughs out of more than 40 the Gates Foundation intends to support through a five-year, $2.5 billion commitment on women's health research and development, more than triple the amount it has spent on women's health innovation over the past five years.
"Many of the most pressing conditions impacting women still remain understudied, underdiagnosed, and overlooked," said Ru-fong Joanne Cheng, director of Women's Health Innovations at Gates.
A very small share of medical research funding supports the study of health specific to women, including gynecological and menstrual health, obstetric care, contraceptive innovation, sexually transmitted infections, and maternal health and nutrition, the foundation said. It cited a 2021 McKinsey and Company study that found 1% of all medical research, setting aside cancer research, goes toward women's health.
The foundation framed the commitment as part of its May announcement that it would spend down its assets over the next 20 years and concentrate much of its support on global health. While much of the research funded over the next five years will benefit women worldwide, the foundation said, the need is most acute in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
By devoting billions to women's health, the foundation has signaled it intends to continue to invest in the cause following the 2024 departure of Melinda French Gates, who led the foundation's support of
Flood shot back, "Fascists don't hold town halls with open question-andanswer sessions."
Asked if he would block the release of files related to the sex trafficking case involving the late Jeffrey Epstein, Flood said he supports their release as a co-sponsor of a nonbinding resolution calling for their publication. Flood also said he supports requiring a deposition from Epstein's convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, who argues she was wrongfully prosecuted.
Flood also suggested he might have "handled the situation differently" when he was pressed about Trump's firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner after her office reported slower July job growth than a year earlier.
Flood's audience Monday was gathering more than an hour before the doors opened. And as people lined up in the warm August air, he sauntered by, introducing himself, shaking hands and thanking people, including retired Lincoln teacher and school administrator Mary Ells, for attending.
"I believe Congressman Flood listened in a socially appropriate way," Ells said after expressing concerns to Flood about her grandchildren's future. "I do not believe he listens in a responsive, action-oriented way for citizens in Nebraska that do not agree with the national playbook written elsewhere but being implemented here."
Inside the hall, much of that decorum vanished.
During Flood's discussion of his support of the law's tax provisions, which he argued would benefit the middle class, the audience exploded in a deafening chant of "Tax the rich."
Other refrains included "Vote him out!" and "Free Palestine!"
Hecklers often drowned out Flood, creating a rolling cacophony with only occasional pauses.
Republican lawmakers' town halls have been few and far between since the bill passed early last month, in part because their leaders have advised them against it. Trump and others say the law will give the economy a jolt, but Democrats feel they've connected with criticism of many of its provisions, especially its cuts to Medicaid and tax cuts tilted toward the wealthy. Flood later downplayed the confrontation as "spirited" but "part of the process" during an impromptu press conference. "It doesn't mean you can make everybody happy," he said. "But, you know, if you feel strongly about what you're doing in Congress, stand in the town square, tell them why you voted that way, listen to their questions, treat them with respect and invite them to continue to communicate." Unlike dozens of other Republicans in competitive districts, Flood hardly has to worry, as Republicans brace for a challenge to their razor-thin majority in the House next year. Elected in 2022, Flood was reelected to the seat last year by winning 60% of the vote in a district that includes Lincoln in Democratic-leaning Lancaster County but also vast Republican-heavy rural tracts in 11 counties that ring the Omaha metropolitan area.
girls' and women's health. Since her divorce from Bill Gates, French Gates has committed more than $1 billion to improve women's physical and mental health, provide more economic opportunity to women, and increase their political sway.
The announcement follows a U.S. pullback of support for global maternal health programs during the first seven months of the Trump administration.
The shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development and program reductions at the Centers for Disease Control have sunset programs focused on women's health. According to a March internal USAID memo, the agency's closure will stop services for 16.8 million pregnant women annually.
In April, the World Health Organization said that the 40 percent decline in maternal deaths from 2000 to 2023 has been put at risk because of aid cuts.
'We need both innovation and delivery' While the foundation continues to focus on the delivery of health care globally in an era of governmental retreat, the $2.5 billion will focus squarely on research needed to save lives, Anita Zaidi, president of Gates's Gender Equality Division, said on a press call Monday to discuss the announcement.
"This is an innovationfocused announcement," she said. "We need both innovation and delivery."
It's important to remember that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only been required to test novel drugs on women in clinical trials since 1993, and many tests are still only done on men, said Katy Brodsky Falco, founder of the Foundation for Women's Health, which plans to make $5 million in research grants this year.
With Gates getting behind research and development of women's health with such a large commitment, others may follow, Brodsky Falco said.
"Hopefully it will bring the issue to the top of the conversation among private donors and family foundations, even if they otherwise haven't supported this type of work," she said.
REP. Mike Flood speaks and takes questions during a town hall meeting on the University of Nebraska campus, Monday, August 4, 2025 in Lincoln, Neb. The second-term Republican braved a Democratic-heavy audience of roughly 700, most of whom booed and chanted in opposition to the GOP-backed tax-break and spending-cut bill President Donald Trump signed last month.
Photo:Thomas Beaumont/AP
THE GATES Foundation campus sign is seen on April 30, 2025, in Seattle.
Photo:Lindsey Wasson/AP
Crucial exemption allows majority of Canadian and Mexican goods to be shipped to US without tariffs
By ROB GILLIES Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump raised the tariffs on Canadian goods to 35% last week, but a key exemption for Canada and Mexico shields the vast majority of goods from the punishing duties.
Goods that comply with the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that Trump negotiated during his first term are excluded from the tariffs.
Here's a look at Trump's tariffs on the two countries and their exemptions:
Most Canadian exports reaching the US duty free Canada's central bank says 100% of energy exports and 95% of other exports are compliant with the trade pact, known as USMCA. The Royal Bank estimated that almost 90% of Canadian exports appear to have accessed the U.S. market duty free in April.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the commitment of the U.S. to the core of USMCA, reaffirmed again last week, means the U.S. average tariff rate on Canadian goods remains one of its lowest, and over
85% of Canada-U.S. trade continues to be tariff free. "Canada is better off than any of the trading partners right now because the Americans appear to be relying as a default on USMCA," said Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association. "That gives them the tough tariff headline but also allows them the access to the stuff they need from us. Because of that we're in a relative better position."
Canadian and Mexican companies can claim preferential treatment under the USMCA based on where the products are made.
"The headline news is 35% tariffs but it's somewhat targeted," said John Manley, Canada's former industry minister, finance minister, foreign affairs minister and deputy prime minister.
Manley said Canada is doing okay despite the economic uncertainty.
"There is a lot of resilience I'd say. The Canadian economy has done relatively well, better than most of us expected, and remember that there is no tariffs on any of our energy exports," he said.
25% tariffs on Mexican goods target a small slice of trade
Trump said last week he would enter into a 90-day negotiating period with Mexico, also one of America's largest trading partners. The current 25% tariff rates are staying in place, down from the 30% he had threatened earlier. But that 25% only applies to the fraction of Mexico's trade with the U.S. that isn't covered by the USMCA. Shortly after speaking with Trump on
Thursday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that within the "new commercial world order," Mexico was still the best positioned nation because of the free trade agreement.
"What's within (USMCA) has no tariff, with the exception of what we already know: autos, steel and aluminum; and what is outside the treaty has 25%," Sheinbaum said.
But Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard pointed out that under the USMCA no tariffs were paid on more
than 84% of Mexico's trade with the United States.
Most imports from Canada and Mexico are still protected by the USMCA, but the deal is up for review next year. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said last month: "I think the president is absolutely going to renegotiate USMCA." Preserving the free trade pact will be critical for Canada and Mexico.
"It would be an incredible disruption to lose it especially if you lost it to the levels of tariffs Trump is imposing, 30%, 25% or even 20%. You can absorb a single digit tariff level across the board but you can't adjust that kind of increase," Manley said.
More than 75% of Canada's exports go to the U.S. while more than 80% of Mexico's exports go there.
Manley said that depending on how the trade war plays out the risk to the USMCA is very high. "Uncertainty in business is the enemy of decision making," he said.
Charging for access
Carney said in a series of recent agreements with other countries that
America is, in effect, charging for access to its economy. Manley said the investment thesis for Canada is pretty straightforward as Canada is rich in natural resources, has a skilled labor force, is open to immigration and has unfettered access to the U.S. market, the largest economy in the world.
"If that latter point is no longer the case, we've still got all the others, but we've got to really redevelop the investment thesis for attracting investment to Canada," Manley said.
Trump has some sector specific tariffs, known as 232 tariffs, that are having an impact. There is a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum imports and a 25% tariff on auto imports, though there is a carve-out for Canadian and Mexican made cars.
"Despite our advantages, certain major Canadian industries are being severely impacted by U.S. trade actions. These strategic sectors include autos, steel, aluminum, copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and of course, softwood lumber," Carney said on Tuesday as he announced an aid package for the lumber industry as the U.S, ratches up duties.
MARINE FORECAST
SHIPPING containers are loaded onto trucks at CSX Intermodal Terminals, a supplier of rail-based freight transportation, at CSX Queensgate Rail Yard, May 7, 2025, in Cincinnati. Photo:Carolyn Kaster/AP
