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Govt needs attitude change to make Labour plans work By NATARIO MCKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net MINISTERS were urged yesterday to abandon the ‘dogmatic culture of governance’ as a step towards ensuring the success of a revamped Employment Exchange. The appeal came from the Organisation for Responsible Governance (ORG) which also expressed its concern over the implications and tone of a more ‘vigorous’ work permit enforcement pledge. ORG, a non-profit foundation working for governance reform, said, while the potential for the new Employment Exchange to create avenues to work for Bahamians and at the same time presenting quality applicant options for employers is “encouraging”, it was concerned over recent statements by Labour Director Robert Farquharson on how the technology would be used. Mr Farquharson told Tribune Business last week he expects his department to ‘more vigorously’ enforce the country’s work permit policy when the revamped Exchange officially launches at the end of this month. ORG said it was concerned over the implications and adversarial tone of that statement.
ROBERT FARQUHARSON “As we have stated in the past, we strongly encourage the Government to become more consultative in their approach to governance and to abandon the dogmatic culture of governance that has dominated in previous years and has led us to the state of socioeconomic crisis we now find ourselves in,” ORG said. “The success of the Employment Exchange in encouraging employers to utilise Bahamian talent would be enhanced by engaging with stakeholders on how best it could be implemented, how it is most useful and how to encourage participation. We therefore implore the Government - in this case, the Labour Board, Department of Immigration and institutional funders such See PG B2
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LYNDEN PINDLING INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Airport looks solar to cut energy costs By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
NASSAU Airport Development Company (NAD) yesterday issued a request for information (RFI) on proposals for a solar energy plant at the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) which it hopes will reduce operating costs. its top executive telling this newspaper the company’s energy bill currently represents 25 per cent of its total operating expenses.
“Our energy bill represents approximately 25 per cent of total operating expenses. If we can reduce that to even 20 per cent, it would make a huge difference to our operation,” Vernice Walkine, NAD’s president and chief executive told Tribune Business.. Ms Walkine first alluded to the RFI earlier this month at a Rotary Club of Nassau Sunrise presentation, noting the LPIA has an annual energy bill of $6.5 million. NAD is seeking companies with the ability to design, build and operate
a solar energy plant with battery storage at the LPIA. Interested parties must contact NAD’s capital projects manager Sean Moultrie between by August 18, responses to the RFI to be submitted no later than September 8. Back in April, Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) announced the start of renewable energy grid tie-ins for residential customers, with per island limits imposed on the total amount that can be supplied. It has yet to move on something similar for commercial customers.
$4.18 FINANCE KEY TO LIGHTING UP RENEWABLE MARKET By NATARIO MCKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net RENEWABLE energy penetration in The Bahamas is moving “slower than desired” chiefly due to issues with financing, a local renewable energy provider said yesterday. Guilden Gilbert, vicepresident of Alternative Power Sources (APS) Bahamas, told Tribune Business that while there is significant interest locally in moving towards renewables, “it is still to some degree cost prohibitive”. The potential is clearly there, however, shown in April when Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) announced the start of renewable energy grid tie-ins for residential customers but with the imposition of per island limits on the total amount that can be supplied. Mr Gilbert said: “We have a relatively steady flow of new clients. Obviously a lot of people are definitely interested in moving in that direction but it is still to some degree cost prohibitive. It is something we are looking to address soon on a much larger scale. I can’t say we are seeing a concerted push or demand to move to renewables to take advantage of the residential small scale generation. “Even as a company we don’t preach energy cost saving as we preach energy independence. We don’t sit with a client and say that by doing this you are going to save X,Y,Z. We make that point that whether BEC is there or not they will have power 24 hours a day. For us it’s bigger than saving money, it’s about energy independence and energy security.” See PG B2